Shine your Light and Love people

"OUR DEEPEST IS NOT THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE.OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. IT IS OUR LIGHT, NOT OUR DARKNESS, THAT MOST FRIGHTENS US.

WE ASK OURSELVES: WHO AM I TO BE BRILLIANT, GORGEOUS, TALENTED, FABULOUS? ACTUALLY, WHO ARE YOU NOT TO BE?
YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. YOUR PLAYING SMALL DOES NOT SERVE THE WORLD.THERE IS NOTHING ENLIGHTENED ABOUT SHRINKING SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE WON'T FEEL INSECURE AROUND YOU. WE ARE ALL MEANT TO SHINE, AS CHILDREN DO.WE WERE BORN TO MAKE MANIFEST THE GLORY OF GOD IN US. IT'S NOT JUST SOME OF US. IT'S IN EVERYONE.
AND AS WE LET OUR LIGHT SHINE, WE UNCONSCIOUSLY GIVE OTHER PEOPLE PERMISSION TO DO THE SAME. AS WE ARE LIBERATED FROM OUR OWN FEAR, OUR PRESENCE AUTOMATICALLY LIBERATES OTHERS"


(Marianne Williamson - and quoted by Nelson Mandela 1994 at his inauguration)

Thursday, June 23, 2016

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

Ministry at Vue Du Cap
Date: 13.6.2016
Title: “What a Friend We have in Jesus”
Text: John 15 v 9-15

Question: Have you had a good friend in your life? A friend that stood by you, a friend that you could confide in, a friend you could laugh with, a friend who was there for you?

Definition: A FRIEND is someone who is attached to another by affection. It is a person with whom
one has a bond of mutual affection – a loyal companion

God and humans are not equal yet He chose to have us as friends. Normally, we choose our friends because we have common interest or similar character. But God is so different from humans (us). God is limitless, we are limited. God is independent, we are dependent. God is the Creator, we are HIS creation!
#1 Adam: he could walk and talk with God in the Garden
#2 Moses: The Lord spoke to him face to face as to a friend Exodus 33 v 11
#3 Abraham: he was God's friend through faith and obedience Isaiah 41 v 8/ James 2 v23

#4Jesus calls his disciples friends

John 15 v 9-15

John 15:9-15New King James Version (NKJV)

Love and Joy Perfected

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Through this we can also see that Jesus calls us His friends too

Friendship needs: trust-initmacy-confidence-obedience-love

Let us pursue this friendship with God
HOW?
  1. ABIDE in Christ (verse 9) How do we abide we keep his commandment. What commandment? Love
  2. OBEY Christ (verse 9-10)
  3. LOVE ONE ANOTHER (verse 12)

When we abide in His love, obey HIM and love one another, our Joy will be made full.
Then we will be HIS FRIENDS
Being friends with Jesus brings joy (verse 11)

Jesus is our example and shows it in this passage:
-He abides in the Father’s love
-He obeys the Father
-He loves others to the point of giving His life

I want to encourage us to pursue this friendship with Jesus.
At the same time I want to caution us not to become friends with the world. James says it clearly in James 4 v 4 that we will be enemies of God if we are friends with the world.
Let us choose wisely and invest in a friendship with Jesus.

It is worth it!


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