Thoughts for Life: JESUS AS A FRIEND

JESUS AS A FRIEND

Do you know Jesus as friend?

Karen Girl Friday- "Friend is such a wonderful and endearing term. And we all long for friends because they make our lives richer. I still keep in touch with friends from high school and college. Also, over the years, the Lord blessed me with new friends.

You see, we moved a lot when my husband and I were in church ministry. So I prayed for at least one friend in every new town. Picture of Karen Girl Friday

Early in our marriage, we moved to a small farm town in a new state. Our daughter was only eighteen months old at the time. Gracious ladies from the church brought us dinner for a few nights.

Still, I’ll never forget the Sunday when a young woman approached me after a church service. “Do you need anything?” Her sentiments seemed honest and heartfelt. I politely thanked her and continued with: "No, we are fine."

But as I started to walk away, I felt the Lord nudging me to turn back around and tell her I needed a friend. With the Lord helping me to be brave, I walked toward her: "I thought of something I need, I really need a friend."

And you know what? We formed a wonderful friendship and kept in touch when my family moved again. It was a God-thing."

Let's pray-

“Lord, give me the desire to grow my friendship with You daily. Help me not to befriend the world’s ways, beliefs, and perspectives, because they are contrary to Your truth and glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Karen Girl Friday

My weekly advice from the book, "We All Married IDIOTS, by Elaine W. Miller:

(p. 86) "God says love does not demand its own way. When we become angry and impatient and rude, most likely it is because we have not gotten our way. If we had, there would be no reason to act this way." (Phil. 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.")

#120 Testimony- by Bruce "Do you want to be healed?"

In 1970 – I was home from college for Christmas break and became bed

bound with pneumonia. I was not allowed to go after Christmas with my

college friends to the largest student mission’s convention ever held.

This special event was to last for four and one-half days at the end of 1970,

where over 11,000 students from forty-eight states, every Canadian

province, and seventy foreign countries came together at the Assembly

Hall of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana to sing and pray,

talk, and listen about “World Evangelism”.

People had been praying for my healing so I could go with my friends on

this trip. My Uncle, Dr Bob, stated I could not go on this trip and I was

too sick to return to college in January.

It was during this time I had an experience with God. It was either a

vision or a dream, yet I believe strongly I was awake when I walked with

a man who brought me to Christ. This person asked if I wanted “to be

Healed”.

I responded, “No, not yet.” The one who brought me to speak with Christ,

then “snickered."

You see, I had been enjoying the attention of the pretty girls from my

church who were coming to visit me.

After I responded “No, not yet,” Christ then had a serious talk with me.

I do not remember anything we talked about. I do know after this talk I

became extremely remorseful for my selfish and ungrateful attitude and

prayed long and hard, begging God for forgiveness.

My lungs suddenly cleared and I was able to return to college in January.

This incident was a catalyst that sparked a lifelong strong passion in me

to understand and find God’s best ways to help people come to know

Christ and to help see ways for them to become productive members in

the body of Christ.

Psalm 51:10-13 (NKJV): “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew

a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of

Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be

converted to You.”

Today's prayer- "I pray for you today that you will overcome all things. As you fight the good fight of faith, it is not that your confession will be perfect, or that issues that are weighty will not flow out of your heart, but you will overcome because Jesus has overcome. The battle may come but I declare that you shall be fine in Jesus’ mighty name." (Darren Canning)

1651-1655 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-

1651- Jer. 39:18a, c "For I will surely deliver thee . . . because thou has put

thy trust in me , saith the LORD."

1652- Is. 61:1b "He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim

liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are

bound."

1653- Dan. 10:5a "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked."

1654- Is. 51:4a "Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me."

1655- Jer. 36:27a "Then the word of the LORD came."

#120 Hymn- All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

Edward Perroner's hymn, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, has earned him an indelible place in the history of church music. It also has a place in missionary history, being greatly used in evangelistic endeavors. Rev. E. P. Scott, for example, missionary to India, wrote of trying to reach a savage tribe in the Indian subcontinent.

Ignoring the pleadings of his friends, he set off into the dangerous territory. Several days later, he met a large party of warriors who surrounded him, their spears pointed at his heart.

Expecting to die at any moment, Scott took our his violin, breathed a prayer, closed his eyes, and began singing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!"

When he reached the words, "Let every kindred, every tribe," he opened his eyes. There stood the warriors, some in tears, every spear lowered. Scott spent the next two years evangelizing the tribe!

Some encouraging words-

"Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God. It is the conviction that what God says is true and that what He promises will come to pass."

(pg 8) of James H. Cagle's booklet WHAT IS TRUE TRUTH?)

Church Notes: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!

1 Tim. 1:1,2 "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope: 'To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.'"

1)- The Apostle Paul was Timothy's spiritual father, and he also
had a grandmother and mother with faith in Jesus. [His heritage]
2)- Timothy was being sent to minister by Paul.
3)- God would supply his needs with grace, mercy and peace.

1) Remember who you are. [Your personal faith in Jesus and your
spiritual heritage through your relatives and spiritual training].
2) Who is sending you to accomplish a ministry for Christ.
3) God's provisions of grace, mercy and peace, to enable you to be victorious, and to do His bidding!

Paul assured Timothy of his calling, that he would be where God wanted him to accomplish His will, and that God would enable him to be victorious!