The most popular verse in the Sacred Scriptures, Saint John 3:16...and then add verses 17 and 18...you now have been introduced to a "serious situation"..........
When Christ Jesus was "one of us", He made a couple of comments that threw the religious folks into a quandary...in fact...He "ticked them off".
Jewish belief at this time was this: The Gentiles (that would be anyone who isn't Jewish) were to be destroyed in the "Days of the Messiah"....period. Believing this train of thought eliminated the concern on what would happen to the people of non-Jewish faith....yet, wait a minute....Jesus had something to say about this.
In fact, Jesus declared this a false way of thinking, or in other words...."it ain't going to happen that way". Of course, correcting a "religious person" is asking for trouble. My experience with religious people....Christians included...is..."It's my way or the Highway". Right?
Yet, here in Saint John Jesus makes a rather remarkable statement inviting anyone who would believe what He is about to say, announcing a "Welcome to anyone who would choose to believe that He is who He says He is".
Jesus proclaims that God (His very own Father), has sent Jesus to help us out of our "Death Sentence". He came to get us out of this...not to punish us or point a finger at us.
As for the religious people who heard this...and by religious people I mean those who think if they act "nice and sweet" on the outside....then they must be just as "nice and sweet" on the inside. And, more importantly, God thinks they are nice people too...to the point that a religious person will convey this message to God: "Hey, just wanted You to know there is no reason for You to send Your Son to die for my sins...I can "wiggle" out of this "Death Sentence" just fine by myself. I mean...Look at me! Look at all the wonderful things I do...and I even put my approval that I am doing all this...for You!"
The problem with that "religious type thinking"...is: God doesn't "buy it". God says that our lives in service to Him must originate from a heart that has been changed by Him....not duty or appearance. According to God, our sins have got the best of us and no matter how hard we try to be religious, He wants us to be a part of Him because we want to...and that can only come from a sin-free heart that has been made possible through one means...the Sacrifice of His very Own Son...because He is the only One with a sin-free heart.
And to make sure we couldn't come up with any excuses, God sent His Only Son...and became exactly like "one of us"...in every way. He was tempted to do wrong...things that would hurt His Father...yet He did not...not even once.
And, when Jesus went to the Cross, and was raised again to join His Heavenly Father...He looked at us and said: "Follow Me! I "blazed this trail" for each one of you...who believes in Me!
And that is how true friendship really works...it all comes through Him!
Oh, the religious people that thought they could do it "their way"....you know, the ones that thought they could please God because of their own merits and nice deeds, well to be honest, Jesus really upset them...in fact, the idea came up that they should send Him...to a Roman Cross..."He just don't get it...and can destroy all the groundwork we have done!"
And the Message is still the same today...are you going to "go religious".... or do you want to experience what having a real true friendship is really about? It all starts in our hearts....giving Him a chance to be a part of your life...trust me...it's a "game-changer".
A Gleaning from St. John 3:16-18
" Do you really want to know how much God loves you? Do you really want to take that kind of a chance? And when you discover for yourself what His love means to you...then what are you going to do?
Ok, here is what I have discovered: God loves us so much, He considered us such a "catch", such a prize, we are so much a part of His heart...that He gave up His Only Son...to come and get us.
Why?
Because He cannot bear the thought that any of us should receive a "Death Sentence"...even though we put ourselves in that position.
So, here is the thing...God...in no way went to all this pain-staking trouble...that is to say He did not send His very own Son to become "one of us"...to point a finger at us and tell us how bad we are.
Are you kidding me?
He came here to help...to make everything right...again. Anyone who has the courage and the "guts" to "man-up" and say: "I can't do this on my own abilities...I can never be nice enough, I can never give enough, I can never be kind enough...to be genuine in my heart and my friendship with the Lord. Besides, I know myself...too well...my heart wants to do things that please...me. I really don't know how to...please Him. Yet, there is One who does....His Son, our Lord Jesus."
Anyone who gets real and prays along those lines...is already acquitted and will not face the Final Judgment....His Son has "got our back".
Yet, make no mistake...refusing to give Him a fair chance to make a difference in your life, whether you think you need to or not...carries with them the Death Sentence and is on the way to their own execution...and cannot blame God for their own decision.
That is why you can't take God sending His only Son so lightly....the cost was too high. This is not a time to "act ignorant",...the Message is loud and the Message is clear. He sent His Son for you...let Him in your heart....allow Him to "do His thing"...inside you...your life won't be the same."
If you are not sure if you know Him or not...put it to rest with these words. The only requirement for these words you are going to say...it has to come from "down under", you have got to mean it...from your heart.
And after you pray this: Let Him loose....don't try and figure out what you need to do...that is what "religious people" do...and like I mentioned earlier, those ideas don't work...just give it time...it will come...and make sense to you!
"Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus. Life doesn't always make sense to me...and to be honest, I don't know if what I am saying right now makes sense to me...yet You require me to do this by placing my hope, my confidence, and my faith by doing this.
So, here goes: I know I can't really know what Your love is...or what it means to me, until I invite Your Son, the Lord Jesus into my heart and life. Come Lord Jesus, come into my life, and forgive me of my sin against You, and thank You for taking my place in the Death Sentence...that was meant for me.
Make Your home in...me, and I want to be...Your friend." Thank-You....Amen"
When Christ Jesus was "one of us", He made a couple of comments that threw the religious folks into a quandary...in fact...He "ticked them off".
Jewish belief at this time was this: The Gentiles (that would be anyone who isn't Jewish) were to be destroyed in the "Days of the Messiah"....period. Believing this train of thought eliminated the concern on what would happen to the people of non-Jewish faith....yet, wait a minute....Jesus had something to say about this.
In fact, Jesus declared this a false way of thinking, or in other words...."it ain't going to happen that way". Of course, correcting a "religious person" is asking for trouble. My experience with religious people....Christians included...is..."It's my way or the Highway". Right?
Yet, here in Saint John Jesus makes a rather remarkable statement inviting anyone who would believe what He is about to say, announcing a "Welcome to anyone who would choose to believe that He is who He says He is".
Jesus proclaims that God (His very own Father), has sent Jesus to help us out of our "Death Sentence". He came to get us out of this...not to punish us or point a finger at us.
As for the religious people who heard this...and by religious people I mean those who think if they act "nice and sweet" on the outside....then they must be just as "nice and sweet" on the inside. And, more importantly, God thinks they are nice people too...to the point that a religious person will convey this message to God: "Hey, just wanted You to know there is no reason for You to send Your Son to die for my sins...I can "wiggle" out of this "Death Sentence" just fine by myself. I mean...Look at me! Look at all the wonderful things I do...and I even put my approval that I am doing all this...for You!"
The problem with that "religious type thinking"...is: God doesn't "buy it". God says that our lives in service to Him must originate from a heart that has been changed by Him....not duty or appearance. According to God, our sins have got the best of us and no matter how hard we try to be religious, He wants us to be a part of Him because we want to...and that can only come from a sin-free heart that has been made possible through one means...the Sacrifice of His very Own Son...because He is the only One with a sin-free heart.
And to make sure we couldn't come up with any excuses, God sent His Only Son...and became exactly like "one of us"...in every way. He was tempted to do wrong...things that would hurt His Father...yet He did not...not even once.
And, when Jesus went to the Cross, and was raised again to join His Heavenly Father...He looked at us and said: "Follow Me! I "blazed this trail" for each one of you...who believes in Me!
And that is how true friendship really works...it all comes through Him!
Oh, the religious people that thought they could do it "their way"....you know, the ones that thought they could please God because of their own merits and nice deeds, well to be honest, Jesus really upset them...in fact, the idea came up that they should send Him...to a Roman Cross..."He just don't get it...and can destroy all the groundwork we have done!"
And the Message is still the same today...are you going to "go religious".... or do you want to experience what having a real true friendship is really about? It all starts in our hearts....giving Him a chance to be a part of your life...trust me...it's a "game-changer".
A Gleaning from St. John 3:16-18
" Do you really want to know how much God loves you? Do you really want to take that kind of a chance? And when you discover for yourself what His love means to you...then what are you going to do?
Ok, here is what I have discovered: God loves us so much, He considered us such a "catch", such a prize, we are so much a part of His heart...that He gave up His Only Son...to come and get us.
Why?
Because He cannot bear the thought that any of us should receive a "Death Sentence"...even though we put ourselves in that position.
So, here is the thing...God...in no way went to all this pain-staking trouble...that is to say He did not send His very own Son to become "one of us"...to point a finger at us and tell us how bad we are.
Are you kidding me?
He came here to help...to make everything right...again. Anyone who has the courage and the "guts" to "man-up" and say: "I can't do this on my own abilities...I can never be nice enough, I can never give enough, I can never be kind enough...to be genuine in my heart and my friendship with the Lord. Besides, I know myself...too well...my heart wants to do things that please...me. I really don't know how to...please Him. Yet, there is One who does....His Son, our Lord Jesus."
Anyone who gets real and prays along those lines...is already acquitted and will not face the Final Judgment....His Son has "got our back".
Yet, make no mistake...refusing to give Him a fair chance to make a difference in your life, whether you think you need to or not...carries with them the Death Sentence and is on the way to their own execution...and cannot blame God for their own decision.
If you are not sure if you know Him or not...put it to rest with these words. The only requirement for these words you are going to say...it has to come from "down under", you have got to mean it...from your heart.
And after you pray this: Let Him loose....don't try and figure out what you need to do...that is what "religious people" do...and like I mentioned earlier, those ideas don't work...just give it time...it will come...and make sense to you!
"Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus. Life doesn't always make sense to me...and to be honest, I don't know if what I am saying right now makes sense to me...yet You require me to do this by placing my hope, my confidence, and my faith by doing this.
So, here goes: I know I can't really know what Your love is...or what it means to me, until I invite Your Son, the Lord Jesus into my heart and life. Come Lord Jesus, come into my life, and forgive me of my sin against You, and thank You for taking my place in the Death Sentence...that was meant for me.
Make Your home in...me, and I want to be...Your friend." Thank-You....Amen"
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