John 3:16 - LOVE SUPREME!
John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Jack, our oldest, is getting ready to go
off to college. I remember watching Jack get in
line for his first day of kindergarten as if it
were yesterday. Dressed in a blue cardigan and
tie for chapel, he followed his teacher toward
the classroom. Jack looked at me and grinned. I
smiled while furiously blinking back tears. There
he was. My very heart walking away from me into
his amazing future.
Fast-forward to this past week. Jack is
staying in California until he leaves for school,
while the rest of us move across the country. I
went into Jack's room the night before we moved.
He was on the floor in a sleeping bag, his bed
already loaded for the move. I lay down next to him
and began to cry. He patted my back, and I told
him, "I love you. I am so proud of you. I am
going to miss you like crazy." He grinned at me
and said, "I know, Mom. I love you too." Once
again, my heart is walking away from me.
What must it have been like for our
heavenly Father to send Jesus, His beloved Son, to
earth? His very heart leaving the brightness of
heaven for earth's darkest reaches. Jesus left His
Father for one reason alone: for His love of us.
His love is so great, so sacrificial, and so
all-encompassing, that the magnitude of it is still echoing
throughout all of eternity. Our hearts are tended by
the One who is love incarnate. In this Advent
season, recognize His love for you. Susanna Foth
Aughtmon
Faith Step: Turn off the lights and sit
in the dark, knowing the brightness of Jesus's
love surrounds you this Advent season. [Mornings
With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
God Made You to Love You
God loves you so much that he sent Jesus
on a mission of love with a message of love.
The Bible doesnt say God has love; it says
God is love. Love is his nature; God is love.
God created the entire universe. He
created this planet, and he created the human race.
Then he created you because he loves you.
God made you so he could love you and so
that you could love him. Gods love for you is
the reason your hearts beating right now;
its the reason youre breathing.
Gods good news is that he loves you on
your bad days just as much as he loves you on
your good days. He loves you when you can feel
his love, and he loves you when you cant seem
to feel his love. He loves you regardless of
whether or not you think you deserve his love.
There is nothing you can do that will
make God stop loving you. You could try, but you
simply cant do it - because his love for you is
based upon his character and not on anything you
do, say, or feel.
God loves you so much that he sent his
only Son, Jesus, into this world, so that
everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life (John 3:16 NLT).
When Jesus stretched his arms out as wide
as the cross, he was saying, I love you this
much! I love you so much it hurts. I love you so
much Ill die for you so that I wont have to
live without you.
Ephesians 3 says Gods love is so wide,
long, high, and deep that humans cant fully
understand it. As you go about your day today, know
that God is loving you at every moment, no matter
what. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
CLOSING PEARL
The Ultimate Sacrifice
I heard a true story about a man who
operated a drawbridge. At a certain time every
afternoon, he raised the bridge for a ferryboat to go
by and then lowered it in time for a passenger
train to cross over. He performed this task
precisely, according to the clock.
One day he brought his son to work so he
could watch. As his father raised the bridge, the
boy got excited and wanted to take a closer
look. His father realized his son was missing and
began looking for him. To his horror, his son had
come dangerously close to the bridge's gears.
Frantic, he wanted to go rescue him, but if he left
the controls, he would not be back in time to
lower the bridge for the approaching passenger
train.
He faced a dilemma. If he lowered the
bridge, his son would be killed. If he left it
raised, hundreds of others would die. He knew what
he had to do. With tears streaming down his
face, he watched the passenger train roll by. On
board, two women chatted over tea. Others were
reading newspapers. All were totally unaware of what
had just transpired. The man cried out, "Don't
you realize that I just gave my son for you?"
But they just continued on their way.
This story is a picture of what happened
at the cross. God gave up His beloved Son so
that we might live. But most people don't give it
a second thought. How about you? Are you
conscious of the ultimate sacrifice God made on your
behalf? Will you be sure to thank Him? [Every Day
with Jesus by Greg Laurie]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
John 3:16 - LOVE SUPREME!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210328-1057.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
