the beloved child whom Jesus loves

last sunday, pastor shared a powerful message, on practising God's personal love for you. :)
for those who weren't there, and for those who were, just want to share some of the nuggets that pastor mentioned. =)

Fruits of practising His love for you:
1) Divine intimacy (John 13:23-26 )

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.
24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25
Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

John, who was depending on the Lord's love for him, was the only one who got to know who was going to betray Jesus. whereas Peter, who boasted of his love for the Lord, had to ask John to ask Jesus who it was. This speaks of divine intimacy with Jesus!

2) Spiritual employment (John 19: 26-27)

26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved
standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to
the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to
his own home.

Peter, who boasted of his love for the Lord, ended up denying Jesus thrice. yet, John was of spiritual employment to Jesus when He was at His darkest times, at the foot of the cross.

3) Spiritual progress (John 20:2-3)

2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.

i never saw this before, but the Bible is really amazing, right up to the very detail.

4) Quick perception (John 21:4-7)

4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.

5) (John 21:15-22)

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (agape) Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love (phileo) You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (agape) Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love (phileo) You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (phileo) Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love (phileo) You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

right in the same setting, where there was a fire of coals, Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, was restored by Jesus.
and there are two words for 'love' used in the context. agape (unconditional love) and phileo (to have affection for; to like). beloved, Jesus loves you so much, He comes down to your level of love for Him!

19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

beloved, personalise His love for you. John was found following Him without having Jesus tell him to; nevermind the circumstances (especially when you're so sick and tired of looking at them); it's really the one thing needful, to feed on His love for you. and that, is the key to the fullness of God (interestingly, something which i had been asking God for this year) - "to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." and guess what happens when you're filled with His love?

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (ephesians 3:18-21)

2 Corinthians 10

2 Corinthians 10

- v4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

2 Corinthians 9

2 Corinthians 9 (Amplified)

- v7 Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving].

- v8 And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].

2 Corinthians 8

2 Corinthians 8 (The Message)

- v1-4 Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.


- v10-12 So here's what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands.

2 Corinthians 7

2 Corinthians 7 (The Message)

- v10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

- v 11 And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart.

2 Corinthians 6

2 Corinthians 6 (The Message)

- v3 Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing.

2 Corinthians 4-5

2 Corinthians 5 (The Message)

- v12-14 God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We're not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we're on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.

2 Corinthians 3

2 Corinthians 3:17 (Amplified)
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom)."

John 8:36
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Taken from The Everyday Life Bible by Joyce Meyer:

You may ask, "What am I free from?"

You are:

Free from the power of sin!

Free from manipulation and control!

Free from fear of what others think of you!

Free from comparing yourself with everybody else!

Free from competition with others!

Free from selfishness!

Free from legalism!

Free to be an individual!

Free to be you!

Free! Free! Free!

2 Corinthians 2

2 Corinthians 2 (The Message)

v1-2 That's why I decided not to make another visit that could only be painful to both of us. If by merely showing up I would put you in an embarrassingly painful position, how would you then be free to cheer and refresh me?

2 Corinthians 1

2 Corinthians 1 (Amplified)

- v17 Now because I changed my original plan, was I being unstable and capricious? Or what I plan, do I plan according to the flesh [like a worldly man], ready to say Yes, yes, [when it may mean] No, no?

- v19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah) ... was not Yes and No; but in Him it is [always the divine] Yes.

- v20 For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.

- v21 But it is God Who confirms and makes us steadfast and establishes us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ, and has consecrated and anointed us [enduing us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit];

- v22 [He has also appropriated and acknowledged us as His by] putting His seal upon us and giving us His [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as the security deposit and guarantee [of the fulfillment of His promise].

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God is stable and always says YES, and He has given us the Holy Spirit has a guarantee for that He will always do just that.

1 Corinthians 16

1 Corinthians 16 (Amplified)

The crux of 1 Corinthians:

- v14 Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God's love for us).

- v16 I urge you to pay all deference to such leaders and to enlist under them and be subject to them, as well as to everyone who joins and cooperates [with you] and labors earnestly.

1 Corinthians 14-15

1 Corinthians 15 (The Message)

- v10-11 But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it...

- v30-32 And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work? I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I'd do this if I wasn't convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus, hoping it wouldn't be the end of me? Not on your life! It's resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there's no resurrection, "We eat, we drink, the next day we die," and that's all there is to it.

- v58 With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.