I think it was John that said "All you need is Friends." I don't know it might have been Paul or George, but I am pretty confident it wasn't Ringo. Any way, I'm not much on Beetle trivia, but I do find some elements of truth in those words.
Christ (somebody that is much larger the John Lennon, by the way : ) said these words:
This is my commandment,that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, than that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.
What a concept . . . people helping people. I think somebody like John Lennon would think on that concept and formulate a one-word sentence - Imagine.
Imagine that. Imagine a world where people actually lived out their Christianity; a world where living like Christ meant more than learning all the rules. Imagine people seeking out those who are hurting so they can give their life away to them. Imagine a place where people actually did all the "stuff" that Christ taught them to do - not just learning about what Christ did, but actually behaving as Christ had.
Imagine a world where Christians live as Christ lived. So many people in a world like that would be influenced in a positive way and God would be wondrously glorified! In a world like that, no one would be able to doubt the power of Christ and the influence He had on the world for which He laid down His own life. If Christians would act like Christ, what a world that would be!
Imagine how we would worship in a world like that. Oh, the songs we would sing! Fanny Crosby, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Michael W. Smith, David Crowder, all would resound with praises to the King. Perhaps though, there would be one more voice in that choir; a voice singing so loud that his name would become as common place as Christ's Himself. This added voice singing with an illuminated imagination - an imagination that would then include a heaven.
All he really needed was a friend, or maybe it was love? Same thing.
Imagine,
Pastor Keith
hey Keith, I haven't talked to you in a while. I just read your post about friends and liked it. It is very thought provoking, I mean, what if people really did live out the life that Christ asks us to live. The world would be very different. Well, I hope to see ya soon. Travis
ReplyDeleteWow, I completely agree with this.
ReplyDeleteFriendship is of upmost importance, and true friendship stems from Christlikness. Very few people understand what it is to be a friend. Our greatest example however, is someone who was able to exemplify friendship with perfection. When Christ walked on this earth He was completely rejected. In society's eyes, He was "alone". Christ, unlike many of us leaned on the Father. He didn't look at His situation with desparation because He knew that His Father had sent Him for a purpose. He loved the unlovable and saw them as friends. Things that may seem to us as trumendous valley's are minute when compaired to the cross Christ chose to bare. His love is unfathomable. "No greater love hath any man than this, that He would lay down His life for His FRIENDS." John 15:13
Although they rejected His friendship, he dedicated his LIFE to loving them as friends.
I recently had a conversation with a friend about something that would fall under this same subject. We were discussing how we view people, definitely much different than Christ. Sometimes I believe it is easy for us to think of a person as a "waste." If we are honest, we all can admit having that same thought one time or another. My friend said that it has recently hit him that according to Genesis 1:26,27 that ...God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them. So if we say someone is a "waste" then what are we saying about God. I agree with my friend, the next time we start to have this thought, we need to remember this verse. Better yet, quote this verse out loud. We all are different but we must remember we are all uniquely made in the image of God. If we would keep our focus on Him, remembering this verse then maybe we would become FRIENDS with this person we would have called "waste." When we become FRIENDS with this person then we can share with them the LOVE OF CHRIST. If we look at all people as being created in the image of God and we say we love God, do you think we can love ALL people? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog!!! The whole world is searching for LOVE, where are they gonna find it? In Us as Believers in Christ or the world? WOW