The Power of Love...

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:7-11 NKJV Love...It is hard for me to imagine a love so deep that a father would willingly sacrifice his son to express it. I mean, I have children & I can't wrap my brain around the idea of giving my child to ransom others. I can, however, envision myself fighting like a madman to protect them. So, what would motivate our great GOD to do such a thing? LOVE--a love so deep, so boundless that He would go to any extreme to make a way for us to come back to Him. John 3:16-17 tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." Imagine that--GOD loved mankind so much that He offered up His only Son as the perfect and willing sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. He did it to provide a way of salvation so we could fellowship with Him for all eternity in Heaven rather than give us what we deserved by sending us to hell, forever separated from Him & tormented by Satan & his demons. Nothing we could ever do can repay Him. However, we can live our lives in submission to Him--seeking His Will daily & honoring Him by showing GOD's love to those we encounter in our daily lives. It is amazing what a smile or a kind word can do to shine light into the darkness for an individual. We should reach out to those in need, and the world is in need of a Savior. This world needs an anchor to hold to when the storms of life come. We are called to be "salt & light" to the world (Matthew 5) and lovingly guide wayward souls back to the Father. I can't begin to express how GOD has blessed me through the years by placing people in my life who loved me despite myself & who pointed me to or back to Him. My desire is to do the same for others--to be the hands & feet of Jesus and show others the way to Him. As always, I covet your prayers... Blessings! Tony