It's overwhelming how much God loves us! No just us, but everyone on the planet! How humbling when we realize God's love and compassion for us that, "He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
I was talking to a friend one day, who had an incredible relationship and craziness for her (teenage!) children. I commented on her actions towards her son. She said, "It is good. They know they have unconditional love, but I've made an incredible mistake. I have forgotten to tell them that all children are loved and are special."
Do we understand this truth....that God's love is not just for us? It's for eveyone! This is a common theme throughout this book. We must not skip over this simple truth. It must become essential to our lives, to where it changes every thought, every deed, every word we say to another human being!
The Bible is too full of God's love and compassion for us and for me to reference them all. Here are a few for us to digest just from Jesus' final week before His death and ressurection.
As Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, he cried over the people of the city and said, "If you, even you had only known on this day what would bring you peace" Luke 19:42
"O, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chick under her wings." Mt. 37
"Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." Jesus washes the discples feet. (John 13:1-19)
"Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command." John 15:13-14
At the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be afraid." John 14:15-31 Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit. He loved us so much that he didn't want us to be alone, so he pleaded to the Father to send us his spirit.
The night Jesus was betrayed, he pleaded to the Father, not only for himself, but for the disciples, for all future believers! John 17
Jesus is willfully arrested and questioned. "for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." John18:37
When they placed him on the cross, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 Even on the cross, he is asking God to forgive them, forgive us!!!
What love, humility, compassion, grace, we have to learn from our God, our King, our Savior!
I pray that we will all be touched, this week, by his love and grace, as we consider Jesus' life and death on the cross, where he thought of us, above all, his suffering. We pray that Jesus' life and death will not be in vain, but that it will be made real to all of us, like never before...so much that the Holy Spirit changes us, encourages us to love and do for others as Jesus did for us! Let us tell His story this week....We are all his children. As Jesus said to Kate that day, "These are my people. I love them. Will you tell them?"
Here is a music video of "Above All," with clips from "The Passion of the Christ."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eckskOzB1-Y
Have a blessed week! We love you all.
J&J
Prayer Concerns:
Mo and Jenn Shaver
Mike, melanoma
Kambell Kennell, 5 yr old, sick
Candy & her mother, Betty w/ Alzheimer's disease
Jerry and Mac Crosswhite, cancer
Loise Hawkins, ill
Gloryland
Praises:
Jim White's recovery
GloryLand
Candy's sister in law's sobriety
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Location:Above all
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