For God SO loved .....

For God SO loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Today begs for a special post. This day celebrates the very reason for our Life and Hope. All week the heaviness/weightiness of what Jesus did for us has been working on/in my heart.

His love. His love is what we are to spread to the world. Lavishing His love on others is the essence of what we are created to do. Only God can draw them, only the Living Word can change them, only the Father can judge them, only the Holy Spirit can convict them, and only the Savior can save them! We are to LOVE them.! From before the foundations of the world until this very day, His love speaks. The life and beauty that He spoke into existence inhabits this world and the one to come.

His love is SO strong for us that He specifically went to and endured the cross for us ... for me, for you! Knowing every wrong choice we would ever make, every wrong word that would ever come out of our mouths, every rotten thing we would ever think or do! (oops, my personal confession)

The POWER of His amazing love is what has been impressed on me this week. Life giving resurrection power!!!! The power that raised Lazarus, the power of His Precious Blood that cleanses me and YOU and bought and paid for us. The power of His stripes that heal us. The power of His love that DIED for us ...

Through the power of His PERFECT love, Jesus endured the absolute horror of scourging, berating, and the unimaginable torment of the Cross ... to help US, to save US! So when He calls for His Bride, we will answer and our bodies will also be resurrected! Because of His love, we will live with Him FOREVER, in a place that He has personally/lovingly prepared for us! His LOVE is so beyond our human comprehension!

WHOA, who am I Lord, that You would go through all of that for me??

I think that if we truly knew/grasped who we really are in Christ; we would have a much clearer vision of our purpose on this earth. And the other junk we concern ourselves with, would surely fall into its proper place.

He died so perfectly and completely ... with each of our names etched on His nail-scarred hands. His Blood Sacrifice atoned for every sin ever committed, once and for all.

The Crucifixion of Jesus by Spencer Williams
Click here for more of his work.

As the the Passover lamb was being slain, Jesus spilled forth His Blood and Living Water ... birthing fluid ... as the First Fruit of Resurrection, He opened the womb for us to follow. HALLELUJAH!

With the same "wonder-working" life-giving power of His love in us, how can we not endure our bad days, situations or circumstances??? God fills us to overflowing with His love during those times in our lives, knowing that we will later help others with the same LOVE that He gave to us.

I expect that it will take an eternity to begin to grasp the full extent of our Savior's Love for us!

Looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who

for the joy that was set before Him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2