He Lived. He Loved. You Believe. You Live! Understand? July 17, 2011

"For God so loved _______ that he gave his only begotten Son, that if _________ should believe in Him, _________ should not perish but have life everlasting" (John 3:16)

     A child was once trying to quote from John 3:16 in the King James version, which says "His only begotten Son," but the child misquoted it and said, "His only forgotten Son." It was one of thos slips off the tounge that carried more truth than we could care to admit. For by most people in the world today Jesus Christ is truly forgotten. His life is forgotten. His love is forgotten. His sacrifise is forgotten. It is our job as Christians as God's ambassadors, to help them remember.
     Joe was a drunk, miraculously converted in a street outreach mission. before his conversion he gained a reputation as a derelict and dirty wino for whom there was no hope. But following his conversion to Christ, everything changed. Joe became the most carng person at the mission. He spent his days there doing what needed to be done. There was never anything he was asked to do that he considered beneath him. Weither it was filthy, Joe did it all with a heart of gratitude. He could be counted on to feed any man who wandered in off the streets, undress and tuck him into bed, when he was too 'out of it' to take care of himself. One evening, after the mission direction delivered his evangelistic message to the usual crowd of sollen men with drooped heads, one of them looked up, came down to the altar, and kneeled to pray, crying out for God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, "Oh God, make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!" The director leaned over and said, "Son, wouldn't it be better if you prayed 'make me like Jesus?" After thinking about it for a few moments, the man looked with a questioning expression and asked, "Is he like Joe?"
     What a great story and what a powerful way to live! Are you living your life in such a way that you're reminding people of the only 'forgotten' Son of God?


                                                                                        Love Ya,
                                                                                           Brother John.
                  John 3:16

*He Lived.
*He Loved.
*You Believe.
*You Live! Do You Understand?