4 Lessons on Christ-centered Friendship

We have been learning a lot about the Kingdom era in the bible this week at the Kanakuk Institute. I am loving going deeper and diving into the Old Testament. Wait, did that really just come out of my mouth?? To be honest, studying the Old Testament in scripture has always seemed like a daunting task and it was really hard for me to get excited about studying it. I knew a lot of the stories and have read most of the O.T. books at different points and just thought it was about genealogies, history, weird laws, wars, kings and prophets. I thought it was dry and boring and could not apply to my life, so why study it? 

Little did I know, I would soon have my mind blown by the rich and deeper meaning, people, history and the "golden thread" that connects all the stories in the bible. It is so amazing to see the connections all throughout the Old Testament stories and prophecies that point to the coming of a messiah- Jesus Christ.

A little information on how the bible is broken down: The word "Bible" means 'Books' and the Holy Bible that we have today is broken into 66 unique books. The first 39 books are called the "Old Testament" that was written before Christ came and tells us the story of creation, the fall of man being led into sin by satan, many stories of how God interacted with his people, gives them the Law to live by, and points us to a coming messiah that would come and redeem us from our sin. The New testament is made up of 27 books and they reveal the son of God, the miraculous works of Jesus, his death on the cross, taking our place and paying the penalty for our sins, his resurrection and life, paving the way for us to believe in Him and live in a relationship with him. The books show the perseverance of the early christians and proclaims to us how to live a new life surrendered to Jesus!

The New Testament is the fulfillment of all of the prophecies of the Old Testament and our anticipation in the O.T. is here- Jesus is the golden thread! The O.T. anticipates the coming of the one true God that was to come and fulfill all of the promises and prophecies. The New Testament is the manifestation of the messiah, the one they had been anticipating! God sent his son Jesus to fulfill the law and the prophets.  Jesus said "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17 The books lay out how we are to live in grace by FAITH, trust in the Lord and walk in the good works he has laid out for us.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10

Jesus is the great REDEEMER! Jesus came so that we could have a relationship with the Father, and he fills us with peace and joy as we rest in the peace and hope only HE can bring. He gives us the promises of eternal life with Him and fills us with hope as we wait on his return.

One of my favorite stories I have learned so from the Old Testament comes from the book of 1 Samuel in the Kingdom era. It is a story of true and lasting friendship and it has really made an impression on me.

It is the story of the friendship between Jonathon and David and much can be learned from their friendship! They were both princes of Israel, one by birth (Jonathon), the other by marriage (David).They were both in line to assume the throne of Israel. But one of them, David, had been given a promise from God when he was 15 years old that he would be the heir to the throne one day. Both were mighty men of valor and were respected and trusted by the men they led in battle. Each had accomplished great feats, relying on God for victory. They were loyal to one another and to their king. David and Jonathon could have been enemies and rivals, yet they set aside jealousy, resentment, bitterness, competition and lust for power, choosing instead to become the closest of friends. It is said that Jonathon loved David as his own soul. God had given them this gift of friendship as it says he "knitted their souls together." This is a great example of true friendship- that when Jonathan, who, in spite of his father King Saul's jealousy, pursuit of David, and attempts to kill him, stood by his friend. You will find that story in 1 Samuel chapter 18 through chapter 20. Some pertinent passages are1 Samuel 18:1-4;19: 4-7;20:11-17,41-42. 

One example of their friendship and need to be strengthened in the Lord is from 1 Samuel 23:15-18. This passage stood out to me in particular because of the many practical implications. It is a simple and profound illustration of what needs to happen in the ongoing fight of faith.

Observation:

            Read: 1 Samuel 23:15-18 says "And David was afraid because Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose, and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, "Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; Saul my father also knows this." And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

            Context: David is going from place to place in the Wilderness of Ziph (about 30 miles south of Jerusalem), trying to stay out of King Saul's path, who is trying desperately to kill David because he believes he is a threat to the throne. But Jonathan, Saul's son, loves David as he does his own self and hears that he is in the Wilderness of Ziph, and travels down to strengthen his hand in God.

This encounter between Jonathan and David illustrates at least four lessons about helping each other fight the fight of faith.

1. David was afraid and in trouble and needed a friend.

2. Jonathon saw this need and intentionally rose and went to him.

3. Jonathon strengthened David’s hand in GOD.

4. Jonathon reminded him of the promises of God.

Interpretation:

God uses us to help each other fight the fight of faith successfully day in and day out until the end. He uses us to strengthen each other in the Lord. God has appointed a means by which he will enable us to hold our confidence firm to the end as stated in Hebrews 3:12–14, read: "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end."

Four things we can learn from Jonathan's meeting with David

1. Everyone's need for deep Christian friendships

A.     Christian fellowship and companionship is not just for new believers. It is for every believer! We NEVER grow out of our need for the ministry of other Christians. No one is beyond the need for daily exhortation in the fight of faith.

B.     Even the strongest leaders need Christian friendship to strengthen their hands in God. David was a good man. David was deep. David was an outstanding leader. David was a strong warrior. David was a man after God’s own heart. Yet, even still, David NEEDED Jonathan. Every believer needs help to persevere in the faith.

C.     Never think that someone is so far above you that you can't be God's instrument to give strength. We must never think someone is so strong that they do not need our encouragement in the Lord. David was no doubt superior to Jonathan in strength and intelligence and depth of theological understanding, but verse 16 says that Jonathan went and strengthened his hand in God.

Point 1 conclusion: We never outgrow our need for daily exhortation. WE ALL NEED friends to strengthen our hands in God and we need to BE THAT FRIEND that points others to God. Even the greatest Christians, the most courageous fighters of the faith, are not above the need to have their hands strengthened in God. In fact, the enemy may be attacking them in a greater way and their need for strengthening in God becomes even more imperative!

2. A Conscious and Intentional Effort

The second lesson we learn from Jonathon is that strengthening a person's hand in God involves conscious and intentional effort. The mark of Christian maturity is that you build into your life the intention and the occasions to strengthen someone's hand in God.

A.     It is intentional and on purpose! You don’t just do it on a whim, you rise and go down to help your friend! Read verse 16: "And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose, and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God."

B.     Jonathan did not accidentally meet David in Horesh (though that happens at times!). He PLANNED to go and strengthen him. What a difference it would make if we woke up in the morning and made a PLAN to purposefully and intentionally strengthen someone’s hand in God!

Point 2 Conclusion: Emphasis is on the importance of having a cluster of friends in the faith with the mutual agreement that you will continually point each other to Jesus Christ for hope and strength.

3. Strengthening Each Other in God

The third lesson is that we are to strengthen others in God.

A.     The scripture says he rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. The whole point of Christian friendship is to point each other to Christ, not man, for help and strength. We must develop Christ centered friendships.

B.     When we give others strength, we are to give them strength in GOD, NOT in OURSELVES. Verse 16 does not say that Jonathan came all that way to Horesh to strengthen David's self-esteem, self-confidence or pet his ego. He went to strengthen his hand in God.

Point 3 Conclusion: Every Christian group of friends should exist to strengthen each other's hands in God and not in man. "Jonathan rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God."

4. Remind Each Other of the Promises of God

So how does Jonathon strengthen Davids hand in God?

A.     Read: (verse 17): "Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; Saul my father also knows this."

B.     In chapter 16, the prophet Samuel had anointed David as a boy to be king over Israel. So the way Jonathan strengthened David's hand in God was to remind him of a promise that God had made (1 Samuel 16:12). Saul could not succeed against David because God was for him. So Jonathan strengthened David's hand in God by reminding him of his calling in the purposes of God.

Point 4 Conclusion: It is the same with us as believers, we strengthen each other's hands in God by reminding each other about the promises of God that are especially suited for each other's needs. 

We must KNOW the promises of God to be able to remind others what they are in order to strengthen them in the Lord!

Application:

·      How can we know the promises of God?  *Renew your mind and saturate yourself in the Word of God! Psalm 1 says, meditate on the word day and night and then you will be a fountain of living water and will strengthen the hands of many in God.  

·      How can we develop the kind of Christian relationships in which you help each other hold fast to the promises of God and escape the deceitfulness of sin?

·      Do you have a cluster of friends committed (intentionally) to helping each other fight the fight of faith in this way?

·      Whose hand are you going to strengthen in God today? This week?

·      How can we exhort one another day in and day out to stand fast and continue firm in the faith?

Pray: Let us strengthen each other's hands in God!

More great truths and insights about friendship from the examples of Jonathon and David can be found here.

Thanks for reading! I hope you have gained some marvelous insights into God's word. I am so glad God has opened my eyes to how rich and deep are the promises of God in the Old Testament! May we always cling to his promises and build one another up in the Lord!  

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." -1 Thessalonians 5:11

Love,

D Pro

Discover the truth of the Bible for yourself!

 Hey guys!! I am in my third full week of the Kanakuk Institute and I am loving it and learning a ton! To see more information about the K- Institute and what I am doing- click here. We are living in a cute little 'cabana' at K-Kauai campus for 8-months while I attend this discipleship program. We live on campus where all the students of the institute live and have adjusted quite well into the institute life. It has been so fun getting to know the 70 other students here, creating new friendships, learning about God together and extensively studying the bible. It has been refreshing and challenging all at once. I would love to share with you one thing I have learned thus far and something that I think, if used correctly, can greatly impact your life!

If you desire to know God and long to come into a personal and abiding relationship with Him, learn how to live a Christ-centered life and come to an understand what God requires of you, then this is for YOU! 

The Inductive bible study method is a great way to bring you directly to the word of God, to help you interact with the text yourself, absorb its truth, and allow God to engrave His truth on your heart, mind and life. This method allows you to see truth for yourself, discern what it means, and apply that truth to your life. 

Always start bible study in prayer so that you may be sensitive to His leading and allow Him to speak to you through His word. God uses his scriptures to give us insight, wisdom, and guidance in our life. I often keep a journal to write down my prayers or to record what the Lord is teaching me through the scriptures I read. The rest of this post I will walk you through the three parts of inductive bible study.

Observation: What does it say?

Observation is prayerfully reading and discovering what the text says! This is where we zoom out and look at the scripture as part of bigger picture and theme. As you read the text, ask: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? This will help you uncover the deeper meaning of the passage and keep the passage in context.  Accurate answers to these questions will allow the correct interpretation of scripture in its intended meaning without being colored by our own presuppositions- our own thoughts, feelings or other’s opinions.

To get started, choose a small portion of scripture to observe so that you do not get overwhelmed and can read the text several times to see what it says. Some good questions to ask while observing the text are: Who is speaking? Who are the main characters? Who is this about? To Whom is he speaking? What is the author trying to explain? What is the main subject of the passage? When do or will the events occur? Where did or will the happen? Why is this being mentioned? 

As you go, make notes, and meditate on the truths God reveals to you and how it will apply to your life. While observing the texts look for key words, repetitions, comparisons, contrasting ideas and themes. Recording these things will help bring the book to life and serve as a good reminder of what God has spoken to your heart when you come across it later. Once you have understood what the text says, you can move on to interpretation to discern what the text means

Interpretation: What does it mean?

This is where we zoom in and look at a specific verse and discover what the text means. While observation leads to an accurate understanding of what the word of God says, interpretation goes a step further to help you understand what it means. While interpreting the scriptures it is very important to keep the verse in context by looking at the verse in light of the surrounding verses, the book in which it is found and lastly, the entire word of God. Take the word at face value, in its natural, and normal sense. Look first for the clear teaching of the scripture, not the hidden meaning. Always try to understand what the author had in mind when you interpret a portion of the bible. Never take scripture out of context to make it say what you want it to say. Discover what the author was trying to say and do not add to his meaning or change it in any way. As you read the bible regularly and saturate yourself in the Word of God, it will help you to discern whether a teaching or opinion you hear outside of the bible is biblical or if it is false doctrine. Let the passage speak for itself. Your interpretation of a specific passage should be consistent with what the word of God says in its entirety. 

Application: How does this apply to my life?

This is where we apply what we learn. No matter how much knowledge you have about God’s word, if it is not put into practice, scripture will never benefit your life. James 1:22 Says that if we are a hearer of the Word and not a doer, we deceive ourselves. This is why applying scripture to your life is so vital! When you know what God says, what He means, and how to put His truths into practice you will be prepared for any situation in your life!  When you have adjusted any false concepts or teaching you may have believed, and embrace the truth revealed in Gods word, then you have applied what you have learned.

In applying scripture to our lives, these questions may be helpful:

A.             What does the passage teach?
B.             Does this section of Scripture expose any error in my beliefs of in my behavior?
C.             What is God’s instruction to me as His child?

Jesus can transform our lives by revealing himself in the scriptures, letting us learn from his life and his teaching and then being obedient to him. Observation, interpretation, application leads to transformation. Ultimately, the goal of personal bible study is to help you live in a deep abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and allow him to transform your life.

One of the apostle Paul’s concerns for Timothy (his son in the faith) was that he would learn to handle God’s word in a way that would please the Lord. In 2 Timothy 2:15 he says “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Someday we will also give an account for how we stewarded what the Lord has given us in His word. I pray that we will handle it accurately and allow God’s living and active word to transform and make an impact on our lives. Go to www.precepts.org for more details and guidance on this method of bible study. 

What are your favorite ways to go deeper in the study of scripture?

What have you found to be helpful?

I would love to hear about how you go about interacting with the word of God!

Life Update

Just want to take a second to post about our summer this past year before I forget all of the craziness that ensued and give you an update on what is going on in our lives this year.

Summer update: What an absolutely crazy and fun filled summer we had!! Our first stop was Checotah and Justins wedding in Willow, MO where Tyler and I were both in the wedding party. It was so fun getting them married and sending them off as newlyweds. Next we went to Florida for about 10 days to see family and celebrate July 4th together! We ate lots of seafood, watched my relatives in sailboat races, played lots of cards and bathed in the sun. It was the first time all of my siblings have gotten together since Toler and Amy's wedding last August!! It was about time the Shepherds all got together! Next we went home for a few days then it was off to Hawaii for what was one of the best weeks of my life! Tyler and I planned for this trip since the year before and we got to experience Oahu with some of our great friends Mark and Laura! Maybe I will do a post just from Hawaii pictures sometime. It seriously was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! With the mountains on one side, and shore line on the other, every where you looked was gorgeous. After Hawaii, we flew straight into Dallas and stayed with my brother and his wife for a few days & then was a part of Alexis' wedding party. What a gorgeous wedding it was! After the wedding, we drove back to Branson and as soon as I got home I was off to volunteer for a week at Camp Barnabus (a christian camp for children with special needs). I was so tired but super excited to be working at the camp and seeing my little brother there as well! After camp we went to Nebraska to see Tylers parents and hang out with them for a few days. WOW. I can't believe we did all of that in one summer. It truly was a fantastic summer.


Now, to catch you up to speed with what we are doing now... This whole past year Tyler and I had been trying to figure out what the next year would hold for us. I liked working at the school, my co-workers were great and I loved the students that I had the privilege of working with, but for some reason God started changing my desires and my focus shifted towards the end of the school year. I kept thinking that God might have a different plan for me, but I wasn't quite sure.

I have had the desire to know more about the bible, to be challenged in my faith, trained in ministry and to learn more about the God I serve.  Ever since college, I have thought about attending a discipleship program called Downline. As I became more interested, I looked into it and it would require us to move to Memphis for a year.  We were open to moving, but also realized that there was a similar program right in our back yard that would teach pretty much the same things and we wouldn't have to move! When the opportunity came up to attend the Kanakuk Institute in Branson, we prayed and prayed about it and felt like that was where I was supposed to be. So mid-summer, I left my job at the school and set out for a new adventure! And let me tell you, I am SO glad I chose to come here! I know I am in the right place and I am being challenged in my faith like never before. I have loved meeting the 70 other post-graduate students from all over the U.S. and creating an awesome community of friends. It has been a season of new friendships, new challenges, new opportunities, and even a new living situation. We have had to make a few sacrifices in order to be here, but it has definitely been worth it! It's so amazing getting to come to a place like this and invest a year of my life to learning about God and what he has done for us and to engage the Word like never before. We are learning a TON and I can't wait to share it with you all.

While at the institute, I am also interning with The Fort which is a young adults ministry here in Branson that brings in great worship and teaching from around this area. It's on thursday night at 8pm at Woodland Hills church. I am in charge of putting together small groups, leading some of them and discipling students. It really is an amazing opportunity to do what I LOVE to do by helping others grow in their relationship with the Lord and putting to use all that I am learning at the institute. What a difference the Lord has made in my own life, and I love having this opportunity to point people to Christ and see the the transforming work of the Lord in their lives.

Side note: As if the institute isn't keeping me busy enough, I am also getting certified as a group fitness instructor! I can't wait to teach group fitness this year and be able to help others to achieve their health and fitness goals in a fun and welcoming environment! Stay tuned for when and where I will be teaching group fitness classes and hopefully you can come try one out! :)

I will be updating periodically to let you in on some of the things I am learning and what we are doing here this year.  I hope my writing can be a source of encouragement for you! Thanks for stopping by!

Have a blessed day!

Love,

Dorothy