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Protestant101
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I love that phrase “live under His wings.” Our Father protects us and shelters us everyday…“For God so loved the world…” Let us praise Him all weekend long!!
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Cinette
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*“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,…How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…”I love that phrase “live under His wings.” Our Father protects us and shelters us everyday…“For God so loved the world…” Let us praise Him all weekend long!!
God’s love…
“Think of the love that the Father has lavished on you by letting you be His child and that is what you are…” - 1 John 3:1
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Cinette
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*“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10
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Cinette
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“I have loved you with an everlasting love. I am constant in my affection for you.”Jer:31:3
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Realcatholicgk
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***“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (6:53).
Do you eat Jesus’ flesh? Do you drink His blood? Does your soul feed on Him? In other words, do you genuinely believe Jesus, the Divine Messiah is contained in the Eucharist transformed by an apostolic successor of St. Peter? If so, as Jesus Himself said, you possess eternal life; if not, you are following some false version of Jesus. Then you’re still spiritually dead in your sins and disbelief in His precious words!
This (name removed by moderator)ortant anouncement was brought to you by God in order to help non-believers save their eternal soul! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” You will now be returned to your regular programing!
God Bless***
Do you eat Jesus’ flesh? Do you drink His blood? Does your soul feed on Him? In other words, do you genuinely believe Jesus, the Divine Messiah is contained in the Eucharist transformed by an apostolic successor of St. Peter? If so, as Jesus Himself said, you possess eternal life; if not, you are following some false version of Jesus. Then you’re still spiritually dead in your sins and disbelief in His precious words!
This (name removed by moderator)ortant anouncement was brought to you by God in order to help non-believers save their eternal soul! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” You will now be returned to your regular programing!
God Bless***
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mark_a
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This is an excellent presentation is itself. Thanks.
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Protestant101
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God so loved. (Jo 3:16)“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,…How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…”
God’s love…
*“Think of the love that the Father has lavished on you by letting you be His child and that is what you are…” - 1 John 3:1 *
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All of these texts you have referenced certainly help qualify and describe “for God so loved!” What depth and riches we have in this one verse, and when we start to consider such texts as various posters above have just quoted; He increases, and we decrease!!
The English word “love” that we so commonly use is totally inadequate to express the depth of concerned and attentive interest expressed by the Greek word agape, “love!” Love is the pre-eminent attribute of the Creator with respect to His creatures. It is the controlling force in divine government. “God is love” (1 John 4:8). And “love NEVER fails…” (1 Cor.13:8)
Consider the person, the Apostle John who penned these amazing words of John 3:16. John speaks of himself as “that disciple whom Jesus loved” (ch. 21:7; cf. chs. 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20), that is, as in loved pre-eminently. The reason was simply that John, more than any of his fellow disciples, submitted to the influence of the perfect life of Jesus and eventually came to understand and reflect the perfection of that life more fully than the the others. John was thus better qualified than the other disciples to appreciate the magnitude of divine love and to explain it to his fellow men. This he attempts to do in ch. 3:16—“God so loved.” Every Christian knows and quotes this text! Truly, John’s experience with Christ has accomplished something amazing in humanity!!
In 1 John 3:1 he exclaims again, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” Words fail him to express the depth of that eternal, changeless love, and John simply invites men to “behold” it. The supreme expression of divine love is the Father’s gift of His own Son (John 3:16), through whom it becomes possible for us to be “called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And Jesus certainly did do this for us!! This is what Jo.3:16 is all about!!
All of the Bible’s references to “love” in the texts people have posted here show more of the meaning of “God so loved,” in particular, the “love” part. This we can find both encouraging and enlightening - and this is our witness to the world, of Christ, and His love. What proclamation of the Gospel has been so often on the lips of missionaries and preachers in every age since it was first uttered? What has sent such thrilling sensations through the millions of mankind who hear it? What has been honored to bring such multitudes to the feet of Christ? Nothing else but the free love of the Father is the beginning of our salvation, and Christ is he in whom our righteousness and salvation dwells!
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Realcatholicgk
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Prot101, :wave;
Where in scripture does it say: " … The reason was simply that John, more than any of his fellow disciples, submitted to the influence of the perfect life of Jesus and eventually came to understand and reflect the perfection of that life more fully than the the others. John was thus better qualified than the other disciples to appreciate the magnitude of divine love and to explain it to his fellow men." … Adding to the scriptures again?
John 6: 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
This is a hard teaching, Only real followers of Jesus can and do accept ti as being true! **
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Protestant101
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I love the Bible accounts of John and Jesus. It is obvious they had a special relationship, and when John said “God so loved” it meant “God is love.” And “love never fails.” I don’t know how to get into any controversy about such GOOD NEWS!
BTW, the next phrase in Jo 3:16, after “God so loved” is “the world.” I would love to hear comments and thoughts about this!!
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Realcatholicgk
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**John 3:16 in the original Greek is as follows:
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς Αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ᾽ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον This can be translated literally as:
“For in this way God loved the world: that he gave the unique son, so that all the ones trusting in him would not perish, but have eternal life.”
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Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς Αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ᾽ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον This can be translated literally as:
“For in this way God loved the world: that he gave the unique son, so that all the ones trusting in him would not perish, but have eternal life.”
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Cinette
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P101,
**" … The reason was simply that John, more than any of his fellow disciples, submitted to the influence of the perfect life of Jesus and eventually came to understand and reflect the perfection of that life more fully than the the others. John was thus better qualified than the other disciples to appreciate the magnitude of divine love and to explain it to his fellow men." … **
*Thank you for your posting P101. Your love for Jesus shines.
However, I am quoting your words above and have a problem with what you say.
Firstly, where indeed does it say in the Bible that “John, more than any of his fellow disciples, submitted to the influence of the perfect life of Jesus…?”
Also, please indicate the passage where it is said that “John was thus better qualified than the other disciples”.
Peter was the Apostle chosen by Jesus to lead His Church - despite his weakness, despite his denial of Jesus. Jesus chose fishermen. They were probably illiterate. One then sees the transformation in Peter and the Apostles after Pentecost.
Jesus’ ways are not our ways. He did not choose people because they were “better qualified”.
I think we should strive for accuracy.
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**" … The reason was simply that John, more than any of his fellow disciples, submitted to the influence of the perfect life of Jesus and eventually came to understand and reflect the perfection of that life more fully than the the others. John was thus better qualified than the other disciples to appreciate the magnitude of divine love and to explain it to his fellow men." … **
*Thank you for your posting P101. Your love for Jesus shines.
However, I am quoting your words above and have a problem with what you say.
Firstly, where indeed does it say in the Bible that “John, more than any of his fellow disciples, submitted to the influence of the perfect life of Jesus…?” Also, please indicate the passage where it is said that “John was thus better qualified than the other disciples”.Peter was the Apostle chosen by Jesus to lead His Church - despite his weakness, despite his denial of Jesus. Jesus chose fishermen. They were probably illiterate. One then sees the transformation in Peter and the Apostles after Pentecost.
Jesus’ ways are not our ways. He did not choose people because they were “better qualified”.
I think we should strive for accuracy.
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wina
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wina
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benedictus2
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For Him to die for me a miserable sinner, what else needs to be said. Nothing else but gratitude. And a hope that I can return that love back. And the only way I can return that love back is to follow His command to Love Him and my neighbour. I should say "try" here because I don’t always succeed. But He is Oh, so patient with me.
The one thing that I have not seen many people mention is the quality of this love. I think it is a very tender love. I know it is a very tender love.
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Cinette
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“I made you in my own image and likeness and when I made you I saw that you were good.” (Gen 1:27-31)
“The love of God has been poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5)
"As the Father has loved me, so I loved you " (John 15:9)
We have reassurance of God’s love - not only through His actions but his Words also.
“The love of God has been poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5)
"As the Father has loved me, so I loved you " (John 15:9)
We have reassurance of God’s love - not only through His actions but his Words also.
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benedictus2
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So God’s love never fails!
This reminds me of something I read way back then. God does not love us because we are good. God loves us into goodness. God’s love is TRANSFORMING.
It is only because He loves us so much to the point of giving us His son and dying for us, that because of His great sacrificial love, we are able to love at all and so able to be “good”.
Too often the dominant feeling we have is an unhealthy "fear’ of God. Yet Love banishes all fear. The more afraid we are of God, the less able we are to love Him because the fear stops us from seeing how great His love for us is.
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wina
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I just remember these verses:
Too often the dominant feeling we have is an unhealthy "fear’ of God. Yet Love banishes all fear. The more afraid we are of God, the less able we are to love Him because the fear stops us from seeing how great His love for us is.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love” (1John 4 : 18)
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Protestant101
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I sincerely apologize. I was not intending to get into anything controversial in this thread; it’s just that as I meditate on the different points suggested by John 3:16, I see a very special relationship between John & Jesus, as evidenced by John’s declaration in 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”P101,
I think we should strive for accuracy.
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John was referred to 5 times as “the one whom Jesus loved” and this was not said about anyother disciple John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20,
“Whom Jesus loved.” It was John’s special joy that Jesus loved him. But we must keep in mind that John was the one who penned these words, and it may not be that he was actually “better” than Peter in Jesus’ eyes; it is just John who felt this love of Jesus so intensely. I think as I look at all the verses where he describes himself as “whom Jesus loved;” he also knew how that Christ, as the Son of God, and surety of his people, loved all of His true disciples alike; not one more than the other; but as Son of Man, Jesus had a distinctive affection for John, and therefore admitted him near his person like this, and was very familiar with him and in this case the appellation is more tender and honorable than being called any mere name. John was admitted to a special friendship, perhaps, because the natural disposition or character of our Saviour was more nearly like the amiableness and mildness of John than any of the other disciples. We all know how impetuous Peter could be at times!
I mean, lets face it, the highest honor that can be conferred on any person is to say that Jesus loved him; and to say it with belief. Yet this is an honor which all may possess, but which none can inherit without his spirit and without knowing Him, and loving him. It is an honor which cannot be won by wealth or learning, by beauty or accomplishments, by rank or earthly honors, but only by the possession of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price, 1Pe_3:4; compare Rom_8:9. And it is so exciting for me to see how “God so loved the world” in this same way that He did John the Apostle!
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Cinette
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Realcatholicgk
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**Hi Cinette,
God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.~ Unknown
Protestant101 reads a lot into scripture that isn’t there.
Catholic’s realize that it can distort reality. He probably thinks you are picking on him and are trying to destroy his 'perfect" imitation world that he has designed for himself in his head! 
God Bless**
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