OUR DAILY BREAD : THE MIDWIFE'S TALE

[cimi]

August 1
Friday


THE
MIDWIFE'S TALE

READ:
John 3:1-8
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The wind blows where
it wishes.... So is
everyone who is born of
the Spirit. __John 3:8
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Historian Laurel Ulrich received a Pulitzer Prize for her book The Midwife's Tale. The book was based on the diary of Martha Ballard, who lived during the American Revolution. Martha was a midwife who traveled by canoe, horse, or sometimes on foot to assist women in delivering their babies. At a time when many women died in childbirth, Martha's track record was extraordinary. In more than 1,000 deliveries, she never lost a mother in childbirth.

In God's kingdom, there is a spiritual Helper who produces new life. But His role is to bring about "second birth" (John 3:5-8). The Holy Spirit uses a variety of ways to accomplish this. He convicts the world of sin (John 16:8), empowers the gospel (1 Thess. 1:5), regenerates us from within (Titus 3:5), and places believers into eternal union with Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13). Though He is invisible, His life-changing activity can be clearly seen.

Jesus said of the Holy Spirit: "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit" (John 3:8).

The Spirit desires to use us in sharing the gospel so others can experience that second birth. __Dennis Fisher
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`````````````````````God sent the Holy Spirit after````````````````
````````````````````Christ ascended from this earth,``````````````
``````````````````And this we know__He's left us here`````````````
````````````````To share good news of second birth. __Hess````````
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The Holy Spirit is the Christian's source of power.

*****************Today's Bible Reading __ John 3:1-8**************

1 There was a man of the
Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews. 2 This man came to
Jesus by night and said to
Him, "Rabbi, we know that
You are a teacher come
from God; for no one can
do these signs that You do
unless God is with him."

3 Jesus answered and said
to him, "Most assuredly, I
say to you, unless one is
born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God."

4 Nicodemus said to Him,
"How can a man be born
when he is old? Can he
enter a second time into
his mother's womb and
be born?"

5 Jesus answered, "Most
assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water
and the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that
which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. 7 Do not marvel
that I said to you, You
must be born again. 8 The
wind blows where it
wishes, and you hear the
sound of it, but cannot tell
where it comes from and
where it goes. So is
everyone who is born of
the Spirit."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today's Bible reading is one of several personal encounters that
individuals had with Jesus in John's gospel record. Nicodemus was
one of the primary teachers of Israel (John 3:10), and he came to
Jesus by night, many believe, out of fear of being seen with the
Master. Later in John's account, Nicodemus was seen offering a
soft defense of Jesus' ministry before the sanhedrin (John 7:50-51).
In the end, however, Nicodemus publicly identified with Christ by
participation in His burial (John 19:39). __Bill Crowder