"I Have Called You Friencs"

 HOW TO BUILD A FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS

1. Get to know Jesus.We can do this by reading the Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  As we mediate on the Bible accounts of Jesus' life, we come to love and respect Jesus because of the kind way he dealt with people.  For instance, even though he was their Master, he did not treat his disciples as slaves.  Instead, he revealed his inner thoughts and feelings to them.  (John 15:15)  Jesus shared their pain and cried with them.  (John 11:32-36) Even his opposers acknowledged that he was a friend of those who responded to his message.  (Matthew 11:19)  When we imitate Jesus in the way that he dealty with his disciples, our relationships with others improve, we feel more content and happy, and our appreciation for Christ grows.

2. Imitate Jesus' way of thinking and acting.  The better we know and imitate his way of thinking, the closer our friendship with him will be.  (1  Corinthians 2:16)  How can we imitate Jesus?  Note just one example.  Jesus thought more about helping others  than about pleasing himself.  (Matthew 20:28; Romans 15:1-3)  Because he had this mental attitude, he was self-sacrificing and forgiving.  He did easily become offended at what people said about him.  (John1:46, 47) and he did not freeze people in time by holding their past mistakes against them  permanently.  (1 Timothy 1:12-14)  Jesus said: "All will know that you are my disciples-if you have love among  yourselves." (John 13:35)  Why not ask yourselve, "Am I following Jesus' example by doing everything in my power to maintain peace with my  brothers and sisters?" 

3. Support Christ's brothers.  Jesus views what we do for his anointed brothers as if we were it for him.  (Matthew 25:34-40)  The primary way that we support the anoionted is by sharing fully in the Kingdom preaching and disciple-making work that Jesus directed his followers to carry out.  (Matthew   28:19, 20; Acts 10:42) Only with the help of the "other sheep" can Christ's brothers  accomplish the greater worldwide preaching campaign now taking place.  (John 10:16)  If you are the other sheep, each time you share this work, you show your loving attachment not only to the anointed but also to Jesus. 

We also make friends with Jehovah and Jesus by using our financial resources  to support the work they are directing.  (Read Luke 16:9.)  For example, we can contribute toward the worldwide work, which includes financing the preaching of the good news in isolated areas, building and maintaining facilities that support true worship, and providing material relief for those who have suffereed loss.  We can also support our own congregation financially and help those whom we personalluy know to be in need.  (Proverbs 190:17)  These are way that we can support Christ's brothers.

4. Support the arrangements of the Christian congregation.  We strengthen our connection to Jesus as the head of the congregation when we cooperate with those who are anointed to care for us.  (Read Ephesians 4:15, 16)  For example, we are now trying to make sure that all Kingdom Halls are used to full capacity.  To that end, some congregations have been merged with other congregations and territory boundaries have been adjusted.  This  arrangement has resulted in considerable savings of dedicated resources.  At the same time, however, it has required that some publishers adjust to the new circumstances. Those faithful publishers may have served with a certain congregation for many years and may have grown close to the brothers and sisters there.  But now they are asked to serve in a different congregation.  How please Jesus must be to see these loyal disciples cooperate with this arrangement! 

Next time: "I Have Called Your Friends" - FRIENDS OF JESUS FOREVER

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