Would you want Jesus as a friend? (page 6)

BlessedStar

Jesus is already our friend didn't you know?

Blessedstar

bebu

This is a long post, and I apologize in advance! But here's my perspective as a Christian... Some of you might already guess what I'm gonna write. I'm getting predictable, I guess.

Either they believe in him and do his bidding and so receive salvation, or they don't believe in him and don't do his bidding and so receive damnation.

What was Jesus' bidding? "This is my commandment, that you love one another." "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you." "By this will all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another." "Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who persecute you." "Do not repay evil with evil, but repay evil with good." "Do to others what you would have them do to you." "Forgive 77 times 7 times." "Love your neighbor (including the 'samaritans')." ...In my opinion, the WTS did not teach these things, so they did not do Jesus' bidding and they will be torn down. I have no problem with this! I suspect you don't, either.

Whenever I see gross injustice in the world, I automatically long for someone/thing to come and kick out the bad guys, who always seem impossible to be overcome. Revelation promises in broad strokes that whatever is evil (real evil, not simply defined as 'non-WTS'!!!!) will fail and fall. If the WTS (or any other person/organization/etc.) humbled itself, it could possibly be redeemed. But if not, it will be judged. I can hope for repentence and reformation, but I am not upset that proper consequences should come upon the cruel.

Therefore, Revelation doesn't show Jesus destroying victims who ache for justice; it will be the impenitent who exploit who finally get it. You must keep in mind the very appropriate picture of the WTS for the bad guys, if you want to understand the message right. You will be cheering, not dying, if your heart has longed for righteousness. Not righteousness/justice defined by a religious belief, but justice as it really is--proper consequences. (I am sure doctrines will not be the deciding issue so much as the response of the individual to the light they were given, whether it was accepted or ignored. Being in a group (or out of it), like joining the WTS or a particular church --or even being a member of a church in general!--will not really be the greatest issue, imo. God knows the Light each person is given, and knows whether it was received or shrugged off.)

So, what to do with the teaching that one 'must believe in Christ to be saved?' It's exactly like Neo's situation, after taking the red pill on the Matrix (or running across this site if you are an active JW, and learn the truth about the troof.) It only means you can't go back to living as if you never knew it; you HAVE to do something with it, not deny it. 'Not knowing' something is very different from 'denying' or ignoring something. Paul was talking to people who knew the gospel, and no longer had the luxury of ignorance. Jesus said that from one who has more, more will be expected. God holds you to what you have been given, not what you haven't. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the people did not recognize Jesus as being the recipient of their deeds (or omissions). Yet, they had all taken another kind of red pill, the duty of compassion, and their personal response to this pill divided them. Nobody, it is interesting to note, expected that!

Therefore, the picture of an immature, ranting, megalomaniac Christ insisting you acquiesce (or die!) is a gross distortion, imo, a caracature promoted slyly by the WTS. --However, they are not alone, because I think even the common idea in Christendom (certain denominations especially) that one must be a Christian or be lost forever is a distortion. Jesus is not asking something foreign or strange, but what we should have already expected will be necessary for 'paradise' of the real sort. That is, that love will be absolutely essential to a perfect human existence--love that is humble, love that is forgiving, love that cares about our fellow man as much as ourselves, love that does not give in to what is wrong, love that patterns itself after Christ who loved the world enough to die to save it. The simple mechanism of love, worked out by asking forgiveness of God for our failings, and giving forgiveness to others for their failings, is available to all people, Christian or not. The work of Christ permits this mechanism to allow salvation, whether they understand it, or have learned of it, or not. They will know Christ and smile when they see him, for whatever light God gave (and they took) will give grace. Christ does bring judgement, but it is decreeing complete darkness for those who unrelentingly reject love. It is the proper consequence, it is justice. The question for us is to consider whether we are committed to Love as it really is, not just a shrunken, self-oriented, biased definition of it.

In response to your main question, scout: certainly, I would want Jesus as a friend--not just because I want something else ('happy happy happy paradise' , and he's the ticket), but because I see that he embodies the perfection of love and justice, and I really find him wonderful.

bebu

Like I said, long post. And this is by now a dying thread... I think I've assured it's death!

bebu

Good heavens, I seem to have used italics too much. Sorry! I'd go edit that post, but editing always makes the spacing format weird...

bebu

Oh what the hey... I'll edit it.

Jake99

Bebu,

Your long post was excellent, its the words that count, I wish the forum had spell check. I also wish I could scroll down to more than just the previous post. Is grammer check and a thesaurus that tough to install? I wish it automatically organized my thoughts and corrected all the mistakes and then I would just proof read and post. I wish.

Shootist, StarMoore, BlessedStar

The Messiah is great at all things so taking on the bad guys as a one man army and playing well with children is part of covering the spectrum. He is a lawyer and a healer, a leader, an engineer, a warrior and a super athlete, he is super talented and stands down to no one. He rules with an iron rod that generates peace, prosperity and long life. He is the way, the path and the light, stray not from the same directions as the last time. The way Jesus proposed is still the way of today, except now the world is prepared for the operating system change. Back to the Garden of heaven on earth.

Woodsman,

The strange act of the Messiah that brought him against the government at Y2K was of a miracle worker in a chariot of fire with a bow and arrows in front of a courthouse. Satan was no match for the Messiah in or out of the five Massachusetts courthouses between 1998 and 2001. Thats alot of fire and brimstone in twenty or so court appearances from a man who claims and proves he is the Christ. Very much like Clint Eastwood in a perfect body that brings life instead of death as he disposes of the bad guys on earth. Its a chess match of hundreds of demonstrations against and in comparison to the leaders of this world.

Narkissos,

He who believes that the Messiah is who he says he is would be the true friend of Christ. Even you, who may not think himself worthy could end up as his best friend in comparison to the scoundrels that control this planet or those who reject him.

moshe

I'm pretty sure if this question were asked of all the indigenous peoples of history who were colonized by Christians, the answer would be "NO!" The vast majority were harmed by Jesus belivers.

peace,

Moshe

BlessedStar

The vast majority were harmed by Jesus belivers.

Ever noticed how the majority of people who get victimised are innocent and most of the time the ones who do the crime gets away?

Peter paid for Paul and Paul paid for all.

Jesus was innocent too.

Blessed Star.

Think

Yes !

LittleToe

Moshe:
The question wasn't "would you want Jesus followers as a friend?".

How do you answer the original question, for yourself

Jake99

As of yet no one wants Jesus as thier friend. Jesus stood for one non profit, standardized, transparent, equal opportunity, competitive global management system that is based on brotherhood. This world of false prophets want to divide the land and sell it to the highest bidder which generates war after war.

I am as Jesus was and I have more trouble than you can imagine finding a friend of Jesus.

Would you want Jesus as a friend?

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