Love others as Jesus has loved you!

Ed Chappelle, Christian leader and ordained minister, shared the following dramatic true story at vinewords.net.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

Bill stood at attention with his right hand raised as he repeated the enlistment oath. He didn’t know he would soon experience a sacrificial love story.

Bill had volunteered to give his life to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies. After basic training, he would be shipped off to war. …between World War I and the present (2023), some 623,297 men and women have given their lives so that we can enjoy our freedom.

One of those who died in combat was Bill’s best friend, Tommy. They met in basic training and helped each other through eight weeks of vigorous training. They were shipped off together to fight the enemy and had survived thirty-three days of fighting when the unthinkable happened.

Bill was injured and unable to walk. Suddenly, he heard someone shout, “Hand grenade.” Without a pause, Tommy threw himself on the explosive to protect Bill, who lay just yards from it. Tommy’s sacrifice saved Bill’s life, and the memory of it never left Bill.

Our world fights a war between good and evil. To win, we needed a Savior. We couldn’t save ourselves because a deadly sinful nature infected us. All the sacrifices in the world couldn’t clean us up. Satan had us locked in a prison of regret with no hope.

But God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God loves us unconditionally and gave His Son to release us from Satan’s grip. The sacrificial love of Christ delivered the death blow to Satan’s head and defeated hell, death, and the grave (Genesis 3:15).

Throughout basic training and the days of war Bill and Tommy experienced, Tommy repeatedly talked about John 3:16 and John 15:13. He told Bill that Jesus was his Lord and Savior. After Tommy’s death, Bill couldn’t get those scriptures out of his mind. When Bill returned to the states, he asked Jesus into his life.

Several years later, Bill recalled the memory of his friend’s sacrifice as he spoke at a men’s meeting. He told the group that one man saved his physical life, but that the most important life was the eternal one – the one his Lord and Savior had saved.

I hope you have let Jesus Christ forgive your sins. If you haven’t, pray to God and ask Him into your life today. Also, remember our military personnel around the world. They have signed a blank check that could lead them to sacrifice their lives.

The Father loved us so much that He sent His Son to bring us salvation. Jesus was willing to leave the splendor of heaven and humble Himself all the way to death upon a cross (Philippians 2:8) – to pay the penalty for sin that we could never pay, to endure the wrath against sin that we could never endure. His sacrifice on the cross can make an eternal difference in our lives. It’s often said that the nails didn’t hold Him to the cross; His amazing love for us did.

And love does not stop there. John the Beloved explains it this way, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16). Because Jesus loves us (Vertical relationship), we can love those around us (Horizontal relationships.) Let’s do it! Let’s love others as Jesus loves us.

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This Sunday, May 18, we will continue our teaching series, “One Month to Live!” What if you knew you only had 30 days to live? What choices would you make? This Sunday? Love Completely! Please invite someone to join you in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us.

Coming Up: Pentecost Sunday is June 8 and we will celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the birth of the church (Acts 2). The following Sunday, June 15, is Father’s Day & presbyter Terry Wong will be our special speaker.

Aloha ke Akua!