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? 

Keep Company With The Word - Teach and Speak

Teaching is simply passing on information in the best way that can be understood by the receiver. With that in mind, everyone can teach another person something. Seek opportunities to pass on what you learn.  Purpose in your heart to have a godly impact in the lives of the people God brings your way. So, when you study the Word, Meditate on the Word, listen to the Word and Watch the Word; you can certainly teach the Word. Not so much as to be called a teacher; however, enough to pass on revelation in a way that the receiver understands. There must be something that you are able to learn through all these various ways of keeping company with the Word, that you can pass on to others in order to be a blessing to them.

As you teach, continue to seek more avenues to challenge your knowledge and growth in the Word. Such as enrolling in some bible schools, scheduling yourself to study more, read more, etc.

When it comes to speaking the Word as a way of keeping company with the Word; seek opportunities to associate your spoken words with scriptures.  Let your identity be known where ever you find yourself even by your spoken words.

When you speak, your listeners should be able to associate your speech with your character. There should be no confusion; there should be no difference. Amen. Your speech should be one of the tangible evidence that indeed you have been keeping company with the Word. When faced with any kind of situation, let your words align with scripture. Consistently.

By so doing, you are keeping company with the Word.

There is no time when being godly is unacceptable. It is an acceptable lifestyle for a child of God. Do not be the person who picks and chooses when and when not to be godly. Be an example everywhere, every day. Amen.

                                          

Keep Company With The Word - Watch

Show a sense of responsibility, by making a choice over what your eyes see.

Psalm 101:3 (ESV)

I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

Other translations talk about wicked things, vile things, unjust things, and more. Why wouldn’t you do that? Because the things you watch have the potential of clinging on to your memory and influencing you.

Matthew 6:22 (ESV)

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

So, in order words, if you feed your sight/ eyes with healthy images and information, your body will benefit.

 Make a decision today, to incorporate watching images that portray godly values, sermons being preached, TV shows that communicate the Word of God as a way of keeping company with the Word.

Promote a healthy atmosphere in your home by the kinds of shows you permit to be watched by everyone. Not every TV program rated “G” is worth watching. Carefully choose what you expose your eyes to. So much have been thrown at us through the internet and TV; however, we are privileged to make choices over what we permit our eyes to see.

Keep Company With The Word - Read

Read your bible, read books and articles that explain/ simplify the Word for your understanding. There are good books and articles out there written by men and women of God that can help you gain a deeper and better understanding of scriptures. Audiobooks are good; and as much as you listen, I call on you to read because there are enormous benefits to reading. Pick up a book, your bible and read through, page by page. It makes a difference. It also helps expose you to different writing styles that you may not otherwise pick up on through listening to the book being read to you. It gives you the opportunity to read at your pace and verify the information read.

Paul’s advice to Timothy;

1 Timothy 4:13 (NKJV)

Until I come, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers and teaching them.

Emphasis Mine

Another translation says “focus on the public reading of the scriptures to the church”.

There are many benefits to publicly reading scriptures; one of which is that it keeps you engaged. And what about helping those who do not know how to read? They will benefit from listening to the reading of scriptures. Amen.

Just a quick highlight on this point. Reading scriptures publicly dates back to Moses, Joshua, Nehemiah (when Ezra read out the scriptures to the Israelites). Jesus did likewise and Paul was encouraging Timothy to practice reading out publicly to his congregation. Amen.

Nehemiah 8:2-3 (NKJV)

 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Keep Company With The Word - Listen

Another way to keep company with the Word is by listening to the Word being preached or taught. Listening to scriptural preaching and teachings, help you grow spiritually.

Luke 5:1 (NLT)

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.

Emphasis Mine

The purpose of preaching and teaching is such that there will be listeners who can benefit from the Word of God. I want us to note that Jesus was preaching the Word of God. We are told that the crowds pressed in on Him to listen to the Word of God.

Another example;

Acts 2:42 (NIV)

 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Emphasis Mine

Peter had preached a message and three thousand had accepted the message, got baptized and were added to their number. So, this scripture is referring to the believers in that community at the time. After accepting the message, they had to grow spiritually by devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching. The apostles were teaching the Word of God.

Listening to preaching and teachings brought to you by men and women of God is good. Here is the Word of caution for you as you go about listening. Do your assignment of gaining some understanding about the life of the person you listen to. This is important because it will be most beneficial to listen to someone who does what they teach others.

This is what Luke tells us

Acts 1:1 (NKJV)

 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

Emphasis Mine

Doing and teaching are inseparable. And it must be noted that the doing comes first before the teaching. Amen! Listening to teachings about the Word, not storytelling, is one way of keeping company with the Word. Cultivate the atmosphere of your home, your car, your office, and any environment you find yourself through listening to the Word and songs that are Word-based.

Keep Company With The Word - Meditate

Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Emphasis Mine

It tells you what to do and how often you should do it. When you meditate on the Word day and night, it will help reshape your thought pattern. Your thought pattern will be that which Philippians 4:8 has to say;

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

How do you keep company with the Word through meditation? The Hebrew translation of the word meditation suggests that meditation requires that you utter words, you mutter words, you ponder on words, Amen!

It is not possible to meditate without studying because meditation requires that you ponder, mutter and utter on the words you have studied for yourself. So, as you study and begin meditating, you will be keeping company with the Word and subsequently, the results will be evident. Amen.

Keep Company With The Word - Study

When you choose to keep company with the Word, you are in other words keeping company with God Himself.

John 1:1 (NKJV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Emphasis Mine

Study the scriptures for yourself. Yes! It is necessary to listen to others, read from others, watch others, say what others say, and more. However, remember that you owe yourself and your generation the responsibility to study the word and establish a solid foundation based on your knowledge of the Word. No one else can do this for you, irrespective of how much they love you.

Challenge yourself this season to

-Invest in a hard copy of a study bible. Get a translation that you best understand.

It is okay to use digital bibles, however, be very careful not to abandon your spiritual mental exercises to technology. Amen! Commit Scriptures to memory.

-Get acquainted with your bible by at least knowing all 66 books of the bible and how they are divided between the Old and New Testaments.

-Do some background work in order to know why each book of the bible was written and whom it was written to.

-Get yourself a good notebook and pen.

-Then begin your journey of studying the Word as directed.

I thought it will be necessary to take care of the elementary aspects of getting prepared to study the word.

We will examine the lives of two outstanding biblical character leaders – Ezra and Daniel. They are great examples of people whom the Bible records as studying scriptures for themselves.

Ezra 7:10 (NIV)

For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Emphasis Mine

One thing we must know about Ezra is that he was an outstanding leader in His time. Leading and teaching the children of Israel the Word. Ezra kept company with the Word. He devoted himself to the study of the Law of the Lord.

What about Daniel? A great leader in His time and served at least 4kings as a result of the wisdom of God in Him. He could do so because he kept company with the Word.

Daniel 9:2 (NIV)

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

Emphasis Mine

How else could he have known that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years? And that it had been revealed to the Prophet Jeremiah in the past? Until that time, God had been hiding that particular information for Daniel, in the scriptures.

Scripture is where the Lord hides things for us not from us. That is why Proverbs 25:2 (NKJV) states; It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

As you devote time to study just like Ezra and Daniel did, do some research alongside that will help give you a better understanding of the subject matter. In summary, studying is one way to keep company with the Word. Devote time to study the Word; gain understanding from scriptures so that you can know the things that the Lord is hiding for you. Amen.