If You're Seeing These Signs, They Were Sent by God

You weren't created to live in isolation. I know it can be difficult sometimes to trust people, but the Holy Spirit is bringing people around you for your own good. If you're seeing these signs, then God sent them to you. Number 1, they're godly. In Proverbs 12:26, we read, the righteous choose their friends carefully, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. Godly friends influence you in a godly way. When you get around them, you enjoy talking about Jesus. Your conversations surround the Word. Now, this doesn't mean you never talk about anything having to do with the natural realm, or you never go and experience entertainment with one another. This just means that the direction of your life, as you draw closer to these friends, Is not going the opposite of the way that you should. In Psalm 1:1-3, we read, Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. You don't wanna stand around with people who are gonna block that flow of God's influence in your life. Good, godly friends that the Holy Spirit has sent to you honor God. They speak highly of his word. They honor the presence of the Holy Spirit. During times of worship, they're not mocking what God is doing. They're engaging with what God is doing. They're encouraging you saying, come with us to the house of God. They're encouraging you saying, let's go and live as God wants us to live. You talk about the call with them. You talk about the spiritual gifts with them. You talk about the power of God. You share stories and testimonies. They're godly people. And if they're godly people, that's the first sign that God has sent these people to you and that you should connect with them. Number 2, they're loyal. In Proverbs 17:17, we read a very key verse. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Now, let me say this, because sometimes people struggle with self-pity, and I wanna make sure I'm not feeding into that. Somebody being loyal doesn't mean that you can manipulate them to do whatever it is that you want All the time. It doesn't mean that they're always agreeing with you. It doesn't mean that they always think like you. It doesn't mean that they always do things the way that you want them done. And if you demand that of people, then that's not very good on your part in terms of your friendship. Rather, when I talk about loyalty, I'm talking about mature, level-headed, biblical, spiritual loyalty. That is, they stick by you. Even when things become difficult. When you have plenty, they're there to celebrate. If you ever experience a season of lack or struggle, they're there still because they want you for your friendship and not just for what you can do for them. They're looking to connect with you, not for what you can connect them with. They stick around even when others slander you. They defend you behind your back. If you're involved in something, then they're encouraging you in that and maybe even getting involved themselves. I could think of a very good friend of mine, Steven Moctezuma. You all know him. He's a great example of this. There are times when the ministry travel schedule becomes just very intense. And I'll say to him, Steve, now these couple of trips coming up, it would be great to have you there, but I understand if you don't wanna join me for these, please understand I won't be offended. I think you should stay, rest. And he'll often tell me, if you're going, I'm going. That's loyalty. Then there's number 3, they encourage you. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, we read this, therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Whenever you share a testimony of celebration, and this right here is a great test of a true friend. When you share a testimony of celebration, often you'll find that certain individuals make these snarky remarks, or maybe they compliment you in a backwards way, really intending it to have a subtle insult buried in there. When you talk about your dreams and your goals in God, when you talk about the vision that God placed in your heart, when you share with them the victories that you're experiencing in life, true friends— will look and celebrate. True friends will cheer you on. But ungodly friends, they may look at those spiritual successes, they may look at that progress you're experiencing and try to downplay it, try to take away from the moment. They may say things like, yeah, well, we'll see how long that lasts. Or, well, that really probably isn't true. Or, maybe this is not something that's really meant for you. Or, you'll never really get there because I actually know who you are. These are the people who pull you down, but True friends, true godly friends encourage you. They tell you things like, you know what, you are going to make it. You're not going to go back into that lifestyle of sin. You're not going to go back to that addiction. You're not going to pick up that bottle again and start drinking and drinking and drinking. You're not going to fall back into your old ways. They'll say things to you like, you can become a person of prayer. You can become a person who knows the word. You can become who God called you to be. When you share with them those goals, when you share with them those celebrations, when you share with them the vision that God placed in your heart, they are cheering you on, speaking life into those divine promises. That is what you wanna look for in a friend. Even when you are being blessed, when they are struggling, and this is another key indicator, because anyone can cheer others on when they themselves are experiencing what they want out of life. But when someone is struggling and can hear something positive happening in your life and still cheer you on, that's a true friend. Somebody who wants victories for you. Somebody who celebrates when you begin to develop a spiritual gift. Somebody who is applauding when your ministry begins to flourish. Someone who encourages you. They speak life where God speaks life. They speak things that are true. They don't pull out those negative qualities. They're not constantly reminding you of your past, of your flaws, of your character issues, but they're speaking well of you. They're speaking life because they honor you. Proverbs 12:25 says, anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. You know you can call them and they'll at least try to give you time. You know those people that you can call at 2 or 3 in the morning? And if they're not asleep, they'll answer their phone. And again, I'm not trying to placate to those thoughts of self-pity. There are times when people won't be there just when we want them, and we have to make sure that we're not putting expectations of perfection on people. But you'll at least notice that there's an attempt to be there to encourage you when you need it, even if they can't do it all the time. And you have to give grace. Number 4, They pray for you. And this one is key. Ephesians 6:18 says this, and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Now, Jess and I, one time, went to visit some friends of ours. And they lived in a very small house at the time. In fact, I think the house in total was like 2 rooms. And Jess and I went to visit just randomly. We were there, I think, picking them up to take them to dinner or something like that. For some reason, Jess and I were in the house. And while we're sitting in their living room, I look and I notice this piece of paper pinned on the wall in the corner. And I take a closer look and I see that it's labeled prayer list. And it looks like it, it looked like it had been there for a while. I got up to take a look at what was on the prayer list. And I tell you this, I was so encouraged when I saw on that prayer list my name and Jessica's name. That's a prayer list that they had praying for us. They didn't show off that list and no, they didn't put it out just because they knew we were coming. I just so happened to stumble upon it. That's a true friend. Your friends will pray for you. They'll take you before the throne of God. I know you can pray for yourself. I know you have your own prayer life, but true godly friends also uplift you. In Galatians 6:2, we read, carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. James 5:16, therefore confess your sins to each other, And pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Notice here that sometimes, sometimes in order to receive effective prayer, we must be completely transparent. Before they can pray that righteous, effective prayer over you, confession has to take place. Now, we understand that we don't confess to man to be forgiven. We confess to God to be forgiven. But we do confess to one another to experience healing in community and prayer and unity. That is the purpose of confessing to one another. And in order for your friends to truly pray for you in a way that counts, you have to be open with them. You have to be honest with them, and that takes a lot of trust. Ephesians 1:16 says, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. True friends thank God for you. Colossians 1:3 says, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. That's a true friend, praying to God saying, thank you for this one person. Thank you that you placed them in my life. So look out for the friends that pray for you. Now, if I'm describing someone that you know, I want you to shout them out in the comment section. And I'm gonna get to the next point now, which is gonna be very challenging, especially if you deal with trust issues. But first, if you're enjoying this content, make sure that you leave a like on this stream right now so that it can spread to more people. Just by you leaving a like, you're helping to reach more people. You never know who's going to see this simply because you left a like. Also, I believe the Lord connected us. Let's take advantage of this. I want you to continue to receive the teaching, so make sure that you subscribe and click the notification bell. When you subscribe to my channel, So that you can continue to receive the content. Okay, here's the challenging one. You ready? Number 5, they correct you. Yes, that's a true friend. Now, this kind of plays off of the point that I was making earlier in the lesson, where sometimes we think that loyalty means that you agree with everything I say all the time, and that if you don't take my side on everything, then you're not loyal. True that people should correct you and confront you privately, but it's not true that they'll never confront you just because they're good friends. In fact, really good friends aren't afraid to confront you. And they don't confront you just because they like confrontation. They don't confront you just because they like to exercise control or authority, but true friends correct you because they understand they're trying to help you. This is biblical here. Proverbs 27:5-6, better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted But an enemy multiplies kisses, excuse me. Matthew 18:15, if your brother or sister sins, go and point out their faults. That's what Jesus said. Just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Go and point out their fault. Wait a minute, I thought we're not supposed to judge. Well, we're to judge with righteous judgment. Of course we're to make judgments. And of course, we're to confront one another. This is what a true friend will do. They'll bring that correction to you even when it makes you uncomfortable. And here's the sad reality. Many of you, and if this, if this does something in your heart, if when I say this there is conviction, if when I say this there's a little bit of anger, if when I say this your first instinct is to be a little defensive, then consider the possibility that I'm talking to you for a purpose. If you can't receive correction, how will you ever grow? And the sad reality is this: many of you have left churches, many of you have severed friendships, many of you have disconnected from people who deeply love you simply because you didn't like the fact that they confronted you, simply because they didn't agree with you on something that they knew you needed to change. Now again, I wanna balance this. I'm not talking about— manipulators and people who try to exercise control over everything you think and do. I'm talking about that true friend who came to you and said, listen, I love you, and I'm telling you this because you're gonna harm yourself. Or, I'm telling you this because you're wrong, and the way you're thinking is gonna harm you. Or, I'm telling you this because this is gonna destroy your reputation. Or, I'm telling you this because this is gonna destroy your life. You have to change this, that attitude, the way you come across, the way you speak, that habit. It's destroying you. Those are true friends. And we need those. You need people around you who can refine you like fire. And this is the key, because iron sharpens iron. And sometimes when iron sharpens iron, sparks fly. Number 6, this is a big one. They forgive you. True friends don't hold grudges. Now, again, I wanna balance this because there are some times when people do things that cause us to set boundaries in place that are healthy and good and biblical. You're not immature for setting a boundary. You're not wrong for setting a boundary. You're not unforgiving for setting a boundary. Forgiveness is one thing, trust is another. So when someone offends you, when someone breaks that trust, it's understandable that you're gonna wanna set boundaries. Having said that, There are some people who use that as an excuse for their immature unforgiveness, and they claim that they're setting a boundary when they're actually holding a grudge. They claim that they're making sure that they stay healthy when they're actually making sure they stay distant so that they don't experience confrontation or correction. They don't want to forgive. They don't want to swallow their pride. Be careful. of people who can't apologize and be careful of people who keep bringing up your flaws despite you apologizing many times and correcting it, because you can't just apologize and expect people to trust you. I'm talking about when you've made amends, when you've repented, when you've asked for forgiveness, there are certain grudges that just should not be held. In fact, no grudges should be held, even if boundaries should be set. Proverbs 27:17, I just quoted it a moment ago, as iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another. And as I said a moment ago, when iron sharpens iron, sparks fly. Here's the reality, here's the wake-up call. No one you know is perfect. Everyone you know, if you get to know them well enough, will offend you. In fact, I don't even consider a friendship deep until there has been some confrontation, because you've not really gotten to the core of who you are if there's been no conflict. I'm not saying you seek out conflict to be close. I'm saying that becoming close often brings out conflict. And the reality is that people will hurt you. Your closest friends will hurt you. Your best friends will hurt you. Your family members will hurt you. Your pastor will hurt you. Your fellow church members will hurt you. It's going to happen. Why? Because we are people, we are imperfect, and we all interact with one another. You are bound to get hurt. The question is not, if offense comes, the question is, what are you going to do when offense comes? I can't tell you how many times I've heard from people who talk well of someone or even a church. They go to a church and they say, oh my goodness, my last church was just terrible and this church is just so great. And I love the preaching and I love the worship and I love the people. And they list all the things they love about their current church and all the things they dislike about their former church. But then the moment they leave that church, Suddenly now that church has everything wrong with it. Well, it's not that all of a sudden that church went bad. It's not that all of a sudden people change. Most of the time, it's that our perception changes because we are easily offended. And if you're easily offended, it's gonna be difficult for you to get close to anyone. Everyone is deeply flawed. I like to say that everyone has, quote, their thing, end quote. What do I mean by that? Everyone has that one thing about them that you can point to and gossip about. That maybe that little problem with an attitude, maybe just that character flaw, maybe they're always late somewhere, maybe they're always complaining, maybe they're just very difficult, maybe they're very emotional, maybe it's difficult to communicate with them. I can go on listing thing after thing that can strain relationships. Now, I'm not saying that that person is excused for their wrongdoing. I'm saying that we need to show grace for one another, because if you're looking for perfection, you'll end up in isolation. Because you'll never find that perfection. Instead, look for people who are sincere, look for people who forgive you, 'cause you're gonna need it, and you should forgive likewise. Ephesians 4:32 says, be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. Listen to that phrasing. Let's look at that verse again, Ephesians 4:32. Look at this, look at this. Just as in Christ. Christ, God forgave you. Meaning, just as God forgave you, you forgive others. Well, how did God forgive you? Completely. Love keeps no record of wrong. Love covers a multitude of sin. Let's go down to Colossians 3:13. Colossians 3:13 says, bear with each other and forgive one another. If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord Forgave you. This is why you have to be prepared to forgive and look for friends who forgive you. Because when you're hurt or when you hurt others, the only reason you can hurt someone is because you were close in the first place. So when someone hurts you or when you hurt someone, not intentionally, not in an abusive way, but recognize it for what it is. It's a sign that you're close enough to be hurt emotionally or mentally by them. And that is a sign of closeness. But watch out for those friends who forgive you. You do something wrong and you're sorry for it, you apologize, and they let you move on. They don't keep reaching back into the past every time there's an argument and putting that thing in front of your face. They don't keep reaching back from 6 months ago when you said this or forgot that and then bring it to the forefront. They let it go in their heart and their mind. never to be remembered again. And again, I'm not talking about consistent wrongdoing to where you're taking advantage of someone's kindness, but watch out for the friends that forgive you. That's a sign that God sent them. So I'm gonna share this last one with you, and it is key, and I'm gonna balance it as well. But let's just recap so far. You're looking at the fact that they're godly, they're loyal, they encourage you, they pray for you, they correct you, they forgive you. Now watch this, number 7, this is key. And watch this one closely. They make time for you. Now, with this one in particular, I think our generation has the most difficulty. We treat our friends like we treat everything else, based on our convenience, based on how we're feeling, based on whether or not we're tired. Listen, people who invest in you, take note of that. If you can point to just one or two people who match these descriptions, you're very blessed indeed, because it's difficult to find those close friends, especially in this day and age where people don't understand that you have to invest in that friendship. Every relationship, whether it be a parent and a child, Whether it be a husband and a wife, whether it be a sibling, whether it be a friend, whether it be a mentor-mentee relationship, it doesn't matter. Every human connection requires cultivation and intentionality. Otherwise, it withers away. You've heard people say things like, well, I had a friendship with them, or, we were very close, but, you know, you know how life is. It just kind of faded into the background. Or, you know how things get, we get so busy. and we no longer are connected anymore. Well, wait a minute, that's not how God designed it. Community is built on intentionality, and intentionality is effort, and effort is sacrifice. Sacrifice can be time and energy. Look for those people who invest time with you. We'll read it again. I told you it was key, and it sure is. Proverbs 17:17 says, a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for time of adversity. We're all busy, but watch for those people who spend that time with you, who make that time with you. Let me ask you this: would you still hear— would you still hear from them if you stopped calling and texting? Would you still hear from them if you stopped making the efforts, if you stopped planning the dates? Sometimes it's good to just assess that, not in a bitter way, not in a woe-is-me way, not in— We're not with a heart filled with self-pity. Just watch what would happen if you stopped calling just for a few days or you stopped scheduling things. Would they reach out to you? Or would the friendship die with your efforts? Look for those friends who invest in you. They reach out for you. Don't waste your time begging people to care about you. Don't waste your time begging people to want a connection, want a friendship, that's just gonna fill you with heartache and angst and bitterness. And you're setting expectations on people that just aren't fair. Proverbs 27:10 says, do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative's house when disaster strikes. Better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away. In other words, there has to be this intentional connection with those around us. Pay attention to the people who, as we say, ghost you. Don't hang with people who ghost you. Look for people who Holy Ghost connect with you, and they're invested in you, and they're spending time with you. That's a sign of a good friend. Now, I wanna balance this again. This isn't an excuse to be demanding. And ask to be a part of everything all the time. Because here's the reality. Some people have trouble making friends because they're so needy and because they're so clingy and they push people away. They're very anxious about their attachments. And you got to be careful of that because that will just push people away. Instead, just let the Lord lead it. Stop straining. Stop trying so much. Let the Holy Spirit bring things together. And you watch, you will see the Lord will connect you with the right people. who love you for you, who enjoy their time with you. We all need that. And the Lord will bring them to you. And in fact, I believe he is. I mean, even Jesus had his inner circle. Not even Jesus spent time with everyone all the time. Jesus would withdraw for the 12 and then just for Peter, James, and John. Not everyone was in the garden with Jesus just before he was crucified. That was just Peter, James, and John, his inner circle. Not everyone went with him to the Mount of Transfiguration. That was Peter, James, and John. They saw him atop the mountain. And so the Lord will bring you your inner circle. There's nothing wrong with an inner circle. I know that those who struggle with connecting with others sometimes become jealous of people's inner circle, but don't be jealous of that. Some people, the Lord has just called together in that way. Some people just connect in that way. And the Lord is bringing that to you as well. So don't be afraid. Don't worry. Don't approach it with angst and tension. Instead, realize that you were not created to live in isolation. And I know it's difficult to trust people, but if you are seeing those signs, and that means the Lord is drawing them to you, he's connecting you with them. Those are signs of a divine connection. Father, I pray you help us to remember this. Help us to invest In those divine connections. Lord, give us the discernment to recognize true, genuine, biblical Holy Spirit friendships. And give us the courage to step out and invest, to reach out. And Lord, help us to be that friend as well. Amen. Help us to be that shining example of your love, compassion. We give you the praise, the glory, and the honor. I want you to type it in the comments section if you believe it. Type a big amen. Here's what I want you to do before I share a quick word with you. Make sure you share this message with those friends that you were thinking about when I was sharing this. You know, often we forget to thank people like that. We mustn't take people for granted. So if I was describing someone you're thinking of, send this to them and say, hey, I was thinking of you as I was listening to this message. Thanks for being such a great friend to me. 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