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The Kandel Sisters The writings of Kris Kandel Schwambach, Karen Kandel Kizlin, Kathie Kandel Poe and Linda Kandel Maso

20/11/2025

John
And Jesus continued in His conversation with Nicodemus, saying some of the best-known words from the Bible.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Today, many people know this verse. If asked to share something from the Scripture, this will often be mentioned. And we understand why. There is such hope in this verse. God loves the world. God loves us. He offered His Son as the substitute for our punishment. Jesus took the death that was rightfully ours and offered instead eternal life.
And it is for the world.
And yet, not everyone in the world receives this amazing offer. Why?
Let’s go on.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:17-21
There is a choice. We must each individually make that choice to believe. The gift of eternal life is offered. But if we don’t believe and receive it, our lives stay rooted in darkness.
A life-changing belief in Jesus Christ is essential for eternal life.

19/11/2025

John
Again, let’s remember that the “born again” phrase was completely new to Nicodemus so we can understand why he was confused.
“‘How can this be?’ Nicodemus asked.” John 3:9
He was astounded. It didn’t seem possible. There he was with Jesus hoping to find out the way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus told him something that seemed impossible.
Then Jesus put it into perspective for him.
“‘You are Israel’s teacher,’ said Jesus, ‘and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” John 3:10-15
The Pharisees were experts of the law. They knew the Bible. To be a Pharisee he would have memorized all of the Torah and most, if not all, of the rest of the Old Testament.
And Nicodemus should have understood. All through the Old Testament there were references to two births. Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Manasseh and Ephraim, Aaron and Moses and even other sets of brothers throughout were highlighted. Again and again, the second birth was established by God as the greater of the two. The second was set over the first. God showed them so many types and pictures of the blessing of the second birth.
And it is true. The first birth for each of us gives us life. The second birth gives us eternal life, and that is the most important decision anyone can ever make.

18/11/2025

John
“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 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.’” John 3:5-8
Two births, one birth is of the flesh. Every person on the planet has experienced that. It is a club that all humans are part of. We all came into the world through an amazing fleshly birth. No birth is an accident. All are miraculous. Each one of us is here on purpose.
But there is a second birth and that one is not all inclusive. That birth happens by choice. It is a birth of the spirit. For that to happen we must make a decision. It is a decision to follow the Giver of Life, Jesus.
A physical birth is an event. There is a moment in time when a baby enters this world, it is a special time. Family and friends celebrate.
A Spiritual birth is also an event. There is a moment in time when a person comes to the realization that they need a Savior.
But we must realize, being born again doesn’t just automatically happen because of where we live or what church we belong to. It happens because we ask for it to happen. We ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and we determine to follow Him. And when that happens, all of heaven celebrates.

17/11/2025

John
Nicodemus was a Pharisee. What we don’t see in his life was the usual smug self-assurance, rather we see an openness to find out more about Jesus. He was unsure, we see that in his timing. He went to meet Jesus under the cover of darkness.
“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.’” John 3:2-3
Jesus laid it out before him. No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
But Nicodemus was confused.
“‘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!’” John 3:4
Born again…in our world we have heard that phrase. Years ago, a political leader ran under the banner of being born again and won. Today, that phrase might not be as popular. But it is not a political statement; it is the phrase the Jesus used to describe what must happen in order to get to heaven.
Nicodemus had never encountered the phrase. He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. How would that even be possible?
Uncertainty, questions, confusion, but Nicodemus was in the exact right spot to get the answers.

14/11/2025

John
“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.” John 3:1
Let’s define a term, Pharisee. The Pharisees were religious leaders and members of the Sanhedrin, the governing body for the Jewish people. They were strict followers of the laws in Judaism. And there are laws, 613 of them, outlined in the first five books of the Old Testament called the Torah. The word Pharisee comes from a Hebrew word which means separated. They considered themselves above others because they were so precise in what they did. So, performance was very important in the life of the Pharisees. In other words, they looked good on the outside, but their hearts were not always right.
In Matthew 23 Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
In that same chapter, Jesus went on to call them a brood of vipers. Whitewashed tombs and vipers, their performance did not impress Jesus.
Many of them were smug and arrogant believing they were far more righteous than anyone else.
But not all. Here in John, we see a Pharisee who came to Jesus to find answers. We will meet this one again in John 19 after the crucifixion. Nicodemus was on a quest for truth. And God will always honor that search.
He went to Jesus and that is the right place to go when we have questions.

13/11/2025

John
“The Jews then responded to him, ‘What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” John 2:18-25
Ever heard this: “I would believe if I could just see a miracle.”? And miracles do sometimes help people to see the truth, but not always.
These people wanted a sign. They wanted a miracle. And Jesus said one was coming and this would be a big one. Destroy the temple and Jesus would raise it in three days. He was talking about His own death and resurrection. And sure enough, that’s exactly what He did. This was astounding; this was amazing, but did everyone believe? Sadly no, not then, and not now.

12/11/2025

John
The Passover happens every year. It was to be a continual celebration throughout the centuries. So, in the Gospels we read about Jesus celebrating the Passover several times in His ministry.
This is one of those times.
Celebrating a Passover involved more than just the day of. It meant cleaning and preparing the home. Everything with yeast had to be taken out of the house and everything swept clean.
Yeast in the Bible represents sin.
Jesus also got His house ready.
“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” John 2:13-17
Jesus cleaned house, but a reminder to us to everyday let Him clean out the yeast of sin that has crept into us too.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

11/11/2025

John
What is the purpose of a miracle?
I think there may be a number of answers to that question, but one reason for a miracle is found in this passage.
“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. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.” John 2:11-12
The miracles Jesus did in His ministry were designed to reveal His glory. He is God. This miracle showed Him to be Immanuel, God with us.
All it took was His presence and His Word at this wedding for water to become wine.
His first miracle involved wine as a sign.
The last meal He spent with His disciples would also involve wine as a sign.

10/11/2025

John
Mary knew her Son. She knew that He would act.
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” John 2:5
And that is very important for us too. Read the Scripture, study it, and then follow it. We all need to do what the Lord says.
“Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.” John 2:6-7
Have you ever wondered why six jars? Me too, but here’s a possibility. Perhaps it goes back to the six days of creation. God spoke and instantly the world was created. Instantly, there was light; instantly, trees, birds, animals, etc. God spoke, and it was.
Jesus said fill the jars and instantly water became the best wine anyone had ever tasted.
“Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’ They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and 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.’” John 2:8-10

07/11/2025

John
What do you call your mother? Mommy, Mom, Mama, Mother, are all words that we moms respond to.
But look at how Jesus addressed His mother.
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’ ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’” John 2:1-4
Jesus responded to Mary’s announcement that they had no more wine, by calling her, “Woman”.
That sounds foreign to our ears, perhaps even a little harsh until we remember that from the cross, He also called her, “Woman”.
“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” John 19:26-27
And perhaps this goes all the way back to the promise made in Genesis 3:15 as a reminder that someday the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

06/11/2025

John
Have you ever been to a wedding where they ran out of food? I have. The parents of the bride beautifully took it in stride and simply announced that the food was gone and there was a fast-food restaurant not far on the way home. Personally, I thought that was a great way to handle it.
Weddings aren’t a guarantee of a free meal. They are a celebration of two people being joined in Holy Matrimony. It may mean food; it may not.
But in Jesus’ day it was a different ball game, and the issue wasn’t food; it was wine. And that was a real problem. Wine was synonymous with joy.
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’ ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’” John 2:1-4
A problem, and Mary saw it. No more wine could have meant a lawsuit against the family because wine was that important.
Again, Mary saw the problem so she went right to The Answer.
Good counsel for us too. When we see a problem, we can go straight to The Answer.

05/11/2025

John
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’ ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’ John 2:1-4
Our text begins with these words, “On the third day…”
The third day is not normally when we here in the US have weddings. We go more for the Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday afternoon, kind of arrangement. After all, those are days when people have time off and can more easily attend. But the third day? On our calendar that makes it a Tuesday, right smack in the middle of the work week.
So why? What would make someone choose a Tuesday for a wedding?
To get our answer we have to go all the way back to Genesis 1. God blessed the days of the creation by saying they were good. But if we go back and read the creation account for the third day in Genesis 1:9-13, what we discover is that twice God said that what He had created was good.
On the third day there is a double blessing. So, in Israel it is considered a good day, an auspicious day for a wedding because it is doubly blessed.
And if, when you are reading this, it just happens to be a Tuesday, know that there just might be a double blessing for you today too!

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