Today's Scripture:God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.
John 3:16
The famous verse John 3:16 is an important one for all. It speaks of God's love for you and his great gift to you: eternal life. Yesterday I was without my mini-laptop as I had left it with one of my members during a visit at Wake Med on Wednesday. Our family laptop had a virus that I needed to remove and during the process of working on that computer it made me just think of the basics of life and God's love the familiar John 3:16 came to my mind. One of my facebook friends made statement about living and her friend said "he wanted to live forever" I commented by saying I did too and that the Bible tells that I can and will live forever if I just believe.
As I put my children to bed and still battled to repair of my computer via various scans and software, while watching my former fraternity brother and college football teammate & friend Schapp' on the TV show "Warriors". I watched Terry in a battle his with shield and sword and as he fought and shared his story I could here God speaking and basically telling me that all would be well again for me again just as he had promised.
God loves you more than you can imagine. He loves the whole world. God's love inextinguishable, eternal, personal, and life-giving.
That love is yours for the taking. Just accept it at face value, and God will be pleased. God has given you more than anyone would ever expect. He might have given you money or a mansion or a beautiful spouse, children and family or any number of other things for your enjoyment. But what he gave- his Son-encompasses all those things. God gave everything for you. God's peace and love is yours for the taking.
God made it simple as possible to come to know him. What does he ask of you? Faith. Simply believe in his Son. Believe that what God says is true. That's it. Nothing more is needed. As a pastor I council people young and old, single and married or divorced. People speak of walking down to the alter, being baptized, joining the church, seeing a bright light or maybe even hearing a voice. All this is wonderful but not needed according to God's word. As I sit looking out my window watching the rain God sends I am thankful that God made our salvation easy. There is very little in life that is simpler or easier than that. God has made it uncomplicated and always available; he wants everyone to accept his gift. Anyone willing to accept and believe in Jesus gains all of God's blessings. God gave the greatest gift possible: eternal life, and that includes everything else in life-love, joy, peace, a home in heaven, friends. He has held nothing back.
Selah people' and friends as I reconnect with old high school and college friends I think of how far he has brought and what he has pulled me through (losing friends, family, several near death experiences that only by his grace I am still alive) over the years. You and I obtain all of these grand blessings by faith, as the verse says. It remains a great promise to men and women of all ages and all times and all places. What it meant 2000 years ago it still means as much today that simply by believing in Jesus, we can gain the greatest blessings God has to offer.
"Peace and joy come as we come to know just what God did for you."
Your pastor,
Rev Patrick Muston
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