BEADS OF JOY 05-01-19
“God so Loved The World”
©2019 James Dacey, Jr. OFS
My Friends,
Today’s
Gospel: John 3:16-21 (God’s Love and
Judgment)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.”
Reflection:
There is no question about how much our Lord loves us. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. What do we love in this life? Can we ever love God so much as He has loved us? There is so much to think about. Questions race through my head as I read on here. Does God take absolute first place in our lives? Is God's act of love so touching in our lives that we can't help but love His Son? Or do we feel like we may have been forced in this choice because of what God has done, by our guilt? God has a purpose for everything He does for us, but in this act of love, it was purely His love for us that led to this. I do not know the heart and mind of God, but scripture says, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." 1 John 5:1. Today is the end of the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus.
What have we learned here these past three days? Reflecting back, I think we have learned at least two main things; first that our Spirits must be born again, fresh and new, and that Spirit loves and desires God first; and second, we learn that God’s love for us was sincere and very deliberate, and it shows in His actions to save us. And Jesus told Nicodemus these things. Let us take the time to look at some very inspiring, uplifting scriptures that continue to direct us in the direction of today’s scripture. I really hope and pray that you spend time in God's Word. It is through God's Word that the Joy inside me pours out of my heart onto these blogs. Please take the time to read, meditate, and pray using the word of God as your guide. Enjoy these scriptures: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all that he has given me but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:38-40. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 15:16
Pondering these thoughts today: Our priorities most certainly lie in what it is we love. Yes, we can love darkness if we so chose, God gave us a free will; we aren’t forced to love Him. But knowing that God’s love for us is very real and it’s always unconditional, and that helps us love Him even more. Is our love for God above all things? God never condemned us, even when we rightly deserve it; but rather, through the blood of His Only Son we are made whole before Him. All God has ever wanted from us was for all of us to come home.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.”
Reflection:
There is no question about how much our Lord loves us. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. What do we love in this life? Can we ever love God so much as He has loved us? There is so much to think about. Questions race through my head as I read on here. Does God take absolute first place in our lives? Is God's act of love so touching in our lives that we can't help but love His Son? Or do we feel like we may have been forced in this choice because of what God has done, by our guilt? God has a purpose for everything He does for us, but in this act of love, it was purely His love for us that led to this. I do not know the heart and mind of God, but scripture says, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." 1 John 5:1. Today is the end of the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus.
What have we learned here these past three days? Reflecting back, I think we have learned at least two main things; first that our Spirits must be born again, fresh and new, and that Spirit loves and desires God first; and second, we learn that God’s love for us was sincere and very deliberate, and it shows in His actions to save us. And Jesus told Nicodemus these things. Let us take the time to look at some very inspiring, uplifting scriptures that continue to direct us in the direction of today’s scripture. I really hope and pray that you spend time in God's Word. It is through God's Word that the Joy inside me pours out of my heart onto these blogs. Please take the time to read, meditate, and pray using the word of God as your guide. Enjoy these scriptures: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all that he has given me but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:38-40. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 15:16
Pondering these thoughts today: Our priorities most certainly lie in what it is we love. Yes, we can love darkness if we so chose, God gave us a free will; we aren’t forced to love Him. But knowing that God’s love for us is very real and it’s always unconditional, and that helps us love Him even more. Is our love for God above all things? God never condemned us, even when we rightly deserve it; but rather, through the blood of His Only Son we are made whole before Him. All God has ever wanted from us was for all of us to come home.
John 3: 16 – 21
Scripture Passage (nice)
Scripture Passage (nice)
Sri Lanka: Hope in an Un-Christian World
w/ Fr. Jonathan Meyer
LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!
Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
Today is Wednesday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:
The Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection (Faith) –Mark 16:1-8
2. The Ascension (Hope) –Luke 24:50-53
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Love) –Acts 2:1-4
4. Assumption of Mary.1 (A Happy Death) –Rev 12:1-6
5. Coronation of Mary (Mary’s intercession) –Judith 15:9-10
Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!
Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
Today is Wednesday: We pray the Glorious Mysteries:
The Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection (Faith) –Mark 16:1-8
2. The Ascension (Hope) –Luke 24:50-53
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Love) –Acts 2:1-4
4. Assumption of Mary.1 (A Happy Death) –Rev 12:1-6
5. Coronation of Mary (Mary’s intercession) –Judith 15:9-10
Glory and Honor and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!
Rosary Man Jim's Glorious Reflections: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-glorious-mysteries.html
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