Announcing Burton Bibles!

Hi guys, just a quick post to let you know that something I have been working on for the past few weeks has now gone live! After years of frustration at not being able to find decent Bible shops in the UK I have decided to set up my own, yikes! 

In partnership with Cambridge University Press I have set up a webshop www.burtonbibles.com and I have also launched an accompanying YouTube channel with Bible overviews and other useful Bible related content, as well as an Instagram account with lots of lovely Bible pictures and overviews which can be found here

It is early days but I'm hoping that I can help fellow believers find their next lovely Bible that they will treasure, read and study, but moreover a Bible that is RIGHT for them in terms of size, print and binding.

Please give the channels and site a look, and I will appreciate your support and prayers over the coming months as we get things going.

Yours in Christ,

Mark

Three Men at the Pool of Bethesda

Just some simple thoughts from John 5, the man healed at the pool of Bethesda. Bethesda means 'House of Mercy, or Kindness' and so is it not fitting and entirely appropriate that into this place steps the Saviour, the perfect embodiment of all kindness and mercy! Does Psalm 117:2 not say "For his merciful kindness is great toward us..."

In this scene we read of three men referred to:

• "A certain man" - An infirmed man, impotent and helpless who had lay stricken for 38 years. It is interesting that this man had been in this state for longer than the Lord Jesus had been upon the earth as a man! I think it is lovely to think therefore that even before he came into this world, his eye was upon this man, knowing one day they would meet and he would be blessed as a result. Surely we think of ourselves in this regard; "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world..." Eph 1:4

• "I have no man..." - This man had no man to help him in his despair, his situation was hopeless! His plight is touching; "While I am coming into it myself, somebody else steps down ahead of me..." How typical of men and of this world! This 'me first' attitude, the survival of the fittest, illustrating the selfish cruelty of men. How unfair, how this poor man was disadvantaged! Thank God that the Saviour steps in to redress the balance, here is mercy and compassion, here is one who will help! We thank God that our God is not the God who only blesses those who get there first, those who step ahead of others and cut in! Praise God that he looked on us in our helpless state - "For by grace are ye saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast." Eph 2:8-9

• "...what man is that..." - The outraged Jews enquired of the healed man. Of course they discovered it was the blessed man of Galilee! Son of Man, yet Son of God, here we see the two met together beautifully, just as they did at the tomb of Lazarus, his compassion and care for his fellow man, and yet his omnipotence to heal and bless. Empowered after 38 years of weakness and wretchedness... "He healed me and gave me back my strength..." Christ put others first, despite the Sabbath, this was far from the Jewish way, they were outraged! He would later go to the cross of Calvary to die for others, and there they would mock him again - "He saved others, himself he cannot save." We notice that their cold-hearted hypocrisy would surface again even at Calvary, as it is John who records; "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." They would not even let him alone then, as he died on the cross! Well might we sing - "Hallelujah! What a Saviour!" We thank God that Christ put others first, he thought of us and came to our aid in our deep need.

We trust these simple thoughts will be a blessing to all.

Mark

King Saul - A Brief Devotional

I was thinking recently about Christ as the rejected king that the Jews didn't want - "we will not have this to reign over us!" It put me in mind of the king that God rejected, the man Saul. There is a lovely comparison between the two.

• Saul was the king who was very much the people's choice, although God put him there. Our Lord Jesus Christ was ever God's choice - ('behold my Servant'... 'this is my beloved Son')
• Saul was a man physically that the people desired, and would look up to (literally for he was head and shoulders above them). Think of the Lord; "There is no beauty that we should desire him" "He hath no form nor comeliness..." Although the Lord Jesus was head and shoulders above them all morally! Perfect and sinless He was.
• Saul was marked by disobedience to the word of the LORD, his disobedience in 1 Sam 13 in acting as a priest and offering burnt offerings instead of waiting for Samuel to come, and his disobedience in ch 15 in not annihilating the Amalekites left God no option but to reject Saul from continuing and prospering as king of Israel. None of this could be said of our blessed Lord as his 'meat was to do the will of him that sent him'... ('I delight to do thy will'... 'I do always those things that please the Father')
• Remember that there was a time when Saul showed an astonishing lack of compassion for his people, when he enforced a fast upon them. I can't help but think of the time our Saviour looked out upon the people and saw them as sheep not having a shepherd, and moved with compassion he fed them miraculously in the wilderness! He would not send them away faint and hungry.
• Saul was also marked by a lack of self-control and often lost his temper. The Lord Jesus was always in control, and was marked by meekness and was gracious even in the face of extreme provocation - ('I am meek and lowly'... 'when he was reviled he reviled not again, and when he suffered he threatened not.')
• Saul was an extremely jealous man, wanting something that was not his, and driven by bitter envy. Of our Lord Jesus it is said that the earth is His and the fullness thereof, there was nothing he desired that was not his already by right. Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor - what a contrast! Our blessed Lord humbled himself, and made himself of no reputation, while Saul raged and clung onto power with everything he had.
• We read that an evil spirit came upon Saul and tormented him, sent from God. I can't help but think of the Lord Jesus, who was full of the Holy Spirit, led by the Spirit, and driven by the Spirit.
• Saul was the man who wouldn't go down into the valley to face the giant. Driven by self-preservation he would let a teenage David go down instead to claim the victory for God. Think of our Saviour who would say "Here am I, send me", who willingly went down into the depths, and of whom it could be said "I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me... all thy waves and billows have passed over me..."
• Think of Saul's end - his death was one of shame, failure and defeat on Mt Gilboa. Now think of our blessed Saviour, who died on Mt Calvary. Yes it was a death of shame ('cursed is every man who hangeth upon a tree') but his death was one of victory, not defeat! He triumphed over death, hell and the grave, a death which brought many sons to glory!
• Saul had his kingdom taken away from him, it would not endure forever. I am reminded of our Lord Jesus - "he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." 

"Jesus shall reign where'er the sun doth his successive journey's run, his kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more." 

Praise be to his name! Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

We trust that these simple thoughts and meditations will be a blessing to us.

Mark

Christ and the Judges

I was thinking about some contrasts and comparisons between our Lord Jesus and the Judges of the Old Testament, and I think there are some interesting points to note. This is very much a work in progress and I expect to add to this in the coming days as appropriate.

Remember that the the days when the Judges were raised up were dark days spiritually speaking for the people of God. Joshua had died and they had rebelled, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, and disobeying his voice (Judges 2:2, 11). Out of his love and compassion, God raised up Judges or Deliverers to save them (2:16) This certainly reminds us of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, as he came into the world at a time when the people had wandered far from God, saying the right things with their lips but their hearts were far from Him (Matt 15:8). Into the darkness came a Light, the Light of the world! "And the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5)

Just think of some of these 'saviours' and their characteristics in relation to the true and perfect Saviour!

• Othniel - of him it is recorded that "the Spirit of God came upon him" - when we think of the Lord Jesus we remember that he was LED by the Spirit (Matt 4:1), he was DRIVEN by the Spirit (Mark 1:12) and he was FULL OF the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1) how lovely to think that the Saviour was ever guided and led by the Spirit, in sync with the Father's will. He was driven from within by the Spirit, ever moving with purpose and conviction. He was full of or 'full up' with the Holy Spirit, meaning he was controlled and directed by it!
• Ehud - God;s left-handed right-hand man! The stand out feature of this Judge was his 'homemade' double-edged sword, surely speaking to us of that Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12).Surely we cannot help but think of the Lord Jesus of whom it is said "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." (John 1) He was the very Word of God, he embodied it and fully told it out!
• Gideon - we are reminded of the few that fought against the many, described in that Midianite dream as - "a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it". I cannot help but think of one who took those humble small barley loaves, and multiplied them to the blessing of many! Remember they said on that occasion "but what are these among so many?" (John 6:9). Just as in Gideon's day, they were vastly outnumbered. But as is so often the case God uses "the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Cor 1:27)
• Think of Jepththah - Here was a man marked by speaking unwisely. He made a foolish and rash vow, to his great cost! Think of the Lord Jesus, a man who confounded and amazed men with the wisdom and grace of his speech! Satan was defeated by his words, men marvelled at wisdom, remember the words of the Proverb; "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." (25:11) surely an appropriate application to our Saviour.
• Finally think of Samson - God's mighty but weak strong-man! Here was a Nazarite from birth, who failed and was defiled. We remember that the Lord Jesus was the perfect fulfilment of a Nazarite, he was wholly separated and consecrated to God! We also remember that he could not fail, or be defiled, he was "without sin", he did no sin, he knew no sin and in Him is no sin!

Samson had a triumphant end, and there are some lovely pictures of the Lord Jesus;

• Remember he was betrayed by a close one
• He was humiliated and suffered many things at the hands of wicked men
• He was led out to the place of death, as our Lord was (Mark 15:20)
• Both cried out to God, one was answered, but for the other the heavens remained silent (Matt 27:46)
• We remember that their deaths fulfilled their life work, or purpose. Of Samson it is said "So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." (Judges 16:30) When we think of the death of the Lord Jesus we are reminded that "...he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." (2 Cor 5:15) He died that we might live! "Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." (1 Thess 5:10)

I hope that this provides some food for thought and encourages us to look closer at these things, this is just a start of what could be a nice study, given more time and application.

God bless!

A New Beginning To A New Year!

Joshua 1:1-17

Joshua is facing a new beginning now that his predecessor Moses is gone. He faces a future full of uncertainties perhaps, but rather than dwell on this he is exhorted by God to look back and reflect. The same is true for us as we look forwards to 2018 with all it's uncertainties and potential problems and challenges for us as Christians, but we do well to reflect on God's goodness to us and be encouraged as we go forwards with Him!

Joshua could look back on a history of God's tremendous goodness. In fact God had reminded them previously "Ye have lacked nothing" (Deut 2:7).
Yes the way had been hard at times, but the Lord had always been there for his people - "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee" - Note that neither his ability nor his presence are in doubt here!

There are TWO exhortations from the LORD for Joshua:

1. Be Strong and Courageous - this is repeated several times in these verses. God reminds us that the Christian pathway is not a cake-walk but requires us to respond to the challenge and be strong and of good courage! Paul offers similar words to Timothy to embolden him and encourage him to stand fast and be ready for the challenges and responsibilities ahead. As we enter a new year we need similar exhortation, God asks us to be strong and courageous in 2018!
2. Love and Live God's Word - The encouragement is to meditate upon it night and day, to depart not from it... that God's Word should be upon our minds and our mouths continually! If we do this in 2018 we are assured of "good success wherever you go". We are reminded of the similar words of Psalm 1 -

"Blessed is the man... his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Surely as we look towards 2018, we can be encouraged by remembering and recalling God's goodness previously and rise to the challenge of a new year by being strong and courageous in our Christian lives, and loving and living God's Word.

I can't think of a better mindset with which to embark on another year! :0)

Lovest thou me?

I was looking at John 21:15-17 recently at the end of the year and was challenged by looking at these verses slightly differently to how I normally have done.

Concentrating on the words spoken to Peter, there is a question ot be answered, followed by a 'call to action'. When viewed simply we can be challenged in the same way; Do we truly love Him? If so then we need to respond with action!

Three times over the question is posed to Peter, so this was clearly something the Lord wanted to hit home - If you love me, prove it and do something! In Peter's case it was to 'feed my sheep', but for us it could be any number of things that we can change in our lives, in order to manifest and evidence our sincere love for Him.

It may be that as we look back over 2017 we realise we have had a 'mixed' year, full of ups and downs, and it may be possible that we haven't been everything we could have been spiritually, I know this is certainly true of me! But I take heart as this was also true of Peter! He had recently denied his Lord three times, but nevertheless the Lord was still interested in Peter, his love for Him and his potential to serve him going forward. The same is true of us, so we should take heart and carry on!

It is very easy for us to pay 'lip-service' in the matter of our love for the Lord Jesus. We often quote verses such as "we love him because he first loved us" and "whom having not seen we love", but in reality, is this love for Him backed up by actions in our lives? Do we say we love him when we sporadically attend our local Church meetings, seldom read our Bibles, and make decisions in our lives that put the Lord low down our list of priorities and therefore show a lack of love for Him?

John will again revisit this challenge later on in his first epistle;

"Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18)

The Lord is looking for actions and choices to be made if we say we love Him, not mere good intentions and well-meant statements! If we say we love Him then let us follow up in deed and in truth!

It would be a great start to the new year if we were to make a change in our lives, make a sacrifice, do something differently and demonstrate our love for Him!

"Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep."

The Lord vs The Temple

A few thoughts regarding the temple and the Lord Jesus.

The temple was something for God on earth, and how true that was of the Lord Jesus Christ! He truly was something for God down here on earth, he was God manifest in the flesh, and he daily brought pleasure and delight to his father God as he walked down here. He walked and worked always in the current of God's will and exclusively for his glory. Unfortunately, in the Lord's day the same could not be said of the temple.

Let's look at a few verses together...

The Lord Jesus Presented in the Temple as a Baby (Luke 2)
The first time we read of the Lord Jesus in the temple we read of the encounter with Simeon, that ageing righteous and devout man; “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

What tremendous words! Of course these could only be said of the Saviour, for only he was the light of the world, and the Saviour of sinners.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2)
We remember that as a boy of 12 when discovered by his parents in the temple he could say; "Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?"

Truly the Saviour was ever driven by the work that he had been sent to do, and that single purpose drove his every word, thought and deed.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple (John 2)
"And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”"

His disciples recorded the zeal he had for the things of his father God. Sadly a place for God had become a place for men. The things of God were now secondary to the convenience and greed of men. The temple had become corrupted and defiled, and needed such a cleansing.

How lovely to remember that our Lord Jesus could never be corrupted or defiled! There was never anything that needed to be removed, or purged out, for he was "all fair without, all pure within!"

"Thy stainless life, Thy lovely walk,
In every aspect true,
From the defilement all around,
No taint of evil drew."

The Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8)
We go from the Sinless One to a sinful woman, what a contrast! Here the Lord Jesus in the temple courts was presented with one who was a sinner of some repute, there could be no doubt of that, as she was caught in the very act. Here the Saviour taught those hard-hearted and hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees, that sin could be dealt with righteously AND forgiven! He taught them that grace and compassion were just as important as truth and righteousness, and he had come to provide that more excellent way, a way for sinners to be saved. Remember he could say “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

His words are lovely; "And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”"

The Widow's Mites (Mark 12)
"Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”"

This woman was noted by the Lord, and he took the time to call his disciple to him and use her as an example to show the value of true giving, as God sees it. She had cast in all that she had, and the Saviour noted it, how lovely! I thought of another at the temple that day who 'gave all', of course our Lord Jesus Christ. The Saviour spoke of the abundance of men that day, compare this to the Saviour himself, the most abundant one! The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof... all things were made by him and for him... he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor. He humbled himself in coming down from the realms of glory into this sinful world. And he knew physical poverty whilst he was here too.

In going to Calvary however, he truly gave all - he gave himself! He 'offered himself without spot to God'... the use of sacrificial language there in Hebrews not without significance, as we think about the temple as being a place of sacrifices and offerings.

We praise God for the Lord Jesus Christ! Well might he have said in Matthew 12 "Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple."

Amen!

Behold!

We are often exhorted (and rightly so) to direct our hearts and minds towards the Saviour when we gather to remember him on a Lord's Day morning. To take a fresh glimpse with the eye of faith as it were and 'behold' him, in other words to survey his person and character and meditate upon him. This can only be a good thing, as it will surely draw out worship from our hearts!

I was thinking of a series of scriptures that use this word 'behold' in connection with the Lord Jesus and hope that it draws our eye towards him again. I shall list the ones I was thinking of briefly here, with little or no comment, so you can add your own thoughts and meditations.

1. "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth..." Isa 42:1
1. Here is the prophet speaking the mind of God, speaking of the Lord Jesus, the perfect servant
2. A man in whom his soul delights, how different from all other men! He was daily his delight (Pro 8)
2. "And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child... Luke 2:34
1. What a statement! Behold this child... the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!
3. "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29
1. The Lord Jesus at the commencement of his earthly ministry
2. The perfect spotless Lamb of God (hinting back to the Passover Lamb)
3. Also hinting forward to the time he would offer himself as the Lamb, without spot to God for the sins of the world
4. As they turned to behold, they would see a normal man, no beauty that they should desire him!
4. "and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" Matthew 11:19
1. This was the Jews perspective, their assessment!
2. What a friend we have in Jesus!
3. The common people heard him gladly
4. He cam not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
5. "Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!" John 11:36
1. For once their assessment was correct! Him whom thou lovest is sick...
2. A glimpse at his humanity - he is touched by the feelings of our infirmities!
3. A man of sorrows...
4. How we could put this statement over the cross, in relation to ourselves, behold how he loves us!
6. "Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!... and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!" John 19:5 & 14
1. His suffering at the hands of men - their mocking tones
2. They set him at nought
7. "And the people stood beholding." Luke 23:35
1. The scene at Calvary, what a sight would have met their eyes...
2. His visage was marred more than any mans
3. His pierced hands and his feet, his precious blood shed!
4. "See from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down!"
8. "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Luke 24:39
1. A risen Saviour, we believe it and rejoice!
2. Lovely words - "that it is I myself!"
9. "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." John 17:24
1. What a wonderful prospect awaits us!
2. Faith will give place to sight, we shall see his face!
3. "but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2

I trust these simple thoughts will be a help and blessing to us all.

The Other Side

A few references of this little recurring phrase "the other side" from the scriptures that relate to our story as believers:

The Other Side of the Flood (Joshua 24)
This really means the other side of the great river Euphrates, not the flood as recorded in Genesis 7. Joshua is reminding the people of their origin - far away as idolaters in Ur of the Chaldees and Haran of Canaan!
This was what they used to be before the sovereign grace of God took them from thence and brought them into the purposes and blessings of God.
This is the 'bigger picture' if you will, and of course the same story is true of us! Before we were saved we were lost in darkness, and far away from God.
They are reminded in this chapter that God 'took, led, gave, multiplied' and so on - we are really seeing the sovereign overriding actions of God in the history of His people. Surely we can look back and see similar big movements in our life that we now know was God's guidance and overruling in our lives.

The Other Side of the Road (Luke 10)
Here by contrast we are reminded of the personal love, mercy and compassion of the Saviour, as he moves towards the plight of the needy and helpless sinner.
We are reminded in the parable of the good Samaritan that all others passed by on the other side of the road. But thank God He would not pass the sinner by!
We are reminded that he 'came to where he was', and so he came to where we were; "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
The Amplified version offers a lovely rendering - "...came upon him, and when he saw him, he was deeply moved with compassion for him, and went to him..."
As a side-note it is touching to consider that when it came to his sufferings upon Calvary, there were many that 'passed by'...
I am reminded of the words in Lamentations which can be applied prophetically to him; "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow..."

The Other Side of the Lake (Mark 4)
Here we are thinking about our practical day to day relationship with Christ,as we journey with him.
He says "Let us pass over to the other side" and so it is that Christ bids us journey with him! We are not alone, but we travel with him through life by faith.
There may well be storms and the going may be tough, but Christ is with us and he will not forsake us through the storm. We must trust in him so that after passing through it we can exclaim in worship as we think of his kindness and goodness through the storm; "What manner of man is this...?"

The Other Side of Jordan (Joshua 2)
Here we are looking back on life's experience, taking stock if you will. Rahab recounts to the spies the great victories and triumphs of the people of God from the other side of Jordan.
Of course hopefully we can look back and recount the highs, the triumphs, the victories, the times when we made a stand or overcame.
The question is - are we still getting victories, or are the days of victories long gone?
But we can still get victories today, I hope we believe that! We must encourage ourselves and not give up, we can still have triumphs and highs in our Christian lives going forward, with God's help and strength.
"I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me"
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We trust these simple thoughts concerning "the other side" might be a blessing and an encouragement to us.

Romans 8:38-39 - The Love of God

Let us look at these verses and draw out some observations regarding the love of God, but first some general points:

God, in manifesting His love, manifests Himself! God is love...
He is the perfect expression of love, the embodiment of it!
"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us..." 1 Jn 3:1

THE CHANNEL OF IT : "In Christ Jesus"
He is the Mediator - the man Christ Jesus
He is the Door, the Way, the ladder reaching from earth to heaven!
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only Son... that we might live through Him" 1 Jn 4:9

THE OBJECT OF IT : "...separate US..."
Wonder of wonders! What is man that thou art mindful of him?!
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 Jn 4:10
"...the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20

THE POWER OF IT : "...neither death... etc"
Nothing can separate us from the love of God - it is too powerful!
Nothing in life (v35), and nothing after life (v38)
"Love never faileth"
"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it"
How much more the love of God?!

THE ASSURANCE OF IT : "I am persuaded"
In other words; "I am convinced (and continue to be convinced, beyond any doubt)" AMP
"...and we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love..."

THE CHALLENGE OF IT : "That ye love one another, as I have loved you"
Such amazing love as depicted here in Romans 8 challenges us as per the words of our Lord above in John 13.
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" 1 Jn 4:11
"Husbands love our wives, even as Christ loved the Church" Eph 5:25
And the Words of the Lord Jesus again; "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" John 13:35