FRIENDS MAKE IT BETTER

            No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth. -Anonymous

Proverbs 18:24, A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

            I have friends 10 minutes away. I have friends 2 hours away. I have friends 32 hours away. I have one friend that lives in Palmer, Alaska that is 73 hours away. I have friends around the world, some I have never met. Why do I have so many friends? It’s not because I am such a likable guy. It’s not because I am rich (financially). It’s not because of my connections in this world. I believe it’s because of the connection and how rich I am in the Lord.

            Friend, we are rich in Jesus! He is the One who has showed us the Way through the wilderness. He has showed us the Way of salvation. He has showed us the peace that passes all understanding. He has given us joy unspeakable. He gave, has given, and will continue to give of Himself to make things better in our lives. Jesus is what a true friend is. He has showed us what a true friend is by laying His life down for you and I! Will you do that for your friends, offering them a hand up?

FRIENDS—YOU NEED AT LEAST ONE

            Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend. –Spurgeon

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

            A true friend will not only be there for you in the greatest times of your life, they will also be there for you when you face the darkest times as well. They will instruct you when the way seems unclear. They will listen when no one else will. A true friend will tell you what you don’t want to hear. Everyone needs at least one real friend and the Bible says, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:”

ARE YOUR FRIENDS PUSHING OR PULLING YOU?

Those you run with will pull you down or push you forward!

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

When you hang with your friends, are they helping your walk with Jesus or are they hindering your walk? There is no in between. Either your friends are pushing you toward your Saviour or they are pulling you away from Him. If they are pulling you down, sooner or later you will be just as they are fleshly, sensual, and carnal. If they are pushing you forward, you will become compassionate, graceful, and spiritual.

If your friends aren’t pushing you toward your Saviour, maybe you need to get some new friends!

LORD, PLEASE SAVE MY ______________.

The greatest of all miracles is the salvation of a soul. –Spurgeon

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

We know if we are going to see souls saved we must share the Blessed Hope of the Gospel with them. We must get them to Calvary and tell them the old, old story of Jesus and His love. As one fella said, “We must get ‘em lost, so God can save them from the uttermost.” So, how can we get them to God? Here are three ways that will help to see souls saved:

Our Friendship- I heard someone say, “If you don’t have any lost friends, go get some.” No I’m not talking about those close friends in which we seek guidance because a lost person’s counsel isn’t grounded in scripture. I’m talking about lost friends that we can be a walking, talking witness to. Lost friends that we can be of an encouragement to. Lost friends in which we can be the counselor. Lost friends that we can give hope in their times of grief, suffering, and loss. I like that old saying, “Kill them with kindness.” Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Our Funding- Someone once said “Let me see your check book and I will show you what’s important in your life.” If we truly want to see people saved we will be giving to the church what God has asked for and then we will be giving to missions in which the Word of God is proclaimed and Churches are being established. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38

Our Faithfulness- No one likes a hypocrite. If you want to see your lost husband saved, your son or daughter saved, your cousins saved, your co-worker saved, the world around you saved… you be faithful. Be faithful to God’s Word, His Way, and His Work. When we are not faithful we are telling them all—it doesn’t matter. But it does! He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:6

We have a great responsibility in seeing souls saved. God has entrusted us with His Word to share, His Way to go, and His Work to do. Jesus said, “I must be about my Father’s business.” My prayer, “Lord, please save _________”, could be hinging on my obedience to what He has said.

UNTIL NEXT TIME FRIEND!

Insomuch as any one pushes you nearer to God, he or she is your friend. –Anonymous

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9

We are saying good bye to a great friend today! Brother Russell Pruitt has been my friend for 10 years. He has been a person I can talk to when I could go to know one else. He has given me sound advice, even when I didn’t want to hear it. He has been a blessing to my family and I in more ways than one. To say good bye isn’t what we want to do but what we must do in order to serve God where God has us planted. Bro. Russell may the Lord bless you as you travel today and bless y'alls ministry in Montana! Love yah Bro!

YOU PLAY WITH FIRE YOU’RE GONNA GET BURNT!

            When a man who professes to be converted says that he goes into the world and into sin for pleasure, it is as if an angel went to hell for enjoyment. -Spurgeon

            And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5:11

            A friend of mine shared a story once of how he wanted to win a friend to the Lord. He started visiting with him almost every weekend. They worked on projects together, went out to eat, and even vacationed together. Instead of my friend winning his friend to the Lord, he found himself having a beer with his friend. Instead of him being the Godly influence in his friend life, his friend drug him back into the sin which killed many of my friend’s family members.

            Someone once said, “If you don’t have any lost friends, get some!” However, don’t let those lost friends become your only friends and don’t let that become your only fellowship. If you do, it won’t be long until the fires of sin will burn you! Who or what are you willing to sacrifice for those few minutes of happiness? Let me remind you of one other portion of scripture, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14

GOOD FRIENDS ARE HARD TO COME BY!

No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth. -Anonymous

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

This past weekend I was privileged to doing a reading at a friend’s wedding. The reading, in and of itself was great, but if any of you know me then you know I had to put a personal touch on it. As I was sitting there preparing for what I was going to say, I looked around and thought about the friends that had come out to support both the bride and the groom. The Lord brought to remembrance an old saying, “If a man has one true friend he is truly blessed.” I had the bride and groom look at the wedding attendants and said, “You truly are a blessed couple.”

While we can be thankful for the earthly friendships we have made over the years, nothing compares to the friendship we have in the Lord Jesus. When an earthly friend cannot be with you all the time, Jesus is with you always! When an earthly friend lets you down, Jesus will lift you up! When an earthly friend stabs you in the back, Jesus will heal the wound with the forgiveness He has given you. But the greatest thing about the Lord is…He came to us!

Friend, there is no other friend like the Lord Jesus! He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother!

WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?

Insomuch as any one pushes you nearer to God, he or she is your friend. -Anonymous

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Do you have a friend that you can count on? Do you have a friend that challenges you do be more for the Lord? Do you have a friend that will direct you to the God of all comfort when you are down and out? Do you have a friend that uplifts your spirit in such a way it pushes your walk with the Lord closer? Do you have a friend that when everyone else is asleep you can call out to? Do you have a friend that wants to be your friend so bad He died on a cross for you? Do you have a friend that suffered death, hell, and the grave so you would not have to? Friend…do you know Jesus as your friend? He wants to be yours!

Friend or Acquaintance?

They who have loved together have been drawn close; they who have struggled together are forever linked; but they who have suffered together have known the most sacred bond of all. -Anonymous

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

We have a lot of acquaintances in this life. Many people we come in contact with each and every day but they never quite hit the mark of being called a friend. The lady at the coffee shop, the guy at the convenience store, the old man in the park when you walk your dog; they all are people that have put a smile on your face at one time or another but you have never invited them over for supper.

True friends are hard to come by and we probably only have a few. Is it because we have not showed ourselves friendly? Is it because we look down upon people? What is it that causes us to have so few friends but plenty of acquaintances? Jesus is the greatest friend anyone can have. Is He your friend? More importantly...are you His? If you are then stick close to Him!  

(On a side note, if you enjoy these short devotions/ challenges, please drop me a note sometime. It would be a huge encouragement to this old fella not only exciting to see how far they go around the world.)