In The End What Does God’s Love Do?

 
 

Good Morning Friends,

 
 

There are uncertainties in life. And sometimes rather sobering and sudden judgement. The deal is that God has given us life limits that we cannot pass. There are also different seasons in our life. Then when the end is expected and the mana’s expiration date has long passed… when nothing is left, when everything tumbles in, when the precarious dependence
of our human existence asks God to enter the picture., then we discover the answer to today’s question. In The End What Does God’s Love Do?

 
 

Scripture: and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. Make no covenant with them and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for that would turn away your children from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But this is how you must deal with them: break down their altars, smash their pillars, hew down their sacred poles, and burn their idols with fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession. It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples. It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him. He does not delay but repays in their own person those who reject him. Therefore, observe diligently the commandment—the statutes, and the ordinances—that I am commanding you today. If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the Lord your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors; he will love you, bless you, and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock, in the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you. You shall be the most blessed of peoples, with neither sterility nor barrenness among you or your livestock.

 
 

Deuteronomy 7:2-14 (NRSV)

 
 

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

 
 

Luke 21:29-33 (NRSV)

 
 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

 
 

John 3:16 (NRSV)

 

I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being; and a human mind was given to it. Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth among its teeth and was told, “Arise, devour many bodies!” After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly. As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

 
 

Daniel 7:2-14 (NRSV)

 

Message: Perhaps you have explored your level of satisfaction with the Gospel of Salvation and whether you desire a more active role in the Gospel of the Kingdom. The thing is that the solemn assurance our salvation is awesome but there is so much more to a relationship with God. The beauty is that we can partner with the Lord and through the supernatural hand of Jesus defeat those things that would keep us in the wilderness instead of entering the land of promise. Here God’s love saves, refreshes, and compels us to be obedient. Here the love of God prompts us to turn to God for the things we need for victory. Friends, we have been chosen, even though we do not deserve it. But there comes a time when the masks must come off and we realize that out of death comes life. Perhaps this very fact is God’s way of breaking through the crust of our pride and the seed of our self-reliance to spout something new. It is the advent of the bridegroom and the marriage of the Lamb of God and more. Friends, when everything is wiped away…when nothing is left…only God remains. And God is more than enough. For if we keep attached to the old, we will miss the blessings that God has in store for each one of us. We cannot live in the past. The best and worst is yet to come, and God has many other things in store for us if we just submit to the Holy Spirit and allow God to renew our mind.

 
 

And So, knowing the outcome and that evil will be defeated takes all the tension out of our anxiety about the future. Sure, there are some bad things ahead for the people of planet earth. And we may or may not go through some or all of them. But knowing that God loves us anyway helps us to not only help ourselves but to be a tool for God to help others. Love multiplies. When all is said and done, at the conclusion of all things we now know there is still the love of God that last forever.

 

Pray we accept God’s love and discover its abundance. Pray we seek new mercies every morning. Pray we are saved, healed, and delivered. Pray we realize that we are saved by grace. Pray we want to be more like Christ. Pray we run the race of mankind with the company of the faithful. Pray we embrace an adventure that never disillusions and outlasts even heaven and earth. Pray we love as God loves us with a love that lasts. Pray we reach the next generation with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 
 

Blessings,

 
 

John Lawson