Tag: Apostolic Preaching

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John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 15:12-17, “(12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  (13)  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  (14)  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  (15)  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.  (16)  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.  (17)  These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

Proverbs 18:24, A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Perhaps the most well-known line in the New Testament stems from John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world…”

It is essential that we receive His love if we are to be productive and successful in the purpose He has set before each of us.

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you…”

Jesus is simply saying that considering the friendship He has offered and the sacrifice for us that He has made, we reveal the true depth of our love by “observing His commands from a principle of love”[1]

His love, His mercy, His Grace and His friendship has so influenced us that our return of affection and attachment to Him is displayed by our loving faith and obedience to Him and His Word.

But we have an adversary, who is daily opposing you to destroy you.

This enemy uses every tactic available to get you to lose heart and push away the friendship that Jesus has given to us, by disregarding His Word and losing faith in His purpose for us.

Peter’s epistle is clear, “(12) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  (13)  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.  (14)  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (1 Peter 4:12-14).

We sometimes need to get a new perspective of what’s going on when we battle the adversary.

We are not the first person to suffer trials

We won’t be the last

Rejoice! Your trial – as long as you are living in obedience to God’s Word – is a sign that you are in the perfect will of God.

We are tempted to retreat when the enemy makes his moves on us.

To turn and run in the day of battle

But God is our strength and a very present help in times of trouble.

Jesus doesn’t abandon you. He is with you.

If you have the Holy Ghost, it’s His Spirit in you that gives and grants you power of overcome the most deadly situations.

God is you friend.

He said, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).

Therefore we can say with boldness, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:6).

You’ve Got A Friend –Carole King

When you’re down and troubled

And you need some lovin’ care

And nothin’, nothin’ is goin’ right

Close your eyes and think of me

And soon I will be there

To brighten up even your darkest night

You just call out my name

And you know, wherever I am

I’ll come runnin’

To see you again

Winter, spring, summer or fall

All you have to do is call

And I’ll be there

You’ve got a friend

Now, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend

When people can be so cold?

They’ll hurt you, yes, and desert you

And take your soul if you let them

Oh, but don’t you let them

Don’t let the enemy take your soul, your hopes, your dreams, your faith.

That ‘ol slew foot devil is no stranger to ripping apart friendships, and he has several strategies he employs:

1. Deception – he wants to deceive you by any means necessary. A lie, an assumption, a misleading question, a doubtful thought, a misunderstanding are all deceiving tactics.
2. Destruction – he thinks that if he can destroy all you hold dear that you’ll take the unwanted advice of Job’s wife, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die” (Job 2:9).
3. Distraction – he wants you to be so overwhelmed by what is going on around you that you’ll lose focus on your purpose and you’ll even give up on your dream.
   1. misplaced priorities…well-meaning as they may seem…will divert you from your focus.
4. Delight – We are living in a day of delight, of amusement, of entertainment. It is a time where are just caught up with the pleasure we receive watching, hearing ad partaking of the newest thing out there. It can be clothes, cars, music, movies, political intrigue, conspiracy theories, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok – It’s all delightful to the flesh and it is drawing you away from friendship from God as you wholeheartedly take part in it.
   1. James 4:1-8, “(1) From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  (2)  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.  (3)  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.  (4)  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.  (5)  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?  (6)  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  (7)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  (8)  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
5. Delay – Delay is not denial, but the enemy will make you think it is. Don’t Quit! Keep on living for the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
6. Diffident – “modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.”[2] The devil wants you to be timid, shy, fearful…intimidated. Intimidation is the devil’s tool, but refuse his attack and remember this, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

All that this enemy wants to do it destroy your friendship with God, but he is already a defeated foe.

Our friend has already defeated all the works of the devil.

You’ve Got a Friend!

No, Not One –Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1926)

There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:

  No, not one! no, not one!

None else could heal all our souls’ diseases:

  No, not one! no, not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles;

  He will guide ’til the day is done:

There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:

    No, not one! no, not one!

A Word about Dreams:

Small dreams are accompanied by small struggles and little results.

The great dreamers all suffered heartbreak and were tempted to despair and give up on their dream.

To be tempted to toss aside their faith and lose hope because the opposition to the dream is so great is a normal temptation, but the dreamer who keeps moving forward is placing his trust in something bigger than himself.

Joseph held onto the dream God gave him throughout all his struggles, all his disappointments, all his opposition. If he’d given up on his dream…his purpose…his family would have possibly died in the famine, Egypt would have become a dust bowl, and God’s dream for Joseph…His purpose…would have been thwarted.

Opposition is a compliment. It is a sure sign that you are heading in the right direction.

So, don’t allow the carnal voices of the unsaved, the ungodly, or the unspiritual distract you from your purpose, or get you to lose heart and give up your faith in the dream God placed in you.

He called you to it, He will take you through it.

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[1] John Gill

[2] Diffident. OxfordDictionaries. Oxford University Press.