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John Chapter Fifteen
12. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
14. You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
As I was reading these words today Jesus spoke to me and asked me to write down his words and share them with you. He said:
My friends. I chose you to be my friends. I did not come to make you serve me, but to serve you and make you my friends, so that you would love and serve each other as I loved and served you.
It is enough that you be like me. If you believe in me then you will become like me and will see that serving is ruling. This is not the way the world thinks, but this is the way heaven operates. Think of it this way: Why did I create the earth? Do I not live in heaven? Do I not have all things I need here? I did this for you because I love you. The earth is a gift to my friends.
I came and gave my life, my blood, and my tears to save you because I love you and I chose you to be my friends long before the world began. You are my family. You were adopted through me to my Father and we are family. But my loved ones, we are more than family.
Each of you has family and you have friends. Sometimes you are closer to your friends than you are your own kin. I came so that we could be both. I came so you could by my brother, or my sister and my friend.
This is what I want you to be to each other. We are one body. I am the head and you are each members of that body, but I want you to be more to each other. Do you remember I said that they would know you are my disciples by the love you have for each other? This is how I want my kingdom to grow. You are my friend and I want you to be friends with each other.
This is the beauty of friendship: You can meet someone you never knew, someone from far away, and yet you can become closest friends. This is heaven’s idea. It’s the highest relationship there is. I hear you say; what about a marriage? Marriage is a close relationship, but each of you know people who are married to each other but are not friends. You also know others who are married and are also best friends. Which is better?
What we have in heaven is better. Our idea of relationship is to be beyond relationship. Yes, you are my family, you are my father’s children, you are my bride but you are also my friend. It is beyond anything you know in your earthly realm but I want to reveal it to you.
So my loved ones, be my friend. Be friends to each other. Lay down your lives for each other as I have for you. Care for each other and see each other for the treasures that you are.
I told my disciples in the verses you just heard that I wanted them to bear much fruit. What is this fruit? I want them to not only be my friends but go get me more friends. This is the fruit.
This is the message of the gospel. Go tell people I love them and I want them to be friends with me and not friends with the world. Tell them I have already forgiven them and chosen them to be my friends. Tell them I did all that was necessary for them to be adopted into my family and become friends with me.
Let them see the love you have for each other until they are jealous of that love. They will see your friendship with each other and they will want what you have. This is the way to lead the world to salvation. It’s not complicated; it’s just people loving each other and willing to share that love with everyone they meet.
Will you do this my beloved ones? Will you love each other and show the world what friendship with God looks like? No more jealousy of each other’s gifts or talents. No more hatred and anger. Just love pouring forth for each other from pure hearts that are filled with my love.
Will you please do this my loved ones? Will you show the world the treasure of friendship? Show the world that you are my treasure and my friend.
This was the end of the words he spoke to me a few moments ago,
I hope you are encouraged by these words.
Until next time,
Grow Rich in His Grace,
I love you all,
michael
PS: To all who are my friends, including my family. You are a treasure to me. I want you to know how thankful I am that Father loved me so much the he gave his only begotten son, and he also gave me a wonderful treasure called “you.”
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