Open Heaven 21 July 2020 – Show Me Your Friends

Open Heaven 21 July 2020 Daily Devotional By Pastor E.A Adeboye

TOPIC: Show Me Your Friends

MEMORISE:
“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” – (1 Corinthians 15:33)

READ: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)
14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

MESSAGE:
There is a popular adage that says Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. This saying is very true. No matter how spiritual you are, (1 Corinthians 15:33) says that “Evil communications corrupt good manners.” There are certain friends who would pull you back and there are others who would help you grow spiritually and in other areas of life. Choose your friends wisely. Before I became born again, I had friends with whom I regularly drank alcoholic wines. Then, I met Christ and my lifestyle changed.

When my friends visited, I served them non-alcoholic drinks, and before long, they realized that things were different, and withdrew from me. It was painful to lose my friends then, but I let them go because I didn’t want them to drag me back to the world. Today, God has replaced those friends with a lot of brothers and sisters all over the world. I have made new friends who have helped me in my walk with God. It is this kind of friends that you should have too – friends who will draw you closer to God, challenge you to pursue your dreams, pray with you when you are down and whose positive impact on your life will be evident to all. I must warn you that such friends are not many, but even if it is only one of such you can find, he/she is better than a hundred others who would pull you down.

Jesus is the best friend that any man can have. He said in John 15:15 that:
“…I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Jesus friendship should be your standard. If you cannot see through a person’s lifestyle that they have a relationship with Jesus, then they should not be your friend. While Matthew 22:39 says that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, we are only to have a few true friends. Jesus loved everyone when He was on earth, but He kept His inner circle small. Don’t hate those you cannot be friends with. You must love them; just don’t share intimate things with them. Set clear boundaries.

Remember, iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).

REFLECTION:
Are your current friends drawing you closer to God or far from Him?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 28-30

HYMNAL:
HYMN 5 – DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

CHORUS:
O deeper yet I pray,
And higher ev’ry day,
And wiser, blessed, Lord,
In Thy precious, holy word.

2. Deeper, deeper! blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus
And His perfect will.

3. Deeper, deeper! tho’ it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

4. Deeper, higher ev’ry day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

Open Heaven 21 July 2020 Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries