Friend of God

Tom Davis

John 17:20 Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching… Jesus prayed for you and for me!

John 15:15 I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] HE TELLS HIS SECRETS TO HIS FRIENDS!

Friendship is developed through rightly relating to someone, (walking in truth and love), while spending time with them. One tends to become like those they spend time with.

Have you ever noticed how people that have been married to the same person most of their lives start to look like each other? They can actually at times finish each other’s sentences and know what their spouse is thinking and doing. So, by rightly relating to Jesus and spending as much time with Him as possible…we just may start to look like Him, know what He’s thinking and doing!

Mary Magdalene was a friend of Jesus. At His empty tomb she waited for any kind of sign as to where He might be. In John 20:15-17 Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you crying [so]? For Whom are you looking? Supposing that it was the gardener, she replied, Sir, if you carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him and I will take Him away. 16. Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning around she said to Him in Hebrew, Rabboni!–which means Teacher or Master. 17. Jesus said to her, Do not cling to Me [do not hold Me], for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

In this amazing encounter Mary, out of whom Jesus had cast 7 demons, when she realized it was Him, dove for Him with no intention of ever letting go again. Notice that Jesus said don’t cling… HE INTERUPTED THE EARTH SHATTERING RESURRECTION TO GREET HIS FRIEND MARY!

You remember Stephen. A God fearing man full of faith and power, and one who believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Well he made the religious men mad! Acts 7:55-56 says; But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory (the splendor and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand; 56. And he said, Look! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand!

Now we know that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father. When it was time to greet His friend Stephen He was STANDING!

I don’t know about you, but I want to be a friend of Jesus!

Finish Well,

Tom Davis