Know You're One That Jesus Loves

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I don’t know whether to title this “What’s in a name” or “what was he thinking?”

I shared about the Russia-Ukraine War in my blog. I’ve been doing a character study of John, “The disciple that Jesus loved,” though. I’m sure you can find a connection there. Putin is doing it on a much bigger scale. But, we choose to fight and destroy and be selfish –. Yet, God still loves us. Let’s go further, though.

John likely thought of that love with so much awe! After all, he and James did push to be the greatest in Heaven, even asking to sit on Jesus’ right and left. As John grew in the Lord, he realized how much Jesus loved him despite those selfish feelings, and how much God wanted to work in his heart to make him selfless, to think about others more than himself. It wasn’t so he could get to Heaven, but out of love for Jesus because of what He did for John. He emphasizes love because the Lord inspired him to write what God wanted; and used that experience so John would share so much about love.

If God named you, what would you be called?

I’m sure some of you think of something silly like “world champion belcher,” others “prayer warrior,” or like Gideon “mighty man/woman of valor.”

God will recognize how you used your talents and gifts for Him, but the emphasis will be on how your talent ministered to others. For instance, the woman who used her box of ointment to wash Jesus’ feet.(John 12 – and different than the woman in Luke 7 because you can see the events are different.) Jesus says her actions will always be remembered.

Some might not know “Doubting Thomas” is from the Bible. Thomas wasn’t sure if Jesus rose again till he saw the Lord and touched His hands and side. So, it’s okay if we doubt, we just need to go to Jesus for help like John the Baptist. He sent his disciples to be sure Jesus is the Lord. He sent them back saying to tell John the Baptist all that Jesus had done. This is where being thankful and counting blessings helps in tough times.

God chose Thomas knowing he would doubt. So, whatever your struggles, God can use them to help others. I don’t know about burping. 😊

So, back to this woman (really, both women), they are known for something which God put in the Bible to help us. As we’ve said before, sometimes the same passage of Scripture can be used for different things, because God is personal. His Word has meaning and power, and He will use it to help anyone who listens. The important thing is that we do listen, and read, so God can work in our hearts.God wantgs you to be known for good. In fact, at the end of the book of Nehemiah, he prays: “Remember me, Lord, for good.”

Those who follow only the world’s ways seek 2 things – power and pleasure. (Jack Hibbs talks about this is a great “Happening now” video – I don’t recall if he uses the KJV but it’s still good teaching and I know you’ll follow in yours.)

Think about what this means. Instead of wanting to be known as the one someone loved, the world’s elite want to be known for how they can overpower people. They want to limit how much a person can own, like in Cuba or China, yet want to be able to own everything they can. The devil has tried to sneak that idea in there from the beginning, when he told Eve and Adam they’d be like gods, with a small g. The devil tricked them, because he won’t let anyone but himself have control. He forces others to worship him.

God is not like this. God wants us to have free will. He wants us to choose to love Him and follow Him – and He showed that so well by how He came as a suffering servant, Jesus Christ. Jesus wants us to use our talents to help others, He wants us to use our money to give to camp and things like that. God tells us to be generous, kind helpful, etc.; He doesn’t want us overpowering others. And, He doesn’t want us seeking pleasure at the expense of others, which is what the devil does. The devil wants us to think only of ourselves, not of the needs of others.

Can we find pleasure in helping others? Of course. We should. That inward joy comes from this order – Jesus, Others, Yourself. But, people who are using their power to overpower others aren’t feeling that joy. They’re being selfish.

We should be known for how we serve the Lord by serving others.

We are all known for something. The apostle John probably called himself what he did for a number of reasons. Maybe he had a distant dad or a mom who pushed him too hard and didn’t care as much for spiritual thigns. (She also bugs Jesus about their position. We must never put worldly things above God; our grades, gals, scores, etc. don’t matter as much as where we are in Christ, which is why church, online if you can’t get there, is vital.) So, maybe he felt extra comfort in the presence of Jesus – it was unlike what he felt with anyone else.

Or, maybe he was just in awe that Jesus was God in flesh, that he was with the very Creator of the universe. You might think of other reasons. But, whatever the reason (and it is one of those things the Spirit may work on different people in different ways with). It’s important to consider how God loves us, but also how we can share that He loves others with them.

It's okay, of course, to want to share worldly things. I got a huge thrill out of giving away the Bible quiz trophies which had been stored in my garage. (Though I wasn’t sure how to reach you to see if you wanted one, Alyssa, you have Sal’s book so I figured it was okay if others who had been with us longer took precedence) The trophies and book are ways we can remember how God loved us and what great things God can do through us, plus why it’s important to pray, read the Bible, etc.. Other things are more fun – saying eating a food “grows hair between your toes” is my way of sharing fun memories of my family. I’m so glad I can pass some of that on.

But, as with other stuff, only recalling Grandpa used to say “eat it, it grows hair between your toes” misses the point. It’s why we recall it part of a fun experience. Telling others that one can have a warm, loving family – because some might not think it possible. As ambassadors for Christ, we want to be remembered as inviting, because God is. Some people suffer a lot and need lots of encouragement, but that’s where prayer is so important for them – and for everyone.

Being “the disciple that Jesus loved” isn’t bragging that he was loved more than some. He’s saying it with awe, as in: “He really, really loves me, even though He knows everything about me and sometimes I don’t even like myself.” Yes, it’s because He died for our sins and rose from the dead, but also because He is personal and works in each of our hearts.

See how all these lessons tie together, then? We can’t literally lay our heads on His chest like a small child. But we can emotionally and spiritually “lean on His everlasting arms,” as the hymn goes. That’s vital in this world, because things are so rough.

And, people will start to believe it’s possible when they see that you care; that you don’t just want to share the Gospel but that you truly care about listening to them and their problems and helping them with their concerns.

As I lead into prayer needs, let me say that my salvation, in my heart, is 100% sure. And, I know God hears and answers my prayers, Still, I struggle with doubt, too, when I don’t see results to my prayers. That faith that God is real leads me to pray for some big things sometimes. But, that’s where the problem is – and it’s why God’s Word gives me assurance that He carea dn understands. There have been times I’ve been praying and – just like in the one Bible story – that verse comes to me of Jesus saying, “Believest thou that I am able to do this?”  

I know He can. And, I know He gives me peace and signals, just like I think I mentioned with one person we prayed for, having a couple people remark about the Christian guidance counselors they knew who truly cared for the kids’ spiritual needs.

So, the Lord uses that to help me have faith that a good counselor will sport problems, but still, it’s roughnot hearing that she’s going to camp; she always did so well there before. And, I know she loves the Lord, it’s just that so many things crowd into one’s mind at that age, especially since her family isn’t the best spiritually.

So, she needs a lot of prayer for help with that – to get to camp, to grow spiritually, and to be around loving people who help her grow in the Lord. And, to want to grow, to realize that – while she professed faith in Christ as her Saviour and can’t be unsaved – the devil can keep her from having any kind of positive impact for Jesus.

That’s what we need to realize. Yes, our salvation is secure, but we need to keep growing in the Lord, or we will become ineffective. We will become like that light whichg is hidden under a bushel – we can’t let our lights shine if we are doing things that drag us into darkness. God can still reach us in that darkness, but rather than forcing Him to go on a rescue mission, why not be on the front lines being all you can be for Jesus and sharing with others how to be saved?

(A prayer need I mentioned)

Pray that God will use the struggles they have been through to not only make them stronger but able to share their faith with others and help those other people to come to faith in Jesus to save them from their sins.