Radical LOVE
This week is the final week of advent as I understand it. The theme and focus for the week are LOVE. I shared on Sunday, that Love is perhaps the hardest of all to navigate because of the objections that so many people have, due to their experiences. Loneliness, hurt, addictions, loss of loved ones before there time, debilitating diseases. The list of obstacles to seeing the LOVE of God can be very long. But in spite of all these objections and obstacles I have found that the LOVE of God through Jesus Christ trumps them all. It all has to do with perspective. If I ponder only the bad in my life, then it leads only to frustration, hopelessness and despair, however if I begin to call to mind the good things that God has done for me then I am filled with hope, peace, joy and most importantly LOVE for God and for those around me. It doesn’t take long before the clouds dissipate, and the “Son” begins to shine in the thoughts of my heart, and I feel His LOVE roll in like a thick fog and envelope me. Here is a Scripture to meditate on this week as you consider the Christ these days leading up to Christmas.
1John 3:1-3 NKJV - 1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
I am going to break it down just a little bit for you and then leave you to give more thought to it today.
Behold- stop and think about….
What manner of love- a love that would take the weight and penalty of our sin and endure the crucifixion
Bestowed on us- He did it for us, so that we could experience the fullness of all He has
We should be called the children of God- let that sink in “you are a child of God,” not a servant or a slave, but a son or daughter
Now we are the children of God- not in the sweet by and by
It has not been revealed what we shall be- this just gives permission to dream further as to God’s Love and goodness that is yet to come
One final thought as you consider this LOVE. Your enemy is the mind set on the objections and the pains that you have seen, experienced or held captive to. Don’t listen to those voices, that is the enemy trying to keep you from your inheritance as a daughter or son of God. The Devil does not want you to know your true identity, it frightens him! Think of the babe in the manger and how he grew to be the Savior of the world. Think of his outstretched arms that says I love you from the cross on which he hung and died in our place. Think of all that he did so you can be all he has called you to be…. sons or daughters of God. If your father is a king what does that make you?
How can I pray for you?
Prayer page — Vineyard Moss Bluff (vineyardmb.org)
Merry Christmas,
~ pastor Tim