Rev 21:1 Now I saw a
new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed
away. Also there was no more sea.
:2 Then I , John,
saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband.
:3 And I heard a
loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and
He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself wil be with
them and be their God.
:4 And God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor
crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
:5 Then He who sat
on the throne said,”Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write,
for these words are true and faithful.”
:6 And He said to
me, “It is done!” I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I
will give of the fountain of the waters of life freely to him which thirsts.
:7 He who overcomes
shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”
Mt 5:4 Blessed are
those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Has your heart been
broken by cruelty, failure, unfaithfulness, loss? Maybe you cried in the shower
so no one would see. It’s good to cry. A little crying does you good every now
and then.
Our tears attract
our Lord’s lovingkindness. He knows our troubled, sleepless nights.
2 Cor 1:3 Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of
all comfort.
:4 who comforts us
in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
God uses His people
to comfort one another.
There is a future
day when there will be no reason for tears anymore.
1 Sam 18 – 20 and 2
Sam 1 show the friendship, love and respect of David and Jonathan.
Friendships are
gifts from God.
James 2:23 And the
Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God and it was accounted
to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God.
Ex 33:11 So the Lord
spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
When it comes to
sisters in Christ, friendships take on a special quality. Christian friendship
is especially sweet because of the bond of Christ.
Rom 15:5 Now may the
God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another,
according to Christ Jesus.
Gal 6:2 Bear one
another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Pr 27:9 Ointment and
perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by
hearty counsel.
God takes care of us
through our friends. They are there offering encouragement, compassion, love,
honesty, loyalty, and understanding.
Our friendships are
like recipes of goodness for us.
Why is a recipe for
friendship with our sisters in Christ so important? Let’s compare it to a
cookie recipe.
1.
Shortening
Provides texture. Our
friendships add depth and texture to our lives.
2.
Sugar
Adds sweetness. Our friendship
adds a sweetness to our lives. If we left sugar out of a cookie recipe, we
would miss it. It’s the same with our lives.
3.
Eggs
Holds ingredients
together. Sisters in Christ help hold us together when we need it.
4.
Vanilla
Adds flavor. Friends
add the flavor we need. Without them we would become bland.
5.
Flour
Adds substance. We need
the substance a friend gives us. Their testimony and the way they live their
lives have an impact on us.
6.
Baking soda
Leavens. It helps to
lighten our baking. Friends lighten our burdens through prayer and
encouragement.
7.
Salt
Enhances flavor. Friends
add flavor to our lives when we need it.
Just as cookies take
time and effort so does friendship.
Pr 18:24 A man who
has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer
than a brother.
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