Day 2-31 Day of Praises-John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This has to be the most "famous" and well-known verse there is. You see it on football signs, you see it everywhere…Can you think of a place you haven’t seen it?
Simple words to convey God’s greatest gift to mankind, and yet, in the 21st century, in 2008, we see a world that is falling more and more away from God then every before.
I read from "31 Days of Praise",
Thank You that through the Gospels I can watch this beloved One walk among 0rdinary people. I can hear the gracious words that came from His lips. I can see His compassion and tenderness toward needy people, His anger at hypocrisy,
His faithfulnees, His intense love for His followers."
What do you think He sees in us? His followers? I read His words and it makes me wonder what do I do that brings Him joy or grief.
He was born of a virgin; In a day and time that her family and her fiance’ could have shunned or did worse, but Joseph embraced her and called Jesus, his son. He wasn’t born of the highest status and was instead His death was sought after the day He was born, till Judas betrayed Him.
People questioned Him; Mocked Him. When He died on the cross, He didn’t die with honor. They stripped Him of every honor that they could possibly strip Him of…and still He died for them, for us.
Philippians 3:8
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,
Matthew 23:37 (KJV)"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.Matthew 23:13-33 (KJV)13. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14. ["Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation]. 15. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’ 17. "You fools and blind men; which is more important, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?
18. "And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, [that] is nothing, but whoever swears by
the offering upon it, he is obligated.’ 19. "You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20. "Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears [both] by the altar and by everything on it. 21. "And he who swears by the temple, swears [both] by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22. "And he who swears by heaven, swears [both] by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. 23. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24. "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!25. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26. "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. 27. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28. "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30. and say, ‘If we had been [living] in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in [shedding] the blood of the prophets.’ 31. "Consequently you bear witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32. "Fill up then the measure [of the guilt] of your fathers. 33. "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?
Meanwhile….somewhere. Out there. Someone has been martyed. Today. Tonight. Right now. In 2008.
"Thank You that He focused Your almight power into the lives of common people with deep needs, just like me…that He preached the gospel to the poor, proclaimed freedom to prisoners of sin and recovery of sight to the blind, and set free the opporessed victims of sin and Satan–the downtrodden, the lost, the hurting, the broken. Thank you for the way he rebuked the arrogat and looked on the humble-minded, opening wide the door of His kingdom to those who were destitute and helpless in spirit.",
Scriptures for reflection:
- John 3:16
- Galations 4:4
- Hebrews 1:3
- Luke 4:18-19
- Luke 4:22, Matthew 9:36,15:32,23:37,23:13-33;John 13:1
- Philippians 3:8
Feel free to share your thoughts about John 3:16 and how in days when you feel like not giving praise, what do you do to motivate yourself on those days you feel under the burdern of the cross.