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What does it mean to have God as your Father?

It means that God loves me and he cares about he wants me to do good and he have good plans for me and 1 day i shall see him in heaven

By: Lwazi Gama
Category: The Children of the Devil

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Is Gods Love Burdensome - "In Keeping This New Commandment".

By: Brian Govender
Category: Love One Another

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Why does Jesus call "Love One Another" a "New" commandment?

This is commonly known as the Golden Rule. In many religions it is stated negatively: “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you.” By stating it positively, Jesus made it more significant. It is not very hard to refrain from harming others; it is much more difficult to take the initiative in doing something good for them. The Golden Rule, as Jesus formulated it, is the foundation of active goodness and mercy—the kind of love God shows to us every day. To love others was not a new commandment (see Leviticus 19:18), but to love others as much as Christ loved others was revolutionary. Now we are to love others based on Jesus’ sacrificial love for us. Such love will not only bring unbelievers to Christ; it will also keep believers strong and united in a world hostile to God. Jesus was a living example of God’s love, as we are to be living examples of Jesus’ love.Jesus said that if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will naturally keep the commandments. This is looking at God’s law positively. Rather than worrying about all we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for God and others. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. The first time Jesus said, “Do you love me?” The second time, Jesus focused on Peter alone. The third time, Jesus asked, in effect, “Are you even my friend?” Jesus doesn’t settle for quick, superficial answers. He has a way of getting to the heart of the matter. Peter had to face his true feelings and motives when Jesus confronted him. How would we respond if Jesus asked us, “Do you love me?” Do we really love Jesus? Are we even his friend?Jesus did not wash his disciples’ feet just to get them to be nice to each other. His far greater goal was to extend his mission on earth after he was gone. These men were to move into the world serving God, serving each other, and serving all people to whom they took the message of salvation. Love means action. One way to put love to work is to take the initiative in meeting specific needs. This is easy to do with people who love us, people whom we trust; but love means doing this even to those who dislike us or hurt us. The money we give others should be a gift, not a high-interest loan that will put a burden on them. Give as though you are giving to God. James and John wanted the highest positions in Jesus’ Kingdom. But Jesus told them that true greatness comes in serving others. In Christ’s Kingdom, service is the way to get ahead. The desire to be on top will hinder, not help. Rather than seeking to have our needs met, we should look for ways in which we can minister to the needs of others.

By: Brian Govender
Category: Love One Another

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