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Become Friends With Jesus - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 11, 2026

15 hours ago

4 min read

Jesus wants a relationship with you. He wants friendship with you. Christ died for His friends but also for His enemies on the cross. He allowed Himself to be a sacrifice for all of humanity and for all time. He did this because we human beings are sinners and our sin creates a barrier in our ability to step into God's presence. God cannot abide iniquity because He is holy, and as human beings continuously sin, the distance between them and the Lord grows.

But not if you become a friend of Christ. Those who choose this path receive a deposit of God's Holy Spirit, who helps them become more like Christ. And the more like Christ a person becomes each day - even if by only a smidge - the more pleased God is. And His blessings overflow all the more. Christ died to make this possible. He died to ensure every human being could be redeemed, washed clean to enjoy the more God has to give.

Christ loved His friends when He walked the earth. He helped Peter by healing His mother-in-law. He displayed His love for His friends Martha and Mary by crying with them over the death of their brother Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. He even called a paralyzed man 'friend' (Luke 5:20). This was someone He'd never met before, but when that man was lowered down a roof, he walked out of that house on his own legs. Friendship with Jesus had many benefits.

Are you wondering whether the benefits might come at too high a price? Maybe you don't want to give up certain things? That makes sense, but Jesus said the 'burden' of following Him is light (Matthew 11:30). When you choose Him, you get the Holy Spirit, who provides guidance. Perfection isn't required, just submission. The aim is to get you to heaven, so whatever is stripped away from you will be worth it. Besides, the consequences of not choosing Jesus are steeper than wanting Him in your life.

Maybe you don't think this message applies because you were born a Christian and regularly go to church. Alas, many Christians end up in hell because though they say they believe in Jesus, they haven't allowed His teachings to change them. Yes, they serve in church and help the poor. However, they also have ungodly ways such as habitually cheating on taxes, unforgiveness, or gossiping. Is this you? Then be intentional to choose Jesus and let Him wash you clean, so you start doing things God's way.

Perhaps you don't think you need to become friends with Jesus because you believe you are a good person and need nothing else. It is not wrong to be good, but God is calling all people to be godly. That can only happen when we have faith in Jesus as the Son of God and obey His teachings, which are God's instructions. In so doing, we choose to receive what He promised - the Holy Spirit - and we honor God's Spirit by letting Him lead us as our Guide.

In John 14:6, Jesus said that no one can come to God except through Him. You can gain this access and a closer relationship by saying the following prayer if you mean it: Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and I repent for my sins. I believe that you are the Son of God. I believe that you came, you died, you rose again, and you paid the price for my sins. Today, I accept the new life, today I accept the Holy Spirit. Come dwell in me, make Your home in me. I will never be the same again. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God bless you and visit you in a unique way. Learn more about the new life you signed up for. There are great resources like sermons, books, and podcasts. But nothing will ever beat Bible study. Each time you study, ask God for understanding. He will make it come alive for you. Read about Jesus in the Book of Matthew and discover some fundamental truths in the Book of Romans. Also, don't ignore the Old Testament.

Make prayer a regular part of your life. Prayer is simply you talking to the Lord. He wants you to talk to Him. Tell Him about your day and your desires. Be sure to make time to hear what He says back to you. He can talk to you audibly, softly in your heart, in a song or show, and through people. Desire to hear Him, however He chooses to communicate. Get water baptized as quickly as you can and ask God to lead you to a church of His choosing.

And, if you've got questions about the New Life with Christ, please ask. When I became intentional to live as God's child, I talked to people who answered my questions, prayed with me, and more. By God's grace, there are sisters in this fellowship and I who can be a resource. Read the Testimony thread to see how God is answering the prayers of ordinary people who trust in Him. It is and shall be well with you, in Jesus' mighty name, Amen.

Let's talk about being friends with Jesus. You can also learn more about it with the video in the Altar Call below this message.

Self-Control - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) September 8, 2026

P L U N D E R E R

4 days ago

4 min read

Without self-control, chaos, lack of discipline, and disorder result. Christians aren't exempt from this reality. They need to practice consistent self-control to prevent confusion and ungodliness from becoming the norm. We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control (BSB). Self-control is a gift from God to help believers avoid being swept into backsliding and the things that appear fine but are designed to lead them to hell. As we cultivate self-discipline as a lifestyle, it is easier to resist willful sin.

Despite the well-earned praise he received, King Solomon arguably lacked self-control. He ended up with 700 wives and 300 concubines, despite God's warning that the Israelites should not marry foreigners and that a king should not have many wives (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Deuteronomy 17:17). He allowed his wives to bring their idolatry and false god worship into the land. He joined them to bow, and this resulted in him and many Israelites disobeying God's requirement that His people worship no one else.

King Solomon's father also displayed an unfortunate lack of discipline in the situation with Bathsheba. King David knew she was a married woman, but his flesh spoke louder than wisdom. He should have been at the battle with his army but chose to peep on a woman as she bathed. The lack of self-control displayed there set off a spiral of sins, including adultery, lies, murder, and death. For both of these great kings, self-control would have helped them quiet their fleshly desires and buy time to reconsider their next steps. Steps that brought trouble to themselves, their families, and their people.

That's the thing about self-control. It's easy to ignore when it's up against a sin that seems 'sweeter'. The sin that challenges our ability to be self-disciplined is always something that will please our carnal selves. But we must realize that sin will also take something from our eternal selves, even if all it does is create deep regret. We cannot forget that although we walk on this earth, it is not our home. Our souls were created for eternity, and our decisions here can affect whether we spend forever in heaven or in hell. We should not allow the lack of self-control to cost us heaven.

David cried out to the Lord in repentance when confronted with his wickedness by Prophet Nathan. Solomon also regretted many of the choices that stemmed from his lack of self-control and expressed regret in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. We can receive God's forgiveness when we fail to apply self-control through genuine repentance and changes that reflect our appreciation for God's grace.

Still, although God shows us mercy, the consequences for lacking discipline can linger. For David, death, destruction, and dysfunction entered into his family, producing a series of tragedies. His daughter, Tamar, was assaulted by a brother, who was murdered by another sibling, Absalom. Absalom went on to dethrone his father, dishonor and maltreat a group of concubines, and even tried to kill David, dying in the attempt.

The problems didn't stop there, as even King Solomon had to kill a brother to secure his throne. By introducing idol and false god worship into the land, he angered God, who decided that Solomon's heirs would not hold onto the kingdom. The successor, Rehoboam, was barely on the throne when his lack of wisdom cost him 10 of the 12 tribes. They chose to become their own separate kingdom. Once more, the fruits of failing to exert self-control were visible.

Are you lacking self-control in some areas of your life? Could it be the time you spend on social media? Maybe your shopping habits? Can you stop yourself from getting angry? Or do you struggle to discipline your mind so you don't give in to fear when life's challenges arise? How about your capacity to wait on the Lord to answer your prayers? Are you able? Think about these things and be honest.

Realize that a Christian without self-control cannot stand firm in faith. Such a person's prayers will have a hard time being answered (James 1:5-6). These people will be easily manipulated by the devil. The lack of discipline and self-control leads to a spiral of sin, chaos, confusion, and destruction. This is what satan wants for believers because its goal is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). We must not submit to its will.

God, however, wants us to put the spirit of self-control we have to work. And He desires to help us with this so we live in the truth of what Jesus said in Luke 10:19, having authority over all of satan's power. That way we become effective threshing tools for His purpose. Sin may seem 'sweet' at the moment, but once we count the cost, we see that abandoning discipline will not produce good results. May the good Lord help each of us to live as His children, vessels who exert self-control and walk as His royal priesthood on the earth, IJN, Amen.

Be Encouraged - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 4, 2026

P L U N D E R E R

Sep 3

3 min read

The devil's greatest ambition is to dim the light wherever it may be. To that end, it will do everything to plant seeds that make you think things are worse than they truly are. It wants God's children to slump their shoulders and bow their heads. Meanwhile, you are to move confidently like the lion mentioned in Proverbs 30:29-30.

If the devil can succeed at forcing you to walk with bowed heads, then you won't see the light at the end of the tunnel. And that light awaits you even though God allows you to go through tough periods. Those seasons are to discipline you so that your imperfections are removed, and your faith is strengthened. His objective is to make you a worthy vessel for His purpose.

You've got to lift your head up. You can't believe the lie the devil's telling you - that if God were going to do it, He would have done it by now. Another lie could be that God hates you because you are a sinner. Or, that you'll never be as good as someone else, so you shouldn't even try. As long as you received a promise from God or found His word in the Good Book, it will come to pass (Isaiah 55:10 -11).

And so, you need to fight - and I really mean war - to remember who you are to God. If you are not sure how God sees you, then hold on to this truth: He deemed you important enough to let His Son die on the cross for you long before you were born or ever sinned. 1 John 4:9 - This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

His word in Zechariah 2:8 states, ...for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye. He also said in Jeremiah 1:5 that He knew you before you were born, and He went on to say in Isaiah 43:4 - Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. You're kind of like a big deal to Him.

Plus, if you made the intentional choice to give your life to Christ, then remember that God rewarded you with a deposit of His Spirit. This means you have access to God's strategy, wisdom, and more, as long as He needs to use you for His purpose. Micah 3:8 also teaches that those with His Spirit are also filled with God's power. You were created for great exploits, all because you know your God and chose Him.

Read those verses over and over until you believe them in your spirit. Reject the seed of discontentment and sadness that the enemy wants to saddle you with. Replace the despair and weariness with praise (Isaiah 61:3). You are a child of God's light and goodness. Proclaim His word and study His word to discover the love notes it contains, specially written by the Creator of the Universe for you.

It doesn't matter how dark the night may seem; dawn is always on the horizon. Psalm 30:5 is more eloquent when it says - ... weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. So hang in there. God hasn't forgotten you. Just as it was for Jairus, your miracle is on the way. Don't give up. Don't let frustration and impatience cheat you of what you're set to reap on earth and in heaven. God bless you!

Any thoughts? Leave your comments below. And as you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages: