I still remember the shock I received that day in Sunday School. I was probably in kindergarten, and I had gone to my class and my understanding of reality was shaken to the core. Because that was the day that I realized that Jesus was not born in the United States and that he wasn’t an American! I’m not sure how I didn’t catch on before that, but I just assumed that anyone as good and powerful and loving as Jesus Christ...had to have come from the good old USA. Yeah, I probably wasn’t the brightest bulb in the sign at that age. But you know what? A lot of Christians forget that Christ came for the whole world. That wonderful verse, John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the whole world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believed in him would not perish but have eternal life. When God became flesh, he didn’t look as much like me as he did other people.
He didn’t speak like me. And he was a Hebrew who had his whole ministry in what we call Israel. He came to this earth for all of us because God has loved us from the beginning so very much. And the God of the Bible wants people from every place, every background, every heritage to come and become his forever children by virtue of their simple trust in him to forgive their sins because of Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection on Easter morning. So as you go through your day, you will see people who are different in a lot of ways... speech, heritage, language and all kinds of other differences. But every one of them is loved more than you can imagine. And beyond that, there is a great big world out there of people who are coming to be a part of that growing family of God. So, I got over that disappointment that God’s work was bigger than America...and for that I’m truly grateful! Jesus is the man given to all of us and no one of us has a greater claim on his love or life changing ministry. So, remember there is a great big world out there that none of us have seen in its entirety...and all of the people in it are precious to this God of the Bible.
Here’s our Bible verse for today...
1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. (6) He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ
He didn’t speak like me. And he was a Hebrew who had his whole ministry in what we call Israel. He came to this earth for all of us because God has loved us from the beginning so very much. And the God of the Bible wants people from every place, every background, every heritage to come and become his forever children by virtue of their simple trust in him to forgive their sins because of Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection on Easter morning. So as you go through your day, you will see people who are different in a lot of ways... speech, heritage, language and all kinds of other differences. But every one of them is loved more than you can imagine. And beyond that, there is a great big world out there of people who are coming to be a part of that growing family of God. So, I got over that disappointment that God’s work was bigger than America...and for that I’m truly grateful! Jesus is the man given to all of us and no one of us has a greater claim on his love or life changing ministry. So, remember there is a great big world out there that none of us have seen in its entirety...and all of the people in it are precious to this God of the Bible.
Here’s our Bible verse for today...
1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. (6) He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ