| Parousia Patris News
Volume 10 issue 2 "The Love of God" February 2009 "Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem and purify for Himself His special people"--- Titus 3:13-14a God's Love is so deep, so high, so wide, there just is no measuring His love for us, His children. In fact, we have a verse often called the Gospel in that one verse, or the 'Bible truth in a nutshell', John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, ( that's you and me, Brother, Sister), that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, that whoever (there we are again, Brother, Sister), believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!" John 3:16 is the verse that made Jesus, my personal Savior, real to me many years ago. Yes, God loves us so much that He turned His back on His own Son at Calvary's cross, that we might have eternal, everlasting life with Him!! Jesus said, "Oh My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will, but as You will!" Matthew 26:39. This well known song that is nearly 100 years old, tells the story of God's great love for us; "The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell; The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned his sin." "When years of time have passed away, And earthly thrones kingdoms fall, When men here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call, God's love so sure, shall still endure, All measureless and strong, redeeming grace to Adam's race - The saints' and angels' song." "Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade,' To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll , contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky!" Chorus: "O love of God, how rich, how pure! How measureless and strong! It shall evermore endure the saints and angels' song!" ( "The Love of God", F.H. Lehman, 1917) God's Love is evident from Genesis 1:1, at God's creation of our heavens and earth, and everything in them, to Revelation 22:20, Apostle John's short prayer, "Even so come Lord Jesus!" Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God showed His great love for us, by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Yes, even while we were, are sinners, Jesus gave His life on Calvary's cross, that each one of us would experience forgiveness for our sins. This was God's plan to rescue us from destruction, because He loves us so much! God's Love is unconditional: The primary truth we need to know about God in order for your faith to remain strong is that His love and acceptance is unconditional! When your walk of faith is strong, God loves you. When your walk of faith is weak, God loves you just the same. When you are strong one moment and weak the next, strong one day and weak the next day, God loves you anyway! God's love for you and for me is the great truth in the midst of all the inconsistencies of our daily walk with Him! There is no separation in God's love! "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Romans 8:35 (Jesus said in John 10:30, "My Father and I are one".) So Love of God and Love of Christ are one and the same. Romans 8:38-39 tells us, "For I am persuaded that neither life nor death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!" It is clear, there is nothing this world or anyone in it, can separate us from God's Love!The Apostle Paul was a great example of one who received God's Love even though he had persecuted Christians, even to sentencing them to death. He stood by as Stephen was stoned to death. Act 7:58. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. Want to read an exciting account of a man who was zealous to persecute the "Followers of the Way"? This is another name for Christians. Acts 9, God got Saul's, (Paul's) attention. He did a 180 degree turn from persecutor to become the most avid follower of Jesus Christ that ever lived. After Paul became a follower of Jesus, He suffered much physically himself. Acts 11:22-28, "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? -I speak a fool-I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one, three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep, (floating in the sea); in journeys often , in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness, besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches."Yes, Apostle Paul suffered much at the hands of friends and enemies alike. He spent the last years of his life in a Roman prison chained to prison guards. The neat thing was, it was 'open season' on Roman prison guards, as he lead each one to the Love of God and the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was one of the ways the Christian Church grew, the converted prison guards became part of the body of believers in the Church in Rome! Paul experienced God's Love even though he had many adversities in his life. Read the account in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 of Paul's 'thorn in the flesh'. In my paraphrase, Paul said God gave him a physical problem so he wouldn't get too proud of his accomplishments. No one really knows what it was, but he asked God three times to take it away. God's answer was, 2Cor. 12:9a, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul's reply was, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2Cor. 12:9b-10. When Paul realized God was not going to take away these distresses, he was going to go on and do the work God expected him to do, spreading the gospel of the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. He continued to be effective to tell the love of Jesus even when he was not completely healthy. Even when he was chained in prison, that didn't stop him from preaching the gospel message! Even when Paul was put into jail in Rome, he didn't let that deter his ministry. He was allowed to have visitors, so he continued to preach the gospel and tell of the Love of God. He also wrote a number of the letters that make up a large part of the New Testament while being held in that Roman prison. His life was lived sharing the Love of God with every one he met. We started writing of the Love of God for the world as in John 3:16, "God so loved the world--", but His love is shown throughout the Bible to individuals: God loved Noah, Genesis 6:8-9. "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man. Noah walked with God!" God commanded Noah to build a big boat, hundreds of miles from water, where it had never rained! Noah obeyed, saving his life and the lives of his wife, his sons and their wives. God loved Joseph. Genesis 37-50. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers who sold him into slavery. He was lied about by a woman who desired him, whom he refused, and ended in prison. Genesis 39:2, 21, & 23 state, "The Lord was with him!", even when he was in an Egyptian prison. His brothers thought after their Father died he would 'get even' for their treachery. Joseph's reply is Genesis is 50:20, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive!" Joseph showed God's love by him forgiving his brothers for the way they had betrayed him in the past. God loved Job, David, Daniel and his three buddies. God loved the thief on the cross next to Jesus, Luke 23:42-43. "Then he said, Remember me when You come into Your kingdom." 'Then Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise!" Jesus accepted this man just as he was, where he was, nothing more the man needed to do, just accept Jesus offer of eternal life. There was nothing more he could do as he hung between heaven and earth. Writing or speaking of God's Love for us, is an unending subject. I would strongly suggest for your homework, each reader read 1John 4:7-21. This starts, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God!" How about that?!? Read it all, please! In a very personal way Pam and I have experienced God's unfailing love these past 8 months. Pam has had panic attacks and deep anxiety triggered by medication for these very thoughts. We have been 'in the valley' as in Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me!" You know when you are in that valley, the only way you can look is up! That where God's Love is! We are climbing 'Victory Mountain' one step at a time. We have been on 'the mountain' now for nearly 8 months. Sometimes the steps are low, sometimes higher, but we are progressing in God's love! Would you pray with us please, that we will continue to see God's purpose in this walk with Him? In times of trials and suffering, God hasn't abandoned you even though it may 'feel' like it. Like Joseph, Job, Elijah, Naomi, Apostle Paul, God is loving you even more, blessing you as you come out of the Valley, enriched by the power of His love. Are you experiencing God's Love? Have you asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord of your life? If you have, we Praise God with you. If you need Jesus to come into your heart and life, you can ask Him to be your Savior now. Pray a prayer similar to this: "Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner. I want to repent of my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. Thank you for forgiving me my sin. I am now a Child of God and God Loves me with His unconditional love. I will look forward to being with God my Heavenly Father, Jesus my Savior, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Amen!" Please write to us at PO Box 1393, Ava, MO 65608-1393. We love each Reader in God's Love!! Pam and Blair |
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