FROM DEATH TO LIFE

By Florida Senator John Grant, Retired

Week Seventeen, 2020

“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11).

The transformation of water into wine at the Marriage at Cana or Wedding at Cana is the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John. In the Gospel account, Jesus, His mother and His disciples are invited to a wedding, and when the wine runs out, Jesus delivers a sign of his glory by turning water into wine.

But there is more, and I thought about it recently as I drove through Cana. Cana is in Galilee, not far from Nazareth. There was a wedding there and Jesus, His mother and the disciples were invited. In those days, wine was a common drink, as the fermentation took the bacteria out of water. A Jewish wedding back in those days was a real party, often more than a day. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him.

Jesus spoke to His mother calling her “dear woman” and asked her why He was telling Him, so she told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. There were several jars filled with water to the brim….. water used for ceremonial washing, not for drinking. Jesus told the servants to fill jars with water and take it to the brim and take it to the host of the banquet.

To the wedding host’s amazement, the unclean water had been turned into wine. But there is more. The host did not know where the wine came from so he called the bridegroom aside 1and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. He spoke to His mother saying, “Why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” He was about to do an act that separated Him in part from His earthly family as He performed His first miracle and established the Glory of His heavenly family.

The guests were amazed, the disciples believed, and the path of His earthly ministry was on its way. The Lord’s miraculously changing water into wine signifies that He changes our death into life. The water signifies death, and the wine signifies life. When the Lord changes our water into wine, that wine in our marriage feast will never end.

Has He turned your death into life?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

When people are reading a job posting on any one of the hundreds of job sights, one of the headings is always “Job Requirements”.

And in this section they delineate all the necessary skills to be able to fulfill the Job Description or be a successful candidate for the position.

It may be certain education levels, a certain number of work experience years, or certain proficiencies and skill levels that are necessary to be considered for the job.

As we read this passage in Micah today, we see three such requirements from the Lord; to act justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God.

And preceding these requirements, we are reminded that He has already shown us what is good. We already know. And then like a new dawn, His reminder springs forth from the page.

For us to do and be what he has called us to do and be, it begins with making Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life. Soon followed by the requirements mentioned here in Micah; act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.

Just like Jesus… – Marty Stubblefield

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Hannah Brencher, was an Atlanta writer who left kind notes in public places when she lived in New York City. Her idea birthed a movement called The World Needs More Love Letters, which now operates in seventy countries and has delivered more than 250,000 letters.

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What would you guess might be the most popular Bible verse, according to You Version’s 400 million users?

Philippians 4:6 is the answer. The verse says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” What does its popularity say about us?

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Two Life Rules About Church Harmony:

1. Think the Best, Not the Worst

2. Speak to the Person, Not About the Person

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One of America’s most destructive myths: the harder you work, the happier you will be.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Prayerlessness is my declaration of independence from God.

Kids today don’t know how easy they have it. When I was young, I had to walk 9 feet through shag carpet to change the TV channel.

If You Contain a Fire, It Will Die; If You Let It out, It Will Spread. Ken Whitten

People cannot be saved unless Jesus saves them. Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Of all the distractions that keep us from living a fulfilled life, the most prevalent in our world today may be busyness. The Minimalist

Apologizing doesn’t mean you are wrong and the other person is right. It means that you value relationships more than your ego.

Christians spend more money in the streets than the followers of other religions spent in their temples. Historian Eberhard Arnold

The Church’s Greatest Need Is the Word of God

God Uses Ordinary People for Extraordinary Plans. John 16:7

As pastor Dwight L. Moody put it, “Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.”

You want to be a missionary? Great. Go next door.—EVANGELIST J. JOHN

Do you know your own neighbors?