The Love Of God

THE LOVE OF GOD

John 3:16

Our Greatest Need:

Mankind has many needs,  some of which are considered essential for our daily survival.  But, many of the things which some of us classify as needs are not needs at all, but merely wants.  We, as humans have a tendency to want things so badly  that we will say that we cannot survive without them.

            “Mom, Dad, I really have to have that new I-pod.”

                                         OR

            “Honey, that ring is just so beautiful, I’ll just die if I can’t have it.”

                                         OR

            “Sweetheart, did you see that new set of Craftsman tools, I really have to have them to work on the vehicles and make repairs around here.  And think of the money we could save on repair bills too.”

There’s a lot of things that we could, on a clearly personal basis, say that we needed, but really don’t.   

 Which of our possessions would we trade for our child?  Say it was your only child- a son or a daughter.

ONE AND ONLY. 

Gen. 22:2, 12, 16-  Abraham & Issac



Luke 7:12-  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. [1]

Luke 8:42- And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she jwas dying. [2]



Luke 9:38-Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, “Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. 40[3]

 The Lord healed three only children of their parents.

One was dead, another sick unto death, and the last one possessed.

The first parent knew the heart wrenching agony of having lost a child.

The second knew the terrible helplessness of a parent watching their child waste away at death’s door, knowing there is nothing they can possibly do about it.

The third knew the terror of having lost what was his child to the agonizing onslaught of an unspeakably evil being which had so shackled his son that he didn’t really know him.  The boy’s mind was locked in a loosing struggle with a  demon. Taking away from him the relationship between a father and a son.  Alive, yes but dead in his ability to communicate to his father.  Apparently the demon had been cast out before and each time he returned.  Each time he came out he bruised him.  As caring parents we hate to see our children in pain.  And we really hate to see someone else hurting our child.

But God gave up his only begotten son to a world, that through sin, had become dead to God, sick unto death with sin, and possessed in mind by the great delusions of sin.

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[1] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Lk 7:12

j Luke 7:2

[2] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Lk 8:41-42

[3] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Lk 9:38-40