Baptist City Blog

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The Value of the Basics

1 Chronicles 15:2

"Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever."

David learned a valuable lesson the hard way that every generation needs to learn. The lesson that David learned was that the basics work every time, even if they seem to be outdated. David wanted to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem so that he could experience God's blessings to their fullest. The mistake David made was that he copied the Philistines way of moving the ark instead of following the basics that God gave in moving the ark. This mistake caused a man to lose his life. However, David learned from his mistake and went back to the basics and was successful in his attempt in bringing the ark of God to the city of David.

In our modern times, many have left the basics of God's Word because they seem to think that the basics are outdated. In this day of technology, the basics may not seem to work as well as technology, but the basics will beat out the results of technology every time. The basics are the foundational principles of God's Word that will bring the greatest blessings on your life if you will follow them. Here are some observations about the basics that will help you in your daily life.

First, the basics are always safe. The reason why the basics are always safe is because they have been tried and proven. When you try a new way, you don't know what the new way will produce or where it will lead. If you want to be safe in life, then you would be wise to follow the basics.

Second, the basics are always relevant. Here is where many people make a mistake. Many people feel that the basics are outdated and won't work in today's technologically advanced world. That is where they are wrong. The basics are the foundation upon which everything is built. God is not saying not to use today's advances, but only use today's advances if they don't take you away from the basics. The basics will always be relevant because Scriptural principles never change.

Third, the basics always produce good results. When David got back to the basics, that is when he experienced his desired results. The best results in life always come when following the basics. The basics may not be flashy, but they always give you the results you want. In the sports world, the team that follows the basics is the team that usually wins the championship. They may not always be fun to watch, but they win the championship that the team desired. Your greatest victories in life will come when you follow the basics.

Christian, have you been tempted to leave the basics? Don't allow the new age temptations to pull you from the basics of the Word of God. The basics in business will make your business the best that it can be. Following the financial basics will help you to do the best with the money that you do have. The basics in Christianity will produce the best Christians. The basics in church building will always produce the strongest churches. The basics that made a nation strong will always keep that nation strong. Never leave the basics, for in them lies your greatest blessings.

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Close and Happy Family Life

1 Chronicles 6:33

"And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel,"

One thing that most families truly desire is to be close and happy. Yet, with Satan's attack against the home, you see more and more families that struggle with being close and happy. Of course, a close family will be a happy family. A family that is not close to each other will not be a happy family.

The verse above shows a family that seemed to be happy. We don't know much about what this family did while they were together at home, but we can see three things this family did that gave them the closeness and happiness that surely you desire for your family. Though this is only a microcosm of what it takes to have a close and happy family, I believe these things will help you with your family.

First, they were a singing family. In verse 32, the Scriptures says about this family, "And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing,..." Yes, this family was talented and had the ability to sing in the tabernacle, but for them to sing in public they had to first sing at home. One of the fond memories I have about growing up was when our family would get around the piano and sing together. I believe it is good for families to sing together. This is one reason why it would be good for you to make sure your girls take piano lessons, because they will use the ability to play that piano with their family. To help your family stay close and happy, have a time when the family sits down and sings together. Go around to each member of the family and ask what they want to sing, and then sing it. There is something about singing together that brings happiness to the home.

Second, they were a serving family. In the verse above, you will notice that this family "waited with their children." The word "waited" is the same word we use for serving. This family knew the importance of serving God. Your family will never have the closeness and happiness which you desire until you serve God. God is the One Who founded the home. Until you get the Founder involved in the home, then the home will not be happy. Be careful about getting so wrapped up in worldly affairs that the family doesn't have time to serve God. At the top of your priority list for your family should be serving God. You will never acquire a happy family until you serve God.

Last, they were a together family. Notice in the verse above it says, "with their children." It wasn't mom and dad serving God alone, it was the whole family serving God together. A close family is a family that does things together. Be careful about everybody in the family doing their own thing. Even in the church, the family needs to do things together. If you are not careful, dad has his duties in the church, mom has her duties in the church, the children have their duties and activities in the church, and nobody is doing anything together. It's good that the whole family is involved in the church, but it's better if the whole family serves God together. Even around the home, be sure that the family does things together. Don't allow one child to be the loner. Yes, you will have times when each member of the family is doing some things alone, but on the whole the family needs to do things together.

It will never be easy to keep your family happy and close, but the effort spent doing so will be rewarding. When the family is close and not feuding with each other, then home will be a happy and peaceful place for all. It will become a place where the family looks forward to being. Ask God to help you have a close and happy family, and then start singing and serving God together.

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Vulnerable Times

Proverbs 7:5

"That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words."

Everybody will be vulnerable to sin and Satan's attack. It does not matter how strong or great of a Christian you are, there will be some times when your will be more vulnerable than other times. It is very important for you to know when these vulnerable times are so that you won't be destroyed by Satan's attack.

Proverbs 7 teaches us the importance of keeping God's Word and understanding It so It can keep us away from the vulnerable times. One of the vulnerabilities of most people is that of the opposite sex. Though this is not the only area where people can be vulnerable, if you will learn how to help yourself in this situation it will also apply to other areas of your life.

The first time of vulnerability is at night. You will notice in verse 9 that the young man was walking around "in the black and dark night:" Very little good is ever accomplished when someone is roaming the streets late at night. A lot of young people get into trouble by being out late at night. No matter what your age, you should be very careful about being out late at night.

Second, when you are alone you are very vulnerable. In verse 7, you see that the young man was alone. You must guard your mind and what you do in your alone times. It is during your alone times that your character weaknesses will be revealed. You will do things when you are alone that you would never do in public. Watch yourself when you are alone so that you don't succumb to sin.

Third, you are vulnerable when you are around the opposite sex. In verse 10, the young man met a harlot who was "subtil of heart." Though I don't believe every person will be subtil, I do believe that being alone with the opposite sex is very unwise. You should guard against being alone with the opposite sex so that you do not have to fight the temptations that come from being alone with them.

Fourth, when you are in an unfamiliar time of your life, you are vulnerable to Satan's attack. Be careful when you start new endeavors in life. It is in these times that Satan can cause you to make foolish decisions because you are unfamiliar with where you are in life.

Fifth, when you are spiritually wounded your are very vulnerable. The Scriptures say in verse 26, "For she hath cast down many wounded:..." When you have been spiritually wounded, you must take extra guard that you don't yield to temptation. When a Christian has attacked you, beware of temptation. When you are struggling as a Christian, beware of temptation. When sin has wounded you, beware not to yield to more sin.

Last, when you are physically weak you are vulnerable. Verse 26 can be applied to the spiritual side as well. When you are tired, you must watch that you don't yield to temptation. When you have been fighting sickness, you must be careful not to yield to temptation. When you feel physically weak for no apparent reason, watch yourself because you are vulnerable during this time.

Whether or not you believe this, Satan is out to destroy you. Watch yourself during these times of vulnerability so that Satan doesn't get the upper hand in your life.

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Formula of an Answered Prayer

2 Kings 20:5

"Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD."

The best way to learn how to do something is to study what has been successful and copy the formula that made the success. In the verse above, you will find the formula of Hezekiah's answered prayer. Hezekiah was told that he was going to die. Instead of griping and whining about his situation, he went straight to God in prayer for he knew that only God could change his plight. The result of this action and how he prayed is what gave him the answer that he needed. If you want your prayers to be answered, then you would be wise to copy how Hezekiah prayed.

The very first ingredient in this formula for answered prayer is taking time to pray. Hezekiah could not have had his prayer answered if he wouldn't have taken time to pray. One of the biggest reasons why Christians don't have answered prayers is because they don't pray. God does not answer prayers because of how eloquent they are, He answers prayers because someone prayed. God cannot answer your prayers until you start to pray. If you want to have answered prayers, then you need to take time daily to pray.

The second ingredient in this formula is to pour your problems out to God. Hezekiah did not beat around the bush with his prayer. When he prayed he got right to the point of his prayer. You will notice when you study this prayer that Hezekiah immediately prayed, and as Isaiah was walking out of the palace God came to the prophet and told him that He heard this prayer. That would mean that Hezekiah's prayer was not that long, but it was to the point. When you go to God in prayer get to the point, and pour your problems out to God.

The third ingredient in this formula for answered prayer is to remind God of what you have done. When Hezekiah prayed, he poured his problem out to God, and then he reminded God what he had done for Him. One of the reasons it is important to serve God is so that you can use your service record as a bargaining chip with God to get your prayers answered. God is more likely to answer the prayers of those who are doing something for Him than He is for the one who never does anything. Don't be afraid to remind God of your service record in serving Him when you are trying to get an to answer to prayer.

The last ingredient in this formula for answered prayer is tears. In the verse above, God noticed Hezekiah's tears. God says in Psalm 126:6, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." God notices the tears of His saints. Put your heart into your prayers and don't be afraid to weep while praying for God will notice your tears.

What need do you have today for which you need God's intervention? Follow the formula of this prayer and apply it to your need and watch how God moves to answer your prayer.

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A Position Worthy of Respect

2 Kings 2:23

"And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head."

There are certain positions that are worthy of respect. Often we may not like a person who fills a position, but the position itself is worthy of respect. For instance, the leader of a country will be liked by some and despised by others, yet, the position that person holds is worthy of respect. In the verse above, we find that the man of God's position is worthy of respect. Whether or not you like the man of God, you should respect him because of his position. His position is worthy of respect because he is a representative of God. With this in mind, let me give you several thoughts from the story above.

First, God takes the man of God's position seriously. Many have looked at the verse above and questioned why Elisha would call she bears to punish these children for their ridicule of him. What you must understand is that even though Elisha cursed these children, it was God Who sent the she bears. The punishment may seem extreme, but it was God who administered the punishment, and no man should ever question God's punishment. If God sent such severe punishment to children, then He must take the man of God's position seriously. If God takes this position seriously, then you should treat the person who holds this position seriously and with respect.

Second, children should be taught to respect the man of God. The parents of these children should have taught them better. Children often do what their parents teach them by example. These children most likely were only mimicking what they had seen their parents do. You should make it a point in your home to teach your children to respect the man of God. Teach them to address him properly. Teach them not to criticize him. Of course, if you criticize the man of God then you will have a hard time teaching them not to criticize him. Teach your children to respect the man of God by taking care of him. You can do this by letting them give their preacher little gifts. Teach your children to respect the man of God by praying for he and his family on a regular basis. Children should be taught to reverence the position of the man of God.

Third, criticism of God's man should never be entertained. You must be careful not to become a part of a group of people who criticize the man of God. You will notice in the verse above, it was a group of children and not an individual child. Criticism of the man of God often happens in groups. Rarely do you see individuals criticizing the man of God. Therefore, when you are around people who start criticizing the man of God, you should try to stop the criticism or leave, but don't become a part of it. Avoid the groups of people who are known to criticize God's man.

Last, God will punish those who attack the man of God. I have seen many times in my life God's punishment on those who attack the man of God. Some have paid a dear price because of their attack against God's man. God will not let you get by with attacking His man. He will punish you if you become a part of criticizing and attacking the man of God.

Be careful what you say about the man of God. Realize that his position is worthy of respect. If you have been guilty of criticizing and attacking the man of God, then you need to get it right before you face God's punishment. The man of God's position is worthy of respect, be sure that you give it the respect it deserves.

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Prerequisites for the Miraculous

1 Kings 17:13

"And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son."

When Elijah asked the widow woman to cook him some food, her response to him was, "I have not..." The only thing this poor widow woman had was enough food to cook one more meal for her and her son, and then they planned to starve to death. The fact is that this woman needed a miracle if she and her son were going to live. Yet, in the verse above, Elijah gave her three commands in order for her to see the miraculous. The same three commands that this lady had to do to see the miraculous in her life is the same thing you must do if you want to see the miraculous in your life.

First, Elijah told her to "Fear not." You will never accomplish the miraculous if you allow fear to hold you back. Though at times fear can motivate you to do more, most of the time fear will hold people back from doing something for God. Fear will keep the Christian from going soul winning. Fear will keep the young person from stepping out by faith into full-time service. Fear will keep the Christian from giving that extra offering. If you listen to it, fear will keep you from being able to see the miraculous. Whenever you face something great for God, it is natural to have fear, but you must not listen to the voice of fear, for it will keep you from seeing God work the miraculous through your life.

Second, Elijah told her to "go." When you decide not to listen to the voice of fear, then the next step is to step out and go. It is always the first step that will be the hardest step. Once you make the first step and go, then you will find the next steps will come naturally. However, you must be the one to make yourself go. The only way you will silence fear is by taking the first step. You may be fearful about God's will for your life, but you must take the first step to do it. When you do, fear will subside. You may be fearful about going soul winning, but you must take the first step and fear will step aside. It is always the first step that is the hardest step, but if you will take it you will find that fear will begin to slip away.

Last, Elijah told her to "do." Once you start going, then you must do what you are supposed to do. There are some who actually take the first step to go, but they end up getting side tracked with something else. Be careful about allowing other things to side track you from God's will. When Satan realizes that you won't listen to fear and that you have taken the first step to go, then his tactic is to side track you from what you stepped out to do. Don't let anything keep you from doing what God wants you to do. The miraculous is ahead if you will keep on going.

Moreover, don't let discouragement keep you from doing God's will. You may not see the miraculous immediately, but you must keep on doing if you are going to see it. Discouragement will set in, but you must keep on going in times of discouragement. Don't let discouragement keep you from seeing the miraculous.

Do you need a miracle in your life? Then don't listen to fear, and take the first step to go and do what God wants you to do. When you go, be sure to do what you set out to do with your first step. Don't let anything sidetrack you from doing God's will, and you will see God work the miraculous in your life.

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Actions for the Early Stages of Leadership

1 Kings 12:1

"And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king."

When a person acquires a new position of leadership, the first few months of how they lead may determine their influence and longevity in that position. When Rehoboam acquired the position of king after Solomon passed away, he made some huge mistakes that limited his scope of leadership. Instead of copying Solomon's actions when he became king, to his detriment Rehoboam tried to blaze his own trail. You will find five things from Rehoboam's life that will help you when you acquire a new position of leadership.

First, listen to your followers. When I say listen to your followers, I mean it. Too many leaders act like they are listening, but they are only letting the follower vent hoping that it will be enough. Rehoboam listened to his followers, but not really. They told him how they would follow, but he didn't listen. If a leader will listen to those whom they lead, they will find out how to lead them. Followers will often in conversations reveal how they follow. If a leader will listen, he will be able to understand his followers desires and need for leadership in their life. Let me caution you, when I say listen to your followers, I am not saying to let the followers dictate where you will stand on truth and principle, I am talking about how they will follow your leadership. Whenever you acquire a new position, it is important that you immediately establish a relationship with your followers by listening to them when they speak.

Second, get wise counsel. Just because you have acquired position does not mean that you know everything about leading. Rehoboam made the mistake of listening to his peers and not to wise counselors. When you acquire position, find a wise older people who can help counsel you in your endeavors. Wise older people will have the counsel you need to help you establish your position so that you can better help your followers.

Third, serve your followers. The greatest mistake many leaders make is they stop serving people and expect people to serve them. The purpose of leadership is to serve those whom they lead. When you acquire position, realize the purpose of your leadership is to serve those whom you lead. Find out what they need and serve them. You hold your position of leadership to help improve them so they can better serve the LORD. Never make your position about what you can get out of it, but make your position about how you can use it to the betterment of your followers.

Fourth, don't entertain disloyalty. Rehoboam's first mistake was he gave a hearing to Jeroboam who was disloyal to his father. Often new leaders will think they will be able to lead someone who was disloyal to the previous leader. Let me make this clear, you should always be wary of disloyal people. Until they get right over their disloyalty, you should keep them at arms length. You are most likely not a better leader than the previous person whom a disloyal person would not follow, so eventually they will be disloyal to you when the newness wears off. Don't welcome disloyalty, but keep them at arms length.

Last, walk with God. The sad part about Rehoboam in this story is you don't see God mentioned one time until the very end. If Rehoboam would have walked with God, he may have been able to establish his leadership role in Israel. When you acquire leadership, keep walking with God. Nothing will help you to be a better leader than walking with God. God is the One Who gives position, and He is also the One Who has the wisdom to help you with that position.

Serving people through leadership is a wonderful life. Learn from the principles above how to conduct yourself in the early stages of leadership and you will have many years to serve those whom you lead.

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Don't Cheat Your Foundation

1 Kings 7:10

"And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits."

One of the most costly parts of building a home is the foundation. When Solomon built his home, you see that he didn't cut corners in the cost of the foundation. The verse says, "And the foundation was of costly stones..." If you're going to build a home that you plan to live in the rest of your life, then it would be wise to be sure that the foundation is not the area where you try to cut corners.

However, in the building of a home (and I am not talking about the house you live in) it seems that many people try to cheat the foundation only to see their home in turmoil. The home has been under attack since the Garden of Eden. Not only did Satan attack God's Word when he tempted Eve, but he was also attacking the foundation of the home when he went to Eve and not Adam. Satan knows that if he can destroy the home, then he can destroy the church, thus destroying God's influence in the world. Whatever you do, don't be cheap in the area of making the foundation of your home sure. There are four areas you need to be sure that you keep right to make the foundation of your home strong.

First, don't cheat God. God should be the foundation of every home. When you take away the founder of the home, you take away the core of the foundation. For any home to be what it ought to be, then God should be the core that the home revolves around. In other words, everyone in the home should have a walk with God. If one member of the home doesn't walk with God, then the foundation of the home will weakened. The whole family should be sure to serve God together. When the whole family serves God together, then you have a home whose foundation is strong.

Second, don't cheat church. God started two institutions, the home and the church. Both institutions need each other to be strong. Your home will not be what it ought to be if you don't attend every church service. You should never let anything keep you out of church. It is highly important to be faithful to church for the foundation of your home to be strong.

Third, be sure to keep your marriage relationship healthy. If the marriage relationship is weak, then the home will be weak. You will never have a strong home if the marriage is struggling. Too many times parents will work more on the parent/child relationship than they do the marriage relationship, only to destroy the home. If the husband and wife have a strong relationship, then you will often find that the children will be happy as well. When children see their parents are happily married it gives them security, which keeps them from looking to other sources to get security.

Time is the last key to having a good foundation for the home. You will never have a good home without time together. Notice, I didn't say playing together, but I said time together. The family can have time together serving God. I'm not against a family having time to play together, but the family also needs other time together. Often you will find people thinking family vacation once a year is what will give them a strong home. That is not the case! Time must be spent together every day to keep the foundation of the home strong.

It is imperative to the success of your home that you keep the foundation strong. You will not have the home that you should have without all four areas mentioned above. Each area is important to keeping the foundation of your home strong. Don't cheat the foundation in any of these areas, for it will weaken your home when you do.

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Loving Your Man of God

2 Samuel 23:15-16

"And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD."

What an incredible story about these three men who risked their life to get David a drink of water. In the verses above you find that David quietly longed for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem. David had been out fighting battles for the LORD, when he got a little homesick and simply wanted to have a taste of the water he had drank for so many years. Three men heard David speak about his longing, and they decided to do something about it. Their action was not a normal action, for they literally risked their lives to fulfill the desire of their man of God. No one would ever question their love for their leader. No doubt these men held a special place in David's heart because he knew they loved him.

Let me ask you a question; does your man of God know that you love him? I did not ask you if you think he knows that you love him, but does he unequivocally know that you love him? What do you do to show your love to your man of God? Though you probably will never have to risk your life for your man of God to prove your love, I do believe this story shows us how you can demonstrate your love to him.

Let me make this clear, every man of God needs people to love him. One thing a preacher will constantly wonder is who loves him. I know this may seem petty, but when you are constantly being analyzed by people, knowing that someone loves you unconditionally is comforting and strengthening to a man of God. Your preacher needs to know that your love for him does not have strings attached.

Moreover, you will never know how to demonstrate your love to your man of God unless you listen for his desires. Often your man of God will expose his desires through his sermons. He may use his desires as an illustration to prove a point. Though he probably is not doing this to get anything from you, if you listen you will know what he truly desires.

Furthermore, you will never be able to demonstrate your love to your man of God until you lay your agenda aside. Too many people have an agenda to get close to the preacher so they can receive position. Your desire to love your man of God should not be so that you can get position, but to simply love him for his position and for who he is. To the man of God who is observant, he can detect when someone demonstrates love for position. This does not endear that type of person to the man of God, but rather it puts him on edge to wonder what they will do if he doesn't give them position. Your purpose of loving your man of God should be for the sole purpose of loving him.

Last, your degree of sacrifice determines your degree of love. The three men from the story above were willing to sacrifice their lives for David. There was no question as to the degree of their love, because their sacrifice proved it. Most of the time it is not the amount of money spent on something that shows your sacrifice, but rather the time out of your busy schedule to show your love that demonstrates your depth of love. With the busy schedules of today, simply taking time to express your love to your man of God will help him to know that you love him.

Listen for the little desires that your man of God expresses and try to meet those desires. Your man of God needs to know that you love him, and little expressions of love on a regular basis will help him to know how much you love him.

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The Friendship Test

2 Samuel 9:1

"And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

One of the greatest assets in life is friendship. No doubt everyone wants to have friends. Even God desires friends, that is why He called Abraham, "the Friend of God." Because we were created in God's image, and because God desires to have friends, then that means God created you with the desire to have friends. No doubt, one of the greatest influences on a person's life is their friends.

According to the Scriptures, Saul's son, Jonathan, was David's dearest friend. When you read the story of their friendship, their friendship almost made them as close as brothers. Jonathan proved his friendship by risking his life to save David. These two men were the ideal pattern of friendship. In the verse above, you find that even though Jonathan was dead, David still honored his friendship by showing kindness to one of Jonathan's sons. However, in the verse above, I believe you will find the true test of friendship.

First, friendship is for your lifetime. It is interesting that though Jonathan was dead, David still honored his friend. David didn't end his friendship when Jonathan died. David realized that friendship was based on his lifetime and not the lifetime of his friend. When you decide to be a friend to someone, you should understand that true friendship will cover your lifetime. Even if your friend has passed away, you are to continue to honor your friendship with them for the rest of your life. This is important to understand before we go on to the rest of the friendship test.

Second, friendship is about what you can put into it. I fear that too many people choose someone to be their friend for what they can get out of it. That is not true friendship! In fact, in a true friendship you don't look for the other person to do anything for you. This is why many people get angry with someone whom they call their friend. They get upset because their friend never does anything for them. Friendship should never be about what you get out of it, but what you can put into it. True friendship is about what you can do for them and not what they can do for you.

Third, death is the greatest test of friendship. Though Jonathan was dead, David still honored the desires of his friend. Though Jonathan was dead, David still honored the promises he made to his friend. You are not a true friend to someone when you stop honoring their desires and promises once they die. I think of Dr. Jack Hyles, my good friend and pastor who was no doubt one of the greatest preachers of my generation. Many people called Dr. Hyles their friend, and yet now that he has died many have not honored what he preached and that for which he stood. These were not friends at all, they were opportunists. The true friend will continue to honor the desires and promises of their friend even after their death.

Last, don't wait to show your appreciation. If you have a true friend, then don't wait until they die to start honoring them. It would be good for you to periodically do something for your friends. Honoring your friend when they are dead does them no good. You should honor them when they are alive. If you have not done anything to honor your friends, then you are a poor friend.

Do you pass the friendship test? If not, then start working on being a good friend to your friends. If you did pass the test, then continue to work on being a better friend to your friends. One day you will grow old, and when you are old, how you treated your friends will be revealed. Be good to your friends at all times, for they are the ones who stand with you when nobody else does.