Verse of the Day: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.—2 Corinthians 4:7-9
Memory of the Month: Psalm 33:4
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
Today's reading: DANIEL 3-4 1 JOHN 5
Use Your Words
John 15:15 reads: I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Back in the 1980's, a man wrote a book on suicide. In that book he made the statement, "It only takes one friend to save a life", the implication being that we should reach out and befriend the downcast and the lonely within our reach.
What is a friend? The world defines 'friend' this way:
"a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection".
Jesus defined 'friend' like this: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:13
This statement about love gives us what God says a friend should be. A friend, a loving friend, will stop at nothing for his or her friends. A friend will give life and limb for friends.
Jesus calls us His friends. He laid down His life-literally, died on the cross-for all of His friends. But He went a giant step further. He died for all who knew Him, for all those who would know Him, and for those who would reject Him. He dies for all.
2 Corinthians 5:15 ►...and he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
He died that we would not get lost in the way the world says we should live. He died so that all those who accept Him would live for Him-live for Him-to die for Him if necessary-but to live for Him-really live.
Paul writes to his family in Christ in Romans 12:1&2 and says says "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.…"
Friends of Christ Jesus, then,
> lay down their lives in living for Jesus; they learn how to worship God as they live for Him-constantly live for Him. They learn how to really live victoriously in this life which has an abundance of everything-including trials and hardships as well as God's well-spring of blessings. They learn how to have an intimate relationship where they tell Him everything and hide nothing. They trust Christ without question.
> Friends learn how to clean out the worldly 'stuff'-if it is not of faith, it is sin(Romans 14:23)-and they learn how to lock the world out(2 Corinthians 10:5)
> Friends of Christ learn how to allow God to renew their minds by a life of living in His word, living a life of prayer and meditation-living and moving and having their being(Acts 17:28) in Him as they live in this world but not a part of this world(John 17:16).
> His friends learn the will of God for their lives.
A friend of mine told me of how he asked his wife to marry Him. But what was in their minds before this happened. They had both made up their minds it would happen, evidently. When he asked she said, "yes". But what would have happened if he had not asked?
If you know someone who is who is pondering whether they should ask Christ into their hearts. encourage them as a friend should to ask Christ to be their Lord and forgive them of their sins-to commit their lives to Him.
Why should they ask? They have already made the decision. God knows their heart. Why ask? I believe God wants us to say it. He wants us to say, "Jesus is my Lord" because they have asked Him to be-His answer is always 'Yes'.
Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
God is not evil and He loves us and His answer is always yes to our commitment.
Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
I believe, also, that God wants us to hear ourselves verbalize our desires so we 'know' we have done it-nailed it down. The accuser cannot deny it-we know we have done it.
Philippians 4:6 ►Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
God already knows what we will ask. He wants it said by our mouths so we can hear our own voices in need and truth.
A certain headstone in the cemetery says, "He called me friend". Yes, He did, and He still does.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
Forgive me for being timid when I should speak to my friends on Your behalf and tell them the truth-have mercy on me and make me strong in You.
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