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Our Greatest Friend is Jesus! "He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)

-HE KNOWS THE SHEPHERD ~ -

Some years ago at a drawing-room function, one of England's leading actors was asked to recite for the pleasure of his fellow guests. He consented and asked if there was anything special that his audience would like to hear.

After a moment's pause, an old clergyman present said, "Could you, sir, recite to us the Twenty-third Psalm?"

A strange look passed over the actor's face; he paused for a moment, and then said: "I can, and I will, upon one condition, and that is that after I have recited it, you my friend, will do the same."

"I?" said the clergyman, in surprise. "But I am not an elocutionist. However; if you wish it, I will do so."

Impressively, the great actor began the Psalm. His voice and his intonation were perfect. He held his audience spell-bound; and as he finished, a great burst of applause broke from the guests.

Then, as it died away, the old clergyman arose and began the Psalm. His voice was not remarkable; his intonation was not faultless. When he had finished, no sound of applause broke the silence--but there was not a dry eye in the room, and many heads were bowed.

Then the actor rose to his feet again. His voice shook as he laid his hand upon the shoulder of the old clergyman and said: "I reached your eyes and ears, my friends; he reached your hearts. The difference is just this--I know the Twenty-third Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd." ~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<http://youtu.be/tNdUaTcpDok> / MY SAVIOR, MY GOD ~Aaron Shust

--The Wisdom of Right Relationships
--Hebrews 10:23-24

The subject of positive relationships is near to my heart because God has provided me with such good friends. These are the people who challenge me to do more for the Lord. My friends love me, but they certainly aren’t content to let me stay as I am! If they spot a sin in my life or see something I could do better, they say so.

Paul gave relationships a high priority too. The apostle surrounded himself with people who could help him achieve two things: fulfillment of his God-given mission and conformity to Christlikeness. While Paul was pouring himself into the lives of others, he was being built up and strengthened by his fellow believers. That, in brief, is the Lord’s plan for every one of His children.

What about you? Do you have certain relationships that motivate you to pursue God more fervently? It does matter whom we allow to influence our lives. The Father equips your brothers and sisters to invest in you—to encourage you, to pray for you, and to prod you toward a more complete faith—so that you are prepared to devote yourself to serving others. Good relationships with people who build each other up can help believers fulfill God’s plan for their lives.

The finest relationships are between people who want to see each other succeed in faith and therefore “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24, niv). In other words, our best friends are those who love us as we are but never cease to challenge us to be better for the Lord.

~~~BLOOMING FOR JESUS ~~

--"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. "

---[JOHN 13:34] --
--[PLEASE READ /John 13:31–35]


~~~I wasn’t truthful about the tulips. A gift from my younger daughter, the packaged bulbs traveled home with her to the US from Amsterdam after she visited there. So I made a show of accepting the bulbs with great excitement, as excited as I was to reunite with her. But tulips are my least favorite flower. Many bloom early and fade fast. The July weather, meantime, made it too hot to plant them.

Finally, however, in late September, I planted “my daughter’s” bulbs—thinking of her and thus planting them with love. With each turn of the rocky soil, my concern for the bulbs grew. Giving their plant bed a final pat, I offered the bulbs a blessing, “sleep well,” hoping to see blooming tulips in the Spring.

My little project became a humble reminder of God’s call for us to love one another, even if we’re not each other’s “favorites.” Looking past each other’s faulty “weeds,” we’re enabled by God to extend love to others, even in temperamental seasons. Then, over time, mutual love blooms in spite of ourselves.

-- “By this,” Jesus said, “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Pruned by Him, we’re blessed then to bloom, as my tulips did the next Spring—on the same weekend my daughter arrived for a short visit. “Look what’s blooming!” I said. Finally, me.
~~"There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. / JESUS! (Proverbs 18:24 b)

---ODB/PR~

--"There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother" [JESUS~] -- [Proverbs 18:24]

---THE QUIET PLACE OF PRAYER ~~

--'PRAYER IS WORSHIP.' Our prayer should be full of adoration, affection, and fondness for God--that He is who He is; that He created us in order to have someone on whom He could shower His love; that He stretched out His arms on the cross; that He intends, in the fullest sense, to make whole men and women out of us. In worship, as the old word worth-ship implies, we declare what we value the most. It's one of the best ways in the world to love God.

--Prayer is the highest expression of our dependence on God. It's asking for what we want. We can ask for anything--even the most difficult things. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" [Philippians 4:6]. Anything large enough to occupy our minds is large enough to hand a prayer on.

Prayer, however, by its nature is requesting. It's not insisting or clamoring. We can make no demands of God or deals with Him. Friends don't make demands. They ask and then wait. We wait with patience a submission until God gives us what we request--or something more.

Prayer is asking for understanding . It's the means by which we comprehend what God is saying to us in His Word. Prayer focuses and unites our fragmented. hearts.

In the quiet place of prayer, God comforts, instructs, and listens to us. There we learn to love and worship Him.

--"The Lord inhabits the praises of his people." --Give Him praise for Who He is, Jesus is God in flesh. We serve God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All in One Person. "For there are three that testify; The Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement. [1 John 5:5 --12].