John 3:16-18 God loves His world and all of His creation!

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

We need to appropriate the work of the Cross to our life.  In order to receive the blessing of God we need to believe in Him whom He sent. Jesus finished everything that was needed for salvation but we need to accept it by faith!

Genesis 1:28-31 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

When Adam sinned he lost dominion over the earth and it was then under the power of Satan. Jesus returned that power to God in His redeeming work of the Cross. We have that protection from evil now by faith in Him. The world in its totality will be restored at the final judgement.

Matthew 4:8-9 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

From the fall of Adam until this day Satan has ruled over the earth and all that was in it. Only in Christ Jesus and in our worship in God is evil kept at bay.

2 Corinthian 4:3-7 even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

In Jesus, in His death and resurrection, the separation of Adam and mankind from their Creator was redeemed. Jesus, the Lamb slain, bought back that which was stolen. Greater is He in us than he that is in this world. The eyes of the world are blinded in unbelief and His light and truth hidden. The veil was removed in His death and when we accept Him as our resurrected Savior we are placed under the tutelage  of Holy Spirit who will  reveal the Word Of God  to us precept by precept.

Daniel 7:3-14 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Jesus was given the keys to the Kingdom that in Him all humankind would be redeemed. He alone is worthy to open the scrolls.

Revelation 1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

The anti christ will come to deceive the people of the earth. His only purpose is to kill, steal and destroy God’s creation.

Revelation 7:9-12 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

BUT God, in Jesus Christ, provided all that was needed to destroy satan and all of his control over mankind. In God alone is the Kingdom, the power and the glory now and forever.  We are saved by faith in Jesus! In Him we are led to living waters and we will never thirst for truth and He will wipe away every tear that we ever shed. 

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Blessed be His holy name. Jesus the name above all names! In Him alone the world could be saved. Carla

This verse presents a concise summary of the gospel message, tying the events of Jesus’ death to God’s love for the world He created. The statement is remarkable in its depiction of divine care for the entire world—not just His chosen people, Israel. The Greek term used here is monogenēs, meaning “one of a kind.” At one time, it was presumed that the term derived from the Greek words monos (“one” or “only”) and gennaō (“to beget”). The translation “only begotten” is based on this assumption. Subsequent manuscript discoveries produced evidence that the term actually comes from monos and the noun genē (“kind” or “type”). The term monogenēs therefore refers to uniqueness and has no inherent reference to chronology or origin. Hebrews 11:17 reinforces this by referring to Isaac as the monogenēs of Abraham. Isaac was not Abraham’s first child—chronologically, Ishmael came first. But Isaac was considered unique because of the supernatural intervention that aided in his birth and his role as the son through whom God’s covenant with Abraham continued. Ancient critics of the doctrine of the Trinity used this term to claim a chronological beginning for Jesus. Conversely, the Nicene Creed used this term to assert Jesus’ inherent relationship to the Father: that as the eternal Son He is “begotten [gennēthenta], not made” by the Father. 

John prefers to refer to Jesus as the “Son” and God as the “Father”. Jesus’ reflection and representation of the Father is complete (14:9–10). As one sent by God, Jesus fully represented Him on earth. Rejection of Jesus results in condemnation. The New Testament ultimately roots all salvation in faith in Christ (Romans 4:1–24; Hebrews 11:13, 26). There is no other way to achieve right standing with God. Faithlife Study Bible 

God’s love is not restricted to any one nation or to any spiritual elite. World here may also include all of creation (Romans 8:19–22; Colossians 1:20). 

At His first coming, Jesus came so that the world through Him might be saved. When Jesus comes again, He will come in judgment upon those who refused His offer of salvation. To believe is to receive life and avoid judgment. A person who does not believe not only misses life, but is condemned already. The idea of believing in Jesus’ name is also found in 1:12. The NKJV Study Bible

1 John 4:7–12 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love…

John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 

Reading the news these past days, I could feel hope drain. And a lot of certainties felt upended.

When life is upside down and pain is real, I can close my eyes and pretend that life is different. And I get the temptation. It’s a self-protective thing. And there’s a blame game to remove myself from any responsibility. Or calling, or duty. I can do that, yes, but here’s the deal: when pain is real, there’s still a hand to hold. There’s a spirit to hug. A wound to heal. A wrong to right. A mouth to feed. A fear to repeal.

Pain is real. And shock is real. And yet. There is something in our DNA that knows we still have the capacity to choose. 

I’ve always been drawn to the life and writing of Etty Hillesum. At the age of 29, Etty died at Auschwitz, but the last two years of her life led her into a deepening relationship with God. And into great solidarity with those who suffered.

She wrote, “There is a really deep well inside me. And in it dwells God. Sometimes I am there, too... Dear God, these are anxious times... We must help You to help ourselves. And that is all we can manage these days and also all that really matters: that we safeguard that little piece of You, God, in ourselves.” (An Interrupted Life: The Diaries) 

When we know that the light is here, now, we embrace the permission to be present. Where we are grounded, we pause. We say thank you. We will see beauty in places we didn’t expect, and we are gifted with surprises of grace. We will see craziness and pain, yes, but now we have the permission to engage, instead of resigning. To care. To spill light. Even in small ways, from our soul flows tenderness, tenacity, compassion, inclusion and sanctuary, joy, passion and justice, mercy and restoration, healing and community. And non-cooperation with evil. “Non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as cooperation with good,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us. Sabbath Moments

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 The power of God is revealed in our faith.

No human can understand the totality of salvation in Jesus. He suffered, who knew no sin, giving up His life in our place. The blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles through faith alone. This gift of God shows His agape love and no greater love exists.

Galatians 4:4-7 when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,  born    of a woman,  born under the law, 5  to redeem those who were under the law,  that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth  the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out,  “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son,  and if a son, then an heir  of God  through Christ.

Everything that Jesus did in His first coming was according to the Law and to the Israelites. It was revealed to Apostle Paul after His resurrection that in Him the world could be saved by grace and not by the law so that no one could boast of his own good works.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Galatians 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

We were once slaves under Satan and pawns in his slave market. Now,  in Christ,  we are redeemed. Freed from the power of sin into His glorious light of salvation.

Peter 1:18-21 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Jew or Gentile, Peter addressed all believers we are saved by the blood of Christ alone. Jesus is the sinless lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He who had no sin died for us who were slaves to it. 

Matthew 4:8-11 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Christ in the flesh, totally man and totally God, was tempted to share in the  power of Satan, the god of this fallen world. We worship the Lord our God and serve only Him. Without Christ we are lost without the power to overcome sin and we have no protection from it. In Christ we are freed from sin and live in the righteousness of Jesus and not our own. We are changed precept by precept into the image of the One who saved us!

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

The gospel of grace is hidden from those who do not believe. It is only revealed by faith in Jesus Christ.  Satan only wants to kill, steal and destroy those created by God for His glory. 

Revelation 5:1-7 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

No human has the power, nor is worthy, to pay the price of salvation. Only Jesus the Christ, all man/all God, has the power to overcome sin and death. Only the  sacrifice of the Lamb of God can save those enslaved to it. Jesus is the name above all names! Carla

Have you seen the documentary, War Dance?  I recommend it.

The film centers on three children (Rose, a 13-year-old singer; Nancy, a 14-year-old dancer; and Dominic, a 14-year-old xylophone player). They are members of the Acholi ethnic group, living in the remote northern Uganda refugee camp under military protection from the Lord's Resistance Army, a group that has been rebelling against the government for the past two decades.

In 2005, the camp's primary school won its regional music competition and headed to Kampala to participate in the annual National Music Competition which included performing the Bwola, the dance of the Acholi. Over the course of three months, the film's creative team observes the three youngsters as they prepare for the event and gain their confidence enough to have them discuss the horrors they have experienced and express their individual fears, hopes, and dreams.

Nancy says, "When I dance my problems vanish. The camp is gone. I can feel the wind. I can feel the fresh air, I am free and I can feel my home. I feel proud to be an Acholi when I dance. You have to be fearless, like a warrior. In my heart, I am more than a child of war. I am talented. I am a musician. I am Acholi."

In a world heavy and uncertain, more than ever, dance and music are an essential part of our immune system for a healthy heart and soul and spirit. For hopes and dreams. They create a space for engagement, or more precisely, reengagement. I do know that I can let down my guard, my armor, which helps me (allows me) to remember and embrace a tender heart, and the capacity to embrace connection, empathy and compassion. All of which is alive and well inside. These are gifts that we have forgotten, or gifts that are too easily buried.

John Lewis’ reminder, “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light.”

Let’s give St. Catherine of Siena the last word; and take it to heart...

I won't take no for an answer,

God began to say

to me

when He opened His arms each night

wanting us to

dance. Sabbath Moments

…we all need godly friends. And even more, we need God. He is the "friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). Friendships are important, sometimes lasting for a season and sometimes for a lifetime, yet our relationship with God is forever. Through the blood of Christ, we can draw near to God, and He can help us find friends to walk alongside as we pursue Him wholeheartedly. First5

The hand of God is shown in the lives of His creation!

We study to stand approved…not saved. Salvation is the free gift of a loving Father. His story in Scripture is for us to have insight into the wonderful inclusion of God in our lives.

Genesis 37:19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this  dreamer is coming! 20  Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But  Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. 23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they  stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25  And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of  Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices,  balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and  conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and  let not our hand be upon him, for he is  our brother and  our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then  Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit,  and sold him to the Ishmaelites for  twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. 29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he  tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad  is no more; and I, where shall I go?”

Joseph in a dream was prophetically told of his future in God’s plan for the Israelites. His brothers did not like his dream but little did they know that their actions would bring about the reality of that very dream. What the sons of Israel meant for harm God turned for his good and the good of the Israelites.  Our lives , as believers,  are in the very capable and loving hands of God. Will the path be without trouble…no. But it will always work out for our eternal good in His will for those who believe in Him.

The redemption of the Israelites is a shadow of the coming redemption in Jesus Christ. In His resurrection we are freed. By His shed blood the world, through Him, could be saved. John 3:17

Exodus 11:6-11 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.

Without the shedding of blood there is no redemption. Out of death comes life. In Jesus, in His birth, death and resurrection there is abundant life. 

Exodus 12:13 the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:26-28 26  And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say,  ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people  bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and  did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Exodus 14:10-15 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel  cried out to the Lord. 11  Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12  Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people,  “Do not be afraid.  Stand still, and see the  salvation  of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall  see again no more forever. 14  The Lord will fight for you, and you shall  hold  your peace.”

Nothing in history is left to chance it is always under the direct intervention of God in His plan. The power of God was revealed in the Passover and in the Exodus. How much more the power of God was revealed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything needed for salvation was finished in it. His final judgement is delayed because of His mercy and grace. God wants no one to perish but all to accept His gift of salvation. Carla

In the soil of showing up and being present, compassion is grown. And there, we make a difference. Yes, compassion is born from big hearts that are fully alive, hearts that are grateful, hearts that see how we are all connected to one another.

And that connection matters.

And that connection makes our world a better place.

Gifts of compassion show up in delightful and surprising ways. Surprising because they can be unexpected, because they don’t always fit in the mental box we’ve made for love—for compassion and kindness and empathy. That’s why compassion will always break down barriers, and defenses, and walls, and injustice, allowing us to embrace the gift of vulnerability.

Coretta Scott King’s reminder, “Love is such a powerful force. It’s there for everyone to embrace—that kind of unconditional love for all of humankind. That is the kind of love that impels people to go into the community and try to change conditions for others, to take risks for what they believe in.” Sabbath Moments

Prayer for Justice

Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world

as your love would have it:

a world where the weak are protected,

and none go hungry or poor;

a world where the riches of creation are shared,

and everyone can enjoy them;

a world where different races and cultures

live in harmony and mutual respect;

a world where peace is built with justice,

and justice is guided by love.

Give us the inspiration and courage to build it,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Author Unknown

Obstacles don't mean God isn't at work. Knowing this, we keep pressing forward even when the way seems uncertain.We take note of the spiritual fruit God is growing in us, trusting He has a plan we can't always see. As His children, we lean on Him and into His love, no matter what comes. First5