2005-04-11-People Need People

Session

Opening

I am ABRAHAM. Greetings, I am enjoying the friendship among you this evening. It is beautiful to see your individual growth, but truly is it phenomenal to look back over your years together, through the good times and bad, and still you are as committed to each other as any family I have ever seen. I am honored to be a part of that.

Lesson

It is always helpful to look back upon the relationships of the twelve apostles. They had their petty disagreements. They had their personality differences and yet, for the most part that is very well what helped them to grow as an individual and as a family. Always was the love for the Master their common thread that held them together through hardship, disappointments, life and death.

You each are agreed in heart and mind that Father is your sovereign. As hard as it is sometimes to turn to Him, especially in heated discussion, you always manage to follow through. You always manage to stand outside of self to allow Father’s spirit to be revealed. Your intentions are known and this is what unifies you as a family. Well done.

God is spirit. His person is not discernable to the material eyes. Through faith His works are understood, but definitely is faith a more difficult journey while sojourning in the flesh. Much of the time it is your fellowship with one another, family and friends outside of this group, even strangers that assist in the faith system.

Jesus spoke of a few great commandments. The first being, "You shall love the one God with all your heart and mind." The next being, "You shall love your brother as yourself." We can see that many times the apostles helped to strengthen one another’s faith. With their focus mostly upon the Master they were able to stand aside of their desires to go forth with the common good of the whole.

There are examples where one or two of the men would be downcast, but the majority would not let this attitude infect the group. Much of the time there was always the humorous words of Nathaniel to lighten the mood. On occasion even our doubting Thomas would set aside what he thought was his better judgment to follow through with the plans of the Master.

Man is really a social being. People need people. Think of all the valuable lessons you could impart to a growing child and certainly we could all agree that love is what the child can best comprehend. Without it all other facts are seemingly without value. Of course, there are difficulties from time to time dealing with your fellows. There are times when you need to be alone, but for the most part where would mankind be without one another? As time goes forward it will become more apparent that no amount of technology can replace a person.

It is obvious that those religious orders that choose a life of solitude are missing half of their mortal lessons. As you mature in spirit and grow in this Kingdom family, you can see all others as equal, not above nor below you. Said Jesus, "Love one another as I have loved you." The Master saw all people, from kings to little children as the Father’s own. He could talk to all people. He could relate with people because he genuinely loved them. He saw not their exterior, their standing in the community, their race or religion. He saw one of the Father’s own.

Sure the Master was hurt or disappointed from time to time with His fellows attitudes and a great deal of the time He had to practice being somewhat detached. He always held fast however to the First Source and Center. This was key to dealing with individuals of all kinds.

Closing

This week ponder the value of your relationships. Be at ease to relate with Father’s children. How does a person’s exterior influence your ability to relate with them? This is the Brotherhood, my friends. Enjoy. That is all. Know that I am with gratitude to look upon your faces and see living hope. My love goes with you. Until next time, shalom.