John 3:16-18 AMPC
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ( unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. [17] For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. [18] He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation-he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.].
Time to sharpen my focus on this Message, the one that includes you and me, in fact all who have ears to hear and hearts to receive..
It's that God so loved the world (not bits of it) that He gave us Jesus to save us.
If we believe in Him, we receive everlasting life in Him.
There's so much hatred and violence being shown on streets around the world that it's high time to get back to basics and stir up the love of Jesus that has been poured out on us.
1 John 3:1 AMPC
See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.
I was thinking how Jesus turned His world upside down and changed people's perceptions and challenged their prejudices.
He went to Sycar in Samaria to meet an outcast woman who was notorious for having had many male liaisons. So she became a "missionary"!
He told a parable of the "good" Samaritan, which would have put the Jewish people's noses out of joint, as the Samaritans were their enemies
Today would He tell it as the "good" Gazan?
Yes I truly pray for peace, justice and salvation for Israelis - for the release of those hostages - but also for those Gazans that are caught up in the circle of violence and hatred perpetrated by the lies of militant extremism.
We all need the love of Jesus. Without Him even the best of us is lost. With Him even the worst can be saved.
Selah
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