How develop meaningful relationships

How develop meaningful relationships 

Rafael and Ralph were friends growing up.  But, as often happens, after high school they went on their separate ways.  Twenty years passed by before they were in contact again; thanks to one of those internet social networks.  They were catching up one day by instant messaging.  The regular questions were asked: about work, social status, where they live, etc.  It occurred to Ralph also to ask about Rafael's family.  Rafael replied with little briefs about them.  Then Ralph asked about their old friends from the neighborhood.  Rafael said he knew nothing about them.  He had not been in touch for a long time.  This made Ralph think.  "What happened?" 

Ralph was reminded of a conversation he had with another friend, Bruce, about the same subject.  Bruce had said that growing up he had a close network of childhood friends.  Their parents were always together.  In time, these gatherings faded which prompted Bruce to ask his Dad, "What happened?"  To which Dad answered, "Bruce, sometimes people grow apart."  Bruce then vowed to his Dad, "That is not going to happen with my friends and me."  Bruce told me that he had live to eat his words.  He was not in touch with none of his childhood, youth, nor college friends.  Did they not care for each other?  Was the relationship a fake?   

The truth is that while the teacher's quarterly encourages us to develop kind, caring relationships, we end up breaking apart our relationships.  Every day we hear about fights between family members, spouses, friends, coworkers, etc.  And, other times we hear of people who used to be close giving the same reason for their separation.  "I do not know, I guess we grew apart."   Yes, it is true that not all relationships will last a lifetime.  But, they can be meaningful.  But how can we do this?

John wrote the answer in his letters.  He is very clear that only those in the Light love their brother.  Let us read, 

1Jn2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

1Jn2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

1Jn2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 

In 1 John 3: 10 -11 he says that only the righteous love their brother.  Let us read, 

1Jn3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

1Jn3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

 

John further explains in a little below in the same chapter, that only those who have passed to Life love their brothers.  He then compares this type of love to Jesus' love.  Jesus died for the brethren, so should we.  Let us read,     

1Jn3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

1Jn3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1Jn3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1Jn3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

Verse 15 has the key, to love like Jesus loved, eternal life must abide in you.  The only way eternal life can abide in you is if The Spirit of God dwells in you.  This kind of love we do not have naturally, but we can get it from God.  It is with this love that we love God, and therefore that we will love our brethren. 

1Jn4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1Jn4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 

As, John says in John 3:16, God shows this love in sending Christ to die for us.  He also says in 1 John 3:16 that Christ shows this love in dying for us.  When we have God's love, we show it to others in sacrificing for them, as well.  As John says in 1 John 3:17, when we love God we supply the needs of our brother, because we love them too.  It is only when we allow Christ to abide in us, that we will develop kind, caring, and meaningful relationships.  Many of them will not last long here, but, they may last eternally.

A Tangelo Christian

A Tangelo Christian

A Tangelo is a deliberate or accidental hybrid of any mandarin orange and the grapefruit or pummelo.  The result is not quite a mandarin orange and not quite a grapefruit or a pummelo, but quite delicious.  This is done by grafting.  Grafting is simply inserting a cut twig from one fruit tree into a cut in another compatible fruit tree. Creating successful crossbreeds of similar plants and other flora ... Most same fruit varieties can be grafted easily. A successful graft happens when the vascular cambium tissues of the both plants must be placed in contact with each other and a connection takes place between the two tissues. Almost all citrus types are compatible with other citruses.  The vascular system of the tree and the inserted branch become one.  The sap of the tree goes into the branch changing the character of the fruit produced.  The sap does not change the physical appearance of the branch, but the fruit it produces. 

Are you a tangelo Christian?  Christ compared Himself with a vine in John 15:1 and added that we are the branches in John 15: 5.  As long as we are in the vine we "bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."  Paul adds another dimension to this in Romans 11,

Rom11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Rom11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

Rom11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Rom11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Some branches were broken off and others were grafted in.  As long as the vine's and branches' "vascular" systems take well and connect, the "divine sap" will go in the branch, so the "fruit" will be more like Christ's (Galatians 5:22).

The metaphor of Christ's body is similar, in fact parallel.  The members of our body are attached to each other by different kinds of tissues.  All the members are one body.  A vascular system goes through our body taking blood with oxygen and nutrients to these body parts.  However, the members work in harmony because they are all connected to the brain, which is in the head, by the nervous system.  If the brain or the nerves stop working so will the respective body parts.  Therefore the unity and harmony will disappear.  This is because the members of the body do the head's will. 

Paul said just as many members make up one body, we make up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:20).  Then Paul added that Christ is the head of the body (1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 2:19).  And Paul confirms this in Epheisans 1:22 – 23 and also in Colossians 1:18.  Let us read these passages,

Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Ephesians 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

This being the case, the only way for the body of Christ to work in unity and harmony is to be connected to the head, which is Christ, via "the nervous system."  Any "member" not attached to "the head" via this "nervous system" is not really part of "the body of Christ," even if they are connected through any other "tissue."  The body of Christ is one with Christ.  It does nothing with out Christ's consent.  It does His will.

Christ is the Vine and the head.  We are the branches and the other members of the body.  They are connected with the "vascular system" and nervous system, respectively.  What are then the vascular system and the nervous system?  It is Faith which comes through hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  It is by Faith that "we have access … into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).  It is by Faith that we shall live (Hebrews 10:38).

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Fwd: How Jesus Spent.doc

How Jesus Spent "His" Time 

Balance as an adjective is a state in which opposing tendencies are equal. To balance an object means to position it with its centre of gravity above its supports in such a way that there is no tendency for it to topple over to one side rather than to another.  The forces of gravity are equal on each side.  The following list describes how it is used in other fields. 

(acoustics) The condition in a stereo system wherein both speakers produce the same average sound levels.
(aerospace engineering) The equilibrium attained by an aircraft, rocket, or the like when forces and moments are acting upon it so as to produce steady flight, especially without rotation about its axes. (chemistry) To bring a chemical equation into balance so that reaction substances and reaction products obey the laws of conservation of mass and charge.
(electricity) The state of an electrical network when it is adjusted so that voltage in one branch induces or causes no current in another branch.

We could say that balance in social terms is the point at which you are able to give time to all parties and/or activities and they all are satisfied.  Something humanly impossible to do, but that we believe we should be able to do.  This is why many experts say that we should learn to say, "No."  You cannot please everyone and do all things well at all times.   

From our human perspective Christ lives an "unbalanced" life.  (He said, "No," sometimes.)  He "neglected" and "ignored" His family (Matthew 12: 46 – 50).  He did not eat at times (John 4: 31 – 33).  All, so He could do what is listed in the following verses suggested by our lesson - Matthew 4:2, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:16, John 2:1-11, John 12:2.  These examples can be summarized in four different categories of work: preaching, feeding, healing, and feeding.  This is how Jesus spent part of His time.

We should note that Jesus said repeatedly that it was not He that did the works, but His Father.  Let us read from John 8: 28, 29; 12: 49, 50; and 14:10,   

John8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

John8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 

John12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

John12:50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. 

John14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

Jesus spent the time given to Him doing the Father's will.  To be able to do this Jesus prayed - sometimes all night.  Here are a few verses talking about that,  

Mark1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 

Luke5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. 

Luke9:28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 

Luke6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 

The prayer enabled and empowered Him to lay aside His will so he could do His Father's will, which in His case was preaching, feeding, healing, and feeding.  Christ died to self daily.  He said, "No," to Himself in order to say, "Yes," to the Father.  To live as Jesus lived then is to live a life doing as the Father's wills.  This may be for you just being a father or mother to your children.  It may be being a husband or wife to your spouse.  Not all of us are called to be evangelists.  Whatever the calling God gives to you it will require serious prayer to be able to do it. 
--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

The Reason to Praise

We read in Mark 4: 6, 7 some very harsh words from Jesus referring to the Pharisees and Scribes.

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Mark 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

We learn in this passage that the Pharisees and scribes had ceremonies to cleanse pretty much everything they touched. There hope was to not be contaminated so they could be pleasing to God. They thought they were worshiping God which such a practice as this one – there was also fasting, public prayer, and giving, among others. But, Christ saw through their dry ceremonies and dead ways of formalism. There forefathers had a similar attitude. Through Micah God said to them,

Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

Micah 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

They thought that the sacrifices pleased and praised God. But, God was looking for something else that would please Him and bring praise to Him: a contrite heart that would yield justice, mercy, and humility. God was looking for hearts that were willing to serve Him. This pleases Him and gives Him glory. This is more than giving up makeup and meat. This is deeper than praise and worship songs. God does not want our Sin polluted and self centered praise. To Him it is a filthy rag, because it comes from those who “are all as an unclean thing,” therefore “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). God is looking for a heart that is pleased in doing His will out of gratitude for what His Son has done on the cross for us. If the cross does not break your heart, if it does not bring you to repentance then nothing will. God is only pleased when our praises come from a repentant heart. Praise and worship does not change your heart, the Cross of Christ does. Singing praise and worship songs, without a changed heart, is honoring God with our lips, but our hearts are far away from Him.

The lesson asks the question, what will be a dominant aspect of eternal life? We read in Romans 14:11, 1 Timothy 1:17, and Revelation 5:13 an example,

Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Yes, eternal life will be spent in much part singing eternal praises and worshiping the King. Sister White explains why, “That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe. As the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemer and behold the eternal glory of the Father shining in His countenance; as they behold His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know that His kingdom is to have no end, they break forth in rapturous song: ‘Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His own most precious blood!’ ” —Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 651, 652. We will sing praises because we are pleased with the Lamb and grateful to Him. This singing will in turn please the Father. But, the only way to do it in Heaven is to start doing it here. Andm the only way to do it here is by beholding the cross. Let it fill you and change you.