Category: Friendship

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True Friendship

We’re just returning home after spending several weeks in Idaho. We have wonderful friends there and it was so great to see them. You know, they are the kind of friends that you don’t see for years and still have that wonderful heart bond with.

When we lived in the Northwest we had that same yearning for our friends in the desert. Now we get to see those dear ones more often and it warms our hearts with each visit.

This morning the house is quiet and I began to think of dear friends, far and near, and as I was praying for them by name I heard myself tell the Lord “I would do anything I could to help them”.

And then the Lord reminded me of this story.

“A few days later, Jesus came back to Capernaum. The news spread that he was back home. 2 A large crowd gathered to hear him speak. The house was so full that there was no place to stand, not even outside the door. While Jesus was teaching, 3 some people brought a paralyzed man to see him. He was being carried by four of them. 4 But they could not get the man inside to Jesus because the house was so full of people. So they went to the roof above Jesus and made a hole in it. Then they lowered the mat with the paralyzed man on it. 5 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the paralyzed man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there. They saw what Jesus did, and they said to themselves, 7 “Why does this man say things like that? What an insult to God! No one but God can forgive sins.”

8 Jesus knew immediately what these teachers of the law were thinking. So he said to them, “Why do you have these questions in your minds? 9-10 The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. But how can I prove this to you? Maybe you are thinking it was easy for me to say to the crippled man, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ There’s no proof it really happened. But what if I say to the man, ‘Stand up. Take your mat and walk’? Then you will be able to see if I really have this power or not.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, stand up. Take your mat and go home.”

12 Immediately the paralyzed man stood up. He picked up his mat and walked out of the room. Everyone could see him. They were amazed and praised God. They said, “This is the most amazing thing we have ever seen!” Mark 2:1-12 ERV

Here were four men who heard about Jesus reputation to heal. They had a friend who was paralyzed. They put him on a bed and carried him through the streets of town to the house where Jesus was teaching.

When they got there they couldn’t get in. There were too many people so they went up the stairs to the roof top. They began to dismantle the roof! Seriously! I’m sure that the owner of the house valued his roof as much as I do mine. These men were determined – their friend needed help. He needed Jesus!

They worked until there was a hole in the roof large enough to lower the man to Jesus. Imagine for just a minute what it was like to be inside the house and hear the commotion on the roof. There were particles falling and hitting people but we can only assume that Jesus kept on teaching.

I always ask questions, you know that. Did the paralyzed man object when his friends carried him out into the streets? Did he ask to go home? The Scripture tells us that Jesus “saw” how much faith they had. The friends and the man all had to have faith in Jesus to go to so much trouble.

There are so many ways we can help our friends. We can provide physical strength, financial help, emotional support and prayer support. The best thing we can do to help our friends is bring them to the One with all the answers. Sometimes we just need to “carry” them to Jesus.

Jesus not only met the man’s physical need but He forgave his sins. Jesus is still doing both of those today.

“A man who has friends must be a friend, but there is a friend who stays nearer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 NLV

True friendship.

First we take them to Jesus, either in our prayers or through a Scripture verse or spoken word of encouragement. Then we lend a helping hand and lighten the load.

Thanks to all the friends that have done both for me. I love you dearly and consider you a gift from God!

 

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Review and Evaluate

For many years I was responsible for conducting Personnel Evaluations and Reviews. When employees were first hired they had a 90-day review and after that it was an annual evaluation. I always looked for their strengths and tried to encourage change in areas of weakness.

Now I find myself each morning reviewing the events of my previous day. I look back and am thankful for so many things, large and small.  I know some of you do this at the end of your day and that’s great too. This isn’t a performance evaluation because we can never win God’s approval by performance or the lack of it, That was all done by Jesus.

So what did I learn in my review of yesterday?

The day started out spending time with Dave, Pam and Jen. We enjoy being together and it doesn’t have to be something great and significant, just the small things are so much better because of the love we share.

The afternoon was spent resting. It’s important that we give ourselves time to be quiet. Our bodies aren’t made to be on the go 24/7, they need rest. It’s a shame that I had to retire to realize that.

In the evening we went to friends for dinner. Randy and Kristi have been our friends for almost 30 years. Friendships like that are truly nuggets of gold. We spent time catching up on life; children, grandchildren, life’s treasures and disappointing times. We talked of the Lord and His faithfulness and our hearts were more full than our stomachs when we left.

Yes, it was a good day!

So, I began to thank the Lord for the day past and the one to come. I found myself saying “Thank you Father. You make my life so…” and then I searched my mind for the right adjective.

Exciting…adventurous…wonderful…full…marvelous…amazing…peaceful…joyful…loving.

But then I stopped. I realized I didn’t need any adjectives. What I was really saying is “Thank you Father, You make my life!”

It’s that simple. Without the Lord, I really wouldn’t be experiencing true living. He makes it all complete.

“You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care.” Job 10:12

Knowing God and having Him in my life intensifies and magnifies each day’s experiences.  The Apostle Paul said it this way:

“I am full of hope and feel sure I will not have any reason to be ashamed. I am certain I will continue to have the same boldness to speak freely that I always have. I will let God use my life to bring more honor to Christ. It doesn’t matter whether I live or die. 21 To me, the only important thing about living is Christ. And even death would be for my benefit.22 If I continue living here on earth, I will be able to work for the Lord. But what would I choose—to live or to die? I don’t know.” Philippians 1:20-22 ERV

Jesus purpose in coming to earth was to give man a life filled with purpose. He didn’t come to diminish life and cause it to be substandard. No! He came to enhance and improved our lives in a way that we can’t possibly do on our own.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

“I am the light that has come into the world. No one who has faith in me will stay in the dark.

47 I am not the one who will judge those who refuse to obey my teachings. I came to save the people of this world, not to be their judge.” John 12:46-47 CEV

Now it’s time to get up and start this day. I am really looking forward to it. I know that God has planned my steps and He has great things in store for me! I pray that you are looking forward to the moments of your day as well.

“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it. 25 O Lord, we beg You to save us! O Lord, we ask that You let everything go well for us! ” Psalm 118:24-25 NLV

 

 

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Me & Winnie the Pooh

You may know that I really like Winnie the Pooh. For years I have felt that the people I meet could be characterized by one of the beloved animals in those stories.

Sitting here this morning in my prayer time my mind went to the main character, Pooh. I think Pooh is a good example of a dedicated Christian.

Pooh is always helping. When Piglet is scared he helps calm his fears, when Rabbit is working too hard to achieve and becomes stressed Pooh helps him see the value of rest. When Eeyore is overcome by depression and loneliness Pooh always is there to cheer him up. When Tiggerrr offends others by being too focused on fun and hurts feelings or causes damage Pooh is there to point out his good heart and desire to do what’s right. And when Owl drones on with instruction and philosophy Pooh listens respectfully and appreciates his wisdom.

How much better it would be if we were a bit more like that. Not that we should be like Pooh, but we should be like Jesus!

Jesus looked for the best in everyone; spoke the truth with love, encouraged the broken hearted, corrected the misguided and disobedient and calmed the fears of those who were anxious.

Jesus lived the Scripture. “Man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Lord I want to look on the heart of people today! I want to be there to help when needed and not to judge.

“If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord’s followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. 2 We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. 3 Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, “The people who insulted you also insulted me.” 4 And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. 5 God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ. 6 Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you. 8 I tell you that Christ came as a servant of the Jews to show that God has kept the promises he made to their famous ancestors. Christ also came, 9 so that the Gentiles would praise God for being kind to them…13 I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.” Romans 15:1-13 CEV

Letting God live His life through us can be challenging but the rewards are so great!  Encouraging, teaching, being patient, living in peace and hope; these are all things that Father wants for us. He’s also given us the opportunity to provide these for others.

A quote from Winnie the Pooh puts it this way.

“Love is taking a few steps backward maybe even more… to give way to the happiness of the person you love.”

Look for opportunities for give unconditional love; you’ll be richly rewarded!

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Don’t Quit Searching

Yesterday morning I sent Dave on a treasure hunt.

Dave and I have been gone for several days and on our first day we stopped at the store to buy a few things I needed for Kristine’s birthday cupcakes. While there I also bought some of our favorite coffee and some coffee filters.

I realized yesterday that we didn’t have either of those items when we unpacked the truck on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone who knows me well knows that coffee is an absolute essential to my morning existence. It’s better than gold!

Dave had to go out and search through the truck and the big tool box before he came back with the buried treasure I sent him for.  This is a silly example but it makes the point.

Have you ever lost something valuable? Maybe it was a piece of jewelry, a credit card or maybe something more personal like a relationship; did you search and work hard until you “found” it again?

Luke, chapter 15, talks about three things that were lost – a sheep, a coin and a son. The shepherd, the woman and the father searched diligently until all was recovered.

Jesus was teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and he said:

“Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.” Matthew 7:7-8 ERV

Jesus was telling us to be diligent in our asking, in our seeking and in our knocking (pursuing). Where did He learn this persistence?

He saw it in His Father.

God, the Father, has been asking man for 1000+ years to allow Him to be their God, to lead and direct. Jesus had watched as the Father had searched  for His people after they had gone off to follow other gods and He loving brought them back.

He had followed the Father’s example to stand at the door and knock, waiting for it to open so He could have fellowship with the man He had created. Do you know that the Father is doing the same with us?

Jesus was doing more than giving us an opportunity to ask, seek and knock; He was reminding us that our relationship with the Father is one that the Father will continue to pursue – He won’t let go.

” Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” Luke 15:8-10 ERV

Follow the Father’s example. We need to pursue Him and have daily fellowship with Him. Let’s not allow our relationship to get lost in the activities of the day.

“ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. ” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

Search for Him and then rejoice because you will find that He is there waiting for you.

 

 

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You Are My Friends

I woke up this morning, once again, knowing that Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, my Father, the I AM, wants to be my friend.

For the last week we have been looking at people in the Bible who talked with God.

There were many more people who heard God speak to them in the Old Testament times but I just wanted to give you an overview of some of the circumstances.

When we come to the New Testament we are immediately greeted with God sending an angel to speak with both Mary and Joseph.

“Then the angel told Mary, “Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31 and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33 He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33 CEV

“While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. 21 Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21-22 CEV

Later God told John the Baptist that Jesus would soon begin to minister in public. He was the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for, for so long.

Jesus spent a great deal of time in prayer, talking to and hearing from his heavenly Father.  When the religious rulers of the day would ask Jesus where he got His teachings and His authority He would answer them like this.

“Jesus went on to say, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know who I am. You will also know that I don’t do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him, and he will never leave me.” John 8:28-29 CEV

Jesus came to show the world the love His Father had for them. He wanted them to know that God was desiring a relationship with them.

“ My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.

28 If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 CEV

Jesus taught  multitudes and He also ministered to hurting people one on one.  He broke the conventional laws of religion. Jewish people were forbidden to do any kind of work on the Sabbath so when Jesus healed the crippled man on that day the Temple rulers were furious.

“ They started making a lot of trouble for Jesus because he did things like this on the Sabbath.

17 But Jesus said, “My Father has never stopped working, and that is why I keep on working.” 18 Now the leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said that God was his Father, which made him equal with God.

19 Jesus told the people: I tell you for certain that the Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing, and he does exactly what he sees the Father do. 20 The Father loves the Son and has shown him everything he does. The Father will show him even greater things, and you will be amazed. ” John 5:16-20 CEV

Jesus was walking, living proof that God the Father desired to have relationship with these men. In fact, Jesus commanded his disciples to go out and do the same kind of miracles that they had seen him do.

“Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:

Stay away from the Gentiles and don’t go to any Samaritan town. 6 Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. 7 As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons.” Matthew 10:5-8 CEV

Remember how God called Abraham His friend. Jesus called these men His friends. He was seeing the same desire in them that the Father had seen in Abraham. They weren’t perfect, far from it but they had a desire to know and obey God.

“ Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you. 13 The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. 14 And you are my friends, if you obey me. 15 Servants don’t know what their master is doing, and so I don’t speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything that my Father has told me.

16 You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. 17 So I command you to love each other.” John 15:12-17 CEV

I could go on with one example after another on the teaching that Jesus gave his disciples. In fact, that’s really what the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are. They are the eye witness accounts of God’s will being done on earth through Jesus and the disciples.

But God didn’t want it to die there. He wanted to continue to reach out to all mankind. He wanted everyone to know His voice and to follow Him. That’s why one of Jesus’ final instructions was this:

“ Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! 19  Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Matthew 28:18-20 CEV

Because of the authority Jesus received from the Father and gave to His followers, we can become His disciples as well. We can hear His voice and follow.

“Jesus said to him, “You (Thomas) believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me!”

30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs that his followers saw, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name.” John 20:29-31 ERV

We are the ones who believe on Jesus without seeing Him. We are blessed and have life, eternal life, because of Jesus.

Amen and Amen!

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Friends Through Fire & Rain

Do you smell like smoke? Odd question isn’t it?

It could be the smoke of something that burned in the kitchen, a good cigar or pipe, or perhaps a campfire. My son smells like smoke frequently – he’s a firefighter.

We have been looking at different people in the Bible who have had a friendship relationship with God. God has never been nor will He ever be a “fair weather” friend. He has made us promises to never leave us or abandon us.

“But now the Lord Who made you, O Jacob, and He Who made you, O Israel, says, “Do not be afraid. For I have bought you and made you free. I have called you by name. You are Mine! 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The fire will not destroy you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, Who saves you...” Isaiah 43:1-3a NLV

In the book of Daniel chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that a statue of gold be built in his likeness. All the people who lived in the country were to bow down and worship the statue when they heard music playing. Everyone did as there were told except for three Jewish young men who were prisoners in the country. You’ve probably heard of them; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Those in authority told the king that these men wouldn’t bow and it made him very angry. He called them in and gave them strict warning that next time they heard the music they were to bow.

The music played but the men didn’t bow. They were brought before the king again and he was extremely angry. He had the furnace heated hotter than it had been for melting gold, had the  men bound and thrown into the fire.

Let’s digress from a moment. In his original warning the king had told them they would be thrown into the furnace if they didn’t bow. This was their response.

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, it is not necessary for us to answer you on this point. 17 If our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up!” Daniel 3:16-18 AMPC

Let me paraphrase. King we don’t have to take a lot of time to think about our answer. If you throw us in the fire our God will deliver us. If you don’t throw us in we still aren’t going to serve your god or worship your statue.

They knew that God had brought Noah safely through the flood, they knew the stories of how God used to Moses to deliver the children of Israel. They were not afraid to stand strong because they knew that God would be there with them!

At this response, they were bound and  thrown in the furnance. Now here’s where it gets interesting. Nebuchadnezzar was looking on and as he watched, he saw that the men were walking around in the fire and that there was a fourth man in there with them!

Hallelujah!! God showed up in grand fashion.

To this the King reacted:

“Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!” They came out, 27 and the king’s high officials, governors, and advisors all crowded around them. The men were not burned, their hair wasn’t scorched, and their clothes didn’t even smell like smoke. 28 King Nebuchadnezzar said: Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and refused to obey my commands. Yes, they chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. 29 And I won’t allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God. Anyone who does will be chopped up and their houses will be torn down, because no other god has such great power to save.” Daniel 3:26-29 CEV

These men were slaves in a foreign country. They took a very unpopular stand – they refused to worship any god other than God the Father. They were persecuted and their lives were threatened but they stood strong.

They went through a fiery trial and came out, not even smelling like smoke.

If you’re going through a fiery trial of persecution for your stand for the Lord, Stand strong! Don’t bend, don’t compromise, don’t bow – God will show up and walk in the fire with you and He will bring you out!

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The Friend of God

In order to build a strong friendship men have to talk to one another; share ideas, understand one another and love each other.

Based on these qualifications it’s interesting to see that God called Abraham his friend.

“ Now you see how Abraham’s faith and deeds worked together. He proved that his faith was real by what he did. 23 This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God was pleased with him.” That’s how Abraham became God’s friend.” James 2:22-23 NLV

Abraham and God developed a bond of trust. It would have been logical to say that Abraham called God his friend. The weaker one making friendship with someone greater but that’s not what Scripture says. It says that Abraham became God’s friend. God picked Abraham and started the relationship.

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make you a great nation. I will bring good to you. I will make your name great, so you will be honored. 3 I will bring good to those who are good to you. And I will curse those who curse you. Good will come to all the families of the earth because of you.” Genesis 12:1-3 NLV

Abram was 75 years old when God promised to bless him with land and children. Abram had neither. Just one chapter later we read that God has made Abram very rich.

“So Abram left Egypt and went to the Negev, with his wife and all that belonged to him. And Lot went with him. 2 Now Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold. ” Genesis 13:1-2 NLV

God always came to seek out Abram. No where in the relationship do we find Abram begging God to bless him. No, instead he was just obedient when God asked him to do something.

Abram was not a perfect man. No, much to the contrary. On two different occasions he lied to foreign kings about his wife. He said she was his sister. He was afraid that he would be killed because her beauty was so great that these kings wanted her as part of their harems.

God promised to give Abram and Sarai a son, an heir, but as time passed and Sarai didn’t become pregnant they came up with a way to help God out. (We would never do something like that, would we?) Sarai gave her maid to Abram so that they could have sex and get an heir that way.  Big NO NO!

Have you heard the term blood brothers? It was very prominent with the Native Americans and also with the tribes in Africa. A weaker person or nation would make a pact with a stronger one. Then each one would commit all that had to the other.

God came to Abraham and made a blood covenant with him.

“When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am God All-Powerful. Obey me and live the right way. 2 If you do this, I will prepare an agreement between us. I will promise to make your people a great nation.”

3 Then Abram bowed down before God. God said to him, 4 “This is my part of our agreement: I will make you the father of many nations. 5 I will change your name from Abram to Abraham, because I am making you the father of many nations. 6 I will give you many descendants. New nations and kings will come from you. 7 And I will prepare an agreement between me and you. This agreement will also be for all your descendants. It will continue forever. I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. 8 And I will give this land to you and to all your descendants. I will give you the land you are traveling through—the land of Canaan. I will give you this land forever, and I will be your God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “Now, this is your part of the agreement: You and all your descendants will obey my agreement. 10 This is my agreement that all of you must obey. This is the agreement between me and you and all your descendants. Every male must be circumcised. 11 You will cut the skin to show that you follow the agreement between me and you. 12 When the baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. Every boy born among your people and every boy who is a slave of your people must be circumcised.” Genesis 17:1-12 ERV

So Abraham and all that were with him entered into covenant that day with the Lord. All that God had He was giving to Abraham. He only asked that Abraham live to obey Him. What a wonderful relationship.

The covenant that the Lord made with Abraham also applies to us also. How you ask? We’re not Jewish.

“The Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith. 7 And so, you should understand that everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham. 8 Long ago the Scriptures said that God would accept the Gentiles because of their faith. That’s why God told Abraham the good news that all nations would be blessed because of him. 9 This means that everyone who has faith will share in the blessings that were given to Abraham because of his faith… 14 And because of what Jesus Christ has done, the blessing that was promised to Abraham was taken to the Gentiles. This happened so that by faith we would be given the promised Holy Spirit.” Galatians 3:6-14 CEV

When we place our faith in Jesus we inherit the same blessings that God promised His Friend, Abraham!

God All Powerful has invited us into a relationship with Him.

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True Friends

The older I get the more I appreciate true friendship. You know the life-long kind. Those are the ones that are like pure gold. 

A few days back I asked  you to tell me how you define friendship. Here are some of the answers I received:

“I was just going to say Trust, Support (or in today’s vernacular – someone who “gets me”), it’s the personal connection that happens naturally but requires thoughtful effort to reinforce and maintain.“

“ being able to share my heart without being judged, someone who can laugh with me and not at me, someone who is not quick to give advice but instead steers me back to the Lord for guidance, someone I can be myself with – loves me unconditionally, someone who holds me accountable when necessary, and last but probably most important is someone who prays God’s best for me.“

“To me it’s someone who knows everything about you and accepts you in spite of it, or maybe because of it. They don’t use things against you. Someone you can feel 100% safe with, they never judge or look down on you. Someone who you may talk to everyday and share everything with, but can also be someone you only talk to a few times a year, but know, they are there when/if you need them and they know you are there for them. A true friend is ok with you having other people in your life, because they know your relationship is real. I heard the song How Jesus Does by Eric Church and thought of my best friend right away. Because to me that’s friendship, true, pure, honest love.”

If you’re like me, you found yourself nodding your head as you were reading those and saying “that’s it, that’s what I feel about friendship”.

I’m not sure how long it’s going to take but for the next week or so we will be going through the Bible looking at examples of those who were friends with God.

We’ve already seen that God is willfully shameless in expressing His love for us. This was His plan from the very beginning.

“God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” 27 So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. 28 God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 CEV

God had created all the animals, fish, birds, plants and trees but something was missing. He wanted someone like Him so he created mankind.

Was God’s purpose in creating man to have a gardener or grounds keeper for Eden? No. God wanted man created in His image so He would have someone to have communication with. He wanted someone to talk to and to share with.

After Adam and Eve sinned God came to walk with them in the cool of the evening. It is implied that He had been coming each day about that time. They knew it was God. This was not the first time it had happened.

In fact, Adam and Eve had received instruction from God on naming the animals and even that there was one tree in the garden that they shouldn’t eat from.

“During the cool part of the day, the Lord God was walking in the garden. The man and the woman heard him, and they hid among the trees in the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the man and said, “Where are you?”

10 The man said, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid.”

11 God said to the man, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!” Genesis 3:8-11 ERV

Even after they were removed from the garden the Lord still came to talk with them and with their children.

“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why are you looking down? 7 Will not your face be happy if you do well? If you do not do well, sin is waiting to destroy you. Its desire is to rule over you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7 NLV

Do you see what the Lord said to Cain? Why are you looking down? Remember our teaching on being ashamed. Cain was ashamed of his offering. God told Cain that he had the ability to rule over sin. God was trying to get him to look up and ask for help.

“God created men and women to be like himself. He gave them his blessing and called them human beings. ” Genesis 5:1-2 CEV

Isn’t that just like a Father? He wants His children (us) to be like Him and He wants our lives to be filled with blessings.

From the very beginning God’s plan was a plan of blessing!

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Hand in Hand

What’s on your schedule today?

It’s important that we keep our priorities focused. One way to do that is to see how someone you admire schedules their day.

Have you ever asked yourself what’s on the God’s to-do list for the day? I have, “what ya doin today Father? Can I tag along?”

The answer is always the same. “Sure Kris, I’d love to have you spend the day with me. I have some wonderful adventures planned and I’m glad that you want to go with Me.”

“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 ERV

He planned out ahead of time the “good things” He’d like us to do and He sent Jesus to show us how exciting spending time with Him can be.

“In Christ we are made free by his blood sacrifice. We have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace. 8 God gave us that grace fully and freely. With full wisdom and understanding 9 he let us know his secret plan. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ. 10 God’s goal was to finish his plan when the right time came. He planned that all things in heaven and on earth be joined together with Christ as the head.

11 In Christ we were chosen to be God’s people. God had already planned for us to be his people, because that is what he wanted. And he is the one who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants.” Ephesians 1:7-11 ERV

From the beginning of time, my Father made a plan for me and He’s stuck with me to see His plan work in my life. I love that about Him! He desires that we walk hand in hand through life.

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11 ERV

He’s definitely a good Father with a good plan. I’ll spend time with Him today!

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What Is Friendship?

I working on a set of morning blogs that talk about friendship.

I would appreciate it if you would share with me some of the qualities you feel define friendship.

Please take a moment or too and send those to me.

 

I appreciate it. Thank you.

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