Jesus taught us, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
The act of caring for others more than yourself or actually taking your own life for the sake of someone else it the ultimate sacrifice a human being can make. In our North Dallas culture, we often do not see this taking place, but look at present day Japan, where men are sacrificing their lives to control the radiation problems they are facing. Look at the men and women from our military from the United Stages serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places across the world who are sacrificing their lives for you and me for the cause of freedom and democracy. It takes strength and passion to make such a sacrifice. It also take a belief in something powerful to evoke such a response to lay down your life for the cause.
This type of sacrifice is what God did through His one and only son Jesus Christ. He sent His son from heaven to earth as a living sacrifice to take away the sins of the world! Amazing sacrifice. Then, Jesus Christ became the living sacrifice for you and for me! What is our response to this realization? To worship Him and give Him my life. Take a moment to reflect on the fact that the God of the universe considered your life worth the death of his Son. Whatever your circumstances, you are loved.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. We love because he first loved us.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
LENT begins this Week
I, for the first time in my short 41 years of living on this earth, am walking through LENT and reading a daily devotional from Jim Denison. There are so many different ways to approach this month as Easter approaches. Traditionally, you "give up" something for Lent in sacrifice to God. This idea allows the believer to sacrifice something as a reminder, or offering to God for what He has done for us. He sent His one and only Son from heaven to earth to take away the sins of the world.
What can I give up? What is it that God desires for me to sacrifice for Him during this time to remind me of who He is in my life. I will have to pray about that one and get back to you.
Here is my challenge today...God does not seek my ability, but my availability. Have I made myself available to God today? Will I make myself available to God today?
What can I give up? What is it that God desires for me to sacrifice for Him during this time to remind me of who He is in my life. I will have to pray about that one and get back to you.
Here is my challenge today...God does not seek my ability, but my availability. Have I made myself available to God today? Will I make myself available to God today?