Shalom!

Today I want to look at one of the most well known verses in the New Testament.

John 3:16 (KJV)
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Some have called that verse the Gospel in a nutshell. I prefer to call it the heart of God. It is especially powerful in the Amplified translation of the Bible:

16For 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.

The plan of salvation! God gave His only Son to buy back for Himself many sons! (and daughters!) The word "prized" in the dictionary means to value or esteem very highly. Our God so greatly loved and dearly prized (valued and esteemed) us that He sent His Son to leave His glory in heaven and live life here on earth as a man who would endure the same temptations as we do, yet He would never give in to sin. Because He was sinless, He qualified to pay the price for MY sin (and yours!). What an amazing Truth! God's great love for us overcame all the power of our enemy! All that is left is for us to accept and receive that free gift of Salvation, and belong to the famliy of God! Is there any reason you can't receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior right now? After believing in your heart, pray this prayer:

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

Now you are a child of God and you need to grow up in Him. We'll look more at these verses tomorrow. Have a great, blessed day!

Shalom in Him!