FRIENDS OF GOD
Our lives are filled with a myriad of personal and family relationships, because God designed us to be social beigs, interdependent (but not co-dependent) on the relationships and interaction with others. All real relationsships within God's kingdom have a reciprocal covenant foundation, of dual and mutual responsibility, and accountabulity, least we all destruct. Because God, Himself, determined that man shouldn't live an isolated or reclusive existence, which would mean that no one could reach us to cover us in prayer, and we would be "sitting ducks" for the enemy to pick us off like berres on a vine, He gave us families and "friends"! By definition a "friend" is an indiviual on intimate, personal, and affectionate terms with another, and who has great favor with them. These friends tend to polarize towards people who have similar interests, or lifestyles, like those who love the "ganja" hang out with others who have acces to the best paraphanelia, and those who live to "club" , usually have their own little "posse" of fellow clubbers. The same holds true for golfers, bingo players, bowlers, "mess" makers, and thieves, sowers of discord, and pirates. Friends have a different dimension of loyalty than ordinary relationships, and they are usually "ride or die", "one for all", and "all for one" kind of people. They don't sell each other out, backstab each other, or seek to malign one another's reputation, but,rather, they "cover' each other, and speak the truth, in love, even when their comrade doesn't want to hear it., and they don't have a problem relating constructive criticism to one another, because they have a genuine concern for the well being of their "fellow". Jonathan was such a friend to David, and he proved it every channce he got. There was a pure and divine soul tie between the two, and there was no blurring of the definitive lines of their love for one another, as many have alluded to, implying that there was perversion between them. "And it came to pass , when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was "knit" together with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved David as his own soul"..."And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him,,and gave it to David, and his garments,even to his sword, his girdle, and his bow. This was a very sobering bonding and committment, because Jonathan stripped down and made himself vulnerable,especially when he gave away his weapons of warfare knowing that their enemies were near. Ths demonstrated a deep level of trust for David, even to the point of him angering and displeasing his own father,and joining David's ranks.
Friendships vary in their dynamics, length, function, progression and expectations,and some are only seasonal,for a specific purpose or event, while others have longevity and last a life time, but only time and God can determine the outcome. Some of them are opportunistic, dysfunctional, and counter productive., ""The poor is hated,even of his own neighbor,but the "RICH' hath many friends. These are not the friends of covenant, but rather of convenience.The Bible says that the wounds of a friend are faithful,and "Thine own friend and thy father's friend, forsake nsaken, blighted area of townpot . This is admonishing us to reliable loyalty, and integrity. The Bible,also tells us that there is a "Friend" that sticketh closer than a brother. These are examples of healthy, productive,and divinely appointed relationships, but unfortunately, the "other" genre of "friends" is more often our portion, because we are all affected (on some some level) by the wickedness and satanic influences of this intensely wicked world. Even in the body of Christ, there are "friend" issues, because,perhaps the "sheep of God" are referred to as a "flock", they almost instinctively "clique" off into their own individual little "posses", and it's difficult for a newcomer to break through the ranks and be accepted, warmly, if they are of such a mind. Now, these friends are a study in contradctions because , ordinarily, on the exterior, it looks like every one is good to go, and one big "happy", "sin hating", and "to heaven going" family....until someones anointing is overshadowed by another, or someone receives more apraise n and greater reverence and appreciation from someone. This is why, just as in the world you don't see many "all cute' girl" cliques,obut the dynamics are ussuallly that of one,maybe two really attractive girls,surrounded by average looking if not plain friends, because someone always has to be "head diva in charge",or "queen bee"! In the household of faith, one may have to look long and hard to find similarly anointed friends or groups,for the same forementioned reasons, and the competitive jealousy, envy, and larceny is more vicious than anything you can find in the most blighted crime ridden sections of town.Then there are the "other" friends, such as the ones Job had, Bildad, and Zophar,who apparently flunked out of ":friendship academy" because they haven't a clue as to how to encourage , edify, and embrace God's precious people. There are those "friends" who love miserable company, and who want to see you fail, or try to rain on your parade, beecause they don't have one. There are those who will try to entice or seduce you to go against your morals and principles, to make themselves feel like they're not incorrigible, alone. There are those who will gloat over your losses, misfortunes and disasters, because,secretly, they felt that you needed to be "taken down". There are still others that you'd better walk away from "backwards", while facing them, because to turn your back, would be suicide! Everyone is familiar with the "friend" who obviously doesn't own a good umbrella, because when it "rains" they get "ghost' in a hurry. David had the sort of dichotomies with his "friends" that most of us will experience at least once in our life times, especially through the "ministry" of"church folk". He expressed it most poignantly,"Yea, mine own familiar friend,, in whom Itrusted, whichdid eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." These are they whom you stack up, and use them for leverage to go higher in God's glory!
As men strive, politic for, and seek after prestigious titles and postions in Christ's Church, they go to all lengths to become ranking church officials, but no one strives for the highest position in the history of the world, that being "GOD'S FRIEND"! The few who enjoyed anything remotely close to such intimacy with God, and had the privilege of entering into His inner sanctum, lived highly extraordinary lives, because to even make the cut, to be even considered for such an honor,youre going to have to be proven by lions and raging fire! Abraham was in the "God's Friend Hall of Fame, "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith "ARAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS IMPUTED UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTOUSNESS", and he was called THE FRIEND OF GOD"! Friends don't always look like what people would expect us to hang out with, and they are as varied, as the ccolors ofthe rainbow, they come in all sizes, shapes, cultures, educational and socieconmic backgrounds, income brackets, ad persuasions, and so it is with the "FRIENDS OF GOD". Moses was privileged with extraordinary favor with God based on his mountain top experiences, and his boldness,and he was an ex-con, ex-murderer, and known to be rebellious a time or two. David was held in the fondest regard of God, and even though, physically, the Bible says the equivalent of what might described as "fine",today, his moral character was less than stellar. He was a murderer, an adulterer, a poor parental disciplinarian, greedy, and selfish, but yet,he found entrance into the heart of God! The fact that these imperfect, seriously flawed men , yet, held court with God, and experienced intmacy, and dialogue with Him on a level, that the multitudes will never know or experience,on this side glory, is encouraging, and a reminder,that things are stillp possible,and as we "press into God, He will press into us, and as we allow Him to order our steps aright, it's quite possible that He may order them right into that ultimate inner sanctum of Friendship with El-Elyon.
Friendships vary in their dynamics, length, function, progression and expectations,and some are only seasonal,for a specific purpose or event, while others have longevity and last a life time, but only time and God can determine the outcome. Some of them are opportunistic, dysfunctional, and counter productive., ""The poor is hated,even of his own neighbor,but the "RICH' hath many friends. These are not the friends of covenant, but rather of convenience.The Bible says that the wounds of a friend are faithful,and "Thine own friend and thy father's friend, forsake nsaken, blighted area of townpot . This is admonishing us to reliable loyalty, and integrity. The Bible,also tells us that there is a "Friend" that sticketh closer than a brother. These are examples of healthy, productive,and divinely appointed relationships, but unfortunately, the "other" genre of "friends" is more often our portion, because we are all affected (on some some level) by the wickedness and satanic influences of this intensely wicked world. Even in the body of Christ, there are "friend" issues, because,perhaps the "sheep of God" are referred to as a "flock", they almost instinctively "clique" off into their own individual little "posses", and it's difficult for a newcomer to break through the ranks and be accepted, warmly, if they are of such a mind. Now, these friends are a study in contradctions because , ordinarily, on the exterior, it looks like every one is good to go, and one big "happy", "sin hating", and "to heaven going" family....until someones anointing is overshadowed by another, or someone receives more apraise n and greater reverence and appreciation from someone. This is why, just as in the world you don't see many "all cute' girl" cliques,obut the dynamics are ussuallly that of one,maybe two really attractive girls,surrounded by average looking if not plain friends, because someone always has to be "head diva in charge",or "queen bee"! In the household of faith, one may have to look long and hard to find similarly anointed friends or groups,for the same forementioned reasons, and the competitive jealousy, envy, and larceny is more vicious than anything you can find in the most blighted crime ridden sections of town.Then there are the "other" friends, such as the ones Job had, Bildad, and Zophar,who apparently flunked out of ":friendship academy" because they haven't a clue as to how to encourage , edify, and embrace God's precious people. There are those "friends" who love miserable company, and who want to see you fail, or try to rain on your parade, beecause they don't have one. There are those who will try to entice or seduce you to go against your morals and principles, to make themselves feel like they're not incorrigible, alone. There are those who will gloat over your losses, misfortunes and disasters, because,secretly, they felt that you needed to be "taken down". There are still others that you'd better walk away from "backwards", while facing them, because to turn your back, would be suicide! Everyone is familiar with the "friend" who obviously doesn't own a good umbrella, because when it "rains" they get "ghost' in a hurry. David had the sort of dichotomies with his "friends" that most of us will experience at least once in our life times, especially through the "ministry" of"church folk". He expressed it most poignantly,"Yea, mine own familiar friend,, in whom Itrusted, whichdid eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." These are they whom you stack up, and use them for leverage to go higher in God's glory!
As men strive, politic for, and seek after prestigious titles and postions in Christ's Church, they go to all lengths to become ranking church officials, but no one strives for the highest position in the history of the world, that being "GOD'S FRIEND"! The few who enjoyed anything remotely close to such intimacy with God, and had the privilege of entering into His inner sanctum, lived highly extraordinary lives, because to even make the cut, to be even considered for such an honor,youre going to have to be proven by lions and raging fire! Abraham was in the "God's Friend Hall of Fame, "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith "ARAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS IMPUTED UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTOUSNESS", and he was called THE FRIEND OF GOD"! Friends don't always look like what people would expect us to hang out with, and they are as varied, as the ccolors ofthe rainbow, they come in all sizes, shapes, cultures, educational and socieconmic backgrounds, income brackets, ad persuasions, and so it is with the "FRIENDS OF GOD". Moses was privileged with extraordinary favor with God based on his mountain top experiences, and his boldness,and he was an ex-con, ex-murderer, and known to be rebellious a time or two. David was held in the fondest regard of God, and even though, physically, the Bible says the equivalent of what might described as "fine",today, his moral character was less than stellar. He was a murderer, an adulterer, a poor parental disciplinarian, greedy, and selfish, but yet,he found entrance into the heart of God! The fact that these imperfect, seriously flawed men , yet, held court with God, and experienced intmacy, and dialogue with Him on a level, that the multitudes will never know or experience,on this side glory, is encouraging, and a reminder,that things are stillp possible,and as we "press into God, He will press into us, and as we allow Him to order our steps aright, it's quite possible that He may order them right into that ultimate inner sanctum of Friendship with El-Elyon.
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