ARE YOU A FRIEND OF GOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WITNESS

 

 

6-5-13

 

 

ARE YOU A FRIEND OF GOD

 

 

 

 

 

Are you a friend of God

 

Before you answer

Let me tell you what James, the Apostle,

And half-brother of  Jesus once wrote,

 

“You adulterous people

Don’t you know that friendship

Towards the world

Is hatred towards God

 

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world

Becomes an enemy of God”                                      James 4:4

 

So

What does it mean to be a friend of the world

As opposed to God

 

I believe

It is simply

Putting the love of money and materialism

Over the love of God

And the love of your neighbor

 

Or putting our own selfish desires

Of the flesh

At the expense of God and family

 

Or calling ALL miracles----“medical” or scientific miracles

 

Or putting our own selfish addictions

Over the love of God and family

 

Let’s be clear

Being a friend to God

Isn’t the absence of money

The absence of our sexuality

Or the absence of medical miracles

In our lives

 

To be a friend to God

Just means to keep our priorities

In their proper place

ALWAYS keeping God and family

ABOVE everything else

 

Proverbs 17: 17 tells us,

“A friend loves at all times

And a brother is born in adversity”

 

So we know

That God LOVES US at all times

Even when we have turned our back on him

 

He is just waiting for you

Waiting for me

To ask for another chance

 

We KNOW

That we will get another chance

If we just SINCERELY ask

 

Matthew 7:7-8 says,

 

“Ask

And  it will be given to you

Seek and you will find

Knock and the door will be opened to you

 

For everyone who asks---receives

He who seeks---finds

And to him who knocks

The door will be opened”

 

And when we get our second chance

We are to follow the commandments

And LIVE by God’s own spirit

 

“The fruit of the spirit is love,

Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Gentleness, and self-control

 

Against such things---there is no law”                              Galatians 5:22-23

 

My friends

God is our BEST FRIEND

We just have to:

 

Keep our priorities straight

Follow his commandments

And do our best to live

With the qualities of GOD’S OWN SPIRIT

 

God is

NOT looking for perfection

Just our best effort

 

IF we give it

Count yourself

 

AS A FRIEND OF GOD

 

Robert P. Wallman

3-22-12

 

 

Ps        WITNESS        6-5-13

 

“A FRIEND loves at ALL times-and a BROTHER is born for adversity”

Proverbs 17:17

 

“Greater love has no man than this-that he lay down his life for his FRIENDS”

John 15:13

 

 

MISC    WITNESS        6-20-14 and 9-22-2021

5-5-16  and 3-20-2019