1 Corinthians 15:33 ‘Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners..’
DAILY READING • Acts 11:19-30; Joshua 13-14; Job 27
Billy Graham is considered one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century.
He became the friend and confidante of presidents, celebrities and royalty. Billy Graham had a friendship with American President Richard Nixon which made him to become an adviser to the president, regularly visiting the White House and leading the president’s private worship services.
However Billy Graham’s friendship with Richard Nixon almost became detrimental to his ministry. After the Watergate scandal which led to president Nixon’s removal from office, there were controversies that Graham had agreed with many of President Richard Nixon’s antisemitic opinions.
In 2002, this controversy became glaring when declassified “Richard Nixon tapes” revealed a 1972 conversation between him and Billy Graham, where Graham said something negative about a Jewish media group.
In 2009, more Nixon tapes were released, in which Graham was again overheard in a 1973 conversation with Nixon expressing his dislike for a group of Jewish journalists.
When these tapes were made public, Graham apologized and expressed his deep regret of such comments made in his conversations with President Nixon 30 years earlier.
Billy Graham told the Media that he wished he had steered clear of politics. He said ‘I’m grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; ..but looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn’t do that now.”
Billy Graham’s friendship with president Nixon almost marred his reputation and for the rest of his life, it taught him a great lesson on the issue of being selective in his associations.
To go far in God’s plan and purpose for us, we certainly need to be careful over our associations. Truly, who you follow determines what follows you.
As we prepare to cross over to the New Year, now is a good time to go through our contact lists and decide what to keep or what to delete.
As covenant children of God, we must be deliberate about those we surround ourselves with.
It’s been said, “The anointing attracts all sorts, and so does favor.”
When the favor of God is upon your life, all sorts of people will desire to come around you. However, it takes wisdom and spiritual discernment to know those who are there to help or to harm.
Certainly, to fulfill destiny, we have to become selective in our friendships.
One of our greatest needs is the uprooting of destiny killers from our lives and the locating of destiny-helpers that will help us to attain the next levels and new heights God has ordained for us.
Destiny Helpers add value to you and are strategically positioned to help you arrive at your expected end. Sometimes these divine connections are the missing link between you and your miracle. Therefore part of our prayers in this season is to ask God to bring into our lives those right people He has ordained to help us fly high.
Also, we must make a definite decision to let go of those wrong associations that have been hindering our spiritual lives and progress..
Indeed we cannot afford to keep hanging around people who we know are not adding value to us.
The truth is that anyone who is not sharpening you is hampering you.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Therefore, today, let us receive strength by the power in the Blood of Jesus to cut off from anything or anyone who will be a hindrance or stumbling block to our race in the coming year.
At the same time, let us bless and thank God for arranging for the divine relationships that are ordained to catapult us to glorious new heights in the coming year.
PRAYER:
Lord, please help me to make the choice that will help me and not hinder me in the coming year. Please uproot from around me wrong associations and help me to be continually surrounded by destiny helpers in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE:
You will never need more than God to experience the impossible in life. – WORDBITE 222.