Sunday, March 2, 2008

Priceless Sacrifice

John 3:16--17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
 
I think the verse John 3:16 holds a special place in most of our hearts, we've probably heard it hundreds of times since our first experience with Christ.  I really like reading it together with the 17th verse though because here it really reinforces the concept that He takes us just as we are.  God does not want to condemn us and His new blood covenant with us is through the blood of His Lamb, His one and only Son, and all He asks from us is to believe.  Okay, so when we believe than we usually want to act in a more pleasing way for God, we acknowledge that we need to repent of our wicked ways so He may forgive us our sins and wash us clean by the power of that blood...but God has really done all the work, it is not work that makes us His children, it is faith.  Faith that He loved us, His adopted and chosen people, enough to send His one and only Son to suffer and die as a man so that we may all be reunited with Him in heaven when He calls us home.  Faith that He has a plan to prosper our lives and give us a hope and a future in Him.  Faith that His Son died on that cross to saves us from certain death without condemnation.  Faith that no matter how hard we fall away He will always accept our humble repentance and fold us back into His arms as He washes our sins away and wipes the slate clean so that we can start anew, blameless as His Lamb.  This amazing gift driven by a love deeper than we can fathom is the ultimate "MasterCard commercial"...Priceless!  I cannot help but get excited and humbled all over again every time I read these verses.  It reignites my faith over and over again to know that God does not condemn me, He is saddened by my mistakes but He has already taken care of them and He sees me as His new creation all over again when I repent and believe.  Please join me in prayer:
 
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your ultimate sacrifice, Your one and only, blameless Son.  Thank You for the grace of salvation through Him and forgiveness by His blood.  We truly praise Your holy name for this incomprehensible love and mercy that You have given to us.  Please help us to remember that You did this solely from that love and not to condemn us but to save us.  Please also help us to remember that if we feel like we are falling away from You and Your perfect plan for our lives that we need to come to You in complete repentance so that You can wash us clean in the blood of the Lamb.  Lord, we are continually thankful for those You have blessed to lead us in our spiritual journeys, our priests and clergy.  Please persevere Your favor and guidance in their lives so that they may rightly maintain the path of leading us to You.  God, may You please also remember those who serve us in the military, police, fire rescue and armed forces.  They offer protection to us in our times of need and we pray that You daily grant them Your supernatural protection.  Father You are the ultimate healer and Your healing is the only true healing.  We know many who need Your healing, spiritually, physically and emotionally, please grant this especially to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin and all those who we individually name to you now... Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace allowing them rest in Your strong and loving arms.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our will rather be it done according to Yours.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 
 
Love through Christ,
Niki

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