02-02-13 Friendship 5

Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Iron sharpens iron... I picture using a file or sharpening stone or something along those lines to sharpen a knife or some other instrument. I see it as one person listening to the Lord and helping another to become 'sharper' - to grow - to come into a position where they can fulfill their original design in God - the dreams that the Lord has placed with them - their 'calling'.

Things that I say to people may be hard sometimes, tough love - we used to call it. But if it's a case where the person is serously affecting my emotional, mentally, or spiritual well-being, then I need to set some ground rules.... if those ground rules aren't followed then I need to speak the truth - but with an attitude that I still love that person, I just cannot 'put up with certain things'. These things are not meant to be hurtful, but to cause the person to at least think about their actions, ways of thinking and relatting and so forth. I don't want to hurt them - that person is my friend, but there's something that needs to be 'called out' and no one else is doing it.... and the Lord picked me (I didn't even raise my hand to be picked)!

My thoughts go immediately to - How will they take it - will they be mad at me - will they know that I do love them and that I really want tot help them grow in the Lord - will they at least pray about what I said. If the Lord prompts me to say something, it's very noticeable within me. I pray about it, then it's picking the right time to say it.

If it's taken in a positive way, we can pray about it and see what courses of action to take. If it's not taken the right way, then I ask the person to pray about it. It's up to them what to do with it from there. I did what the Lord had me do - if I didn't, I'd be disobedient (I may be ornery, but I'm not the disobedient type normally).

It's like prayng for someone - I LOVE to pray for people. Usually the Lord gives me something for that person - a picture - a word - or just simply praying for the need, but I believe that the Lord hears me and answers. If I didn't say what the Lord was prompting me to say to the person I'm praying for (iron sharpening iron), then I would be in disobedience - I would feel really rotten afterwards. It's up to God to do the ministering. I just pray. Same concept when trying to 'say the hard things' to another.

Luke 9:54 "When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village." Even Jesus had to speak some hard words to His friends. It doesn't say how they took it, but it did say that they went on their way together.

Life isn't easy. It's full of challenges. We are not meant to go through those challenges alone. We were meant to be in community - in relsationship - in friendship. If our friends are truly our friends, we will understand their heart in their 'rebukes'. Pray and then take the action warranted. Sharpening hurts sometimes as the 'metal' of our souls is being honed, but is necessary for all of us if we intend to be the Body of Christ that the world needs.

02-01-13 Friendship 5

Proverbs 27:6 "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." NIV (what I usually quote from)

The Amplified Bible says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful."

Now, The Message says it in a little different way. I wouldn't exactly translate friend to lover, but I like the second part because I think it hits the mark. That translation says, "The wounds from a lover are worth it; kisses from an enemy do you in."

Right after I woke up this morning and started to read my Bible, this verse 'popped' into my head. So, on to part 4 :)

Let's take the first part, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted..." Sometimes being a friend means saying some hard things. Things that the other person isn't necessarily going to like and even may make them a bit angry. Most of the time, in my life anyway, my immediate response is this welling up of anger and resentment - due to my own pride. I go away pretty much thinking, 'who in the heck do they think they are - they're just totally wrong - they don't understand.' THEN I ask the Lord, and invariably, yep - at least 98.5% of what they said was true.

So now, not only do I have to repent to the Lord of my resentment, anger and pride - I have to ask forgiveness from my friend because I didn't handle it very well and actually tell them that they were right and I was wrong.

If they are good friend and we trust them and believe them when they say nice things, we can trust the same way when they say the hard things - when they point out a flaw in our character, when they tell us that something we said hurt them, etc.

Now being on the other side where I really sense the Lord is telling me to say something to a friend, that's not exactly a 'feel-good' moment for me. But I will pick that thought up tomorrow :)

The second part of the verse, "but an enemy mutiplies kisses". Until I read the Amplied Version and The Message. That just didn't click.

But I realized that it's not the person we are to dislike, it's the wrong that was done, the hurtful act, the sin. People can be manipulative and selfish and deceitful with us in order to get their own way or be in control or whatever. There's a saying 'don't hate the player, hate the game'. We can dislike the games they play and distance ourselves from them, we don't have to like them - but we can't hate the player. That was yesterday's reading.

Now, I KNOW I don't have it in myself to love anyone - especially someone who has hurt me, but I CAN love them using the Love of God within me.

Don't let the enemy 'do you in' by holding onto resentments against others, it will only make you miserable....

01-31-13 Friendship 4

John 13:1-5 "It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

As I wrote yesterday, Jesus knew who would betray Him - but I was focusing on His (disciples) friends gathering around Him. Today, I feel prompted to focus on the highlighted portion above.

If I knew someone was going to seriously cause me harm and they happened to be sitting at table with me sharing the same food and drink, I would either not invite that person and stay far away from him or not-so-lovingly want to place my hands around their neck and squeeze to twist their head at an odd angle. Ok, maybe a 'slight' anger issue there ;) Either way, I would be seething inside.

BUT JESUS...'Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."?? Ok, I get it. Matthew 5:43 starts, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ (Yea, God - now THAT'S what I'm talking about) But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." (What?????) Italics mine, of course. He loved Judas until the end (which in my opinion - the end is death).

Jesus was a faithful friend. He was a loyal friend. He was a friend that would never let go - never leave his friends in a lurch - never turn His back on them. He was a friend to the death. He trusted them - had faith in them - poured his life out for them (figuratively and literally). He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

He is OUR faithful friend; OUR loyal friend; a friend that will NEVER let go of us - NEVER leave us in a lurch - NEVER turn our backs on us. He is OUR friend to the death. He trusts us, has faith in us, AND He poured out His VERY LIFE for us.

Jesus is an example of true friendship. If He can love not only his friends (which is hard to do sometimes) and also love His enemies AND He said greater things we can do (John 14:12) - we can do the same and be truly 'children of our Father in Heaven'. Do we want to? Our flesh is probably saying, heck, no. But will we try?

01-30-13 Friendship 3

John 13:22-25 "His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

In this passage, Jesus was telling His disciples (friends) that He knew one of them would betray Him. I can just imagine the sorrow that Jesus felt in saying those words and this close-knit group of friends looking at each other and wondering who could possible do such a thing. I can imagine them saying, "Surely, Jesus must be wrong... but... He's never been wrong before..."

Then a certain friend leaned against Jesus breast and asked who it could be.... and He told him. I don't know if others heard and gasped or if he just told - I believe it was John.

If I close my eyes, and enter into that 'secret place' with Jesus, I can see myself leaning against His breast. Safe, secure, peaceful, protected - those are just a few of the words that come to my mind at the moment.

That's what friendship is - having a person or a group of people that are safe, secure, peaceful, protective and being the same with them. Having friends to pray with - to have fun with - to cry with - to share joy with and even to share sorrow with.

It's hard when a friend betrays us, but it happened to Jesus - it's may happen to us as well. Jesus knows what that feels like - and He had 11 other friends surrounding Him, comforting Him and encouraging Him in His sorrow. THAT is what the Kingdom of God is all about!

01-29-13 Friendship 2

Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.' "

First, we love God - and we are learning to love God with ALL our hearts, souls and minds - this doesn't happen overnight. There are generally, places that we hold onto that keep us from loving God with ALL of our being. Thank the Lord, that He loves us with all of Himself!

Jesus has given us examples with His Disciples and the relationship He had with them.

But to be a friend to others, we have to be a friend to ourselves. If I'm going to love my neighbor, I need to love myself or I won't have anything to give others. I would feel unworthy of the love of God and my love supply would be empty.

Maybe we don't like the things we've done or not done. We ask forgiveness and God forgives us. We receive the forgiveness and we forgive ourselves. Then we can go on.

Maybe what we should do is take a good look in the mirror and tell ourselves what we think of ourselves and then while still standing there, let God tell us what He thinks.

01-28-13 Friendship

Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 - "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

I love the book of Ecclesiastes. It is one book that raises honest gut-level questions - maybe questions we've all had at one time or another. It's a book of honesty and transparency from the author. Seems to me, qualities of a good friendship.

Two ARE better than one - it's community. It's how we were made.... God saw that it was not good for man to be alone. It is not good for us to be alone. Yes, there are times when it IS good to be alone, but we're not really every alone are we. The Lord is always with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. But when we are alone with Jesus, then we are learning to rest in Him - even though sometimes those times are healing times in our lives.. There is a place of rest and it is in Jesus.

We brings others into our lives so that we form relationships and learn how be a community. Jesus is always with us... so a cord of three strands is not easily broken. He interweaves between us and causes us to learn to be family. We are His family. Our 'real' family.

Two are better than one. When I fall, I can either stay down - or I can take the hand of one of my siblings and trust the Lord in them to raise us back up.