A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17)

Friendship is the state of being friends. A Friend is a person whom one knows, likes, and trusts. A true friend never fails, no matter what. A true brother is always ready to help in time of need or trouble. King Solomon described excellent friends and brothers in very few words. You must ask if you are such a friend, and you must ask if you have such friends.

Two are better than one! The solitary life is lonely and vain. Good friends help in four ways – they share in successes, they help when you fall, they provide encouragement and synergy, and they help oppose enemies (Eccl 4:9-12). Successful men have great friends.  A real friend is hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget.

Such friends are not found easily; they are a blessing from God. And such friends must be carefully preserved by careful efforts (Pr 27:10) and sincere friendliness (Pr 18:24; Jn 15:15). If you deeply offend a friend, it may be very hard to recover them (Pr 18:19). Look for friends among zealous saints (Ps 101:4-8; 119:63; Titus 1:8). They are won by a pure heart and gracious speech (Pr 22:11; I Sam 18:1). Holy living brings holy friends.

Jonathan and David were friends. Jonathan loved David as his own soul (I Sam 18:1-4). David described Jonathan’s love as greater than that of women (II Sam 1:26). There was no competition or envy between them. They strengthened each other in the Lord (I Sam 23:16). Back to back with swords, no enemy could touch them! Face to face, no lovers could match their affection! Their covenant of friendship, in life and death, was glorious.

Men say, “Blood is thicker than water,” meaning family ties are stronger than friendship or marriage. But the sons of God know better. They say, “Blood is thicker than blood,” meaning the bond in Christ, by His blood, is stronger than the bond of family. The best marriages are when a man marries his sister – his friend in the Lord (I Cor 9:5). No man has forsaken family for Christ that did not find a better, larger family (Luke 18:28-30).

Saints make the best friends, for God forms their souls identically. They fear the LORD, believe the truth, adore Jesus Christ, follow Bible wisdom in life, have true love in their hearts, and know they will spend eternity together. They exhort and rebuke each other to perfection, which is sweeter than kisses (Pr 27:5-6, 9). The world cannot know such unity!

It did not matter Paul was on trial for his life, Luke was there (II Tim 4:11). It did not matter Jesus was crucified by rabid Jews, John was there (John 19:26-27). Fair weather friends, as they are called, are never there when you need them (Pr 14:20; 19:4). Demas evilly deserted Paul, but Timothy more than made up for it (II Tim 4:10; Phil 2:19-22).

What kind of a friend are you? The first lesson of this proverb is to examine yourself to see if you are the only kind of friend that counts. What kind of friends do you have? The second lesson is to examine your friends and make sure you have the good kind.  Jesus of Nazareth, reigning as King on David’s throne, is the greatest Friend. He gave His life for you; He lives to make intercession for you; He will never leave or forsake you.

Signs of a Good Friend
Friends will come and go in your life, but more important than how long a friendship lasts, is that a good friend will love you for who you are. The way you can tell the sign of a good friend is by looking at the actions they take –big and small – that show they care.  Some common signs of a good friend include:

• someone who will support you no matter what
• someone you can trust and who won’t judge you
• someone who won’t put you down or deliberately hurt your feelings
• someone who is kind and has respect for you
• someone who will love you because they choose to, not because they feel like they should
• someone whose company you enjoy
• showing loyalty
• being trustworthy and willing to tell you the truth, even when it’s hard
• someone who can laugh when you do
• someone who is willing to stick around when things get tough
• someone who makes you smile
• someone who is there to listen
• Someone who will cry when you cry.

Practical steps to be a good friend
If you want to do all or many of the things listed above for someone you care about, you’re already a good friend. It’s also common though, to not know exactly what to do or say to be there for someone. Some practical things you can do to be there for a friend include:

1. Sympathize and comfort – Job 2:11 {When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.} Share your joys and sorrows with your friends. If they are in sorrow, do not abandon them, spend time with them and comfort them.

2. Intercede for your friend – Job 16:20 {My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.} A friend intercedes and prays for his/her friend. Our prayers go a long way in wiping the tears of our friends. Do not think that your prayer will ever go into voice mail. Job 42:10 {After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before}. When you pray for your friends, God will bless you.

3. Cover the offense of your friend – Pro 17:9 {He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.} When you love somebody, it is important that you do not give them up. It is important that you do not tell others their mistakes, errors or faults. It is also equally important for you to confront your friend personally if he/she is doing something wrong, but never tell about their mistakes/sins to others.

4. Love at all times – Pro 17:17 {A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity} A friend always loves. I Cor 13:4-8 talks about unconditional love. No matter what the mistakes or wounds of a friend are, the Bible teaches us to love our friends at all times. (The Bible also teaches us to love our enemies at all times).

5. Stick closer than a brother – Pro 18:24 {A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.} Friends are always there no matter what. Families may forget or forsake, but the Bible teaches us that we should be friends who will stick to each other, come what may. The world teaches friendship as a convenience. If you are rich, and if everything is going well, then you will have lots of friends in this world. But the one who sticks to his friend in the time of need is a true friend. 

To be continued.

The Graduation Ceremony for House Fellowship Leadership Training took place on Saturday, 24th May 2014. It was glorious. The next set, 2014/2015, will commence on September 2014. Be ready to register.

Please, visit the link, http://rccgmiraclecentre.org/event-items/21st-anniversary-celebration-of-rccg-miracle-centre/, for details of the upcoming 21st Anniversary Celebration of RCCG Miracle Centre.

The subsidized anniversary T-Shirts are now available for purchase. Please, see any member of the anniversary committee to get your T-Shirt.

Please, fulfill your pledge towards the anniversary. You can see any minister or any member of the anniversary committee.
More importantly, pray along for the success of the anniversary.

Sunday School Quarterly Review comes up on Sunday, 25th May 2014. We are all expected to read our manuals from page 57 (Lesson 27) to page 81 (Lesson 38)

For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion, so then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.  Romans 9:15-16.  ‘But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life – Titus 3:4-7

In my last article, I wrote about Law and Grace of God. This article will consider the relationship and difference between Mercy and Grace. The two are interlocking and often times, used to mean the same thing. They are closely related in meaning but are by no means synonymous.  Both are divine, the desire of one leads to manifestation of the other. Grace perhaps directs us mainly to the love in God’s heart, while Mercy looks principally at the need we have.

‘Mercy is showing kindness or forgiveness towards an offender. It is revealed as personality in Psalm 23:6. Mercy is like a superb lubricant that reduces the wear and tear of our short sojourn on earth. It is that smooth oil of gracious goodwill that diminishes the rub of living and puts a shine on the daily routine – The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness’. Lamentation 3:22-23.

Grace is that attribute which God and godly people put into action in even the worst situations. It is commonly referred to as ‘unmerited favour’; it is the power of overcoming evil with God.  Probably if you ask any born again Christian, what ‘grace’ means, perhaps his response would be – I was lost and Jesus found me. I was in darkness before Jesus lit up my life. I was drowning in the sea of worldliness and Jesus saves me.  I was dead to sin before Jesus gave me eternal life. I was a hell bound sinner but Jesus made me a heaven bound saint. I didn’t deserve any of these things but Jesus gave them all to me because He loves me. Of course this is what grace is all about. ‘By grace ye are saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast’ – Eph.2:8-9.

‘Grace is not simply a kindly feeling on the part of God, but a positive gain conferred on man. Grace is a real and active force…illuminating the intellect, warming the heart, strengthening the will of redeemed humanity’. – Liddon’s University sermon.

Like I said, Mercy and Grace are relatives, both flows from God’s throne of grace, where one may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. We can now say that Mercy came first sparing us from judgement, then grace gives what is needed to change the bad condition which deserves judgement in the first place. Let me use the story of prodigal son in Luke 15:11-24 to illustrate the two.

The prodigal son collected his inheritance from his father and went into a far country out of the sight of his father. He was in hurry to enjoy now, what was meant for the future. He was perhaps considered to be dead. His act in the first place was condemnable because he collected the inheritance by force. Of course he deserved death but he thought of going back to his father. His father showed mercy, forgiveness by running to meet and embrace him. Any thought of judgement was overruled by mercy. The father knew his son had to be cleaned up; he couldn’t just enter the house wearing worn out clothes and smelling like pig. So grace came in – ‘Bring him the best robe, and a ring and shoes. Mercy open the door and grace made the son fit to walk through.

Mercy and Grace cannot be enjoyed fully on the platter of gold. Though it is possible for unbelievers to have the crumbs of God’s mercy, even the providence takes care of that. For someone to enjoy full mercy and grace, such person must be a proper child of God, having identified his sin like the prodigal son, and come back to the father for right placement.

What does mercy do in man’s life?

When God showers His mercy on any man, such a man will suddenly be acutely aware that he is entering into a brand new dimension of living – this new life of God’s own presence and power being made real, evident and potent in such life. Such a man will know assuredly that God is very, very much alive, at work and active in his affairs. The entire life will be invaded, enfolded, filled with His overwhelming love, His serenity of spirit, and His goodwill. His coming dispels doubts, His presence brings blessed peace, His power and purposes within such soul and spirit diminishes fears – giving some directions to the day’s activities – the essence of Him being the Shepherd.

What to do to obtain Mercy and Grace

In obtaining mercy, you need to get to know God first-hand, in person, and privately. You need to desire and ask for it knowing fully well that God will show it to whom He will. You need also to rightly position yourself and imbibe praising Him always.

The secret of continuous grace on the other hand is to live and walk in the spirit, be patient in hope, continue in Christ and faith.

May God shower His Mercy and Grace on us.

Remain blessed, Maranatha

In Exodus chapters 20-23, the Lord gave laws through Moses to the Israelites. These laws confirms His commandments, judgements and ordinances that outlines our duty to God and a complete system of ethics or moral duties a man owes to his fellows. God exercise threefold authority over mankind. “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; He will save us”– Isaiah 33:22.

The Law of Moses summarised the principle of God’s moral government which can be broken into three parts.

1. The Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-26
2. The judgement that governed the social life of Israelites- Exodus 21.
3. The ordinances that governed the religious life of Israelites. – Exodus 24-31.

This dispensation begins with the ministry of Moses (Law) and ended with the deaths of Christ (Grace).  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’- so that, in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might receive the promised spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14. ‘Now before faith came, we were held Captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith’. Galatians 3:23-24.

God distinguished the Ten Commandments from other laws He gave to Moses written on the tablet of stone – Deut. 5:22, Placed in the Ark – Exodus 25:16, 21. These Ten Commandments were a complete and indivisible code.

Reasons for the Laws

1. A standard of righteousness- Romans 2:18, Psalm 119:142, Deut 4:8, Psalm 19:7-9.
2. To identify sin – ‘Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20
3. To reveal the holiness of God, fire is a symbol of holiness; the law was given amid fire. Exodus 24:7.
4. It justifies the provision. ‘For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes’- Romans 10:4.

Features

1. The law is holy, righteous, good and spiritual- ‘Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good….. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin- Romans 7:12, 14.
2. The law condemned all mankind. – Romans 3:19.
3. It creates offences – ‘Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. – Romans 5:20.
4. It taught until Christ came – ‘Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justifies by faith’- Galatians 3:24.
5. It justifies not – Romans 3:20.

Law allowed God to judge the world while grace offers a way of salvation to any who would heed to the preachers of gospel. Grace perhaps directs us mainly to the love in God’s heart.

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Airtel Nigeria has Job Vacancy for Senior Manager, Network Procurement. To see details and apply for this position, visit
http://www.africa.airtel.com/wps/wcm/connect/AfricaRevamp/Nigeria/Home/About/Careers/Work_With_Us

The Pastorate of RCCG Miracle Centre appreciates all members of RCCG Miracle Centre Parish in various ways for our contributions, payments and tithes.

House Fellowship holds in all locations. If you do not belong to any House Fellowship, please see the minister in charge of House Fellowship or click Download under Resources menu in our website to download the names and addresses of all the House Fellowship centres