- In
the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He
was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing
exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives
light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness
can never extinguish it. God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone about
the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John
himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light. The one who
is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the
world. But although the world was
made through him, the world didn't recognize him when he came. Even in his
own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all who
believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion
or plan--this rebirth comes from God.
(John 1:1-13 NLT).
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- Mary
and I will be in Washington DC for a few days. She will be resting and I
will be attending a Chevrolet meeting. We will be staying in one of the
hotels near the capital. I made our reservations several months ago because
of the difficulty of getting a guaranteed room in this hotel. We also have
it prepaid to guarantee the room for late arrival. I have had many occasions
when that has been an essential!
-
- Some years ago Mary and I got a late start for our
drive from Texas to North Carolina. We thought we'd make a motel reservation
somewhere along Interstate 40 in Tennessee. That made the most sense to us
as far as distance is concerned. We rolled in pretty late and saw a
disgruntled man leaving the lobby. When I got to the check-in desk, there
was no one there, just a sign, "Back in a few minutes." Several
more weary travelers rolled in and starting forming a line behind me. The
clerk reappeared only to be greeted by a line of interstate zombies in
urgent need of a room. Of course, I had a guaranteed reservation so we were
fine. But when she asked and found out that no one else did, she uttered
those dreaded words: "I'm sorry. No vacancy."
Now, those two words are tough words to be welcomed with. But that’s what
Jesus was faced with when he came to the earth! In our reading today John
begins his story with this very thought. Jesus comes to people he created
and they had no room for Him in their lives. Yet, He has a double claim to
our heart. First, because He made us, the right of creation. Secondly, He
paid for us, the Bible says, "The soul that sins, it will die." We
are all the soul that sins. We have earned that death penalty for that sin,
and God could have left it that way. But instead, in an incredible act of
His total love for you and me, in the Bible's words, "God loved the
world so much that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him
will not die but will have eternal life."
And now the one who died for you knocks on the door of your heart again...
but not forever. One day you will, in a sense, be knocking on the door of
heaven and if you have never opened your heart for Jesus to become your own
Savior well... no vacancy there for those who had no vacancy for Him here.
How have you welcomed Jesus?
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