August 3, 2021 NEARNESS OF GOD God sent His Son, of Nazareth, in the form of a man to remove the sin which separated mankind’s heart from the heart of God. By entering the world as a man, God was able to take the sins of the entire world upon His own shoulders and pay the penalty of this separation by allowing His Son, Jesus Christ, to be separated from Him for a moment of time. That is why Jesus cried out while dying on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” However, in forsaking His Son in that moment, God was restoring the opportunity for you and me to return to the experience of the Garden of Eden and once again have fellowship with Almighty God. Once more we could walk with Him in the cool of the day and share our lives with Him and have God share His life with us. Before heading to His death, Jesus stopped and prayed for Himself, His disciples, and all Believers who believe in Him. In , we are permitted to listen to one of Jesus’ prayers. It was right before Jesus was betrayed, beaten, and crucified, Jesus, takes time to pray on behalf of His disciples. Jesus shows His concern, not only for His disciples that He taught over the years but also for those who would later hear His message and Believe, that includes us! (John 17:20-22) 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: The intimacy with which Jesus spoke to God is evident. Even before “the foundation of the world,” Jesus and God have shared a perfect loving relationship. Through Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God when we have received eternal life and restoration to a loving and intimate relationship with God through Jesus. (:16) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. To know what someone thinks about God, we need only to listen to their prayers. Do they only ask God for what they can receive, or do they ask God for the needs of others? God is never far away, and Jesus’ concern for us is never distant. Jesus prayed for us and even today, Jesus is continuing to intercede on our behalf. Today, we need to thank God for allowing us to enter into a personal relationship with Him through Jesus. We show confidence in God’s love for His affect and actions by continually holding God’s words and love in our hearts and minds, thanking Him for sending His Son into the world. We praise Him for He has provided eternal life for us. When Jesus came to live in us, we realized that we not only have eternal life but that The Holy Spirit lives within us. We know that through and Jesus we are blessed and have a personal relationship with You through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. (1 :11-13) 11 “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

May the love and blessings of God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ be with you and provide Peace and Grace to you now and Always. “ ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Invite your friends and family follow my .writings .available through online access at “believeinthelight.com”. Comments and suggestions are appreciated and can be received via email at [email protected] And please encourage everyone to receive God’s peace by reading the often.