Tag: Proverbs 27:17

If We Are The Body of Christ, The Church: And Seeking God Through Our Community? Hebrews 10:19-25

How much do we believe we need God and how much do we believe we need each other?

We have long since proven, time and time again, to everyone who is with us, who is around us and against us we cannot make it on our own.

God calls us to “get it together,” to get together regularly to encourage and to motivate each other to live vibrant lives of service and faith.

With the day of Jesus’ return and our ultimate victory on the horizon, we should be motivated even more to help and to encourage each other.

Question is, are we as completely, fully, motivated to be together in community as God is always and forever in Community with Himself?

Hebrews 10:19-25 New American Standard Bible

A New and Living Way

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let’s approach God with a [a]sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let’s consider how to [b]encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

If We Are the Body of Christ and Seeking God’s Face?

For the Body of Christ, disciplining ourselves, learning to seek the face of God is the very foundation for our experiencing the amazing life Jesus died to give us.

As the Body of Christ, we have available to us through our Savior Jesus Christ all of the opportunities, the wonders, excellencies, and satisfaction we can fathom.

As the Body of Christ, God has granted us grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy, forgiveness after forgiveness, affection upon affection, and love upon all love.

As the Body of Christ, as we pursue him through all the avenues available to us, a door is opened in which we discover all our heavenly Father longs to give us.

Our Savior Jesus Christ did not die and we, the Body of Christ were not created to go about this life apart from a real relationship with fellow children of God.

Without the friendship, without the fellowship of our brothers and sisters, we will never authentically experience the true fullness of life God intends for us.

Together, in community, we inevitably discover our place in the body of Christ.

In community, we learn what it is to actually serve out of love, honor, respect.

And in the fullness of community, we receive the healing and love that can only come from those who gather together in friendship to share in the same Spirit.

And We Are Seeking God Through Our Community?

Acts 2:40-47 Amplified Bible

40 And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, “[a]Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!” 41 So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about [b]3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers]. 42 They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to [c]eating meals together and to prayers.

43 A sense of awe was felt by [d]everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] [e]were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. 45  And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. 46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, 47 praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2 describes the Church community that my soul fully longs for.

We, who are the Church was created by God for honest, vulnerable fellowship.

We were created by God through the life blood of His own Son Jesus to help each other, eat together, celebrate and worship our God, also celebrate, love others.

Through engaging with fellow believers, we become an authentic witness to the world of what happens when our One true God works in the hearts of each of his children – we gather together to celebrate and declare through our love for each other, the life and joy that comes from a relationship with our heavenly Father.

Scripture is clear that true community requires sacrifice and vulnerability. 

1 Corinthians 12:25-26 says, “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

God’s desire is for all his children to humble themselves and live as one body.

Division and Rancor among His Children is Satan’s idea right from the start. (Genesis 3:1-7 The Message)

3 The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: “Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?”

2-3 The Woman said to the serpent, “Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It’s only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don’t eat from it; don’t even touch it or you’ll die.’”

4-5 The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.”

6 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

7 Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

When one part of a physical body “sees what is really going on,” they “see themselves as being naked” the rest of the body sees what is going on, sees themselves as being “naked” and start “sewing their own makeshift clothes.”

When one part of a physical body hurts, the rest of the body feels the pain and is supposed to come together, one body, with the goal of working together to heal.

Instead of this ideal situation, in our rush to panic, to cover our hurt and our naked embarrassment we rush to become our own kind of specialized doctors.

We sew together our own fig leaves.

Then when God comes to His Garden for a standard “Wellness Check” we panic further, get embarrassed by our nakedness all the more – and rush to “hide.”

We forget what we know about God, that we are created in His Image, not ours.

For God so loved the world, which would soon include His Children, created by His own hand, that He spoke into the darkness of chaos, the mess of disorder and brought one order – His order, not ours – poured His love into that order.

God desires His order, to be the same One order, One community, as He is in Community with His Son and Holy Spirit, among the spiritual body of believers.

As we stand before the world, in the embarrassment of our nakedness being our mistakes, missteps, misjudgments – “trying to sew all our fig leaves together,”

He desires to fill us with his love and use us to provide healing for one another.

From our embarrassment at being naked, He longs to guide us to a lifestyle of humility and sacrifice in pursuit of being his hands and feet for each other.

To find consolation together, to find the “mind and humility of Christ Jesus” and to work together and together to make it our own, to model it to the world as Savior Christ did. (Philippians Chapter 2:1-16 The Message)

He Took on the Status of a Slave

2 1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

9-11 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Rejoicing Together

12-13 What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

14-16 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.

It takes receiving the love of God in the same spirit it was given to give love the God in the same spirit God first gave it. (1 John 4:7-21 The Message)

God Is Love

7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

To Love, to Be Loved

17-18 God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

20-21 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.

It requires a work of the Spirit to fill us with courage to be vulnerable with our community in order to receive and give the love we’ve been given in Christ.

So, will you be a child filled with the very first love of your Father God today?

Will you allow God to use you to help a brother or sister?

Will you choose the purpose and joy and humility, the “mind of Christ” that comes from carrying the cross of Jesus, living sacrificially and vulnerably?

If so, you will discover a satisfaction second to nothing else, only found in the mercy of God and the edification that comes from believers loving one another.

May you one day, find the fellowship your heart longs for as you courageously celebrate and love your brothers and sisters as God celebrates all His Children.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of community. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to love and be loved by your community.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”- Acts 2:42-47

2. Reflect on your need for community. Where do you need the healing that comes from relationship with others? What people has God placed in your life? How can you in humility reach out to them for help?

3. Take time and pray for an increase in God-filled community in your life. How does he want to use you to help another person today? How can you lead out in being courageously vulnerable? If you lack such a thing, ask God to provide you with this type of community to share life with.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working . . . . My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” – James 5:13-16, 19-20

God does not ask us to wait forever in our Upper Rooms for others to step out and live in accordance with his Spirit before He calls us too. (Acts 2:1-4)

His will for us doesn’t hinge upon others’ obedience.

God is calling you and me to come away from our “nakedness” to a lifestyle of joyful service, sacrifice, and love regardless of people’s initiatives or responses.

He longs to make garments of praise, fill us with the courage to love others well and help them through their brokenness to a place of honesty and vulnerability.

May you and I one day come together to be the loving hands and feet of Jesus to your brothers and sisters who so desperately need a forgiving touch from God.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

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Authentic Christian Friends Are…? Proverbs 17:17

Go the Distance
Song by Michael Bolton

I have often dreamed of a far off place
Where a hero’s welcome would be waiting for me
Where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face
And a voice keeps saying this is where I’m meant to be
I’ll be there someday, I can go the distance
I will find my way if I can be strong
I know every mile would be worth my while
When I go the distance, I’ll be right where I belong
Down an unknown road to embrace my fate
Though that road may wander, it will lead me to you
And a thousand years would be worth the wait
It might take a lifetime but somehow I’ll see it through
And I won’t look back, I can go the distance
And I’ll stay on track, no I won’t accept defeat
It’s an uphill slope
But I won’t loose hope, ’till I go the distance
And my journey is complete, oh yeah
But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part
For a hero’s strength is measured by his heart, oh
Like a shooting star, I will go the distance
I will search the world, I will face its harms
I don’t care how far, I can go the distance
‘Till I find my hero’s welcome waiting in your arms
I will search the world, I will face its harms
‘Till I find my hero’s welcome waiting in your arms

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Alan Menken / David Zippel
Go the Distance lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company

Proverbs 17:17 GOD’S WORD Translation

17 A friend always loves,
and a brother is born to share trouble.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

All Glory and Honor and Praise To God in the Highest!

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen!

Authentic Christian Friends

King Solomon said it the wisest of all when describing a genuine friendship in the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 17:17 Complete Jewish Bible

17 A friend shows his friendship at all times —
    it is for adversity that [such] a brother is born.

Friendships aren’t always easy.

Friends and friendships go through seasons of trial, arguments, differences of opinion, and busy work and home and their caring for their family schedules.

Along the way, new friends are made, and old friendships sometimes fade.

Friends can influence us for good and for bad.

Friendships can be a lot of work.

But when they are at their best, friendships are also very rewarding.

Real friends support us and also challenge us.

They see us for who God intended us to be, and they help us grow in the grace and love of Christ.

The Bible contains stories of deep friendships.

David and Jonathan’s friendship is a great example of one that lasted through deep difficulties (1 Samuel 19-20).

Friendships that endure are filled with love and dignity and respect all the time.

Friendships are born and lived out in a whole variety of ways and are meant to withstand the hardships of life that’ll inevitably appear when two people come together, they mutually decide they want to risk everything to make a go of it.

Some friendships may be born from already being family, while others may come from work, hobbies, sports, or even through our children’s schooling.

Yet when it comes to genuine Christian friendships, these relationships are so much more than just our establishing of a bond over shared recipes, playing games of golf, or pickleball or that we will work with them eight hours a day.

Genuine Christian friendships employ the covenant need to love God, others as Jesus Christ first loved us and displaying to all of our friends authentic love that comes from the example of God, the Father, Jesus our Savior and Holy Spirit.

These five characteristics represent the authenticity of Christian friendships that we all want to have but, may not know nor how to cultivate nor to display.

1. Be Willing to Pray for Them … and Actually Do It

1 Thessalonians 5:11 English Standard Version

11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

It is kind of seen as the one quintessential statement that every Christian has uttered at least once.

As people say they need or would deeply appreciate prayer or have opened up about a hardship in their lives, we may be quick to say, “I’ll be praying for you.”

However, sometimes as much as we want to remember to pray for that person, in as quick as the next instant or next breath life can distract us and we forget.

The mark of a genuine Christian friendship comes when you will make an actual effort not to forget that person’s prayer request – and close your eyes in silence.

Romans 8:26-28 English Standard Version

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because [a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[b] for  those who are called according to his purpose.

Instead of just saying you will pray for that person, you follow through by either immediately closing your eyes, letting the Holy Spirit have your heart and soul; praying for that person right then and there or just begin praying 23rd Psalm.

or making a note in your prayer list to pray for them along with other requests.

It also helps strengthen the reminder to pray by, if at all possible, following up with the person to see if the request for prayer was blessed, answered by God.

2. Don’t View Prayer Requests as Reasons to Gossip

Psalm 133 English Standard Version

When Brothers Dwell in Unity
A Song of Ascents. Of David.

133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
    when brothers dwell in unity![a]
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
    life forevermore.

We enjoy the opportunity to come together to pray for someone we know, even mentioned in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”

However, sharing a prayer request with others means we should just pray for that person, not make any effort to pry further into their personal business.

Whether the person has shared what is going on or not, we should always treat the prayer request as a complete secret that doesn’t need to be discussed unless the person is present or says we can discuss the matter openly with others.

Some may think that giving background information about the prayer request would make everyone more inclined to pray for this person, but it could instead cause people to “share their opinions on the person’s struggle,” and lessen the effectiveness of complete trust coming together in prayer for a friend in trouble.

Being discrete with prayer requests allows the person’s privacy to be honored and friendships to stay authentic as more people join to lift them up in prayer.

3. Offer Grace as God Gives Us Grace

It is evident that we wouldn’t be anywhere close to where we are today if it wasn’t for God’s grace showered on our lives daily.

And just as we are given grace freely by God, we should do the same with one another, especially our friends.

Jesus speaks of offering grace to each other in the book of Luke, stating that “just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31). 

Luke 6:31-34 The Message

31-34 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

The apostle Paul, in Romans 10:12, also shares about giving love to one another: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”

Romans 10:12-13 The Message

11-13 Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”

Brothers and Sisters, Please pray your extra attention to that last quotation:

“Everyone who calls, ‘Help God!’ gets Help.”

When we choose and decide to remember that we have all been given godly love and grace from our heavenly Father, not because we earned it but because it’s a gift, we can, and absolutely should, freely do the same for all of “our friends.”

Matthew 5:43-48 The Message

43-47 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

48 “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and live graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

It isn’t because they gave us what “we wanted,” being enmity, and it’s now a transactional friendship, but it’s instead one that is filled with love all the time.

4. Always Be Ready to Welcome a New Friend into the Group

Hebrews 10:22-25 The Message

22-25 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not ever avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

Sometimes in friend circles (both non-Christian and Christian), some can adopt the mindset of having enough friends that they can’t make room for one more.

However, as Christians, in community as God is in community, that is a toxic mindset that goes against everything Jesus stood for and God created us for.

We were created as relational beings, people who thrive in unity and love.

So, when you and I do not believe we have any or enough time to encourage a new friendship in our group or individually, we miss out on a connection that could potentially be life-changing – for both the other person and also for us.

Proverbs 27:17 The Message

Your Face Mirrors Your Heart

17 You use steel to sharpen steel,
    and one friend sharpens another.

King Solomon refers to this well in Proverbs 27:17, stating that “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Even if you are the busiest person ever, the time you take to welcome someone new into your group of friends can bless you a hundred fold in what that person can bring to the group in terms of faith, encouragement, a living hope and love.

Plus, God may have brought us all together at the exact time when we both, or we all fully needed to have our faith restored or to be reminded of God’s love.

5. Do Not Ever Be Afraid of Honesty

Christian friendships can sometimes be built on similar interests, faith, and maybe even being able to carve out time together.

But when a friendship can go deeper into being honest with one another about important matters, the friendship changes from being superficial to genuine.

King Solomon again provides wisdom regarding the necessity of rebuking to redirect a person’s path back to God: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:5-6).

Proverbs 27:5-6 The Message

5 A spoken reprimand is better
    than approval that’s never expressed.

6 The wounds from a lover are worth it;
    kisses from an enemy do you in.

This does not give a person license to say whatever they want to a friend and believe that it is honest correction to help them.

Any correction or rebuke you want to share with a friend absolutely needs to be taken to the Lord first, to determine if it is something He has led you to say or to communicate to them, or this is strictly your own personal preference for you.

What does happen is that in being honest with a friend about something that concerns you, you are showing more of the love of God for His children and the care you have for them and the hope that this will be a healthy change for them.

Even if they may not accept the correction right away, they will prayerfully and one day hopefully appreciate you saying this to them in a loving way as a friend.

What About Our Showing Authentic Christlike Love?

John 15:11-15 The Message

11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

As the saying goes, you can’t pick your family, but you can pick your friends.

And with friends, they may eventually become your spouse and your family.

But genuine Christian friendships take on an entirely different purpose in our lives than other friendships.

These friendships always point toward the Lord and remind us of our need for God that overflows into exactly how we are covenanted to treat one another.

Whether it is taking the time to showing Christlike love to a new friend, or taking the risk to be honest with a friend you care about, genuine Christian friendships surpass what society may see of superficial friendships.

Through these Christlike friendships in authentic faith, in authentic hope and in authentic love, we can show others a relationship with depth and integrity.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

In the Unity of the Body of Christ, Let us Pray,

Thank you God that you are with us always, that your presence is mighty, and you hear our prayers on behalf of those we love. We ask that you would show yourself strong on their behalf. Remind them that nothing is too difficult for you, and you are leading them through this difficult time, covering them in your care. We know and believe beyond any doubt, that your power and love will never fail.

You are always trustworthy. You are all-powerful. You are fully able. You are Lord over every situation no matter how difficult it may seem. You are our healer and will never waste the pain we carry today. You promise to use all things for good in some way, because you are a God of miracles and nothing is too difficult for you.

Thank you that you fight for us, even when we can’t see all that you’re doing, even when we can’t fully understand your ways. We know that absolutely nothing can or will ever have enough power to ever separate us from your great grace, great love, hope and care, and our loved ones are safe in your hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 All Glory and Honor and Praise To God in the Highest!

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen!

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The Gift of Godly Friends. Acts 27:1-8

Godly friendships are those special relationships between friends that are based on mutual respect, trust, support and a love for God.

These types of friendships are built on a strong foundation of shared values and common interests, and they are typically characterized by a very deep sense of loyalty and companionship with Christ directly at the exact center.

Godly friendships are not always easy to find, but they are definitely worth the effort to cultivate.

These are the types of relationships that can help you weather the storms of life and come out stronger on the other side.

You pray for each other through the messes of life.

If you are fortunate enough to have a godly friendship in your life, cherish it, always and forever exceedingly abundantly value it, never take it for granted.

Acts 27:1-8 English Standard Version

Paul Sails for Rome

27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

How Godly Friendships Work

Godly friendships are those special relationships between friends that are based on mutual respect, trust, support and a love for God.

These types of friendships are built on a strong foundation of shared values and common interests, and they are typically characterized by a very deep sense of loyalty and companionship with Christ directly at the exact center.

Godly friendships are not always easy to find, but they are definitely worth the effort to cultivate.

These are the types of relationships that can help you weather the storms of life and come out stronger on the other side.

You pray for each other through the messes of life.

If you are fortunate enough to have a godly friendship in your life, cherish it, always and forever exceedingly abundantly value it, never take it for granted.

What Is The Importance Of Godly Friendships

The Bible tells us that as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).

In other words, we need godly friends in our lives to help us grow in our faith.

Just as our physical bodies need exercise and healthy food to stay strong, our souls need spiritual nourishment to stay healthy.

Godly friendships provide that spiritual nourishment. When we spend time with friends who love and follow Jesus, we are encouraged and challenged to do the same.

We learn from their example, and they help us to see things from a different perspective.

They also help us to hold on to our faith when things get tough.

So if you’re looking for ways to grow in your faith, seek out godly friendships.

These relationships will be a blessing to you, and you will be a blessing to them as well.

Because our relationship with God should be our priority, we should be seeking to please Him above all else.

Having godly friends means that we will have people in our lives who share our values and who will encourage us to grow in our faith.

This is an understated undervalued and ever so vital part of the Christian life, and it is something that we should, in these days of isolation, all be striving for.

Characteristics Of A Godly Friend

God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is a God of perfect friendship and sets the only tone of how we should be friends to each other.

A godly friend is…

  1. Encouraging
  2. Focuses you back to God’s Word
  3. Walks in love, forgiveness and healthy boundaries
  4. Prays for you
  5. Brings out your best
  6. Sticks with you through the best of times and the worst of times.

Placing Proper Value on God’s Gift of Godly Friends.

The day had finally dawned, and Apostle Paul’s great longing to go to Rome was nearing its realization.

He was one of a number of prisoners whose destination was the great city at the center of the known world.

But at the outset of their journey, narrator Luke provides us with details that appear at first glance to be completely extraneous and mostly irrelevant.

He and Paul, he tells us, were “accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.”

Aristarchus is not a well-known Bible character.

From the few places where he’s mentioned, we know that he was a good man to have around at any time, but especially during difficult times.

He first appears in Acts 19:29, where he ends up in harm’s way when Paul and his companions are set upon by a mob.

He is also mentioned at the end of Colossians (Colossians 4:10) and of Philemon (Philemon 24).

If these two epistles were written from Rome, while Paul was a prisoner there as is likely, then this companion named Aristarchus evidently remained with Paul throughout his entire journey to Rome and likely his subsequent imprisonment.

The mere mention of Aristarchus’s presence with Paul reminds us that even this great apostle to the Gentiles was not at all beyond the need of friendship.

Paul is such a significant figure that we may be tempted almost to deify him, assuming that he was echelons above and beyond such “worldly necessities.”

But in actual fact, he very much cherished friendship.

When he wrote his second letter to Timothy at the end of his life, he finished the epistle by asking not only for scrolls and his cloak (2 Timothy 4:13) but also the quick arrival of his young protégé Timothy (v 9).

The scrolls would stimulate his mind.

His cloak would deal with the cold.

But he needed Timothy because, to Paul, his friendship really mattered.

Paul’s need for friendship is revealed again when Luke tells us that, upon reaching Sidon on the way to Rome, Paul was allowed by the centurion Julius who kindly oversaw the prisoners; “to go to his friends and be cared for.”

Was it out so very of place for the mighty apostle to be cared for by others?

Not at all! Paul embraced his weakness and dependence on others because he knew that Christ’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The sooner we discover how powerless and weak we really are alone, the sooner we learn the value of friendship.

No matter how strong or gifted you and I may be, you and I are not Superman, nor are we expected by God to be Superman.

If this mighty apostle needed friends and companions in his life, then you and I do as well.

Friendship is a wonderful gift God has given so that we might be encouraged and supported as we journey through this life.

Today, then, consider the godly friends that the Lord has placed around you.

Offer thanks for their love and support.

And above all, do pray for their endurance and encouragement in the faith, knowing that just as you need them to point you to Christ, so they need you.

How Do You Build Godly Friendships

There are many ways to build godly friendships, but here are five key ways:

  1. Pray together. This is a great way to get to know each other and to build a strong bond.
  2. Study the Bible together. This will help you to grow in your faith together and to learn more about each other.
  3. Serve together. Doing things for others is a great way to build friendships. You can serve at your church, in your community, or even in your neighborhood.
  4. Hang out together. Just spending time together is a great way to build friendships. You can go for coffee, go for a walk, or even just have a conversation.
  5. Encourage each other in the Lord. This is a great way to show that you care about each other and to build a strong friendship.

How Do We Know If A Friendship Is From God?

First and foremost, a friendship that is from God will be rooted in love, kindness, and respect.

It will be a friendship that honors God and seeks to reflect His character.

This means that your friend will encourage you to grow in your faith and will pray for you regularly.

They will also be a positive influence in your life and help you to become a better person.

Another sign of a friendship that is from God is that it will be based on mutual trust and transparency.

You should be able to share your thoughts and feelings with your friend without fear of judgment or condemnation.

Your friend should also be willing to share their own struggles and weaknesses with you, and together you can support each other and grow in your faith.

Finally, a friendship that is from God will be one that is marked by love, and joy, patience and peace, self-control and mutual understanding and contentment.

Even in difficult times, you will be able to find comfort and encouragement in your friendship.

Your friend will be a source of strength and encouragement to you, and together you can overcome any obstacle.

Ultimately, the best way to know if a friendship is from God is to pray about it and seek His guidance.

Ask God to reveal to you whether this friendship is from Him, and trust in His wisdom and guidance.

Remember that friendships that are from God are a gift, and they can be a powerful source of inspiration, support and encouragement in your life.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Abba Father, everlasting BFF, I pray for godly friendships in my life. I pray for friends who will be there for me through the good times and the bad. I pray for friends who will encourage me in my faith and help me to grow closer to You. I pray for friends who will be honest with me and who will challenge me to be the best that I can be. I pray for friends who will make me laugh and who will help me to enjoy life. I pray for friends who will be there for me when I need them, and who I can be there for in return. Also, Lord, make me this kind of friend. Thank You for the friends You have already given me, and I pray for many more blessed friendships soon. In Jesus’ name,

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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Simply Learning How to Live! Simply Learning How to Serve Others with Love. Romans 12:10-13

“Be Devoted to One Another in Brotherly Love …”

These commanding words of Paul are so simple and yet so very profound.

As Children of God, as Christians, we are all to covenanted by God to love one another and be devoted to each other as cherished members of the same family.

We should consider each other over our own self interests and give precedence, shared support, uplifting and honor to our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

There should be no quarreling or factions between us, and we should consider how to build up in the faith and encourage each other continually in the Lord.

This image of God’s family is what we are expected to outwardly portray to the world; united by grace, loving, caring, and abundantly devoted to one another.

Romans 12:10-13 New American Standard Bible

10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12  rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

“Be Devoted to One Another in Brotherly Love …”

These commanding words of Paul are so simple and yet so very profound.

As Children of God, as Christians, we are all to covenanted by God to love one another and be devoted to each other as cherished members of the same family.

We should consider each other over our own self interests and give precedence, shared support, uplifting and honor to our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

There should be no quarreling or factions between us, and we should consider how to build up in the faith and encourage each other continually in the Lord.

This image of God’s family is what we are expected to outwardly portray to the world; united by grace, loving, caring, and abundantly devoted to one another.

Called Away, and Separated by God, to Serve Others with Love

Mark 1:16-20 English Standard Version

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”[a] 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Many new cars today are equipped with a global posi­tioning system (GPS).

These little gadgets-with soothing voices and readable maps-once these things are programmed with an address, it can tell you how to get from here to there.

Except that Jesus did not provide Simon and Andrew with anything like a GPS or even a map.

Instead, without social media he simply walked by the lake where they were conducting their day to day business of providing for their families and their community, invited them to follow him on an adventure with a risky Teacher.

Our passage from Mark’s Gospel today pulls us into our immediate response to the call to “come away,” following Jesus, without knowing the way ourselves.

In Galilee, Jesus began telling others that God’s kingdom had arrived in him.

The good news of Jesus came after a four-hundred-year silence since the last Hebrew Testament prophets had brought the words of the Lord.

Immediately Jesus wanted to announce, to introduce people to God’s plan: in him, God is among us; in him, God’s kingdom has come; and the call to believe in him is the best invitation people will ever receive, be honored to respond to.

This Itinerant Master Rabbi Jesus was intervening into their lives, calling men and women into places where there would be little, if any, comfort and security.

An intervention, an adventure with Jesus led his disciples to places they would never have imagined, witnessing to all of God’s miraculous redemptive work .

Could they have known what miracle signs and wonders were ahead of them?

Despite their not knowing the magnitude of what they would witness, they all would testify that following Jesus would mean plenty of risk and inconvenience.

They would testify “inconvenience with Jesus” makes living life worth living.

Learning to Serve Others with Love

Romans 12:9-13 The Message

9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

“Ministry” is derived from the Greek word diakoneo, meaning “to serve.”

Every believer is called into ministry to serve Jesus and His body.

Jesus came to earth to serve others and calls us to follow His lead in selflessness and compassion for others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.

It is human to seek after the cravings of our flesh, but in Christ Jesus, we can turn away from old ways (Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24).

The Holy Spirit empowers us to set our selfishness aside to follow Savior Jesus’ example of being in service of others.

That Kind of Lifestyle Begins by Giving Our Mindset Unto God.

Psalm 119:1-8 The Message

119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
    in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
    I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
    don’t ever walk off and leave me.

Bible study and prioritizing spiritual discipline of prayer allow the Holy Spirit to go to work, renew our minds, shifting our focus to eternal and spiritual matters.

The longer we walk with the Lord, the more we discipline ourselves to walk with the Lord, the more we train and retrain our eyes and ears, hearts, minds, souls, hands and feet and the rest of our bodies the more able we are to hold up under the impossible array of temptations of our worldly thinking and fleshly desires.

Our behavior and attitude change as God gives us the desire to love, obey, and serve Him fervently!

Selfish living isn’t an option for Christ followers!

The Apostle Paul encouraged believers to become committed to the Lord and our brothers and sisters in Christ:

Romans 12:9-13 English Standard Version

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[a] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” ( I Thessalonians 2:8 ).

The Gospel is what brought them together and gave them a common bond.

What grew from that foundation was a great friendship with Savior Christ as the center.

The Apostle Paul rejoiced that he was able to share in their lives also because these people were so dear to him.

This bond transcends time and distance because it is based on the groundwork of God’s redemption, salvation work, through His Son Jesus Christ at Calvary.

This is why it is so important to surround yourselves with other brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, who are readily willing and able to share of their lives.

Proverbs says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

“As for reputation, though it be a glorious instrument of advancing our Master’s service, yet there is a better than that: a clean heart, a single eye, and a soul full of God. A fair exchange if, by the loss of reputation, we can purchase the lowest degree of purity of heart.” Reverend John Wesley (founder of Methodism)

Being in the company of other believers will encourage you and everyone who is around you in your personal connection, fellowship, relationship with the Lord.

It is impossible to be around another person who is excited about God and not have a measure of that excitement rub off on you.

“I have seen (as far as it can be seen) many persons changed in a moment from the spirit of horror, fear, and despair to the spirit of hope, joy, peace; and from sinful desires, till then reigning over them, to a pure desire of doing the will of God.” John Wesley (Founder of Methodism)

We are called to speak to each other, see each other, hear each other, listen to and love each other and to be devoted to one another, as a close knit family.

We now belong to one another.

We have been adopted into the family of God and our lives now reflect His life.

No longer do we ‘go it alone’, instead we are called into fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

The writer of Hebrews said, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

We are to share our lives, encourage and serve each other in the Word and spur each other random acts of radical hospitality, and towards love and good deeds.

This is a most wonderful thing about being part of God’s family, having other brothers and sister to encourage us and help us grow, that we may reciprocate.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

In dying to our selfish ways, our lives bring glory to God.

We may feel pain and joy as the light of God shows up in other people’s lives.

He does not leave us to our strength to follow the command to love and serve one another.

God empowers us to surrender to Him and His ways entirely. Our love for Him and others will steadily grow stronger and disciplined with each obedient step.

Every passing day, by God’s grace, we mature and cultivate a heart to serve others for His glory!

Who is God asking you to serve?

What selfish desires do you need to put aside to put someone else’s life before yours?

Are you too busy or distracted to serve or pray for others?

Let’s take some time and write down those who might come to mind.

Being “devoted to another in brotherly love” requires our church talk — we are family, brothers and sisters, children of God — must be more than mere words.

We must enter each others lives, getting to know one another so that we can serve, love and bless each other.

What have any of us done lately to get more involved in the lives of your fellow Christians?

Devotion to others follows a commitment to know and be known by them!

Who can you minister to, even if it is just a simple phone call to encourage someone or simply invite a new couple from your church over for dinner?

May God empower us His Children to choose others above ourselves and show their love of Christ over their love for the world, with ever greater compassion.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Almighty Father, thank you for giving me a world wide family. Thank you for loving me so completely. Father I ask that you help me be more open with myself and my time to those in your family. Lord, help me to assess my value in terms of living for you. I need your courage to lead me and guide me into places where I can make a difference today. Give me a contrite and disciplined heart which burns to bless others and be blessed by those you have made your children. Through Savior Jesus I pray.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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God’s Gift of Grace For Every Failure. John 21:15-19

John 21:15-19 New American Standard Bible

The Love Question

15 Now when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you [a]love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [b]love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you [c]love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [d]love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you [e]love Me?” Peter was [f]hurt because He said to him the third time, “Do you [g]love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I [h]love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

18 Truly, truly I tell you, when you were younger, you used to put on your belt and walk wherever you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put your belt on you, and bring you where you do not want to go.” 19 Now He said this, indicating by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had said this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

The Gift of Failure

“You’ve got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. Sometimes you’re the eggs; a baker’s dozen, But dang it, I’ll be the finest of all omelets one day. 

Failure is a fact.

Repeated Failure is a fact.

Recovery from repeated failures – not so much a fact but a condition for living.

We could sugar coat it and dress it up as something out of my control but that won’t tell the whole story.

We fail and we repeatedly fail.

Sometimes privately, but most times our failures are cannon fodder for the public eye, a place for others to publicly point their fingers and opinions in our general directions – at every opportunity I remember I am embarrassed about it and the thought of repeatedly coming back empty handed makes me nauseous.

Failure is an inevitable part of life that everyone experiences at some point.

It is a natural occurrence that shapes our character develops our resilience, and teaches us valuable lessons that can eventually, by God’s Grace, lead to success.

Many people see failure as the end of their journey, but in reality, it is just the beginning of a new one.

Failure is an opportunity to learn, grow, and become better.

By embracing failure, we open ourselves to new experiences, perspectives, and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable.

Failure is not a measure of our worth as a person.

We are not defined by our failures but by how we respond to them.

The fear of failure can prevent people from pursuing their dreams, trying new things, and taking risks, risking humiliation and public defeat and reputations.

But it’s important to remember that failure is necessary for success.

Even When We Do Everything Right, We Can Still And Do Fail

Despite our very best efforts and intentions, we may still experience repeated failures of various and diverse degrees and measures and resultant setbacks.

This can be a brutal reality, the more times we fail, the harder we fail, and the harder we fall but we must understand success is not always within our control.

Many believe success results only from remembering what our parents taught us, their discipline, hard work, determination, and making the right decisions.

While these qualities are essential, they do not guarantee success.

No matter how well-prepared or competent we are, sometimes things don’t work out as planned.

Whether due to internal or external factors, wrong timing, or bad luck, bad calls by the umpires, failure can occur even when we have done everything “right.”

By learning that failure does not define us, by embracing this perspective and focusing on the process rather than the outcome, we can develop a healthier relationship with failure and be more “God” resilient in the face of setbacks.

Doing so can increase our chances of success, success being not letting failure win, and experience greater fulfillment in our personal and professional lives.

Peter’s Very Public “Catastrophic” Failure in the Courtyard

Luke 22:61-62 New American Standard Bible

61 And then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

These verses are right after Peter has denied that he knew him the third time, and thus fulfilled the prophesy earlier in the evening.  

The Peter that we see here is a very different Peter than we see Peter become later in the scriptures.  

This Luke 22:61-62 Peter’s world is shattered, and what he has trusted in for so long seems to be lost.  

He did so many things, he said so many strong, brave, bold and courageous things because he trusted in Jesus as the Christ, but now that seems to be gone, he’s in a severe state of spiritual crisis–not sure what to do, or how to stop it.  

God’s Gift of Grace For Every Failure

Luke 24:28-35 English Standard Version

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34  saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

The New Testament mentions twice that the risen Christ appeared to Peter: once in this passage from Luke 24 :34 and again in 1 Corinthians 15:5.

Why would the poster boy for failure Peter, of all people, receive such special treatment from the writers of the New Testament Canon?

After all, not long before this event on the Road to Emmaus, Peter had quite severely failed himself, his friends, his family, his Master in His darkest hour.

Just before Jesus was arrested, He told Peter that a trial lay ahead:

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” Peter responded, rather audaciously, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

But Jesus knew Peter’s heart: “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:31-34).

As it turned out, Peter heart and soul were not as ready to face prison and death as he had boasted, blustered and falsely allowed himself, everyone else around him within ear shot, to have imagined – quite a public display of false bravado.

We all know now, as did Jesus that very day, that Peter would, did indeed go on to very publicly and very loudly deny his Lord three times in the courtyard.

And afterward, when Peter recalled what Jesus had predicted and realized what he had done, he was suddenly reduced to tears (Matthew 26:75; Luke 22:62).

So why does the New Testament emphasize that the risen Lord Jesus appeared specifically to the afore named Peter – why are our eyes, ears and souls here?

Certainly not because Peter deserved it more than anybody else.

But it’s fair to wonder if Jesus appeared to Peter because in these make or break moments, the resurrected Jesus knew Peter needed it more than anybody else.

Peter knew that he had blown it completely—and yet while Peter had denied Jesus, Jesus didn’t deny Peter.

What mercy, what goodness, what kindness, what grace, what compassion, what forgiveness, what Grace that Jesus still chose to go to the cross for His flawed disciple and then specially chose to make a special appearance to him!

We have stumbled. We have been deniers, deserters, swaggerer’s.

We know that we do not deserve for God to specifically, especially, come to us.

And yet as we go to God’s word and as we open our lives to its truth, it’s almost as though Jesus comes, sits right down beside us, and says, “I’m here. I LOVE you, I want to speak to you. I want to assure and reassure you. I want to forgive you. I want you to be able to forgive yourself and I want to send you out in My power.”

John 21:15-19 English Standard Version

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,  do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Peter knew he had failed Jesus.

No one had to tell him twice.

But the resurrected Jesus used that catastrophic failure to help Peter grow.

How can Jesus use failure for our spiritual growth?

Failure in whatever measure or degree is never fatal in the eyes of Jesus.

God’s Gift of Failure teaches us that we have an answer – we need a Savior.

God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are the only answer!

From the inconceivable depths of his failure, Peter suddenly, repeatedly and quietly heard the word “love” from the lips of the resurrected Jesus again.

Jesus was not testing him but reaffirming His unconventional, everlasting love for Peter by gently and repeatedly asking him to reaffirm his own love for Jesus.

Peter also learned the answer to the most important question on his mind – that Jesus had cast him aside, not forsaken him, and had not given up on him.

Jesus came directly to him and called him to lead again.

Jesus offered Peter an opportunity to lead by dying to himself.

Jesus even predicted that in his death Peter would glorify God.

Peter had wandered, so Jesus had to get him back on track.

As Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, He calls all of the shots in our lives.

Failure of whatever degree and measure mankind can generate, can bring us back to the Lord, who finds us and gives us another opportunity to follow him.

From behind our own eyes, behind our own thoughts and application of justice, from behind our own reluctance to forgive as Jesus did, Peter didn’t deserve one ounce of the compassion he received from Jesus—and honestly, neither do we.

Our failures show us time and time again that we are immeasurably far from being .0000000000000000000000000000000001% worthy of God’s grace.

But in His mercy, He is pleased to give it anyway—and then give some more.

He is just that kind of Best Forever Friend. (Proverbs 17:17, 18:24, 27:17)

He is just that kind of God. (Isaiah 53:5)

He is just that kind of Savior. (Romans 5:7-10)

And you and me, like Peter, get to be His beloved disciple.

Acts 10:34-43 English Standard Version

Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Later though, after Christ has been resurrected and returned, Peter transforms, and instead of just being an advocate, believer in, and supporter of Christ’s teachings, he starts becoming more like him… taking on his characteristics.  

To be clear, I’m not trying to knock Peter at all.  

He was an amazing man, and stronger than I will likely ever be.

I think his story is highly instructive and valuable because it shows us so much growth, and it is a transition that I think maybe we all have to make in our lives.

We have to move beyond just praising God and believing that God can do anything, to believing that WE

“can do all things through Christ which strengthens” us (Philippians 4:13).  

That’s a tough transition.  

Although we have a lot of pride to believe we know which way things should go, having confidence and a steadfast and immovable faith in ourselves is different than, and mostly opposite to, our pride–especially when we have to be humble enough to kick failure to the curb, to listen to God’s plan instead of our own plan.

Peter learned God was always going to be there for him even when he wasn’t always going to be physically present.  

He learned that he could be powerful and lead and help and work to feed God’s sheep, even without his Lord and mentor beside him.  

He still worshipped and praised God, but now he worked and loved and spread the gospel further, not just as a follower, but as a leader of others.  

Today, let’s try working on that same transition.  

Let’s realize how powerful we can be, echelons beyond our failures, as we work to forgive ourselves, love and have mercy upon ourselves, to do the Lord’s will.  

Let’s stop ourselves every now and then from knocking ourselves to the ground, talk to God, discern what He wants to do for us, by us, to help us feed his sheep.  

Let’s not deny our beliefs out of fear of failure or shame.  

Let’s not deny ourselves access to the Gift of God’s Grace and His Favor.

Let’s stand up for God, and share our hope and blessings with others.

Let’s walk for awhile, sit for a while longer with the resurrected Jesus.

Listen to His Words. (Hebrews 4:12)

Digest His Words. (Psalm 34:8)

Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit that we may recall the works of the Lord!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 34 The Message

34 I bless God every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.

2 I live and breathe God;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

3 Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.

4 God met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.

6 When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.

7 God’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.

8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
    how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.

9 Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but God-seekers are full of God.

11 Come, children, listen closely;
I’ll give you a lesson in God worship.

12 Who out there has a lust for life?
Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?

13 Guard your tongue from profanity,
and no more lying through your teeth.

14 Turn your back on sin; do something good.
Embrace peace—don’t let it get away!

15 God keeps an eye on his friends,
his ears pick up every moan and groan.

16 God won’t put up with rebels;
he’ll cull them from the pack.

17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

21 The wicked commit slow suicide;
they waste their lives hating the good.

22 God pays for each slave’s freedom;
no one who runs to him loses out.

Lord, forgive me when I fail, and help me to learn that even my failure can be used for your glory. Keep me focused on you, and help me to serve you faithfully. In Jesus,

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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Fellow Christians, “As Iron Sharpens Iron,” So You too Can Truly Influence Others for the Better! |Proverbs 27:17

The mightily influential, Late Evangelist Reverend Dr. Billy Graham wrote,

The human soul is a lonely thing. It must have the assurance of companionship. Left entirely to itself, it cannot enjoy anything. God said in the beginning, “It is not good that man should dwell alone” (Genesis 2:18). The creation of Eve was the beginning of human companionship. God’s people are a body, not intended to function separately, not intended to be unconcerned for one another.

The only true body in the world is the Church. The world may talk grandly of brotherhood, but in reality, its philosophy is “each man for himself.” All of God’s children are guaranteed the richest and truest friendship, both here and hereafter. Only in a true friendship and a true love do we find a genuine basis for peace. Only God can break down the national and racial barriers that divide men today. Only God can supply that love that we must have for our fellowman.

We will never build brotherhood of man upon earth until we are believers in Christ Jesus. The only true cohesive power in the world is Christ the Lord. He alone can bind all generations of human hearts together in one genuine love.

Proverbs 27:17 Amplified Bible

17 
As iron sharpens iron,
So, one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Within the Hebrew (Old) Testament, there are many nuggets of wisdom to take in, with whole books dedicated to the subject. The wisest man to ever walk the earth, King Solomon, wrote several books, including Proverbs. Many of these proverbs come in a poetic form; some of them are long, symbolic narratives, while others are but the briefest of couplets full of truth. One such statement is, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

Sometimes these metaphoric statements can be complex and rather difficult to understand, especially when they are taken out of context. Most Christians thinkers believe this statement regarding iron sharpening iron only relates to having a good friend, honesty that improves one’s character and calls out sin in a loving way; though there are some who believe it refers to also someone who brings down another, and argue it is a negative statement.

Either way, the phrase “iron sharpens iron” from Proverbs 27:17 highlights the important truth that people affect and influence one another, words and actions define relationships for better or worse, and they change people, so people need to act accordingly.

What Is the Context Around Proverbs 27:17?

Proverbs 27 falls towards the end of the book, as there are 31 chapters. It is grouped with several other chapters which are labelled as having been written by King Solomon, the son of David and the builder of the temple, copied later by men who worked for King Hezekiah of Judah. Solomon’s reign was around 970-931 BC, while Hezekiah’s was from 715-686 BC, two centuries later.

The verses in Proverbs are chocked full of advice, many of which are about positive and negative interactions and behaviors. Some examples include:

“Let another praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love” (Proverbs 27:5).

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19).

“Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man” (Proverbs 27:20).

In the middle of these verses is, “iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” However, the back half is sometimes given as, ‘…sharpens the face of another.’ Like many of the Proverbs, it uses metaphor to make its point.

What Does “Iron Sharpens Iron” Mean?

When creating and shaping a metal blade, it is often sharpened, and then it is maintained through its life, by dragging it against a harder metal. Without this periodic maintenance, a blade will eventually become quite dull and less useful.

During the life of Solomon, many weapons, pieces of armor, and tools were made of iron. It would not have been a highly refined version of metal, like steel. It was also not necessarily consistent in how hard or soft it was.

A tool would have been sharpened, ground against something harder, to make it smoother, remove deformities, and to maintain its ability to cut. When iron is scraped against another material in this way, it too becomes more refined. The metaphor in the first half of the verse refers to a common practice with which many of that day would have been extraordinarily acquainted, familiar with.

The second half of the verse explains the metaphor. Like a piece of hard iron will sharpen another piece of iron, the interactions between two people will shape and change one another. Most scholars and theologians interpret this changing as a refinement of character. Being in the presence of a truly strong believer, within their sphere of influence, can help refine another person too.

Earlier verses in chapter 27 reflect this idea, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:5-6). An honest acquaintance will lovingly address when someone they care about is doing something wrong or struggling with a decision. 

It is also in alignment with philosophies of behavior encouraged in the New Testament; “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Calling out sin, encouraging each other, and lifting one another up in prayer are all ways of sharpening one another.

Like both metals are altered by the sharpening process, both believers who interact with one another have an impact on each other. If a believer disciples another, they grow as well. Their understanding of the Bible can grow, they can deepen their relationship with God, and each other and have new experiences.

Where Else in the Bible Do We See Believers Strengthening One Another?

God wants Christians to challenge one another and strengthen the community in love as a family and in fellowship (Acts 2:43-47), because they are all the sons and daughters of God. In the New Testament, particularly in the epistles, the writers decidedly, deliberately, put a particularly strong emphasis on it.

Some of these verses include:

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace for mutual upbuilding” (Romans 14:19).

“But exhort one another everyday, as long as it is called ‘today’, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise” (James 5:13).

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 1:20-21).

“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).

How Can We Sharpen One Another Today? 

These many ways of lifting one another up mentioned in the Bible still apply today. Singing songs to God together, reading the Word, and praying for one another is a great start. Learning more about one another so as to help each other in their specific weaknesses is a way to be supportive and grow stronger in character. Devoting yourselves to innovatively teaching generations about being a success, about mentoring, modeling for each other Christian character.

Availability is so important. Many serve one another by providing meals, time, and energy in each other’s daily lives. This builds trust, meaning believers can challenge each other in more personal ways, people do not live in a vacuum, and the way they are all positively influenced and treated will leave a lasting impact.

True and lasting friendship seems to be a rare gift these days. Many people have made themselves too busy to truly invest the time and energy it takes to develop significant relationships. Often, we will hear people say to each other, “We’ll have to get together soon”–but it seldom happens, and opportunities are lost.

Individuals and communities want to be taught they can come together and be strong in the Lord, believe in themselves – believe in their diverse strengths, to share hopes and dreams for something better than where they find themselves. As the Lord has promised, there is always going to be a time of a greater future.

It is a tough lesson to learn. It is an even far tougher lesson to devote oneself to communicating and teaching, modeling and mentoring, living and sacrificing for. And this is the lesson of the life and ministry, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, who for the joy, which was before Him, endured the Cross!

Good friends are one of God’s greatest gifts. Not one of us is ever meant to go through life alone and without help. God longs to use you as his hands and feet to those he has placed in your midst. He longs to make you a friend as God is a great friend to us, in order to bless others and extend the reach of his kingdom.

God is calling you and me to love our friends “at all times.” He is calling you and me to a lifestyle of service and grace. What friend of yours needs your help right now? Who can we choose to serve over ourselves? What friend is God calling you to influence and love with the love and influence He has shown all of us today?

1. Pray and Meditate upon God’s desire for us to pursue godly friendship. Allow Holy Scriptures to stir up our desire to influence and love friends well today.

2. How can you be a better friend today? In what ways can you and I love those whom God has given us as friends? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to your ways you can better love and influence those around you today.

3. Ask God to empower you to be a friend who loves unconditionally. Ask him to make you more like himself every day. Spend quality time just resting in his presence and allowing his love to fill you and influence you and empower you.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Heavenly, Father, there are times in my life when I need true and genuine friends, a comforting arm, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or even just sensible good advice. But there are no true friends to turn to. No one who I can relate to, who truly understands exactly how I feel. It leaves me feeling broken, empty, and lost. Fill me, Lord with Your divine holy presence. Allow me to feel Your tender, warm embrace wrapped around me, as I sit here and cry out to You. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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