Powerful Friendships
In the closing chapters of both the book of Romans and Colossians in the New Testament the apostle Paul speaks extremely warmly of his friends. This after titanic chapters about the Supremacy of Christ, Justification by Faith and other huge truths and doctrines. He finishes both letters however by greetings his friends, sending affectionate personal messages to them and generally encouraging individuals he obviously misses and loves.
When we read the life of Christ too we find the rabbi-master enjoying time with friends: eating, drinking, walking, talking, praying and doing miracles. We also find Jesus addressing the disciples as "Friends" and Himself being accused of being a "Friend of tax collectors and sinners".
The advent of Facebook and other social networking sites has opened cyber-friendships to us but let us not neglect personal time with friends and personal time to cultivate our friendship with Jesus.
1 comment:
I want you to know that I am personally very proud of you as my Pastor, as I write this I have tears in my eyes, in The Beacon Church, I believe I have struck gold.
There was something that Beverley said to me and a few other ladies when we were having general chat in the Cyber cafe, I can't remember it word for word but it went something like this:
She said, 'I have never met a man who can match my husband. In all the years I have known him and been married to him, he has never once shown flaw in his character, no matter what pressure or interruption. I have never known a man with such self discipline and I've never seen him compromise it. He is such a good father and husband and friend to his friends.'
I have to say, in a world where women hate men for one thing or another, I am proud to have a Pastor whose wife can speak nothing but praise about.
You are indeed a 'good' man.
Mark, I want to say, well done for the years you've served at The Beacon, well done for the patience in that, well done for the way you have managed people and guided people and led people. Well done, for being an outstanding father to your children, showing your daughter how men and fathers should be, showing your sons the correct path to take and confidently.
Well done for standing in the gap for lone parents and being a father to the fatherless.
Well done for the time you give even to the expense of things you probably would have preferred to have done.
Thank you for listening, for praying, for seeking God, for caring to bring vision to your people under God's loving eye.
Thank you for fasting for us, thank you for praying for us personally and thank you for praying for our unsaved husbands and prodigal children.
Absolutely, 100% thank you and well done!
I pray that you will receive this graciously, as you deserve, and I hope you are encouraged by my words.
I'm absolutely sure that I speak on behalf of many others too.
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