Ok, one final comment, and then I will let it be..........remember, this IS JUST ME. When I have questions, my first response is to think about what I believe, and that most often is imperfect for sure. Then I realize that I must trust in the Word of God to guide me through His indwelling Holy Spirit.......and I turn to His Word for guidance. Now, His Word will not always agree with my earthy thoughts, but then, my earthy thoughts are most often wrong...........So let us just turn to His Word for guidance in this matter.......And REMEMBER, I am speaking for ME, not for others here. What I would/would not do........and not saying that others MUST do as I do........never would say that.
1[SUP]st[/SUP]John 1:4) And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 .) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light,and in him is no darkness at all. 6 .) If we say thatwe have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 .) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Ephesians
5
1 .) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 .) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offeringand a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3 .) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 .) Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 .) For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 .) Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 .) Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 .) For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 .) (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth 10 .) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 .) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 .) For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 .) But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14 .) Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 .) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Corinthians 5:7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 .) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 .) I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 .) Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 .) But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 .) For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 .) But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] John 1:5) And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 .) And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 7 .) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 .) Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 .) Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 .) If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house,neither bid him God speed: 11 .) For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Corinthians 15:33) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Corinthians 6:14) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 .) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 .) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 .)Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 .) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Timothy 3:12) Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 .) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 .) But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 .) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 .) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 .) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
God bless you all, and remember this is just how I must respond.......I could not have a best friend why denied Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour.
His Spirit better be so rockin' in you that you are NOT phased by the things of non-Christian best friends, 'course, as Cobe mentioned 'stripshows,' my best friends don't do that stuff , as I said before, they are a model family, my best friend I've known since age 5 and then he got married to his wife when he was 25 and then they told me something that PROVED to me God was at work through my friendship with them.
When God said, 'no kids,' through a doctor, I was told this by my best friend's wife.....
Are you listening??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/
I was leaving there house late one night, and, by the way, I'm single and have even been flirted with by his wife BUT God has kept me, he has shown me Him and His power will KEEP me strong. This goes for MANY girls that I liked that were non-Christian. God KEPT me safe
Anyway, and, I don't mean to judge anyone, the Lord leads
But, yes, his wife, who is a great lady, and, the reason she flirted with me was because my best friend was not being nice to her, as I saw it, and, I've, MANY TIMES, addressed my best friend and let him know when he's not quite being perfectly NICE to his wife. I've also spilled my heart about Jesus and my beliefs and how he and I really grew up doing things that are just not what I want to do anymore, of sneaking into 'R' rated movies, etc. I will leave it at that , the Lord leads, which, incidentally, is a phrase I say to most anyone, including my best friends about God: The Lord leads.
best friend's wife: "We have been trying to have a baby and we've found out from the doctor now that we are not going to be able to have kid's. I can't have them."
This HIT me like a ton of bricks !
Me: "Oh, I am so sorry, ________ , I will be praying for you, that His will be done, that something happens. The power of God is great."
This was back in 1999 so that is why 'The Lord leads' is not in that quote , by the way
I'm serious too
But, I hope and PRAY that you all TAKE your non-Christian friends seriously, as I take that the Lord has been using me ALL the time in my friends that do not go to church on Sunday, do not REALLY speak of the Lord. The wife is more spiritually speaking than her husband and she speaks of God, my friend went to church with his mom and dad back when he was 6 years old, but did not continue very long. Not sure why.
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I thank you all for what you've heartfelt, and, in many cases, passionately said in this thread, I hope and pray that al lof you take God seriously, and, realize that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and the power of God unto salvation is REAL and we are on this Earth to follow Him for our lives, however He leads.
Don't be jealous of those being able to be in best friends lives who are non-Christian, because YOU are right, I am IMMERSED in worldly things by being with them as best friends, but, I AM also seeing God's mighty hand moving through my times seeing them and IF He was seen as taking me away from my best friends I would leave, no doubt. The Lord...
Oh, you've been with me ALL this time reading my post, well, God bless you for it, and, He is about to IF you want to believe with the faith that He's given you what I say next: Within A FEW DAYS time, after I told my friend's wife that I would pray for her being able to get pregnant.......................