Friday, May 4, 2012

Thought Provoking Friday

What does Jesus mean by, "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life"? (John 12:25 NIV)

I would love to hear your responses. (Also, I know some may be tempted just to attach Matthew 10:38 or Luke 9:23 as a response. Please note, those are the same instances just recorded differently and not really answering the question in layman terms or in everyday language.)
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6 comments:

  1. John M. LeconteMay 5, 2012 at 4:39 AM

    You are missing a check box for "Deep" as a reaction.

    I am thinking of the ways I am self-centered, holding on so tightly to the futile things in my life and neglecting God's purpose for me and his work around me. If I could completely surrender to his calling on my life to be a husband, a father, a friend, an embassador of the Gospel and realize that life is really not about me, I am convinced that through my life God could touch many.

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    1. UnknownMay 7, 2012 at 11:02 AM

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    2. UnknownMay 7, 2012 at 6:55 PM

      Your response was pretty deep. I find your choice of words very interesting. The word the Lord gave me for 2012 is Ephesians 4:1-2, "As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the CALLING you have received. Be COMPLETELY humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

      We are all to work on divesting ourselves of a "me-centered" mindset and take on the humility of Christ as spoken of in Philippians 2, but yes, it can be so difficult sometimes not only to do, but also to identify.

      (The previous response was deleted due to spelling errors only.)

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  2. SaintEuleMay 5, 2012 at 8:21 AM

    The apostles dropped their nets and followed Jesus - a life changing experience. There is a transformation that takes place when becoming a follower of Christ. It is not the translations and interpretations of scripture that hold the power. It is the unwritten word - the living word - Jesus Christ who never wrote a book but taught by example.
    My favorite book is you.

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    1. UnknownMay 7, 2012 at 11:18 AM

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    2. UnknownMay 7, 2012 at 7:04 PM

      Hi SaintEule,
      Thank you for your comment. Yes, the Word that lives in and through us is powerful, for Jesus did say that the world would come to believe in Him by our display of unity and love for one another (John 17:20-23). I also agree that the emphasis is not to be on translations and interpretations, but by how we live, however, we live by the Word. Even Jesus quoted the Word repeatedly to the devil and the religious leaders. For He is the Word (John 1:1) and He is our example. As we lift up Jesus, who is The Word, God will draw all men unto Him.

      Shalom!
      (Again, previous message deleted only because of spelling or grammatical errors.)

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