The “seed” for the thought I am sharing with you comes from the little Epistle of James. Precisely, James 4:4. Part of the Verse states: “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

The wrong kind of friend, looks like to me, can arouse the righteous “ire” of Almighty God! The noun “enmity” in the verse literally means “hatred!” It actually looks like God reserves the right to “choose” my friends! After all, we do belong to Him! “Ye are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19) And the next Verse boldly proclaims: “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Wow!

Here’s another thought about friends, a God Thought. “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go.” Proverbs 22:24

Why?

“Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” Proverbs 22:25

Obviously, wrong friends can be dangerous to our spiritual growth!

Godly people need godly friends!

The Book of Proverbs lists at least two dozen (more really) of the kinds of people we need to avoid!

Look … “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” (Proverbs 1:10) In other words, “Learn to say NO!”

The best view of friendship I know is this: “Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” (Daniel 1:9) God gave Daniel this “friend!” And this man (whose name is unknown) helped Daniel navigate through one of the most dangerous events of his life!

Drop the bad so-called “friends.”

Ask the Lord to send you also the right kind of friends!

And the result?

You will help each other, encourage each other in the Lord! “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

I must close. It’s nearly Church time. I am preaching a Revival this week and (by the way) ask for your sincere prayers. Two more Verses …

“There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24, and clearly that Friend is Jesus our Saviour!)

He is my Friend!

Now, just one more Verse, with Jesus talking: “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends.” John 15:15

Now, I am His Freind!

Glory to God!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Yes, recently in our Revival Meetings the Lord has had the False Prophet Balaam on my mind. He is indeed one of the most enigmatic (puzzling) characters in the Bible.

I can show you numerous places where he “says” the right thing! For example, “And Balaam said unto Balak (the heathen king of Moab), Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? The word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.” Numbers 22:38

Balaam even “says” this: “And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.” Numbers 22:18

Wow!

But sadly, Balaam is evaluated as a “soothsayer” by the Lord God Himself! A practitioner of witchcraft! “Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.” Joshua 13:22

And in 2 Peter Chapter 2 Balaam is characterized as a “prophet for sale!” Look: “Following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.”

And Jude links Balaam (who knows how to “talk” right) with Cain (the murderer) and Korah (the rebel) in Verse 11 of his Epistle of warning! “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”

Balaam’s reputation (character) is shown in ever more vile colors in Revelation Chapter 2! There Jesus has written a Letter to one of His Churches. “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” (Verse 14)

Now he is an idolater!

And a fornicator!

But still … he knows how to “talk” the vocabulary of a man of God!

Folks, it’s not always what we say, but how we live. What’s in our hearts!

Listen to Jesus: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 5:22-23

Let’s all take warning!

Be sure you are saved!

How?

Jesus speaks again: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24

Trust and obey!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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