Dodger: Hi! So glad you could make it. Time has flown by! I can't believe how fast or long it's been. First we were just starting school, and now it's almost time for winter break! Christmas is just around the corner, and so is 2014!
Lilly: I think what I missed the most was not seeing our friend here. My school went okay but I really looked forward to being able to come back and hang out with you guys together.
Dodger: Yeah. On the plus side, it looks like things have settled down quite a bit so now we can get back to the regular routine, I think.
Lilly: I'm so excited! Christmas is almost here. My family's put the tree up and we have decorations all around and on the outside of the house and we've begun the shopping and even been able to help out at some charities and food banks. Christmas just makes me full of joy. I love thinking about Jesus' birthday.
Dodger: Me too. I've been doing a lot of the same things you mentioned earlier. You know though, I've also been reading a lot on the Internet lately and yesterday I stumbled upon a little article that I found kind of intriguing. Here it is, and if it's too small to read you can click it to see it larger:
Lilly: The author doesn't specify much about the commands- what they are or where they are, does he?*
Dodger: No, but I went and looked up the Last Supper and although it's in all the Gospels I think that the commands Timothy may be talking about are in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-16. Although I didn't try to get all the commands I could find, I did read chapter 15 and there are a number of commands Jesus gives.
Lilly: So Timothy was right?
Dodger: Yes. For example, I found in 15:4 that we need to live in Him. I read in 15:9-10 that we also need to live in His love by keeping His commandments. I also saw in 15:12 that we're supposed to love one another.
Lilly: Love one another. That sounds easy, I guess.
Dodger: Lilly, it's okay to admit that what Jesus commands isn't easy. I know I'm not good at it sometimes. After all, we see in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is patient, kind, not envious or boastful or proud, not rude or selfish or easily angered, that it doesn't keep track of other's wrongs, it isn't delighted in evil but rejoices with the truth, and it always protects, trusts, hopes, never giving up and never failing. I've messed up pretty much all of those so believe me when I tell you that Jesus is making a tall order of us.
Lilly: Okay...so what do we do? Why would He tell us to do something when He knows we don't even have a distant shot at actually succeeding?
Dodger: That's the part Timothy left out. I want to point two verses out to you in chapter 15, verse 4, and verse 26. In the first one we read: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." (ESV, boldface added)
Lilly: So He tells us to live in Him, but also inserts the fact that without Him we can't do anything? Where does that leave us?
Dodger: Completely dependent on Him everyday to do what He said. That's the amazing love and power of God. Even though we can't do anything aside from Him in the first place, He loves us and enables us to do those things and the things He tells us to do! Look at verse 26: "But when the Helper comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning." (ESV) The Helper is the Holy Spirit, Who lives in every Christian. In other words, we bear witness to Who Jesus is, by doing what He says, as the Holy Spirit witnesses to Who Jesus is, by working through us, and enabling us to do what Jesus said, including loving one another!
Lilly: Oooh... Wow! So once again God covers all the bases, huh?
Dodger: Yes He does. You know, Christians aren't the only ones God empowered to do things. Just look in the Bible. Take David for example, a king of Israel. While he was alive he was anointed King of Israel, chased all over the country by a different King before him, nearly overthrown by his own son, nearly killed by his own men, almost killed in a couple of wars, and torn with grief over the loss of multiple family members. In reality, I would never have wanted David's life. He was a great songwriter though, and in many of his songs he called to God for help. Sure enough, God always brought him through and he died peacefully, with one of the best relationships with God ever recorded in the Bible.
Lilly: I just thought of one. What about Ruth? She has an entire book named after her because she left her home, her people, and her country to be in a foreign land just so she could be with her widowed mother-in-law and serve the one true God. I can't see anyone being able to do that without God's help.
Dodger: And of course we mustn't forget Abraham, who had faith in God's promise that he would have a son even though he and his wife Sarah were both really old and she couldn't have children, not to mention leaving his own home and land because he believed God had something better for him.
Lilly: Daniel! There's someone who had to rely on God. He lived in a pagan country but still loved God, and even when he was threatened with death for doing it he continued to pray and talk to God everyday, and when he was thrown into a den of lions as punishment he trusted God to save him. That had to be God helping him.
Dodger: You see? If God can do all that for those people, can't He do the same and more through us?
Lilly: That's amazing. It's also nice knowing that I'm not relying on me to do what Jesus said. Even though I still have to make the choice to do it, God will help me to if I only make the right choice.
Dodger: Absolutely. Well, it looks like I have to get going. I've got some homework to tackle. At least I can do it on God's power, though! Thanks for coming, especially after such a long time! Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Ciao for Now!
(ESV Means English Standard Version)
*The author is not criticizing another author, The same author wrote the other blog as well (look closely at its URL and you'll see) :)
Lilly: I think what I missed the most was not seeing our friend here. My school went okay but I really looked forward to being able to come back and hang out with you guys together.
Dodger: Yeah. On the plus side, it looks like things have settled down quite a bit so now we can get back to the regular routine, I think.
Lilly: I'm so excited! Christmas is almost here. My family's put the tree up and we have decorations all around and on the outside of the house and we've begun the shopping and even been able to help out at some charities and food banks. Christmas just makes me full of joy. I love thinking about Jesus' birthday.
Dodger: Me too. I've been doing a lot of the same things you mentioned earlier. You know though, I've also been reading a lot on the Internet lately and yesterday I stumbled upon a little article that I found kind of intriguing. Here it is, and if it's too small to read you can click it to see it larger:
Lilly: The author doesn't specify much about the commands- what they are or where they are, does he?*
Dodger: No, but I went and looked up the Last Supper and although it's in all the Gospels I think that the commands Timothy may be talking about are in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-16. Although I didn't try to get all the commands I could find, I did read chapter 15 and there are a number of commands Jesus gives.
Lilly: So Timothy was right?
Dodger: Yes. For example, I found in 15:4 that we need to live in Him. I read in 15:9-10 that we also need to live in His love by keeping His commandments. I also saw in 15:12 that we're supposed to love one another.
Lilly: Love one another. That sounds easy, I guess.
Dodger: Lilly, it's okay to admit that what Jesus commands isn't easy. I know I'm not good at it sometimes. After all, we see in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is patient, kind, not envious or boastful or proud, not rude or selfish or easily angered, that it doesn't keep track of other's wrongs, it isn't delighted in evil but rejoices with the truth, and it always protects, trusts, hopes, never giving up and never failing. I've messed up pretty much all of those so believe me when I tell you that Jesus is making a tall order of us.
Lilly: Okay...so what do we do? Why would He tell us to do something when He knows we don't even have a distant shot at actually succeeding?
Dodger: That's the part Timothy left out. I want to point two verses out to you in chapter 15, verse 4, and verse 26. In the first one we read: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." (ESV, boldface added)
Lilly: So He tells us to live in Him, but also inserts the fact that without Him we can't do anything? Where does that leave us?
Dodger: Completely dependent on Him everyday to do what He said. That's the amazing love and power of God. Even though we can't do anything aside from Him in the first place, He loves us and enables us to do those things and the things He tells us to do! Look at verse 26: "But when the Helper comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning." (ESV) The Helper is the Holy Spirit, Who lives in every Christian. In other words, we bear witness to Who Jesus is, by doing what He says, as the Holy Spirit witnesses to Who Jesus is, by working through us, and enabling us to do what Jesus said, including loving one another!
Lilly: Oooh... Wow! So once again God covers all the bases, huh?
Dodger: Yes He does. You know, Christians aren't the only ones God empowered to do things. Just look in the Bible. Take David for example, a king of Israel. While he was alive he was anointed King of Israel, chased all over the country by a different King before him, nearly overthrown by his own son, nearly killed by his own men, almost killed in a couple of wars, and torn with grief over the loss of multiple family members. In reality, I would never have wanted David's life. He was a great songwriter though, and in many of his songs he called to God for help. Sure enough, God always brought him through and he died peacefully, with one of the best relationships with God ever recorded in the Bible.
Lilly: I just thought of one. What about Ruth? She has an entire book named after her because she left her home, her people, and her country to be in a foreign land just so she could be with her widowed mother-in-law and serve the one true God. I can't see anyone being able to do that without God's help.
Dodger: And of course we mustn't forget Abraham, who had faith in God's promise that he would have a son even though he and his wife Sarah were both really old and she couldn't have children, not to mention leaving his own home and land because he believed God had something better for him.
Lilly: Daniel! There's someone who had to rely on God. He lived in a pagan country but still loved God, and even when he was threatened with death for doing it he continued to pray and talk to God everyday, and when he was thrown into a den of lions as punishment he trusted God to save him. That had to be God helping him.
Dodger: You see? If God can do all that for those people, can't He do the same and more through us?
Lilly: That's amazing. It's also nice knowing that I'm not relying on me to do what Jesus said. Even though I still have to make the choice to do it, God will help me to if I only make the right choice.
Dodger: Absolutely. Well, it looks like I have to get going. I've got some homework to tackle. At least I can do it on God's power, though! Thanks for coming, especially after such a long time! Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Ciao for Now!
(ESV Means English Standard Version)
*The author is not criticizing another author, The same author wrote the other blog as well (look closely at its URL and you'll see) :)
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