The Greatness of God’s Love

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JESUS SPEAKING

     “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

     God is a loving Father who cares deeply for every human being. His love is so profound that He sent His only Son to suffer the punishment for our sins; that we might receive the gift of eternal life. Because Jesus Christ was whipped, beaten, mocked, and crucified, the world has seen the love of God. His pierced hands and feet are a reminder of the astonishing measure of His affections.

     As the story goes, many years ago a man named William Dixon lived in Brackenwaite, England. He was a widower whose only son had tragically died. Near him there lived a grandmother who was raising her orphaned grandson. One day their house caught on fire; although the elderly grandmother was rescued, her grandson was trapped in the blaze. Dixon climbed an iron pipe on the side of the house and lowered the boy to safety. The hand he used to hold onto the pipe was badly burned. Shortly after the fire, the grandmother died. The townspeople wondered who would care for the boy. Two volunteers appeared before the town council. One was a father who had lost his son and wanted to adopt the orphan. The other man was William Dixon. When given the opportunity to speak, Mr. Dixon said nothing. Instead, he simply raised his scarred hand in the air for everyone to see. The vote was taken, and the boy was given to Mr. Dixon.

     Like Mr. Dixon, Jesus Christ endured great pain and suffering to save us from certain death. His scarred hands and feet are reminders of that immense love. Who better to call our master and our Lord than the one who sacrificed His life so that we could live? Having received salvation, we are now compelled to lay down our lives for others. Abandoning selfish pursuits, we are called to exemplify the attributes of selflessness and sacrifice. Through our actions, the entire world can observe the depths of God’s love.

     “Lord Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your immeasurable affection. We praise You Jesus for the pain that You endured on the cross for us. May our hearts be filled with gratitude. May we follow Your example and lay down our lives in service to our fellows. Give us the strength to love others as You have so graciously loved us. We honor You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!

Building Our Relationship with God

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JESUS SPEAKING

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret, will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6: 5 – 7)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

According to Jesus, many hypocrites were using public prayer to draw attention to themselves; and thus gain the admiration of other men rather than God. In turn, Christians are instructed to pray in secret as well; where no one but God is watching. This type of confidential prayer remains pure and undefiled; which causes our relationship with God to flourish and grow.

Concerning the dangers of seeking admiration for ourselves, we need only examine the fall of Satan from heaven. We read, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ (Isaiah 14: 12 – 14)

Satan fell because he desired the admiration and worship of others; but only God deserves to be honored and glorified. And so the devil was cut down, cast out, and humbled. As Christians, we must not succumb to those same prideful desires. When we pray to the Lord in secret, we are set free from the burdens of selfish motivation. And because we honor Him in secret, He will then reward us openly.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we avoid the desire to be honored by other men, and instead, may we seek the honor that only You can provide. May we be inspired to pray in secret, as we strive to grow in our relationship with You. Be present with us no matter where we are and guide us in accordance with Your will. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!

The Source of All Power

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JESUS SPEAKING

    Then they said to him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6: 28 – 29)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

    Everywhere Jesus went the crowds went with him; having witnessed His countless miracles, the masses desperately sought to discover how they too might accomplish similar feats of greatness. Jesus answered them saying, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” According to the Lord, righteousness and divine power are the offspring of a life founded on genuine faith; faith in the Son of God; faith that His teachings are God’s revelation to mankind; faith that He is seated at the creator’s right hand; faith that He loves us and that through Him we are reconciled to our Almighty and Everlasting Father. The Messiah is the source of all our power; only through Jesus can we hope to accomplish God’s will.
    Some time ago I purchased a saw from a local hardware store. Unfortunately the saw suddenly shut down while I was using it. I tried everything to get it to start again. I fiddled with it; I read the directions more thoroughly; I searched the internet for similar problems. Eventually I had to bring the saw back to the store and exchange it for a different one. After returning home, I plugged in the new saw; sadly it didn’t work either. My frustration drove me to try a different socket, and sure enough, the blade began to spin. I soon discovered that a local fuse had blown which only affected a couple of outlets in the house. Needless to say, I was more than a little embarrassed. The saw had never been broken; instead, it stopped working because it had become separated from the source of it’s power.
    Like my saw, many today are disconnected from the source of all divine power. Without faith in Jesus Christ they are unable to function properly. Those who do place their faith in God’s Son grow strong and continue to mature. They possess great peace and an enduring hope; they are given the ability to live righteously and to accomplish many wonderful works in the lives of others. May we continue to place our faith in Jesus Christ. May we never turn away from the source of our strength, that our lives may continue to be a testament to God’s power and majesty.
    “Lord Heavenly Father, we believe in Your Son and we acknowledge His power. Increase our faith that we might grow stronger and be more like You. Accomplish Your works in us and through us, that our lives may be a testament of Your goodness and mercy. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!