John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son. That whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 15:12-13
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
This month we celebrate the greatest story ever told: the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The account of Jesus’ life, and ministry – His conquering of death, hell, and the grave – are nothing short of amazing. However, in my estimation, His motivation is an even greater story.
I am sure many of you have heard or read about the devastation the nation of Ukraine is currently experiencing. The news media provides us with daily visuals of women, children, and the elderly suffering tremendously. We have seen suffering in Afghanistan, Haiti, and several civil wars on the continent of Africa.
The war in Ukraine reminds me of Hitler and the Nazis in World War II as the Axis powers ravaged through Europe and the Pacific Islands. I have vivid memories of the footage of millions of Jews being starved to death, gassed, and shot. We saw bulldozers and tractors pushing bodies into mass graves.
My wife has become involved in a ministry that rescues young women that have been abused. It literally breaks my heart and sometimes brings me to tears to hear some of their stories. It never ceases to amaze me how awful humans can be towards one another. As heartbroken as we may be, the story of humans hurting one another did not just begin in 1940, nor 2022.
The Scriptures give us accounts of how brutal Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) was to Israel. This is why Jonah did not want to preach to them. We have read how cruel the Egyptians were to the Hebrews. The epistles in the New Testament even recount how early Christians were fed to lions, and some were pulled apart. As angry as this may make me, there remains a message that I must remember – God loves everyone! Jesus died for everyone.
I try to be a good Christian and obey the Word of the Lord. However, I make mistakes, and I ask God to forgive me (and He does). Some people tell me that I am a great father, son, brother, husband. It sounds nice, but I have come to understand the truth. God loves the person who commits the heinous act, as much as He loves me. Adolph Hitler, Mao Tse Tung (former ruler of Communist China had more than 8 million people killed), or King Leopold II of the Belgians (who had Congolese people’s arms and hands amputated for not harvesting enough rubber, and killed more than 15 million), were recipients of Christ love, just as I am.
There is nothing I can do to make God love me anymore, or nothing that those terrible leaders did that would cause God to love them any less. God loves us all with all that He has. That is why His love is the greatest power today.
This year, more than ever, let us celebrate our Savior for the great love He displayed towards not only us, but all of mankind. There is truly no greater love!
From Mrs. Pruitte and the Holiness Tabernacle Family – Happy Resurrection Day & month!