ConsiderMagazine

CONSIDER MAGAZINE

Volume 4 - January 2008

Beginning our 4th year on the Web!

We are truly thankful to God and to all of our friends who have supported us and stood by us while we continue to serve God as a gospel preacher and as creator and editor of Considermagazine. I especially want to thank Bill Kirke who is the Webmaster for his aid and encouragement from the beginning. In the following article by glc with an addition by Norman Fultz of Kansas City, I submit my thoughts to all my friends in many places throughout America and other nations.

..... A FRIEND INDEED .....

The greatest relationship among humans is the relationship between parents and children, between brothers and sisters, between Christ and His Children [i.e. the saved], and the relationship of friends. The great relationships between friends are often unnoticed by most people but the true friend is one who will stand by us through good and bad times. There are not many friends who will stand with us when our health is gone or when we are poverty stricken through untoward circumstances.

One of the passages of Holy Scripture that comes to mind whenever I consider friendships that have developed between me and some other person in life is that in Proverbs 18:24, ”He that maketh many friends (doeth it) to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.“ ASV --- AND in Proverbs 27:9, ”Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so doth the sweetness of a man's friend (that cometh) of hearty counsel.“ ASV

The two passages from Proverbs listed in paragraph two shows us that a good friend is a true asset in life’s struggles and trials that we must all deal with during life. It has been said by wise men that a man who has one friend in life will surely be happy but to have two or more good friends in life is to be a king. I would therefore encourage everyone to appreciate a good friend and thank God that he/she is there when trials of life do come upon us.

Yet, there is another side to this matter; many people never develop long friendships with anyone. People who do not value friendships are surely unhappy people with no outlook in life and little to give themselves joy, honest and interactive dialogue about important junctures in life’s struggles.

CONCLUSION:

Let us be humbly aware of the value of good friends, keeping in mind that interactions with others will build our self esteem and expand our knowledge of good. To develop and cultivate good friends in life is a wise occupation. Before cultivation any friendly relationships make sure that the first step you take will be to find out of he/she is a true Christian and remember Paul’s admonition in this regard; cf. 1 Cor 15:33, ”Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.“ ASV --- AND Proverbs 4:14-17, ”14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on. 16 for they sleep not, except they do evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.“ ASV --- glclair@aol.com

Further Thoughts About Friends

Norman Fultz

In recent weeks with our thoughts focused on reasons for being thankful, I’ve done a fair amount of thinking about that myself. And at different times when the idea has returned to be further mulled over and reasons are being thought upon, there has recurred repeatedly the blessedness of good friends in Christ. In brother Clair’s little treatise he mentioned that ”to have two or more good friends in life is to be a king.“ Well, then, if that be true, I must consider myself to truly sit over a vast domain. Usually, in such moments, I’ve been contemplating how blessed I am to have folk who still bear with me in my efforts at teaching and preaching the word of life. When I think upon having ”many friends“ I guess I’m mostly referring to the kindness of thought and nobility of the interactions that have been experienced with so many folk through the years as well as the continuing fondness felt toward so many. I say that because, thankfully, I’ve seldom been in a position to really ”test“ friendships to see whether they will ”come through in a pinch.“ Someone has said that ”Friendship is a responsibility, not an opportunity.“ Is that very different from what Jesus taught about who is one’s neighbor in the parable of the good Samaritan? (Lk. 10:25-37). In that wonderful story, one’s neighbor is the person in need of that which another of generous and helpful spirit is in position to give. To Ralph Waldo Emerson is attributed the sagacious statement, ”I do with my friends as I do with books. I would have then where I can find them but seldom use them.“ He is also credited with having said, ”The only way to have a friend is to be one,“ a statement that reflects the NKJ rendering of Prov. 18:24a, ”A man who has friends must himself be friendly.“ An unknown scribe, equally as astute as Emerson, is credited with this observation, ”A friend is a present you give yourself by being one.“

When I muse upon the friendships I envision myself to possess, though I have those who are not Christians I’d call friends, for the most part my friends are folk whose lives fairly well mirror my own estimate of how life should be lived. An unknown author is credited with this insightful remark, ”Friendships cemented together with sin do not hold.“ An appreciation of that value makes even more meaningful the warning we often give to youth to be wary of those who would entice to evil (cf. Prov. 1:10).

The kinds of friendships that most of us hope we have are not immediately formed upon initial acquaintance. Do we want the kind of friend that ”sticks closer than a brother“ (Prov. 18:24b), that will ”love at all times“ (Prov. 17:17), whose ”hearty counsel“ will ”delight the heart“ though at first it may seem as ”wounds,“ but we know it is given because he is a ”faithful“ friend (Prov. 27:6)? It surely must have been that type of friendship George Washington spoke of when he said, ”True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.“ Another great statesman, Benjamin Franklin, is quoted, ”Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.“

Before I cease to dissertate about this matter, I urge you to go back and read Garreth’s last paragraph before his conclusion. Truly how deprived and unhappy must be the person who is devoid of long established friendships? Someone stated, ”Every friend lost pushes you one step closer to the brink of character bankruptcy.“ So, finally, I’ll just end by sharing this little tidbit: ”There’s happiness in little things,

There is joy in passing pleasure….But friendships are, from year to year, The best of all life’s treasure.“

Ponder this: ”If you were another person would you like to be a friend of yours?“ (The selected quotes on friendship are taken from ”The Speaker’s Sourcebook of 4,000 Illustrations, Quotations,“ etc. compiled by Eleanor L. Doan, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1960.)

Let Your Light Shine: How brightly is your light shining when the same thing that keeps you home from services where you can bless and be blessed is not enough to keep you home from work or some entertainment venue? Perhaps when others ”behold your good works…(they will) glorify God…“ (I Pet. 2:11.

Now There's A Though; "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.“

HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all our friends here in Hilliard and everywhere else, we wish for all of you a very happy New Year and great progress in life and in your faith as we all together grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ – cf.

2 Peter 3:18, ”But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour

Jesus Christ. …

To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

JANUARY 1, 2008

… Garreth and Barbara Clair

Consider Magazine is an independent work by Garreth L. Clair

Garreth has over 50 years experience as a preacher, and is currently the preacher for the church that meets at 4840 Cemetery Road, in Hilliard OH.

http://www.cemeteryroadchurchofchrist.org/

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