You Are My Friends - References

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>www.wahoo.nildram.co.uk</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.wahoo.nildram.co.uk"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Be Still Lyrics"><U>Be Still - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turn To Me Lyrics"><U>Turn To Me - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Out Of Oblivion Lyrics"><U>Out Of Oblivion - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Why Lyrics"><U>Why - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Look At My Son Lyrics"><U>Look At My Son - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DYou See Lyrics"><U>D'You See - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="You Are My Friends Lyrics"><U>You Are My Friends -Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Behold Lyrics"><U>Behold - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Open Up Your Heart Lyrics"><U>Open Up Your Heart - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Satisfied Lyrics"><U>Satisfied - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Come Through Me Lyrics"><U>Come Through Me - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Your Faithfulness Lyrics"><U>Your Faithfulness - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Invitation Lyrics"><U>Invitation - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Energy Gospel Rap"><U>Energy - Gospel Rap</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Energy Goliath Must Die"><U>Energy - Goliath Must Die</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Energy Gatta Be Reel"><U>Energy - Gatta Be Reel</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Energy Come Unto Me"><U>Energy - Come Unto Me</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Daniel Lyrics"><U>Daniel - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kingdoms Come Lyrics"><U>Kingdoms Come - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="You Have Given Me Life Lyrics"><U>You Have Given Me Life - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Faithful Lyrics"><U>Faithful - Lyrics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apart From Me"><U>Apart From Me</U></A>   |   <B>You Are My Friends - References</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.png"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>You Are My Friends - References</I></div> <div> In the beginning before Day and Night                                 See Genesis Chapter 1</div> <div> I spoke to the Darkness</div> <div> ‘Let there be light’</div> <div> When I separated the land from the sea</div> <div> The sand and the waters obeyed me</div> <bR> <div> See John Chapter 1. Jesus, the Word Of God, was with The Father in the beginning. John, who spent a lot of time with Jesus, relates that Jesus was with The Father in the beginning, and that through him (Jesus) all things were made, and that nothing was made without him. So here’s Jesus, speaking to the elements, the light and the dark, and working with the raw materials, organising things how he wants them. The things he organises don’t resist him, they obey.</div> <bR> <div> We are His friends if we obey Him and His commands.</div> <bR> <div> So then when My Father said ‘Lay down your life’</div> <div> I did as He told me, I didn’t think twice</div> <div> For I love My Father</div> <div> I know He loves me</div> <div> And nothing in this world could get in between.</div> <bR> <div> See John Chapter 14, Jesus endorses the point that Love and Obedience go together completely. The unity of Father and Son are explained, and re-enforced here. In verse 31, Jesus says “The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what the Father has commanded me”. Throughout the gospels, the Father has been authenticating the ministry of the Son. From the sending of John the Baptist, the wise men, the shepherds etc, Jesus’ baptism, the transfiguration, by the miracles and so on, the Father has been saying ‘This is my Son with whom I’m well pleased – Listen to him’. </div> <bR> <div> Jesus predicts his death, and describes it as being within the will of the Father in Chapter 12 (see verses 27-28). So Jesus gives a demonstration of unity with the Father, even to the point of death. Not even death cannot separate Father and Son. They are inseparable. At no point does the Son act in any way but in complete obedience and compliance with the Father’s wishes. (Contrast this with our own….). Look what has happened to mankind & the world, since we let evil get in between us and God. Read the first few chapters of Genesis, and see how naively, we (mankind), gave up our friendship with God, and the fallout from that…</div> <bR> <div> Now you have a wisdom that calls itself wise</div> <div> It cripples your senses and it blinds your eyes</div> <div> So I came in person just so you could see</div> <div> This ‘wisdom’ will kill you</div> <div> It crucified me</div> <bR> <div> Jesus comes against this so-called wisdom, that pits us against our maker. We are so deceived by it, that we think it’s clever to shun God. The deception is where sickness and death and suffering come from. But, in the same way as hypothermia causes the victim to not realise how ill they are, sin blinds us to our condition and it’s cause. So, Jesus comes, free from sin, to demonstrate to us</div> <bR> <div> a) how to live in partnership with God</div> <div> b) how to live in the world</div> <div> c) that death is not the end</div> <div> d) how to deal with sin, sickness etc</div> <div> e) what the enemy’s plan was for us, and to offer to take our place so we don’t have to suffer even though we’ve sinned</div> <bR> <div> So </div> <div> Delight yourself in Me and this I will do</div> <div> The desires of your heart, I’ll give to you</div> <div> But seek first My Kingdom and My Righteousness</div> <div> And with all these other things you’ll be blessed</div> <bR> <div> So, here’s the new deal, and the new priorities. Head towards Jesus, make Him your goal, and He sorts everything else out. In Matthew Ch 28, He says ‘All authority has been given unto me…’. He’s in charge, in control. He’s defeated death and established His Kingdom on earth. He’s established a new righteousness which He freely gives to those who ask. He’ll swap yours for His. He was without sin. He died for my sins on the cross. Now, I’m free. You can be too. In the Sermon on the Mount, he puts things in perspective. God knows our daily needs and will provide, so we mustn’t let our fear of not having enough be a point on which we can be compromised.</div> <bR> <div> So we come daily to Our Father, always on the basis of what Christ’s Righteousness has bought, and receive Christ’s riches as citizens in His Kingdom.</div> <bR> <div> The first half of the verse is a paraphrase of the early verses of Psalm 37.</div> <bR> <div> When I’m separating the goats from the sheep</div> <div> And without exception you’ll all come to me</div> <div> And I will determine your future, my friend</div> <div> As it was in the beginning, so it will be in the end…</div> <bR> <div> God’s views haven’t changed. It is written ‘Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord’.</div> <bR> <div> At the end of our lives, or if Christ returns before then, we will end up before Him. This is something that’s beyond our control.</div> <bR> <div> However much control you think you have of your own affairs. This is the eternal angle.</div> <div> There’s no dodging this one.</div> <bR> <div> We will go, according to His judgement of us, as His friend to heaven, or His enemy to hell.</div> <bR> <div> We are His friends if we do as He commands….</div> <bR> <div> The chapters around John 14, 15 etc are worth reading here. He says ‘My sheep know my voice…’. </div> <bR> <div> If we’re not prepared to slow down from our agenda, and learn to listen to His. </div> <bR> <div> If we continue to ignore Him, His desires and His ways, we may think we’re okay. But we may have reduced Him to being the caretaker of the universe. </div> <bR> <div> The same way that children often treat their parents. Taking everything for granted, taking what we want and leaving the mess for someone else to clean up. </div> <bR> <div> Christ came for intimacy with you. He won’t be satisfied with less.</div> <bR> <div> Don’t try to fob Him off with deeds, church attendance, or anything else. He wants you. All of you. </div> <bR> <div> That’s why He made you. That’s why He suffered an appalling death, for true friendship and intimacy with you.</div> <bR> <div> <I>If you haven't already, this may be a time to see beyond just what your human eyes can see.</I></div> <div> <I>Wherever you are, to put things down and speak to your maker, your saviour, your provider.</I></div> <div> <I>Maybe, for the first time, to say Thank You for all He's done for you, even if you can't appreciate it all.</I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>