John15...2 Days and Counting!

Hello fellow bloggers!
I am sitting here with Ryan Pantaleo...he says hello or "morning"! Anyway as Ryan and I just finished reading John 15 to one another what stood out to me was Christ talking about the world's hatred. Jesus talks about this hatred from verse 18 -25, but what really stood out to me was Jesus' guarantee that the world will hate you. He doesn't say the world might hate you, He says the world will hate you at some point. Why?

Why will the world hate us? What did I do wrong? Maybe some of the questions running through your mind as you read Christ's words in John 15. Jesus says, in verse 19, that the world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don't. Who do you belong to...Christ or the world?

This reminds me of a few years back when I had a couple of roommates, and they would constantly want to go down town and get..."wasted" and meet girls and do all kinds of worldly things. When they would invite me and I would say no, it would cause some bitter feelings and even sometimes arguments between us. Christ tells us that those who choose the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14) will be hated by those who choose the wide road!

It's kind of like being with a big group of friends and one of the friends is not involved in any of the discussions, they are not talking to anyone, they are with you guys but as you all walk in a group they lag 10 feet behind. You ask that person what's wrong and they say nothing...I am fine. Now I have been on both sides of this situation before and i know that when you are with the group of friends it bothers you that the one friend isn't talking to anyone. So as a result you and the rest of the friends don't have as good of time because the one person is not involved in everything that everyone else is involved in. So when you choose to do the things people do in the world they will love you, but when you choose to follow Christ and not do the things of the world at times people will hate you for it...even people you consider to be your friends.

Have you ever been hated on because you decided to follow Jesus?
What do you belong to...the world or Jesus Christ?
How do you go about loving others like Christ calls us to do without following the ways of the world...drugs, drinking, sex, porn, fighting(over dumb things), yelling at your parents. gossiping...how do you do that?

Lord Jesus please use this little online study to draw us closer to You and closer to one another helping us to become better followers of You! Please bless my friends within fusion and help them to stand up for You no matter what the cost! Pl,ease continue to reveal Yourself to us as we study Your word! I love You lord, thanks for all You do for me!

tom