As a youngster I was enthralled by the large searchlights
that were always lined up at the main entrance to the fair that would light up
the evening sky pointing the way to the action at the fairgrounds during the
fair’s two week run. They seemed
extremely huge and brighter than anything I had ever seen!
This morning as I reviewed the scripture we’ve been
looking at for the last few days from 2 Corinthians 5:14 where Paul stated that
“Christ’s love has moved me to such
extremes…” (The Message) I compared those extreme searchlights at our fair to Christ’s
extreme love. Both of them capture the
attention of those who see them. In John
8:12 Jesus said that “I am the light of
the world” (God’s World ©) and throughout His earth walk He demonstrated
that light in the darkness of the lives in those with whom He interacted. Then in Matthew 5:14-15 He declared that we
too were lights for the world to see and encouraged us to be as a light set on
a lampstand that is visible for others to observe.
So the obvious question then to me, is how did Jesus and
are we, as His representatives in His absence, to display this light? I firmly believe that Jesus’ extreme love was
the searchlight that brightly lit up the horizons of people’s lives. Think about what He did when He walked the
earth. He healed the sick, met people’s
deepest needs, forgave those with faults, interacted with the undesirables in
the cities He visited, and otherwise loved on everyone! The only ones He really ever argued with were
the religious leaders who refused to accept His new teaching and actions of
love and grace.
His actions of extreme love is what set Him apart from
anyone else. Once again, He didn’t just
talk a good story, He acted upon what He taught and followed through to the
ultimate sacrifice of exchanging His life for the punishment we rightfully deserved! In the book of Acts we see where the great Jewish
teacher Gamaliel even talked about this.
When the Apostles were brought up before the Jewish Council he reminded
the leadership about two other individuals who had gathered a following based
on their teachings and had died and their movement along with them.
Of Jesus and His Apostles he said: “If the plan they put into action is of human origin, it will
fail. However if it is from God, you won’t
be able to stop them…” (Acts 5:33 – 40 God’s Word ©). Well it is obvious that after over 2000
years, it is clearly of God! In the New
Testament we see where the people of the time were regularly amazed at what
they saw in the lives of Jesus and His followers. And I firmly believe that it was more their daily
attitude and gentle actions of His extreme love in their deepest times of
desperation, than in the miracles they performed through the power and faith in
His Word.
Yes I believe in miracles, but I also believe that it is
the extreme love of God as actively demonstrated through you and me that is the
most powerful and lasting foundation that gives us and others the strength and
joy to successfully live our daily lives in this world. That extreme loves starts and is fueled by each
of us having the experiential knowledge of His love for us individually and
then is spread through us to our hurting and needy communities!
So go out this weekend and be a searchlight of His extreme
love everywhere you go! Be bright, be
extreme, be crazily different to the way the world normally reacts to the
stresses of the day and glow for Him!
Have a fantastic weekend. Stay in
tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What
EXTREME LOVE am I expecting to DEMONSTRATE today?”
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