Heart of the Gospel: A Message of God's Love

By Lola Richey

An early biblical scholar named Jerome (ca. 345-420) tells the story of Apostle John. The Apostle John wrote the Gospel of John and three Epistles (1 John, 2 John and 3 John) found in the New Testament. Jerome tells the story of the Apostle John as a very old man being carried into the church of Ephesus. The church had gathered to hear a message from the famous Apostle. However, the Apostle John would only repeat the words, “Little children, love one another.” When asked why, the Apostle John said, “Because it is the Lord’s command, and if this is one it is enough.”

Although many people anxiously seek to know what God wishes of them, they are intimidated by the size of the Bible—sixty-six books—as well as language that to some is difficult to understand. To the seeking Christian, however, whose heart is open to the message of an all-loving God, there is no reason for this. With just a little bit of guidance, the will of God is transparent to everyone who seeks it.

When we look closely into the Bible, we find that God has clearly stated what He expects of His children: To love Him with all our hearts and to love one another as we love ourselves. In practical terms, for joy and peace in this lifetime and eternal bliss in eternity, that’s all it takes. And far from being an esoteric or complicated message buried in the many books of the Old and New Testaments, that truth is proclaimed in some of the Holy Scriptures’ most familiar verses. That includes, for example, the ultimate expression of God’s love, as found in John 3: 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.”

In the Heart of the Gospel, author Lola Richey refines 20 years of reading and studying the Holy Bible to answer the question of What Does God Desire of Us? She reveals that the teachings of the Holy Bible center around a foundation of love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lola Richey
• Release date: Aug 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465953667

Lola Richey

Author Lola Richey is a native and lifelong resident of South Carolina and a believer of Jesus Christ. She is a graduate of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an Accounting Concentration. The Author obtained her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law (Juris Doctorate) and Masters of Taxation (LL.M.) from the University of Florida College of Law. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the State of Maryland and studied at Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, South Carolina. The Author is married to Rodney W. Richey and has two sons, Jonathan and Joseph.

Book preview

Heart of the Gospel

A Message of God’s Love

by

Lola Richey

Heart of the Gospel: A Message of God's Love

Lola Richey

Copyright 2011 by Lola Richey

Published at Smashwords

Requests for permission to quote from this book should be directed to:

Lola Richey

102 Red Branch Lane

Simpsonville, South Carolina 29681.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright  1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright  1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scriptures quotations marked NKJV taken from the New King James Version. Copyright  1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB taken from the New American Standard Bible,  1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scriptures taken from The Message, Copyright  1993, 1994, 1995, 1996. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Introduction

Have you ever asked yourself, Why does God love me? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. The Holy Bible has two Testaments --- the Old Testament and the New Testament. These two Testaments have a total of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation. Reading sixty-six books to get a real understanding of God’s love may seem daunting and overwhelming. However, the truth of God’s love is actually quite simple. You may say, There must be a catch, however, there is no catch. The next few pages will offer the simple truth.

Chapter 1

Love God and Your Neighbor

One day, an expert in religious law approached Jesus Christ. The religious expert asked Jesus this question: What is the most important commandment? (See Mark 12:28-31 with parallel references found at Matthew 22:34-40 and Luke 10:25-28.) Why was this question so important? First, the person being asked this question was God in the flesh, also known as the Son of God or the Second Person of the Trinity. God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe who exists eternally in a Trinity of Three Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. So when the expert of religious law asked this question, he was asking God.

As God, Jesus Christ simply answered the religious expert question with this truth:

²⁹ "The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the One and Only LORD. ³⁰ And you must love the LORD your