Friendship with Jesus matters the most -- it's so foundational.
In This Lonely Fallen World, I Encourage You To Become A Close Friend Of The Best Of Friends. Sure, And It Can Happen For You Today! You'll Never Regret It Either. Friendships do matter and some more than others. Wisely choose your close friends and limit your time with those friends who start to pull you down. God will show you how much time. Are you a grateful friend who expresses that in worship acceptably (biblically)? Are you a praying and praising type of Christian friend who takes everything to God expecting Him to help you fulfill the ministry He's given you? Being a close friend of Christ is what we together build off of -- is this your top priority, your number one goal in life, just to love and walk with Jesus as Lord? It really needs to be starting today!
Q: Why was Abraham called a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8)?
Yes he was a friend. Abraham was more than an acquaintance of God and more than a companion of His. He was and is actually a friend of God. Tough circumstances can surely test a friendship huh. Do you have a brokenness, a love, a joy, a simple faith, and a real humility about you in the Lord?
Have you had some painful trials that you don’t understand, or are you in one right now? Listen, you and me can go through it all with gentle Jesus leading us. Never trade in what you don’t know for what you do know. What do you know? Do you know Jesus Christ in a personal sort of way? You can right now. We know God is good, He loves you and has a good plan for your life!
I say this.. be delighted with the Lord. During these times when our culture is become very divided, very meanspirited, and very angry at people. Be enthralled in the Lord. With who He is, with what He’s done, with what He is currently doing in the world, and with what He will do in the future. Soon even. Live passionately in God’s Word!
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:4–5 ampc
Three times it happened. Our loving Lord called out to Samuel, and three times Samuel went to Eli the priest not gettin’ it. He was confusing the voice of God with the voice of Eli (vv. 4–9). Then at Eli’s direction, the young boy asked to hear from the Lord the fourth time that the Lord called to him. After that Samuel had a great walk and ministry in this world. If was from God. Do you have a close relationship with God?
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27 nkjv
Do you know people who are friends of God? Do you like to hang out with them or hear from them? I often think about Jon Coursen from Applegate. What a wonderful believer. He has suffered a lot before and he still has great joy in Jesus. It wells up and overflows out of him. He’s a friend of God.
I also love to listen to Billy Graham, to my former pastors Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie, to Skip Heitzig, to my current pastor Jack Graham. Like Jon Coursen they all have joy, insight, and humility. Sure, what’s not to love about the simplicity of their gracious lives? They are friends with the Jesus Christ of the Bible.
In March of 1982, Jon’s first bride, Terry, at the young age of 28, was taken home to Heaven. Then twelve years later, Jon’s 16-year-old daughter Jessie was also taken home to Heaven. Ouch! Then after that he lost his dear son Peter-John as well. In a fallen world hard things happen. How can one explain it all? And of course for Jon those were times of serious mourning and grieving, but the Lord was there for him he says. God helped Jon to maintain his spiritual victory and good testimony. How? It was by the powerful living Word. It was by the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
Gettin’ through the trials is not always so easy for anyone, but God’s grace is enough for you and me. He will come through and meet all your needs, believer. He passes up a lot of opportunities to be early but the Lord is never late. Ask, seek, knock. Don’t stop. Just pray without ceasing.
Tambo said, “I’ve found God to be a faithful and loving Father and He has done ABOVE and BEYOND all I could ask or think. Even when I have faced hard or challenging times, He has turned even that into something useful and good the way only HE can.”
What Jon explained to me and some friends: The Lord never puts us through anything that He hasn’t already thoroughly prepared us for, and can’t enable us to properly deal with.
Think about the right priorities as a married or single person. how Abraham (the friend of God) was thoroughly prepared step by step. That happened with Jon and Tammy too.
In Isaiah 41:8, the Lord spoke to Israel, calling them “descendants of Abraham my friend.”
Abraham’s friendship with God was mentioned elsewhere.. where was that? It was spoken of by King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and by the apostle James in James 2:23.
See Isaiah 41:8 in the Bible. It could literally be translated as: “Abraham, who loved Me.” Love is a choice. Abraham showed his love for God through his biblical faith accompanied by obedience (Genesis 12:1, 4; 15:6).
Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.. If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” John 14:15–24
This good Friend prepares he buddies for all that they will face in life. He is there for them in their moment of need. I remember when we lost my second son Nathan to Covid. It was painful and hard — it was a horrific year, but Jesus was there for Liney and I. His grace was and is enough.
Jon Coursen was prepared step by step for what he would face, and then the Lord was there for him as well “in an amazing way” Jon said. It’s good to emerge from life’s hardships, tribulations and tragedies with the ultimate Victor at your side.
Are you a chuckling-with-laughter kind of a person like Jon is today? Is your life filled with overflowing JOY (due to having Jesus first, others second, yourself last). As Jon asks, is it a life marked by like that… with LAF?
Love
Acceptance and
Forgiveness
It can be in the Lord. Lots of things and people come and go, but Jesus “has said, ‘I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!’”
Moments and emotions come and go. You know how feelings are fickle, but this vertical intimacy and friendship with God is never to be fickle on either side. He sure won’t ever be when you’re in this relationship with Christ.
We are to cling to Christ and follow Him closely.
What was Abraham’s religion before God called him?
What does it mean to receive Jesus Christ?
How is understanding the life of Abraham valuable to our spiritual growth in this world gone more and more crazy?
What did Jesus mean when He said that he who loves his life will lose it (John 12:25)?
Why should I believe in Christ’s resurrection?
Who was Abraham in the Bible?
What does it mean “to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21)?
Why did God choose Abraham?
Who were the three men who visited Abraham in Genesis 18?
What does it mean to cling to what is good (Romans 12:9)?
What does God say about me?
A close friendship is to be a reciprocal thing.. its a holy and good relationship between two people who share a bond of mutual affection. Real friends can be described as those who:
– know and understand each other
– like each other
– have shared interests and common goals
– want to spend time together
– help, edify and protect each other, as well as those around them
Jesus has never been fickle or flakey regarding anyone. God has kept all His promises — He always will. Scripture says that “a friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17), yep, even during really bad times.
Abraham’s friendship with God was based on God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham and upon Abraham’s simple faith in accepting it:
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2–3; cf. Genesis 15:1–21).
As the physical descendants of Abraham, the people of Israel were assured of God’s continued protection. After reminding Israel that their ancestor Abraham was His friend, God said,
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish” (Isaiah 41:10–11).
So many people are lonely today and many simply aren’t recovering from the tough things of life.. when they actually could. Remember Calvary. Sure, I say get home before dark. Man, what are you waiting for? God wants to warmly welcome and embrace you — His hands were and are lovingly held outstretched for you!
“I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live..” Ecclesiastes 3:11 #emph.mine
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these thing.” Philippians 4:6–8
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