Who Are You With?

In Mathew chapter 12 from verse 1, JESUS was walking through a farmland with his disciples. The disciples took advantage of JESUS’ presence to violate standard religious rules and regulations. For some curious reasons, the “ever-present” critics of JESUS were on ground to condemn the supposed sacrilege.  “Why do you allow your disciples to break Sabbath laws without stopping them?” They queried JESUS.

The disciples were grown adults who knew better than to go against inculcated societal practice and mandatory “God-ordained” culture. Regardless that they were very hungry, they would not have dared to do what they did without their association with JESUS. The authorities would have arrested them and made them face or dance to consequential music of their misdemeanor. But, they were with JESUS. They did whatever they liked that was available for them to do, in JESUS. Whoever would reach them must have had to reach JESUS first. Whoever would arrest them would have had to arrest JESUS along.

The Pharisees knew that JESUS was not ordinary. So they needed to have a more super-ordinary reason before they could touch JESUS or to bring him to “justice” before Moses’ laws. JESUS stood in defense of his disciples. He quoted Bible authorities in defense of his disciples. JESUS advocated for these folks in ways that they became religiously untouchable, since they were WITH HIM!

Every human being is a direct reflection of the association or relationship they keep. You will be spiritually justified or condemned alongside who you are in close relationship to. Every life is a reflection of who influences his or her thoughts and mindsets. Most people act and react in direct response to whoever prods them. Most emotional reactions derive from trusting the words of someone who is given control of one’s emotions. You are programmed, for good or bad, by those you are with. Those who have the means to feed you what you trust can grow you, which can indeed improve you or indeed damage you.

There are several examples, in the Bible, of those who made choices, good and bad, solely based on information or misinformation from whom they were with.

Eve was with the serpent, she acted on impulse by what she gleaned from the devil. Adam was with Eve. He acted based on negative influence of Eve, in willful disobedience to God’s words. Abel was with Cain, he was killed based on wrong perception and vitriolic angers of whom he was with. Lot was with people and cultures that believed in same-sex orientation and lifestyles. His family was negatively affected and damaged when consequences of the cities’ evil against God arrived. Elisha was with Elijah. He performed supernatural exploits, because he left all to dwell with a supernaturally equipped man of God.

I can relate with what the disciples did, while hanging out with JESUS. They lost grip of their religious upbringing, and behaved differently. I have yielded to different influences of different people I had been with. When I was with very aggressive people, I was more aggressive. When I was with deeply spiritual ones, I got more spiritual. When I found myself with contentious ones, who just love to fight, I found it hard not to become contentious. When I hung out with those who measured success in life by money & material possessions, I encountered depressions. I was purged of love of money and making compromises that only serves Mammon’s interests, since I chose to serve God’s calling wholeheartedly.

All of us are surrounded by mostly unGodly associations. Many people make mistakes of counting continuous involvements in Church activities to be the same as being Godly. That is a BIG mistake and error of judgment. It takes special discerning skills to figure out if those with us are indeed with God or not, especially on critical life issues. Someone may be full of religion, speaking and acting as expected of believers, like the Pharisees, and yet, not necessarily be on the same page with God’s current mind. JESUS was always with God. He daily sought the mind of God. Most people do not seek God’s fresh mind daily. Since JESUS did not do anything that he spiritually say God, the father, do, whoever was with JESUS was positively influenced for God. John 5:19.

When JESUS was physically leaving this earth, He knew that He could not entrust our lives into hands of people or human beings, like fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, family members, friends, pastors, apostles, or any other person for that matter. No human being is good enough for us to lean on 100%, no matter how much they invested into our lives. And no matter how much they appear Godly. Only JESUS can save. No human being is JESUS yet. John 14:6

JESUS left us with the Holy Spirit, a powerful name that does exploits, an option to invoke spiritual powers that is resident in His shed and sacrificed blood. And, he gave us his written words in the Bible to guide us through life and its amazing mazes. John 14:25-27

We all need to be with some close people. We all also need to define and decide how much we lean on such humans for our natural or spiritual life development. Who you are with defines who you are, and, who you become. Those who walk with the wise will be wise, companions of fools will be destroyed. Prov. 13:20

I don’t know about you, experience has taught me that no human being is 100% reliable or dependable. A 1% or 5% dependability on people’s falsely held conviction and disposition to ungodly counsel may just be more than enough to disrupt your Godliness or ability to remain in God’s will. I would rather learn the more to trust more in JESUS than I would any human relationship. Being with JESUS will attract persecutions and or afflictions. But I reason, it suffices to be with JESUS than not to be with JESUS.

• Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge him, he shall direct your path…  Prov. 3:5-6
• The Holy Spirit is your teacher, guide, helper, comforter, advocate, intercessor, influencing leader, he should be your intoxicating partner… John 16:1-16, Eph. 5:15-20
• Blessed are the ones who are not reliant on human ways, counsel, or scornful seats… but are with God’s words… Psalm 1:1-6
• “This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.” Jer. 17:5
• “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” Psalm 118:8
• “Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.” Psalm 146:3
  

 

The following is my prayer. You can make it yours too:

“I need you JESUS, Lord I need you. No human relationship can help me like a close relationship with you can. Lord I need you. You are the only dependable ONE, please uphold me like no-one else can. Holy Spirit, I ask that you be with me. Help me to hear your voice, far above all other voices in this life. I desire to please you JESUS, help me to know you more. And when my obedience to you contravenes human laws and expectations, please uphold me above the wrath of mankind and their huge appetite to operate and destroy in the flesh. Help me JESUS. Please be with me MORE, from now going forward. Amen & amen. In JESUS name I prayed. Amen!”