At Awe Text: John 3:16
A woman in Kansas CIty entered a Haagen-Dazs store for an ice cream cone. After getting it, she turned around and found herself face-to-face with the late Paul Newman, who was in town filming Mr.&Mrs. Bridge. He said “hello.” His radiant blue eyes caused her knees to shake. She managed to pay for her cone, then left the shop, heart pounding. When she regained her composure she realized she didn’t have her ice cream cone. She started back into the store and met Newman at the door. “Are you looking for your ice cream?” he asked. She nodded, unable to speak. You put it in your purse with your change,” he sad, smiling.
NKJ 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.
Amplified Bible For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ([unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
‘For’ means there is more. It’s a word that brings progression; Farther thoughts and actions. Listen again, For God so loved the world... God willingly took farther actions through His own Son on behalf of the world. Listen, If He allowed His only Son to die for every ungodly person, how much more does He love those who place their trust in Him now?
Your life isn’t an exception. The same God that died for your salvation, is the same God that desires further progression.
I wonder how many, shake in their knees when they think of the blessings of the Lord on their lives? I wonder how many, feel overwhelmed with praise to God?
As I begin to wonder and to inquire to God about the number of suicides in our county, I felt the Lord speak to me and say, “some knew Me, but that’s all.” (They went no farther.)
It's kind of like dating a girl, you never would get married if you dated her once, and that’s all. What if you told your children just once, that you loved them. What if you asked your employment for a raise, but didn’t care.
Self-interest, busyness, or Spiritual complacency. The two bigs’: Loss of Spouse, Loss of money.
Jesus said in Matthew 19:27-29NLT Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.
If you are in the Kingdom, you can’t be superficial.
John 3:16...that He gave... Has He stopped giving? Have you stopped giving?
Listen to Ephesians 2:4-7But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
It’s not by coincidence that the Psalmist David placed a ‘praise’ as the ending of One hundred and fifty chapters in Psalm.
If you lose your praise, you lost your ‘awe’ and wonder of God.
If you lose your praise, you lost your love and hope in God.
...that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
Psalm 150:1-6NLT Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! 2 Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! 3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! 4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! 5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. 6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
