John 3:16



A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner,
the people were in and out of the cold.

The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell
many papers.

He walked up to a policeman and said,
"Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy
could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you?

You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and
down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight.

Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."



The policeman looked down at the little boy and said,
"You go down the street to that big white house and you
knock on the door. When they come to the door you just say
John 3:16 and they will let you in."

So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the
door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said,
"John 3:16" . The lady said, "Come on in, Son."

She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom
rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went
off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself:
"John 3:16" ...I don't understand it, but it sure makes
a cold boy warm.



Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?"
He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of
days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food,"

The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table
full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat
any more.

Then he thought to himself: "John 3:16" ...Boy, I sure
don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.



She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub
filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a
while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: "John 3:16" ...
I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy
clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my
whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in
front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.

The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room,
tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers
up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out
the lights.

As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window
at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought
to himself: "John 3:16" ...I don't understand it but
it sure makes a tired boy rested.



The next morning the lady came back up and took him
down again to that same big table full of food. After he
ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom
rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible.

She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face.
"Do you understand John 3:16 "? she asked gently.
He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it
was last night when the policeman told me to use it,"

She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to
him about Jesus . Right there, in front of that big old fireplace,
he gave his heart and life to Jesus.

He sat there and thought: John 3:16 --don't understand it,
but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.



You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how
God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how
Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the
agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched
Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for
ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end.

I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.

John 3:16 : For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.





Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you
before my Father."

I do Love God . He is my source of existence. He keeps
me functioning each and every day.

Phil 4:13: Christ gives me the strength to face anything.




All you do is:

1) Simply say a small prayer for the person who shared this with you.

"Father, God bless this person in whatever it is that You know
he or she may be needing this day!"



2) Then share it with ten other people. Within hours ten
people have prayed for you, and you caused a multitude
of people to pray to God for other people. Then sit back
and watch the power of God work in your life for doing
the thing that you know He loves.