brokenness

Nathanael needed just one thing. And he cried out to God for it not even knowing what it was. He just knew that he was deficient for everything that he could possibly need without it.

And so he sat, under a fig tree, emptying out all of his concerns to a God who he thought wasn’t listening.

And so he sat.

It wasn’t long after that that he ran into Philip … and Philip had found the one thing.

John 1 ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

It is Independence Day. Let us not forget today about the freedom that all of us have.

As I sit today in a beautiful cabin nestled in the mountains of Buffalo Creek, I am so grateful for that freedom.

For our country.

For our soldiers.

For a pledge that says “One nation UNDER God”

And as my wife played this song for me today and I watched the lyrics, I couldn’t help but think about Nathanael. As he sat under that fig tree and cried to God, he was not completely sure that God was even listening to him.

But he found out.

And he found out in an encounter with none other than Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And he found out that something good could come Nazareth. In fact, to let us know that He has walked that road, He chose to be from Nazareth.

Let us not forget today that true freedom comes from Jesus.

Let us not forget that God is listening to us.

Let us not forget that an encounter with Jesus is all that we ever truly need.

Because He … Is Where It Begins.

John 1 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God …

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Coach J

Moses wanted to surrender to inadequacy.

Exodus 2 ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Nathanael just wanted to be noticed.

John 1 ⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” ⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

The leper did not want to be broken anymore.

Matthew 8 ² A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

Nicodemus knew at the heart of his ministry that he was misguided.

John 3 ³ Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

And like all of these situations, we are all facing surrender. Our reality is this:

Sooner Or Later We Are All Going

To Have To Surrender To Something

Inadequate.

Unnoticed.

Broken.

Misguided.

What is your story?

If you are like me, it is a long laundry list of obstacles.

But the reality for all of us is this:

We can surrender to Jesus or lose to the rest.

And our surrender is not a detriment.

It is the greatest option that we could ever have.

So cry out to the King of the Universe … And give everything you have to Him. He is worthy.

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Know anyone who might like these? Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

2 MINUTE WARNING

WITH DOUG JOHNSON

Tag

508 Independence Day

503 Sooner Or Later