Friendship
I wanted to post this for a long time, but I hadn't taken the time out to do it until now. It is based on the message my pastor preached close to February 14. The Bible has inside its pages every topic you can imagine and examples of friendship are all over it. My pastor talked about one of those examples.
First a little bit of an introduction. I want to refer to the true sense of friendship (not commercial or erotic). First let's look at a Bible passage found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
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.
The passage starts by saying that two are better than one and it keeps on referring to two but then at the end it says that a cord of three strands (not two) its not quickly broken. I believe the third strand to be Jesus. One strand is yourself, the second strand is your friend and the third is God.
It's very important to have true friends. You can find in the Bible people that God united, for example in Luke 10:1 when Jesus sent the 70 disciples, He sent them 2 by 2. You can read about Peter and Paul, Paul and Timothy, David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi. God has always blessed a relationship of true friends. Remember that there is an invisible strand and God gives us true friendships like the ones Moses and Joshua had, or Elijah and Elisha.
But let us see four friends in the Bible that can illustrate the power of a true friendship in the eyes of God. We can find them in the book of Daniel. I would recommend reading Daniel 1 - 3. These friends names are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were young men from Israel (from Judah) taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It says that the chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. Sometimes satan wants to change your name, the name God has given you. Do not let him. God says that you are more than conqueror, that He has place you as the head not the tail, always at the top never at the bottom. So all the things God has told us through His word, do not let anything make you forget them.
Again I strongly recommend reading Daniel chapters 1, 2 and 3. But let's jump to Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide and he wanted everyone to bow down and worship the image that he had created and it was decreed that whoever that did not fall down and worship the statue would be immediately thrown into a blazing furnace. But Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah did not do it. Could you imagine? This is a trait I really admire, someone who does not compromises his or her beliefs.
Daniel 3:14-16
and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
There will be times in which you do not need to defend yourself.
Daniel 3: 17-19
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.
What a powerful stand they took, don't you think? I think so. But even if the furnace is heated seven times hotter than usual, you have a friend so stand firm.
Daniel 3: 20-25
and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O king."
He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
The King saw four men and the fourth looked like a son of the gods. The Prince of Peace is going to be with you no matter what the situation. He has been with you since the first day of your trial, but he will not show himself since the first day, he wants to see what will happen with your faith. Jesus is your true friend, the one you need. This friend also came as a result of their friendship. If they would have been fighting, or doubting or blaming each other, maybe the fourth one wouldn't have appeared. When we are in unity we provide the environment for the fourth one to appear. We can't live without relationships. Real friends have true things in common. If there aren't things in common, there can't be a real friendship. For example, someone who really believes in freedom can't be friends with a terrorist. Someone who believes in capitalism can't be real friends with a communist. At one point or the other those differences will come in between in the friendship.
James 4:4 - don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
These young men had things in common. They were Jewish.
Daniel 1: 3-4
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
As I mentioned before, they were taken as captives to Babylon. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah could have been filled with bitterness at losing their parents at such an age, they had to learn a new language, get used to another culture, other kind of food. If you have suffered don't allow that to be an obstacle, keep on going, the fourth man is waiting for you further down the path.
Daniel 1:8
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
They decided not to defile themselves, not to contaminate themselves. God honors the ones who honor Him. The fourth man was already there with them. The Kings food had unclean animals (pork, blood, etc). Daniel told himself "this goes against what God told us". Make a decision not to contaminate yourself. You can't share things that go against Gods word.
Friendship is based on common values and principles. Things in which you really believe and that you would give your life for them. Friendship is also something that has to do with identity - who you are. There will be times in which people are not truly your friends but are friends of what you are at the moment, of your position, of your wealth. Once you no longer have that, those so called "friends" disappear. I think these young men before being taken as captives had listened to Gods word not only from their parents but from Jeremiah the prophet. Even though they were taken they did not lose their identity. When the devil saw he could not take away their identity, their food, their prayer time, he said to himself - "well I am going to take away their names". Names in the Bible signified how the person was:
Isaac - laughter
Jacob - someone who deceives
Daniel - God is my judge
Hananiah - God has given me grace, I live because of the grace of God
Mishael - someone who comes from God
Azariah - the Lord is my helper
The devil wanted to take away their names.
Daniel - they named him Belteshazzar - Bels treasure, Bel was one of their gods. So it's calling Daniel a treasure from satan. Do no accept it, you are the Lords treasure.
Hananiah - they named him Shadrach - someone who comes from the sun. The sun was one of their gods.
Mishael - they named him Meshach - property of another one of their gods
Azariah - they named him Abednego - a servant of their god nego.
Even though their names were changed they did not lose their identities, do not lose yours.
If you are told you are sick, weak, poor, in debt...this is not your identity. Do not accept the name the world wants to give you. Have friendship with people who have an identity and also know your friends identities. When you accept the change of identity you are accepting what life imposes on you. For example look at Naomi in Ruth 1:20 - "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.. Naomi means pleasant, but she accepted the change and wanted to be call Mara which means bitter.
Remember the fourth man is waiting for you, do not accept the identity circumstances want to give you. You have to be steadfast. You can call me whatever you want, in my heart I know that I am more than conqueror, head and not tail.
These young men were an influence among themselves. If you read Daniel 2 then you already read that King Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that he wanted interpreted but he did not remember the dreams. He called his magicians and enchanters but they couldn't tell him what the dreams meant if they didn't know what he had dreamt about. So the king got really angry and was going to kill all the wise men of Babylon. When Daniel found out he asked the king for time to interpret the dream.
Daniel 2:16-23
At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Daniel didn't call them Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He identified them with the names God had given them. He defied the decree ordering everyone to call them Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But Daniel did not care; for him they were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Talk to your friend with the identity God has given him/her. These are the friends that give victory, power. Imagine if Daniel and his friends would have said to themselves, let's go hide because the king has ordered the death of all the wise men, let's find a cave. Do not accept the identity the devil wants to give you. You have to treat your friend with the identity God has given him/her. Life is not easy but never give up your identity. Instead of worrying or arguing about this matter, Daniel asked his friends to pray with him so that the dream would be revealed. Good friends are the ones you can go to when you need prayer, when you need God to show you mercy and wisdom, people you can trust.
Relationships can build or can destroy. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
We have to ask God to turn us into real friends.
I haven't finished but I am falling asleep so...
...too be continued at another post
First a little bit of an introduction. I want to refer to the true sense of friendship (not commercial or erotic). First let's look at a Bible passage found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
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.
The passage starts by saying that two are better than one and it keeps on referring to two but then at the end it says that a cord of three strands (not two) its not quickly broken. I believe the third strand to be Jesus. One strand is yourself, the second strand is your friend and the third is God.
It's very important to have true friends. You can find in the Bible people that God united, for example in Luke 10:1 when Jesus sent the 70 disciples, He sent them 2 by 2. You can read about Peter and Paul, Paul and Timothy, David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi. God has always blessed a relationship of true friends. Remember that there is an invisible strand and God gives us true friendships like the ones Moses and Joshua had, or Elijah and Elisha.
But let us see four friends in the Bible that can illustrate the power of a true friendship in the eyes of God. We can find them in the book of Daniel. I would recommend reading Daniel 1 - 3. These friends names are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were young men from Israel (from Judah) taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It says that the chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. Sometimes satan wants to change your name, the name God has given you. Do not let him. God says that you are more than conqueror, that He has place you as the head not the tail, always at the top never at the bottom. So all the things God has told us through His word, do not let anything make you forget them.
Again I strongly recommend reading Daniel chapters 1, 2 and 3. But let's jump to Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide and he wanted everyone to bow down and worship the image that he had created and it was decreed that whoever that did not fall down and worship the statue would be immediately thrown into a blazing furnace. But Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah did not do it. Could you imagine? This is a trait I really admire, someone who does not compromises his or her beliefs.
Daniel 3:14-16
and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
There will be times in which you do not need to defend yourself.
Daniel 3: 17-19
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.
What a powerful stand they took, don't you think? I think so. But even if the furnace is heated seven times hotter than usual, you have a friend so stand firm.
Daniel 3: 20-25
and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O king."
He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
The King saw four men and the fourth looked like a son of the gods. The Prince of Peace is going to be with you no matter what the situation. He has been with you since the first day of your trial, but he will not show himself since the first day, he wants to see what will happen with your faith. Jesus is your true friend, the one you need. This friend also came as a result of their friendship. If they would have been fighting, or doubting or blaming each other, maybe the fourth one wouldn't have appeared. When we are in unity we provide the environment for the fourth one to appear. We can't live without relationships. Real friends have true things in common. If there aren't things in common, there can't be a real friendship. For example, someone who really believes in freedom can't be friends with a terrorist. Someone who believes in capitalism can't be real friends with a communist. At one point or the other those differences will come in between in the friendship.
James 4:4 - don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
These young men had things in common. They were Jewish.
Daniel 1: 3-4
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
As I mentioned before, they were taken as captives to Babylon. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah could have been filled with bitterness at losing their parents at such an age, they had to learn a new language, get used to another culture, other kind of food. If you have suffered don't allow that to be an obstacle, keep on going, the fourth man is waiting for you further down the path.
Daniel 1:8
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
They decided not to defile themselves, not to contaminate themselves. God honors the ones who honor Him. The fourth man was already there with them. The Kings food had unclean animals (pork, blood, etc). Daniel told himself "this goes against what God told us". Make a decision not to contaminate yourself. You can't share things that go against Gods word.
Friendship is based on common values and principles. Things in which you really believe and that you would give your life for them. Friendship is also something that has to do with identity - who you are. There will be times in which people are not truly your friends but are friends of what you are at the moment, of your position, of your wealth. Once you no longer have that, those so called "friends" disappear. I think these young men before being taken as captives had listened to Gods word not only from their parents but from Jeremiah the prophet. Even though they were taken they did not lose their identity. When the devil saw he could not take away their identity, their food, their prayer time, he said to himself - "well I am going to take away their names". Names in the Bible signified how the person was:
Isaac - laughter
Jacob - someone who deceives
Daniel - God is my judge
Hananiah - God has given me grace, I live because of the grace of God
Mishael - someone who comes from God
Azariah - the Lord is my helper
The devil wanted to take away their names.
Daniel - they named him Belteshazzar - Bels treasure, Bel was one of their gods. So it's calling Daniel a treasure from satan. Do no accept it, you are the Lords treasure.
Hananiah - they named him Shadrach - someone who comes from the sun. The sun was one of their gods.
Mishael - they named him Meshach - property of another one of their gods
Azariah - they named him Abednego - a servant of their god nego.
Even though their names were changed they did not lose their identities, do not lose yours.
If you are told you are sick, weak, poor, in debt...this is not your identity. Do not accept the name the world wants to give you. Have friendship with people who have an identity and also know your friends identities. When you accept the change of identity you are accepting what life imposes on you. For example look at Naomi in Ruth 1:20 - "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.. Naomi means pleasant, but she accepted the change and wanted to be call Mara which means bitter.
Remember the fourth man is waiting for you, do not accept the identity circumstances want to give you. You have to be steadfast. You can call me whatever you want, in my heart I know that I am more than conqueror, head and not tail.
These young men were an influence among themselves. If you read Daniel 2 then you already read that King Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that he wanted interpreted but he did not remember the dreams. He called his magicians and enchanters but they couldn't tell him what the dreams meant if they didn't know what he had dreamt about. So the king got really angry and was going to kill all the wise men of Babylon. When Daniel found out he asked the king for time to interpret the dream.
Daniel 2:16-23
At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Daniel didn't call them Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He identified them with the names God had given them. He defied the decree ordering everyone to call them Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But Daniel did not care; for him they were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Talk to your friend with the identity God has given him/her. These are the friends that give victory, power. Imagine if Daniel and his friends would have said to themselves, let's go hide because the king has ordered the death of all the wise men, let's find a cave. Do not accept the identity the devil wants to give you. You have to treat your friend with the identity God has given him/her. Life is not easy but never give up your identity. Instead of worrying or arguing about this matter, Daniel asked his friends to pray with him so that the dream would be revealed. Good friends are the ones you can go to when you need prayer, when you need God to show you mercy and wisdom, people you can trust.
Relationships can build or can destroy. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
We have to ask God to turn us into real friends.
I haven't finished but I am falling asleep so...
...too be continued at another post
posted by Mary Gaby at
11:00 PM
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