Philippians 2: 1-2
“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.”
It has been quite a busy month for me starting this secular year. My Heavenly Father continues to share more wisdom, which allows me to mature each day in faith, as well as provide me with novel opportunities to share Christ’s Good News and love for others. Despite my busy day, I had a nice reunion with some dear friends I hadn’t seen in some time Friday evening. Since Sabbath begins after sunset on Fridays, I usually try to have all my errands and tasks for the day finished before sunset in order to begin relaxing in Christ with my family at home. However, there are times The Lord wants me to begin Sabbath by discussing with others, whether Believers or not, how Christ Jesus intimately cares about the topics that concern them for that day or week. On two separate occasions, I reunited with friends yesterday evening catching up on recent events & concerns as we’re enduring through these complex & sinister Last Days. We spoke about how the various things we were going through in our lives, whether on a physical or spiritual level, can be traced back to truths in God’s Holy Word. We all recognized how the worldly chaos surrounding us is Bible prophesy being actively fulfilled, and that we are not alone in our preparations for Jesus’ glorious return. We had so many topics to discuss, but we still departed being filled with encouragement, comfort, and joy in the Holy Spirit knowing we had fellow siblings in Christ sharing the journey.
Friendships and companionships yoked in Jesus Christ are truly gifts of God’s love for us. In Luke 17, Jesus prayed not only for his current followers, but also for those of us that would come to believe in Him throughout history in order that we’d all be “one” (yoked in complete agreement) in Christ with Our Father. As a result, we’d all share in the Holy Spirit how to pray for and encourage one another to endure this difficult world until Christ’s return. When friendships and relationships do not have The Lord as the nucleus, and their foundations do not reflect the truths in God’s Word, the fruit yields profound discord, distention, and distraction from God’s purpose for your life. It can be a dangerous path to be lead away from God’s love and relationship with you as a result of bad partnerships.
Therefore, take stock of those whom you are associated with in your life, and be mindful of what is your relationship with them truly based on. Consider the “spirit” that might be behind them in the topics you tend to discuss (or not discuss), the activities you tend to do, and the environments you tend to frequent. If the relationship/friendship falls short of assisting your walk & maturity in Christ, doesn’t seek to protect & comfort you in prayer, or steers you away from God’s best in your life, seriously reconsider continuing with those individuals. One friend or partner in Christ is worth more than the destructive union with many without Christ!
1 Corinthians 1: 10
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
equallyoked 