Are you a Christian or a Disciple?

WARNING: God's Word has been known to be offensive to those living outside of God's perfect Will.  Read to your own edification!

QUESTION FOR CHRISTIANS

Do you call yourself a Christian?

Why?

Does Jesus tell you anywhere in Scripture to "Go out and become a Christian"?

Did you know that the word "Christian" can be found only 3 times in the whole Bible...?

And 2 of those times, it's used in a discussion surrounding suffering or death!

Yet many of you will use that "title" alone in order to describe yourself.  Something that you either deem as a badge of honor, inferring your rebelliousness to the world at large or simply just to show people how "good" or "righteous" you are...

But I'm here to tell you today, that Jesus Himself was more concerned about DISCIPLESHIP than He ever was about you attending church, joining a religion or making up or following your own ways and practices, thanks to what the United States calls "Religious Freedom".

Pastoral Self Importance - STOP IT!

As a Discipleship Minister, I'm often placed in a position where I need to reach out to local churches, in order to help create a smooth transition from my care as a Shepherd, over to a long-term Shepherd.  At any given time, I have between 5 and 25 people from around the world who seek out my guidance on discipleship.  Once I get people to a certain point, I encourage them to find a local church to get additional fellowship.

To date, I've had ZERO PERCENT SUCCESS at accomplishing what should be a ridiculously simple task...

WHY?
Good question!

Agendas, Propaganda and Lies... Oh my!

NOTICE: As I referenced in my last post on the subject, this is my second (and hopefully final) post regarding this particular issue.  

Next, I'm putting this at the beginning of this post, because those of  you with ADD might not make it all the way through.  There is no hate of any kind contained within this post.  Twist and turn all of my words if you'd like, but you're not going to get away with saying that my words or my intent are hateful.

Gay Pride - Oxy-Moron or Perfect Description?

I've been teaching many of the individuals that I've been discipling, that MANY WORDS have had their meanings changed over the years.  Some simple, non-biblical words that have been changed would include: COOL means NICE, BAD means GOOD, FAT now means PRETTY (even though they use a PH to spell it), DOPE means SMART (as in looking smart), TIGHT means COOL, FINE means HOT, etc. (oy, what a mess we've allowed our language to become!)

My Daughter Still Doesn't Understand Me...

NOTE: This teaching has what I'll call "authenticity" attached to it.  Within, is a recounting of something that recently happened to me and I have kept the language inadequacies of one of the parties intact.  Not for the sake of making fun of anyone, but to try to keep the story both "real" and "authentic".  So if you do get offended, please don't be.  There is nothing written here with the goal of malice.

Silverworks Ministries - Statement of Faith

So while I was straightening out the issue with the Radio Series, it occurred to me that I should put our Statement of Faith here on the Blog.  For the love of God, PLEASE, ALWAYS read a Ministries Statement of Faith before you devote your time, your family and put your money towards it.  Make sure that it not only fits Scripture, but that they're not calling out Scripture erroneously...

About Pastor Keith & Silverworks Ministries Beliefs

Discipleship Series Offline

I just discovered that most of the discipleship series is offline...

Don't worry, this isn't Satan at work, it's technology changing and me not knowing about it!

All of the episodes are safe and sound, give me a few days and they'll all be back online again!

While you wait, why not listen in to our Show Special on "Freedom in Christ"?

Episode 25 - Freedom in Christ

Just for clarity, I actually expected this to happen at some point or another (for various reasons)...  I've started to get them back up.  As they are uploaded, they will appear in the box below.

Also, I'm taking this opportunity to get the whole "Podcasting thing" worked out, so I would appreciate it if anyone would care to offer me any advice.

ADDENDUM: DISCIPLESHIP SERIES IS BACK ONLINE!

Update on all things "But is it Biblical?"

Back in October I told everyone to look forward to a new season of our radio show and a revamped website.

The website has stalled, because Wix has some major problems with their HTML5 websites.  For those of you in the technical-know, AJAX is not very "deep link friendly".  So people who still insist on using Apple products will continue to have a substandard experience when visiting our website.  Apple's phones may be pretty, but they're not very Technology Friendly.  Given the time constraints right now, moving our site would be a burden.  For those of you who are interested, all Apple related hits to ALL of my various websites account for only about 16% of all the hits.  That includes all revisions of the iPhone, Mac & Apple TV.  At 16%, their voice is certainly louder than one might actually think.

As for the radio shows next season.... Well, Pastor Jeff and myself have been inundated with secular work.  Since that's what God is using to keep our families fed, clothed and warm, we've got no choice but to wait for an opening AND a signal from God to do so.

For those of you who may be wondering WHY Pastor Jeff and I still work normal jobs, it's because we refuse to give up our rights and we remain what is often called a "Free Church".  We don't want 501(c)(3) status.  We want to be able to speak the truth, and although we don't often do this next thing, we want to retain our right to be able to call out individuals within the government who are doing something wrong.  If you accept non-profit status, you give up these rights wholesale.  Unless you want to live your life as a "diplomat" and find "politically correct" and subversive ways to do so, then it's not worth it.  As you know we're anything BUT PC here at Silverworks Ministries.  It's not so much that we're proud of that fact, as much as it is that we're sick of listening to people who say one thing and mean another.  You know?  Haven't you noticed that we never ask for "donations"?

2 Timothy 3:12-14 - Those who try to live a godly life because they believe in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil people and phony preachers will go from bad to worse as they mislead people and are themselves misled. However, continue in what you have learned and found to be true. You know who your teachers were.

In the mean time, I would like to remind you to PLEASE, stay IN the Word, stay God focused and God centered and no matter WHAT this world throws at you, don't give in, and remember these words:

Deuteronomy 33:27 - The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms;

Until we resume, we are always available for emails or other Biblically related questions...
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need some help or guidance...

Blessings to one and all!

Luke 21:25-28 - "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Pastor(s) Keith & Jeff - Status Update

WOW, have we been busy lately!

Pastor Jeff and I are actually headed to New York this Thursday and Friday!

I hope to resume posting soon!

ALSO: I know I promised the show starting up again LAST OCTOBER, but I guess God had other plans for us and I'll subsequently promise that we'll get the show started up again really soon!

BTW: Wait til you see (hear) what we're doing with the next season!  I can hardly wait! :)

Bible Nuggets 2 - Who are the "Sons of God"?

Pastor Jeff and I like to say that "The Bible is an inexhaustible supply of information"... We refer to it as inexhaustible, because no matter how often you read it and no matter how much you study it, if you're reading it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, from time to time He shows things to you that you've never seen before!

What is being "Slain in the Spirit"?

Over the past few months, I've written about 90 articles and God has put the brakes on all but a very few of them.  Sometimes I get caught up in the moment and write about the "Issue Du jour".  I'm sure you can relate...

Today's issue I write with confidence that I'm supposed to be writing it!

As most of you are aware, one of the things that we discuss on the radio show and in my book, are Unbiblical Practices.  We discuss them, not because we want to "pick on" anyone, but to try and warn you and educate you, in order to save you the trouble of having to correct false teachings that can creep their way into your walk.

Over the last 3 years, I've been "interviewing" local churches in order to find one to become a part of.  Being primarily involved with Discipleship/Discernment Ministry work, I can't help but believe that I need a really good, solid, Biblically grounded and Doctrinally accurate church to send new believers to.  Suffice it to say, I CAN'T FIND ONE.

This week, after lots of research, I visited a new church.  I have several people telling me to call these churches out by name, but I don't feel lead to do so at this time.

If you've ever been to a church or have seen a video of people "falling over" as a Pastor prays over them, then you already know what the basis for this article is.  If not, take a look at this YouTube video HERE.  The narrator starts off kind of weak, but if you can get past the first 30 seconds or so, he does give an EXCELLENT teaching about the UNBIBLICAL nature of this phenomenon, complete with the twisted-scriptures used to justify this behavior.

So what is being "Slain in the Spirit"?  Just another make believe, made up thing, that someone put together in order to be able to distinguish themselves from another church.

It looks like one day I'm going to have to do a follow-up to Show 4 - Unbiblical Christianity.

Pastoral Position Wanted:

About 2 years ago, I heard the Shofar "blow the call", that God wanted me to serve Him as a Pastor.

For the past 2 years, I have (from time to time) explored different opportunities and listened to the experiences of some of my Pastoral acquaintances.

What you and I might think would be the requirements of a Pastor, don't really seem to blend too well with the people who are looking for the Pastors.  

Allow me to give you an example of what they want:

Wanted: Married man with excellent people skills, needs to oversee, plan, manage and otherwise be responsible for everything, up to and including wedding services, corporate prayer, outreach ministry, hospital ministry, street teams, funerals, and bingo on Sunday.

Applicant must have a minimum of 7 years experience in all the required areas and be willing to relocate without any promise of being hired.

Now if that doesn't sound daunting enough, here's what they don't tell you:

Applicant must be willing to be ruled by a board of directors, who will guide the Pastors every move, every thought and every breath.  Adherence to board mandates will outweigh all other responsibilities, including self, family, congregation, the Bible and any other communication from God Himself.  Inability to do what the board says will result in your immediate dismissal.

Now i'll agree that the example above is a SLIGHT exaggeration, but this problem (from what I've gathered so far) appears to be chronic!

You know, the Bible is full of "models".  A model is an example of either a foreshadowing or simply something that God uses to remind us that "He's done this before".  In case you didn't know it, JESUS is a Pastor.  Granted, the ULTIMATE Pastor, but He's still a Pastor.

Think about it... The word "Pastor" comes from the Latin word for "Shepherd".  What does a Shepherd do?  Usually, they tend to sheep.  Jesus tells us Himself that He's a Shepherd:

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

So let's see if what "they" want is Biblical...  Would you tell Jesus to ignore His own words?  Would you tell Jesus "what to do" and "how to do it"?  In John 10:27, Jesus goes on to say, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."  Sheep are to follow the Pastor, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

I've heard countless stories about Pastors who are trying their hardest to maintain "gainful employment", while at the hands of these wolves.  The sad part, is those Pastors should be placing all of their faith and trust in God alone and leave those churches behind to let God deal with them directly.  By staying there, they perpetuate the problem and continue to show other churches how they too can exert control over their Pastors.

In my forthcoming book, "But is it Biblical?", I have an entire chapter devoted to this topic called, "What's a Pastor For?".  It's the one area of the book that I actually took the time and performed a real "study" about not only what your average Christian thinks a Pastor is for, but what other Pastors think that a Pastor is for.  Episode 26 of our Discipleship series does a good job of discussing many of the issues associated with this topic.

As for me looking for a Pastoral position, it's true, I'm still looking.  I feel overwhelmingly called to work with a church to help develop a REAL Discipleship curriculum.  None of the Sunday school drivel where you learn about how "Noah brought 2 of every animal onto the ark and Jesus loves you."  Of course the first isn't true and while the 2nd is, it's also just 1/1,000th of the story.

Everything you could possibly want to know about what I believe and why is available for all to read both here in my blog and on our website at http://www.butisitbiblical.com.

I know there's a group of Christians out there right now who are looking for me.  Know this, I'm looking for you too.  I don't know where in the world you are, but I have 100% faith in God and I know that we'll find each other.

New Season, New Show!

For the last few months, I have been spending a tremendous amount of time in fellowship with God and we've been brainstorming like crazy!

I'm currently working on ramping up for a new season of "But is it Biblical?" and hope to bring you the same quality shows that we've brought to you in the past!

New Season, new show, new website*, new guests, same convictions!

Keep an eye out for our new website and if you "follow" this blog, you'll be updated immediately about the dates and times of our upcoming shows!

We'll see you soon!

*New website coming soon!

Atheists thought for the day...

If I told you that the Earth was Billions of years old, you'd say, "Yeah, I know..."  If I told you that the coffee you're drinking came from the farthest reaches of Mongolia and was brewed with 106F water from the same mountain that the coffee beans were harvested from, you'd say, "That's awesome!"  If I told you that the chicken nuggets you were eating came from a chicken that had been kept in a cage, barely big enough for it to stand in, you'd say, "I know..."

But if I told you that the Bible is in FACT the Word of God, you'd reject that premise outright!

Why is it that you wouldn't give a second thought to the non-fact that the Earth is billions of years old?  Were you there?  I wasn't.  Why is it that you wouldn't even question the origin of the coffee?  It could just be Folgers Crystals!  And as for the chickens, well unless you had seen the chicken for yourself, how do you know if it spent its life in a cage or running around a farm?

The simple fact is, you wouldn't know!  You take things on faith ALL THE TIME, but you won't even consider finding out for yourself whether or not what God has to say is truth or not.  Why is that?  Are you so smart that you know everything?

I once heard someone say, "Let's say that you knew 90% of everything that there is to know in the universe (which is impossible in and of itself).  Isn't it possible that God exists within the 10% you don't know?

Think about it...

Who's not a Christian...

One of the things that really gets me upset, is this belief in what they're calling "Liberal Christianity".  Some call it "Progressive Christianity".

It's yet another belief that teaches "I can pick and choose what I want to believe about God and it doesn't matter if I know God's Word or not.  As long as I feel good about myself, then I know I'm right with God".

So today, I'm going to list a few items along with proof, as to what does not constitute a Christian.  I'm not going to do it from my perspective, I'm not going to offer you my opinions and I'm certainly not going to offer you my point of view.  What I am going to do, is quote GOD.  So if you think that you're a Christian and yet you don't agree with God, then it's pretty academic.  You're not a Christian.

1. The Bible is full of contradictions, so it really doesn't matter if I read Scripture or not. - Really?  Now I don't mean to be offensive, but who told you that?  Did you figure this out by yourself?  Did some "know it all" Atheist attempt to dissuade you from listening to God?  Look at all of these verses: Deuteronomy 12:8, Judges 17:6, Judges 21:25, Job 32:1, Psalms 36:2, Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 26:5,12,16, Proverbs 28:11.  Each and every one of those can be summed up in Proverbs 26:12 - Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.  God expects for us to care more about how HE SEES THINGS, than how we might individually see them.  It's easy for us to get it wrong, it's impossible for HIM to do so.  In Malachi 3:6, God tells us in plain and simple language, "For I am the LORD, I do not change".  That single verse is our guarantee that there are no contradictions within the Bible.  In other words, if you think there's a contradiction, it's because you don't understand what you're reading.  If you don't believe God, then you can't possibly be a Christian.


2. I have no prayer life, I don't go to a church and I don't really know much of what's in the Bible, yet I know that I'm right with God and I'll be going to Heaven. - Really?  That's like saying, "I have a job and I don't pay taxes, yet I know I'll be getting a refund this year".  There's a lot of Scripture I could use here in order to prove that you're not a Christian, but I can make this one quick by pointing you to: John 8:47 - He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."


3. Who are you to tell me what I can and can't believe?  You're not God! - A truer statement has never been made.  I am not God and I am not even remotely trying to tell you what to believe.  What I am attempting to do, is to REDIRECT you from the nonsense that's rattling around in your head or from the worldly teachings that your parents, friends and teachers are telling you and instead point you toward what God has to say on the matter.  Again, if you can't be bothered by what GOD has to say on the matter, you're only fooling yourself as you can't possibly be a Christian.


4. I would lie, cheat, steal and even KILL in order to protect what's mine!  After all, God is on the side of truth and as long as I'm protecting myself, God's okay with it! - Are you sure you're not an Atheist?  I mean, if you take the word "God" out of that statement you'd sound like an unsaved person.  This one is so rudimentary that I don't think I need to go beyond the Ten Commandments to prove to you that you're not a Christian.  Exodus 20:13, 15, 16 tell you specifically not to "lie, cheat, steal and kill".  How much more proof do you need, that you don't care about what God has to say on the matter?


5. I don't know what God you worship, because my god loves everyone unconditionally!  - Now we're getting somewhere!  Do you see what you've done here?  You've created a god who fills you with happy thoughts and rainbows and lollipops and sunshine and cute little puppies.  Your god is one that you made up in your own mind, in order to feel better about yourself.  What you've done, is violated the first *3* of the Ten Commandments (See Exodus 20:3-17).  The first says that "You shall have no other gods except Me".  The second (in plain English), says that "You shall not make an image of anything in Heaven or Earth and worship it as a god", which by the way is pretty much just an extension of the 1st Commandment.  The third says that, "You shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain".  Since I'm positive you're trying to work this one out, allow me to help you.  Jesus is God, one of His many titles is Messiah.  The Greek word for Messiah, is Christ.  If you're calling yourself a Christian, then you're taking God's name in vain, because you're not being who you claim to be.  Now obeying the Ten Commandments won't get you a seat in Heaven, but at least if you knew what they were, you'd have a better idea of what your Heavenly Father expects from you than you do now.

That's just 5, and I'm certain that if you "feel" bad or sad or unhappy about those few items, then I can guarantee you that you have no relationship with God (Much like the "rich ruler" from Luke 18:18).  What you should WANT to do, is to prove me wrong!  Pick up your Bible and see if anything I've told you is wrong!  Read and find out what GOD has to say on the matter.  And then find yourself a Pastor who knows what he's doing and confirm that what you're reading is in fact what the Bible actually says.

Every day that passes is another gift you're receiving from God.  Be thankful that God gives you a chance to get closer to Him every single day.  Because one day, those chances are going to run out.  Please stop trying to be "wise in your own mind" and pick up a Bible.  It'll change your life!

Christianity in America - What happened?

Here in the United States, we take stands on all sorts of things...

We want to know what chemicals are in the food we eat...

We want to know if our chickens are caged or free range...

We want to know if the fish we eat comes from a sustainable species...

We want to know what country our coffee comes from...

We want to know where our President was born...

Americans can't help but want to know everything; after all, we're not stupid, right?

Then why don't you want to know about all of the POISON that's included with your religion?

Look, I personally don't care for Obama any more than anyone else in this country right now, but look at contender #2, Mitt Romney (who has publicly claimed membership within the Mormon church). Do you not realize that Mormons believe that God is an alien from another planet, that used to be a regular man? Do you not realize that Mormons believe that Jesus (our Lord and Savior) is the brother of Satan? Do you not realize that Mormons baptize their DEAD? Jesus said that you can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless you are born of water (natural birth) and of the Holy Spirit (making a decision to accept the atoning sacrifice of the blood of Christ). How can you accept something after you're dead?

If America actually sat down and took the time to look into these religions, they wouldn't vote for EITHER of these 2 men. If that happened, for the first time in our history, we'd elect one of the little guys, instead of the candidates with all the money for television commercials.

So why is it that we care so much about the chicken that's about to be slaughtered, so that we can have chicken nuggets, but we can't spend the time to find out the whole truth behind God and creation?

We're about to vote on whether or not to place someone who claims to be a Christian, but acts like a Muslim or someone who claims to be a Christian but is actually a Mormon. God says that we shall know them by their fruits, so in that context, I would say that I don't know either of these candidates as Christians.

So all of you non-practicing Catholics... There's a reason you're not practicing... I'm guessing that God's got other plans for you. Why practice a religion that's steeped in Pagan rituals? Why practice a religion that changes with the wind? God says that He does not change, so how can we call Catholics Christian?

Episcopals? Seriously? They've undergone such drastic changes over the past 30 years that nobody with half a brain even considers being one any more.

Liberal Christians? They love to say that if Jesus "was around today", He'd be a liberal. Really? Is this the same Jesus that said:

Matthew 10:34 - "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."

Revelation 3:16 - So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

It's no wonder that Atheists make such fun of Christians. So many leaders within Christianity will try to convince you that whatever they have to say is truth. They'll do everything that they can to prove to you that they're right. All I want to do is prove to you that God is right. Not me, God and the Bible.

So pick up that cup of Fair-Trade coffee and grab a Bible and start reading. You'll be amazed to find out that all of your misconceptions about God and the Bible are unfounded.

And BTW, this is not an "anti-anybody" blog post. As far as I'm concerned, God is in charge of who gets elected and who isn't (see Daniel 2:21 & Romans 13:1-2 for my reasoning). This is a wake up call to all of the people in this country who claim to be Christians, yet they have no clue who God is. Read Luke 14:25-33 and see if you're really who you say you are. Trust me, you can fool most of the people around you, but you can't fool God.

Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"

Episode 14 of Biblically Speaking covers our individual responsibility as Christians, in reference to voting. In light of the GOP convention in Tampa this coming week and the impending 2012 Presidential election, I highly recommend you give it a listen.

Rep Todd Akin - What a shame

The world (at large), think that Christians are crazy.

Now, thanks to Rep Todd Akin from Saint Louis, they can think we're stupid too...

First of all, If you haven't heard, Mr. Akin is running for a Senate seat. He apparently made a comment regarding abortion in direct proportion to rape. He started out good and then it all went horribly wrong...

First of all, rape is wrong...

Second, the concept of "women's rights" is a secular construct, so the ideology behind it is out of sync with Scripture. God has set an "order" to things, so discussing "women's rights" as some kind of "special thing" is incompatible with God's Word.

Third, you can not be a Christian AND be alright with murdering an undelivered child. Don't like the word murder, sorry to hear it. If a man rapes a woman, you don't punish the child, you punish the father!

Fourth, Mr. Akin said that pregnancies resulting from rape are "really rare". I'd love to know where he received his forensic training from.

Fifth, Mr. Akin made it worse by saying, "if it's a legitimate rape..." What's a legitimate rape? I can only hope that he was being tactful and intended to relate, "if the sperm made contact with the egg". Sadly, we don't know what was going on in his mind.

Lastly, he went on to finish the previous sentence by saying, "...the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." Really? Did I miss that day in Anatomy? Does the female body have some way to "reboot" itself like a computer?

Folks, this is why we should never blindly rally behind a "Christian candidate". First of all, you can never really know "what kind" of a Christian they are and you'll also never know just how unqualified they really are either. Well, until they make comments like that one.

Mr. Akin, his family and the people in Missouri will be in my prayers...

This is not an attack on Mr. Akin, but a quick reminder to all of my brothers and sisters to be ever vigilant in deciding who you listen to and who you trust. If I remember correctly, we discussed this topic in Episode 22 of my Discipleship Radio Series. Check it out...

Bible Nuggets - Who are "The People"?

I often like to say that "The Bible is an inexhaustible supply of information"... We refer to it as inexhaustible, because no matter how often you read it and no matter how much you study it, if you're reading it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, from time to time He shows things to you that you've never seen before!

Gay Marriage: What's the problem?

The earliest known "Historical record" that we have is The Bible. The very first book of the Bible clearly shows that a "Marriage" is between a man and a woman. Even the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job shows that a "Marriage" is between a man and a woman.

Gold and Friendship

There's something to be said about the similarities between Gold and Friendship...

Some might say that Gold is the most valuable commodity in the world today. I would argue that real and abiding friendship is even more valuable.

In today's society in the United States, some might only consider someone a friend, based on how useful you are to them. This should be no surprise, Satan accused God of having that same kind of relationship with Job! (Job 1:6-12)

Gold is a malleable metal. That means that it's shape can be easily changed from one form to another. In today's world, we use Gold for all sorts of things, from currency, to jewelry, to a coating on electronic connectors in order to prevent corrosion. Sometimes friendships have to be flexible and be able to change too.

For instance, I have a dear friend of mine who's name is George. At one point in his life, he had a deep passion, a real fire burning within him for the Lord. Today, his reliance upon God is at an all time low. I believe that God is working with George, in order to help him get to the point where God needs him. George however is as stubborn as a mule. Much like Job, God has seen fit to take away almost everything that he values, except for his life. While this should bring George closer to God, it continues to keep him at arms length.

Today, George and I are still very much friends, but like the Gold we started off talking about, the shape of our friendship has changed. We used to speak daily, talking about how Great God is. Now, we speak maybe once a month, but instead of us talking about how Great God is, George now focuses the conversation on how rough he has it. You see, I don't love George any less, but our friendship has changed. I miss our daily talks, but I'm okay with it.

You see, God "deposits people" into our lives at different times and for different reasons. There's really no way for us to ever know who it's going to be, nor when, nor why they're going to be brought into our lives. God doesn't tell us that. It's incumbent upon each of us to never place too much reliance upon any "friend", but instead place our TOTAL RELIANCE upon God instead.

May God Bless each of us with a friend so dear, even if it's only for a little while. Just remember, it's God that is forever! (Lamentations 5:19)