​FORGIVENESS REACHES AND GIVES REST

            Not all Pharisees who died while Jesus walked this Earth went to hell after His resurrection. When Jesus was here, He reached His hands out and touched all classes of people. He gave salvation freely to the prostitutes, Gentiles, tax collectors, Jews, homeless, rich, poor, widows, the lost, the crippled, the lame, warriors, plus ordinary people. Nicodemus is a good example of whom name reflected a good man regardless of his classification in society during Jesus’ days. He witnessed the teaching and miracles of Jesus whereby he did not become a disciple of Jesus while he walked on Earth, Nicodemus remain faithful to the name until he witnessed Jesus’ burial. Read the testimony of his name as it reads in the scriptures:
John 3:1-9: “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said. ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Sprit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ ‘How can this be? Nicodemus asked.”
John 7:45-52:  “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why didn’t you bring him in?’ No one ever spoke the way this man does.’ The guards replied. ‘You mean he has deceived you also? The Pharisees retorted. Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?’ No! But this mob that knows nothing of the Law- there is a curse on them’ Nicodemus who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked ‘Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?’ They replied, Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
John 19:38-42 “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission he came and took the body away. he was accompanied by Nicodemus the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, in the spices, in strips of linen This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
Yes, Nicodemus was confused by the political satire and legal system of his generation, yet his lifestyle represented one of a honest man who desired the will of the Lord. Look at Jesus’ nature. Do you feel He held a vengeful strike against the effort of Nicodemus made as He endured the cross. Jesus knew whom He represented towards humanity. Nicodemus did not understand the transition of testaments. The Kingdom of Heaven has room for testimonies such as his. 

​THE DESPERSION HARVEST

            I’ve been baptized. I’ve been emerged in water and been a part of the same congregation for over 25 years. I’ve studied the theology and understood the philosophy of several Christian denominations. I’ve studied Lutheran, Baptism, Pentecostal, Methodist, Seven Day Adventist, Jehovah Witness as well as Catholic. I’ve even learned doctrines of Christian cults, plus, studied the Bible of Mormons. Presently, I’m around the age of 60 years, through my research and life’s experience; I’ve gained a deep understanding based around biblical philosophy and genre. Today I am a Christian who belongs to a non-denominate church called The Orlando Church (the church of the living water) and live with my wife. We have a son and live in Orlando, Floridia, U.S.A. My wife and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage this November 2025. I say this not to prove that I am an expert of any theology of faith but illustrate a point. In all my years of learning, I have found no better example of what it is meant to reflect the church movement in the Book of Acts as I do when I witness the victory and recovery stories of members of a 12Step Program.
            The image of A.A., N.A., O.A. or any other 12step program is the best appearance of what it means to be a Christian as represented in the Book of Acts in today’s generation. The people there have surrendered their pride, turn their lives around as in a form of repentance, Although, all 12step programs are spiritually based but not a religious sect, whereby no one is baptized, people have deeply repented from their sinful nature, The moral of recovery from their addiction testifies evidence of the will of a Higher Power working within their lives. And every person has found abstinence from their addiction knows that their recovery is not of their own works.
            “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that- and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Issac on the alter? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ And he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”                James 2:19-24
The power of the Holy Spirit has entered the members of these 12Steps Programs rather the members acknowledge His name or not. Their faith which has been architect through Step Two is power of good Christian’s faith.
            “We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity’
                                                                        -Step Two in p.17 N.A. “It Works How and Why”
            “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning it shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”
                                                                                                                                    Hebrew 12:2
Who is to claim what God can or cannot do?  He shows mercy to, who He shows mercy and who He rain suffering upon whom He rain suffering. God does what He does and operates in the manner He has chosen. His own method of authority shows freedom to the power of His name. He is God. And there is no other name as His here on Earth or in Heaven.
            “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all For he say in Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion in whom I have compassion’ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you for this purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden”                                                          Roman 9:14-18