Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (ESV)

Proverbs 27:9
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. (ESV)

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (NKJV)

I missed a day, it was inevitable. But the reason for the missed day is the topic of this post. In 1987 I was married to my wonderful wife Daniella (21 years this February 23,) and in those early years of our marriage, we forged a friendship with another couple at our church, John and Jennifer Sagissor. They encouraged us in the faith, and John and I became fast friends.

I play chess with John on a fairly regular basis using a site called Queen Alice Internet Chess Club it’s a great blessing. They moved several times over the years, until they settled in Wisconsin. So we see them annually when they send a family Portrait at Christmas, that is except for John.

John works for a large piano Manufacturer and comes out for the NAMM conference every January, and while there have been a few years we could not meet, we have managed to succeed most years, including last night. Thus I was busy being sharpened and missed my deadline.

I realized this year John is my best friend. We pick up conversation like no time apart has been spent. We correct one another in Christ’s love, and most of all we share a deep passion for God, His Word, and living out loud, Christian music, and we love one another.

His wife has always been an inspiration and encouragement. She lives a life dedicated to God first and her family next. They are both a great blessing to me and my family.

I have known John for over 20 years. But for many of those years I called a high school friend my best friend, even when he disparaged my faith, and stopped returning calls, and even told me that I couldn’t openly share my faith at a party he was planning to reunite our groups of high school friends. A Party which he had without inviting me. He recently contacted me, and I realized as I spoke to him, I had nothing in common with him other we are both sinners.

This same friend used to yell at the top of his lungs, his love for God, and was notorious to telling you, “don’t litter Gods country!” if he saw you tossing litter. He contacted me recently returning a call months old left on his answering machine. He came over one evening and we talked about all the things we sued to talk about, but he avoided every attempt I made to move the conversation toward Christ, God and what that means in our lives today.

He called me three times a couple of weeks ago. He needed my contact information for an application he was completing for a law enforcement agency. I pray for him and his family. I realize now, he was never my best friend, only a sinner who like me needs Christ.

Christ is my true best friend. After him there is Daniella, who surprises me still with a kindness and tenderness I lack and desperately need. Then there is John, with whom I can share every struggle in my flesh, who never judges, and speaks as a true brother should, delivering challenge and rebuke when necessary. Thanks Brother!

Do you have a true friend in this life you have neglected?
Maybe you can elaborate on what friendship is-

May God grant you His peace and love as you consider your role in this life. Maybe you are the neglected friend. Be faithful, be patient, be true! The God of all creation knows your heart, and is accomplishing all His holy will.

Blessings!

Here are the last of the 12 Steps. Of course there are many more scriptures which need to be added. If you found those I listed inadaquate, I whole heartedly agree many are missing. (All of them in fact!)

I reflected on this idea in Part 1, and Part 2 is a continuation of those thoughts, as are those found below. Over all I want everyone to think about how these steps apply to them. Since we are all sinners and the steps listed here are meant to deal with sin and not just a specific type of sin, they apply to all of us.

8. We live daily before God in submission to His will, seeking meaningful forgiveness from all those we have sinned against, God first and our neighbor after.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
(Matthew 5:23, 24)

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
(Matthew 6:32-33 ESV)

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
(Matthew 7:12 ESV)

9. We seek the forgiveness of sin committed, from our human and heavenly family face to face whenever possible, except when to do so will lead to further sin.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
(Romans 12:14-19 ESV)

6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
(Galatians 6:1-3 ESV)

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
(James 5:16 ESV)

10. We daily confess our sins and work under Gods guidance to die again each day to them, confessing them as soon as we are made conscious of them.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
(Romans 12:3 ESV)

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
(1 John 1:8-10 ESV)

13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
(Proverbs 28:13 ESV)

11. We seek to honor God through daily prayer and meditation upon His Word, to improve our service to Him, seeking for the knowledge of His will and the ability to submit unto it.

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:15-17 ESV)

13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
(Psalm 19:13 ESV)

12. We having received these spiritual gifts, as a result of Gods bountiful mercy, and seek to carry this message into the world and practice these steps all the days of our lives, asking it in the Name of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the holy Spirit,
A-men.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:12-17 ESV)

I hope to have more visitors soon and to have you join and comment. Please take and use these steps in any way you feel God will be glorified, and please no need to mention where they came from, they are founded on Gods word to Him give all the glory!

Blessings!

You’ll notice a a definite trend in the following of the 12 Steps, from AA, NA, and other Step based programs. The difference you will find here is the need to conform to the Word of God, and the absolute authority the Scriptures are given. This would discount these steps for use in many secular groups. They were originally written while I was ministering and being mistered to by a brother in Christ. Both he and I had exposure to the 12 Step based systems.

Please share your thoughts and ideas.

4. We are enabled daily, through the power of Gods Spirit in us, to search our heart and mind, facing with fear and trembling our personal sin and immoral ways.

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
(Philippians 2:12-13 ESV)

⁴⁰Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!
(Lamentations 3:40 ESV)

⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? -unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
(2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

² All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
(Isaiah 66:2 ESV)

5. We are able, through Gods Spirit, to face our grossest sins, and openly confess them to God, and our neighbors, especially those who confess Christ as we do. (The house hold of Faith)

¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
(James 5:15-16 ESV)

² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.
(Galatians 6:2-5 ESV)

6. We daily face with fear and trembling, the process of Gods sanctification, through which He conforms us unto the image of Christ our Savior.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
(Romans 8:29 ESV)

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2 ESV)

7. We strive daily to come Humbly before Him; asking Him to help us submit to Him so as to have removed all our weakness.

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
(Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV)

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
(James 4:10)

I hope these are helpful, please use them as your see fit in the LORD, and I am available for discussion and sharpening anytime.

Blessings