​Today, one of my friends asked if I have favorite scriptures. The truth is, I have several favorite scriptures. John 3:16, Hebrews 11:1, and 1 Corinthians 13:13. But, if I had to pick one, it would be 1 Corinthians 13:13 because I feel it encompasses the concept of everything I believe about life with Jesus.

John 3:16 (NKJV) 

​John 3:16 is a verse that summarizes everything we need to know about God. Concisely and stated, God loved the world so much that He sacrificed His only Son so that our sins could be forgiven.

The world had become separated and rebellious against God. Sin was rampant. And, you see, God could not look upon sin, so something had to be done. A sacrifice of atonement had to be made.

When we sacrifice something, it should be precious. What good is a sacrifice that we don’t care about? Is it a sacrifice if we are willing to throw it away anyway? No, a sacrifice is something valuable to us, and the thought of giving it up makes it a sacrifice.

God loved His Son like a father loves a child. And God loves us like a father loves a child. The sacrifice of God’s only child is a sacrifice like no other. And, He made that sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven, we could have a way to build a relationship with Him, and we could be invited into the Kingdom of Heaven to enjoy a glorious life forever in the presence of God, our Creator. 

There is no greater love than the love our Father has for us. His sacrifice is evidence of that.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)  

​We know there is a Creator, God. We know God saved us through His Son, Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. And we know that Christ is coming back for us.

We know God loves us merely by all He has done for us. We have faith in God’s promises. Our Father has never and never will lie to us. Hope is living this life without a doubt, but with the expectation of Jesus returning to take us home to the Father’s Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)  

Love is the greatest gift of all time. It is a gift that can be given and received simultaneously. It is out of love that we have been saved. Out of love, we have been given an opportunity to have eternal life in Heaven. And, for that, we are asked to do nothing except to believe and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Jesus Christ is the epitome of love. His sacrifice says it all. We live life with faith and hope of His return. As He loves us, He asks us to love others. Bestow upon others the kind of love He has bestowed upon us.

​Do you have favorite scriptures?

​Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-jacket-sitting-beside-woman-in-blue-dress-shirt-6860466/

Copyright Marlene C Bertrand April 1, 2023

Faith is a difficult concept for people to grasp.

​For those of us who profess our love for Christ, faith is one of those things we must have, and there are no ifs, ands, or buts. We either have faith, or we don’t have faith. There is nothing in between.

Strong Faith Carries Us Through Life
We live in a chaotic world. Every day every moment, we hear of senseless acts of violence. We experience hardships and loss that can never be recovered.

God has a beautiful plan for us in a heavenly kingdom that is created for those who are faithful to Him. Faith understands that the world we live in today is not the ultimate world destined for us to live in forever.

No matter what we see, hear, and experience, we are destined for a better place. Only faith will carry us through to the life we are meant to live forever.

We have power through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We must keep our eyes on the Lord, and as we make decisions, we must make them based on what pleases our Lord. We must pray, and as we pray, we must have faith in the prayers we lift to our Heavenly Father.
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Having a solid and high level of faith helps us endure this earth. Let us take our troubles to our Lord, Jesus Christ, who strengthens us, for it is through Him that we have the power to do everything worthy of His blessings. As is written in the book of Matthew, whatever we desire as it pleases the Lord, we can achieve through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

​Have Faith
Faith is central to our daily walk with God. Faith is based on the Word of God, and as we read in Matthew 17:20, we cannot go wrong when we have faith. Let’s keep our eyes on the Lord and make faith-based decisions.
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Let us remember that without faith, pleasing God is impossible. Why? Because anyone who comes to Him through the Lord must believe He exists. And we must believe that because of our faith and earnest service to Him, He rewards us.