Devotional Thought of the Day:

My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don’t take sides. Always try to agree in what you think.  1 Cor. 1:10 CEV

18 The message about the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God’s power at work.  1 Cor. 1:18 CEV

Finally, we praise His kingdom, His power, and His glory because they are nothing but the reign of love. “Why do you speak of nothing else?” “Because there is nothing else.” John the Beloved Disciple knew the point of it all.

I have heard from people that don’t yet trust God that the church tries to control people’s beliefs. That we try to indoctrinate people on everything from pseudo-science ot politics and ethics. Although I haven’t heard this in years, last week I heard it twice.  One person at the table we were sharing at a music trade show was talking on this concept, looked up and saw my color.  We both were a little embarrassed!

If only changing people’s minds about Jesus and the church was that easy!

Actually, I am glad it isn’t.

It causes me to focus on what is the most important thing, in fact, the one thing I need you to know. It is also the secret of getting a church, full of people with different thoughts, beliefs, agendas to get along with each other, and agree.

For if they understand this message of the cross, then everything else falls into place.

But to many people, it does seem foolish, unbelievable, moronic even.

Here it is, the one thing I need you to know about my religion, about my faith.

God loves you!

That is the message of the cross. The creator of the universe loves you, and the cross is His demonstration of how much He loves you!

You may question why it is true!  I question why He loves me, it doesn’t make sense.
You may question what this means, or how it happens, been there as well.
You may even question that He exists, or whether He knows you exist.  I have had, and occasionally still have those days as well.

But at the end of the day, you can depend on this, He loves You.

Enough to heal your brokenness, enough to show you mercy, enough to comfort your tears and dance for joy when you spend time with Him.

God loves you…

That’s what I need you to know…for everything in Christianity finds its origin in that love.

Can’t force you to know it, can only invite you to experience it…

Peter Kreeft, The God Who Loves You (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004), 47.