In this together

If only we understood what it means to be God's "Beloved."

In this book Francis starts out by asking the reader a question:

"If you could approace our holy God right now and ask Him how He feels about you, what do you think He would say?

Actually answer that.

Your answer reveals a lot about what you believe about God and yourself."

How did you answer this question?

What were the feelings that came with considering this question?

Did you feel awkward?

Did you feel dismissive?

Did you feel uncertain or fearful?

Or -

Did you feel peace and at rest because you have come to "know this love that surpasses knowledge..." as Ephesians 3:19 speaks of?

We have all heard that "God is love and that God loves us," but

does this Reality resonate within us?

How Truely do we believe this?

How Deeply does this impact how we think and feel about ourselves - about others - and namely about God?

John refers to himself as "the disciple that Jesus' loved," five times.

John 13:23: "One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side."

John 19:26: "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”

John 20:2: "So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved,."

John 21:7: "That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

John 21:20: "Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said,"

If you are looking for a good book to learn more about what it means to be "God's beloved," this is a great book!

But - if you want to grow in actual love with this God who deeply loves you - open up the Bible - and start reading.

John is a great book to begin in.

This is why this Blog exists -

This is why I have been ministering to High School students for 29 years -

This is what I live for - to make Jesus known and to proclaim His great love to as many as I can, and why my prayer for all will always be -

^"For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21