Who Can’t Use A Friend? (#534)

What if our invitation into the kingdom of God had been an introduction to Jesus as a real person who wanted to be our friend? Instead many have come to him for fear of what would happen to them if they didn't, and rather than endear us to him, he became someone we didn't want to be close to.  Unless our life in Christ is an engaging invitation rather than an obligation we will not engage him in the way that will open the door to a greater knowing of him. What bride wouldn't want to get to know her husband before the wedding day?  We are his bride, the wedding is coming, and he would love to get to know us as his beloved, not those terrified of what he might do to us.

Podcast Notes:
Information on the GJ Trip to Israel
Wayne's Travel Schedule
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11 Comments

  1. “We liberate children not by making them work for our love, but by letting them rest in it.”
    -Gordon Neufeld

  2. You may have seen the meme, Salvation for Dummies. It pictures Jesus knocking on the door, saying, “Let me in.” The voice from inside replies, “Why?” Jesus says, “So I can save you.” “From what?” asks the voice inside. “From what I’m going to do to you if you don’t let me in!”

  3. Oh busted right out of the gate

    I was one of those parents seeking childhood perfection by 18

    My children paid the price. Thankfully we are in a different place

    It does show that even good intentions can miss the mark

  4. The email you read from Brian regarding his dream was awesome! Could you post it? It was very meaningful.
    The conversation with Brad was really great again today. Thanks guys!

  5. You’re lucky I was able to find this, Pat… Usually once they are read they get tossed. This is Brian’s dream and its aftermath:

    “I was gathered with a group of male friends and colleagues on a Saturday afternoon in a hall at a church premises. We were together to celebrate my pending wedding the following day- a kind of “batchelor’s party” if you like. I knew I was going to be asked to say something, and suddenly realized that I didn’t know the name of the woman I was marrying, and only had a vague idea of what she was like. And so it was with a great deal of embarrassment that I surreptitiously called the best man aside and quietly asked him to enlighten me.

    “At this stage I decided that it would probably be a good thing for me to find my future wife and check her out. She happened to be teaching young kids elsewhere on the property. When I found her I discovered that she wasn’t stunningly beautiful, nor unattractive. Even as I drew closer to where she was sitting I was trying to work out if she looked like someone with whom I could spend the rest of my life. I was filled with a great deal of trepidation as anyone in such a situation would be. After greeting her I blurted out- “We are getting married tomorrow, and I hardly know you”. She nodded and then started to cry softly. I said to her “We have got to talk”. And so we climbed into a car and went for the drive to “talk”. As we set out I was still “checking her out”- and found there was no visible clue or indication that this was the person I wanted to marry. But as we drove along and chatted, I started to discern the person she was. Out of nowhere I began to be thrilled in a most unexpected and deep way. The longer we chatted, the deeper and richer and more attractive I found her to be- in fact it felt as though her depth and inner beauty had no limit and could satisfy me forever.

    “At this stage I woke up, and felt Jesus say to me “Brian, we are going to be married forever and you hardly know me- we need to talk”. And so I now imagine myself travelling in a car with Jesus, the day before our wedding, talking. Sometimes I look out the window of the car and see something which by its outward appearance looks more attractive, and I stop the car, pull up the handbrake and get out and walk around. And Jesus just sits patiently in the car, waiting for me to get back in and welcoming me back when I do, and he gracefully allows me to enjoy further knowledge of his infinite self.”

    • This is awesome. I really like this. It makes you stop to think quite a bit. Life just seems that little bit extra exciting for what you mihht find beyond a judgement of beauty in the flesh.

  6. Thanks, Wayne! 🙂 Just love the imagery in Brian’s dream..very cool. And thank you, Brian for sharing it.

  7. I can relate to the woman in England who didn’t want to live for eternity. I used to think about eternity with dread because I couldn’t imagine living forever & ever & Ever & EVER…! The thought seemed not only incomprehensible (of course not – with my finite mind) but downright boring to me: Are we just going to sit around & listen to Jesus preach to us for eternity? Or stand around singing for eternity? Are we even going to have any moments of laughter? Or play? What I was picturing was the church congregation I grew up in stretched out forever & I couldn’t fathom & certainly didn’t look forward to that! But as one of you mentioned, it “depends on the God you know”. So years later being farther along on my God Journey I think about eternity & am glad that I’ll be with Jesus forever! And I no longer believe we’ll just float around on clouds playing harps or singing hymns & being bored out of our minds, but I believe we will actually be doing relational things with God (Father, Son & Spirit) as well as each other. I think it’ll be like my best vacation with my best friends doing my favorite things with nothing but joy through it all! Hopefully, as the woman in England continues on her journey she will come to envision something that floods her heart with joy instead of filling her head with dread.

    • So good Aprill. You made me laugh a little with this i found some humour you may not have intended to show. I use to to dread eternity, but i found it useful in a way coz it made me trust father just a little bit more. It was like drawing closer time for me. thnx for the laugh.?

    • So good Aprill. You made me laugh a little with this i found some humour you may not have intended to show. I use to to dread eternity, but i found it useful in a way coz it made me trust father just a little bit more. It was like drawing closer time for me. thnx for the laugh.?

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