Sunday, March 25, 2018

Purposefully Choose Your Companions - Impact



-Your companionship relationship
·       Has the potential of impacting you immediately.
·       Has the potential of having a lasting impact in your life.

There is a tendency to embrace companionship casually with a mindset that “I will not be affected or influenced”. We are looking at a case in point right here and we thank God that it was a quality decision. Saul chose the companionship of the disciples after his conversion and we are told that “immediately” he preached the gospel in the synagogues. Let’s read this together;

Acts 9:20 (NKJV)
Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.  Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
Emphasis Mine

If you read further, Saul never looked back from this point. Now, picture a companion that could possibly lead you downhill. Imagine yourself embracing this relationship casually with a mindset that it will not have an impact on you, but later discover that certain aspects of your life are unfolding negatively as a result of the company you chose. I bet you will not be pleased. So, this is why we previously examined that the aftermath of companionship could be immediate or lasting.
So, make a decision about who and what to keep company with; understand that it is a choice and remember that the outcome could be immediate and if not, down the road, the impact will be felt. Amen!








Purposefully Choose Your Companions - Choice



We have educated ourselves through the scriptures on the various ways we can keep company with the Word. Just a brief recap on how we keep company with the Word;

-Studying the Word – and we gave some preparation tips.
-Meditating on the Word – studying the Word gives you substantial materials to meditate upon.
-Listening to the Word being Preached and Thought – we emphasized that doing and preaching go together. So, the lifestyle of the person you listen to matters.
-Reading of the Word – and we emphasized on the benefits of public reading of the Word.
-Watching others preach the Word – We emphasized that what we permit our eyes to see, influences our lives.
-Teaching and Speaking the Word – In this context, we said teaching will mean sharing the revelations you receive from the Word with the purpose of being a blessing to the person. For speaking, your words and actions should synchronize every day, every time. Amen!

Companionship is purposeful because it is something you can choose to do or undo.

Acts 9:17-20 (NKJV)
And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.  Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Acts 9 talks about Saul’s conversion. Saul had a life-changing encounter and his name is later referred to Paul in Acts 13:9. However, at this point when we meet Him, the scripture refers to him as Saul. What stood out to me as I studied this passage of scripture is that immediately after the life-changing encounter, the very first thing Saul did was change his companions. Yes, he did. Great decision.

So much can be learned from this one action of Saul.
-Companionship is by choice. Whom you choose to spend your time with or associate with is your choice. I can understand how challenging most situations can be and an individual may resolve to saying that “I do not have a choice”. Listen! You have a choice, let no one disarm you of something that has been freely made available to you by the Father. You have willpower. Saul had a choice to join his previous companions but he did not. And the reason I say so is because, the people he now chose to keep company with fell under the category of people whom he was actively persecuting, but he still chose to spend days with them, according to scripture.

Saul had reasons to say that, I have no friends so I might as well go back and join the former associates because what is the possibility that the disciples will not revenge on me? 




Conclusion

There is an endless list of individuals in scriptures who served as instruments of change in the lives of others. The frequency of th...