Dear Tim , you ask what I feel about the Lighthouse example. I think it is very good indeed and very challenging. The First Hutterites had a similar picture. We are a lamp both as individuals and as a church. We are not the light, we are the lamp. We should be the lamp which lets the light , which is not us , shine through in an unadulterated way. Every time we change something the light can not shine out clearly . And this is the situation of christianity at present. Money , possesions, adultery, remarriage , abortion , euthanesia all of theese things being done by christians obscure the light , the pure light of Jesus . Greetings Klaus Meier e-mail : klausm@... personal Fax 0870-133-9077 > -----Original Message----- > From: Tim Warlick [SMTP:cuprayer@...] > Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 2:57 AM > To: Klaus Meier > Subject: [CU] God's Lighthouse > > God's Lighthouse > > God's love is like a lighthouse, with a special kind of light. Instead of > > just spinning round and round, this light shines out in many focused beams > > upon each and every Christian, of every Christian denomination and group, > giving enough light to illuminate the next step each needs to take in the > correct path of light, to see and not stumble. It shines out to each and > every Christian wherever they may be in the Lord, on land or sea, > throughout > the world, and in every Christian denomination or group, without missing a > > one. It keeps each one in the light forever, and draws every Christian > closer to the lighthouse, and to each other, with every step taken in the > lighted path. > > The lighthouse is God, and the light is Jesus, because God is love and God > > is His own love to His children. Jesus is God's own love forever to us > all, > forever to all who believe that He is that love to all Christians, of > every > Christian denomination and group. Like the beams of light emanating from > the lighthouse, God's own love in Jesus originates in the Father's heart, > and goes out from the Father's heart in all directions, focused to meet > each > believer at the point of need, keeping each one in the light. Each > believer > must, of course, turn from the darkness and see that light, and choose to > walk in it. > > Because we know Jesus is the Father's own love in the Father's own heart > for > all of His children, we know that Jesus is in His Father, as He said, "I > am > in my Father". *If* we choose to walk in the light of that love that > comes > out to all of the Father's children, then we know we're in Jesus, as He > said, "and ye in me". And we know Jesus is in us as He put it, "and I in > you", *if* we know that Jesus, who is God's own love to all Christians > forever, is in us. Both parts, us in Him and Him in us, are saying the > same > thing *if* we know that we obey all of His commandments, including His new > > one to love all Christians, of every Christian denomination and group, > enough to lay down our lives for one another, in every Christian > denomination and group. > > That's a big *if*. It's the same "if" Jesus used both ways, us in Him and > > Him in us. If we merely manage to do what we're commanded in this regard, > > finally attaining at least to the position of unprofitable servants, we > not > only abide in the light directly from the source, but the light also > shines > through us, coming out of us to all the other Christians. > > This is us Christians in Jesus, abiding together in the Father's love for > all His children, in every Christian denomination and group: > > John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye > in > my love. > 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have > kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. > > This is Jesus in us Christians, the Father's love for all His children > coming out from us where everyone can see it to each and every one of our > brothers and sisters in Christ, of every Christian denomination and group: > > John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as > I > have loved you, that ye also love one another. > 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love > one > to another. > > The first Christians knew well that big "if" the day the Holy Ghost, the > Comforter, first fell on them, and came into their hearts on the first > Pentecost after His resurrection. They knew that they were in obedience > to > the new command of Jesus to love every sister and brother in Christ, > because > every Christian alive was there together with them in that room. They all > > knew they loved each other as commanded. And in their knowledge of that > obedience, the Holy Ghost came out from the Father, into their hearts, and > > worked great miracles through them for the world to see. The Father and > the > Son also came into their hearts to abide with them there where they kept > the > words of the commandments said by Jesus, coming from the Father. > > John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. > 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: > because I live, ye shall live also. > 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I > in > you. > 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth > me: > and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, > and > will manifest myself to him. > 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt > manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? > 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my > words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make > our > abode with him. > 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye > hear > is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. > > If we humble ourselves to wash each other's feet in complete mutual > forgiveness, if we crucify in ourselves the old carnal man that causes > division and strife, we will show the light of some self-sacrifice > commanded > by Jesus to every Christian, in every Christian denomination and group. > Like the light from the lighthouse itself, we won't miss a one. We will > show some self-sacrifice that each of the other Christians will recognize > as > part of Jesus, part of the Father's love for all His children, in > recognition of the sacrifice Jesus made for us all. And to each, the > light > of that self-sacrifice by the other will appear to come not from us, but > from Him and from the lighthouse. > > The sacrifice of Jesus was what made us, each, turn from the darkness to > look at the light of God's love in the first place. Our own sacrifice is > to > now find a way to let each other Christian see the same light of God's > love > in us. By our sacrifices of love to each other in Christ, together we > then > reflect the light of God's love for all His children, for the world to > turn > toward the lighthouse and see the sacrifice of Jesus available for > themselves. > > If we make the right kind of sacrifice, we hold up Jesus to be seen and > not > ourselves. The other Christian won't see us at all, because we will be > hidden in the bright glare of the glory coming from the Father's heart, > the > glory the Father gave Jesus, which Jesus in turn gave us, that we may be > one > in Jesus, the name of the Father's love for all His children. The glory > given us that we may be one in Him, is the same word, "glory", that > referred > to His first miracle, and the same "glory" that Jesus spoke of when he > raised Lazarus from the dead. > > John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and > manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. > John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou > wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? > > The Father is in Jesus, as Jesus said, "as thou, Father, art in me", in > the > light that comes out from the lighthouse, because the Father is His own > love > to His children, and His love is in His child, Jesus. > > John 10:30 I and my Father are one. > > As we unite in Jesus, we will come together more and more to abide with > Jesus in the Father's love for all His children, beholding the glory of > that > love forever. And as the world looks on from the darkness all around us, > it > will look at the body of Christ through every Christian believer, in every > > Christian denomination and group, through every one of us who believes the > > words of the apostles telling us Jesus is God's love. Through us who know > > Him as such, the world will see that Jesus is the name of God's love as > Jesus declared it to us, love for all of God's children, in every > Christian > denomination and group. > > The world will look through each of us to see the light growing brighter > and > brighter, more and more from one direction only. They will know the Light > > is Jesus. And they will know the Light came out from God. > > John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall > believe on me through their word; > 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, > that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast > > sent me. > 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be > > one, even as we are one: > 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and > that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as > thou > hast loved me. > 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me > where > I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou > lovedst me before the foundation of the world. > 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known > thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. > 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the > love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. > > *************************************************** > Love in Jesus to All! > Click below for information on the Christian Unity Prayer Project (CUPP) > http://www.superior.net/~pjrcmr/prayerparts.html > > ________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to > <christianunity-unsubscribe@...>