PJP2 PROLOG POST - 17010809 - FRIENDS - John 15:12-17 (ESV/emphasis added/jaj)...." “Jesus Said, 'This Is MY Commandment, That you LOVE one another As I Have LOVED you. Greater LOVE Has no one Than This, That Someone Lay Down His LIFE For His FRIENDS. You Are MY FRIENDS IF you Do What I Command you. NO longer Do I Call you servants, For the servant Does NOT Know What his Master Is Doing; BUT I Have Called you FRIENDS, For ALL That I Have Heard From MY Father I Have Made Known To you. You Did NOT Choose ME, BUT I Chose you And Appointed you That you Should GO And Bear Fruit And That your Fruit Should Abide, SO That Whatever you ASK The Father In MY Name, HE May Give It to you. These Things I Command you, SO That you Will LOVE one another."....
FRIENDS: Fellow Redeemed (by) Immanuel's Engagement, Now Devoted (to our) Savior
This is such a Transformational POWS - As we Read John 15:12-17, our Lord Jesus makes it Crystal Clear He's Transforming us from servants to FRIENDS. That's so powerful, to come to the reality that our Lord Jesus Considers us HIS FRIENDS.
As I ponder that, it is easy, unfortunately, to begin to Take This Friendship for granted, as well as to presume, then, since we are FRIENDS that provides us a familiarity that leads to potentially dangerous thinking.
BUT (Behold the Underlying TRUTH) - His Holy Spirit Inspired Paul to Record God's Plan for our Thoughts, lest we, left to our own earthly designs, should get carried away down a negative rabbit-hole.....check it out....
Philippians 4:4-9 (ESV/emphasis & paraphrase added/jaj)...."REJOICE In The Lord Always; Again I Will Say, REJOICE. Let your Reasonableness Be Known to everyone. The Lord IS At Hand; Do NOT Be anxious about anything, BUT In Everything By Prayer And Supplication With Thanksgiving Let your Requests Be Made Known To God. AND The PEACE Of God, Which Surpasses ALL Understanding, Will Guard your Hearts And your Minds IN Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers/sisters, Whatever IS True, Whatever IS Honorable, Whatever IS Just, Whatever IS Pure, Whatever IS Lovely, Whatever IS Commendable, IF There IS Any Excellence, IF There IS Anything Worthy Of Praise, THINK About These Things. What you Have Learned And Received And Heard And Seen in me—Practice These Things, And The God Of PEACE Will BE With you."....
There it is......To BE our Lord Jesus' FRIEND, as He Provides His Guidance....FIRST: LOVE One Another (Don't Hear what I am NOT saying - Not Saying that is at ALL easy.....I know it isn't.....BUT LOVING One Another AS our Lord Jesus LOVED us.....There's the Key.....); SECOND: PRAY; THIRD: THINK On Him and His WORD to us' FOURTH: LEARN, RECEIVE, HEAR, SEE What ALL He Is Sharing With us via His WORD, His SPIRIT and Those of His Household Of HOPE; FIFTH: PRACTICE Being One With Him......
Thus let this be our Prayer today.....Philippians 4:4-9 (ESV/emphasis & paraphrase added/jaj)...."REJOICE In The Lord Always; Again I Will Say, REJOICE. Let your Reasonableness Be Known to everyone. The Lord IS At Hand; Do NOT Be anxious about anything, BUT In Everything By Prayer And Supplication With Thanksgiving Let your Requests Be Made Known To God. AND The PEACE Of God, Which Surpasses ALL Understanding, Will Guard your Hearts And your Minds IN Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers/sisters, Whatever IS True, Whatever IS Honorable, Whatever IS Just, Whatever IS Pure, Whatever IS Lovely, Whatever IS Commendable, IF There IS Any Excellence, IF There IS Anything Worthy Of Praise, THINK About These Things. What you Have Learned And Received And Heard And Seen in me—Practice These Things, And The God Of PEACE Will BE With you."....
Lord Jesus, in Your Holy Name we Lift Up our Prayers....Amen and Amen....jaj
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