Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / April 17 - The Company You Keep

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April 17 - The Company You Keep · Bible Chat Devotional

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  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, April 17th.
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  The company you keep. One of the hardest truths to
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  accept is that some relationships are built more on
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  convenience than love. Proverbs chapter 14 verse 20
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  says the poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich
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  has many friends. It is an honest observation
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  about human nature. People are often drawn to what
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  benefits them. Popularity, status, success, and
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  influence can attract a crowd, but not every crowd is made of
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  true friends. Romans chapter one goes even
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  deeper. It shows what happens when
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  people know truth but refuse to honor God.
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  Hearts become darkened, priorities become twisted, and
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  people begin to call normal what God calls broken.
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  That matters when we think about friendships and influence
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  because the company you keep will shape what starts to feel
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  acceptable to you. We all want to belong.
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  We all want people who understand us and stay close.
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  But not every friendship is healthy just because it is
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  familiar. Some relationships push you
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  toward compromise. Some make sin feel casual.
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  Some train you to chase approval instead of truth.
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  Others strengthen your faith, sharpen your thinking, and
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  encourage your love for God. The question is not just who
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  likes me. The deeper question is who is
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  helping me become more faithful? Who is drawing me toward
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  honesty, purity, courage, and worship?
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  And just as important, what kind of influence am I becoming in
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  the lives of others? Following Jesus sometimes means
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  you will not fit in everywhere. It may even mean standing apart
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  from people whose values do not align with His.
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  That can feel lonely for a moment, but it protects your
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  heart from drifting. God never asks you to trade
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  truth for acceptance. True friendship is not built on
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  status. It is built on truth, loyalty,
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  and the kind of love that stays steady even when life gets hard.
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  Ask God to surround you with people who help you honor Him,
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  and ask Him to make you that kind of person, too.
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  Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for
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  being the friend who never leaves me.
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  Give me wisdom in my relationships and help me
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  recognize the difference between shallow approval and godly
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  friendship. Surround me with people who
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  encourage me to honor You and make me a person who reflects
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  Your truth, love, and faithfulness to others.
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  Help me care more about your approval than the approval of
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  the crowd. In Jesus name, Amen.
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  What if you could rise up and declare with full spiritual
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  authority, I shall not die, but live?
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  Death Defeated is a powerful five book prayer series for
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  believers who are ready to confront premature death, break
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  demonic cycles, and enforce God's covenant of life over
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  their destiny and household. Book 1.
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  Deliverance from Death breaks chains of premature death and
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  generational attacks. Book 2.
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  Destruction of Death's Devices exposes hidden traps and
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  dismantles the enemy schemes. Book three.
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  Divine Defense against Death, activates supernatural
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  protection and divine preservation.
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  Book 4, Disarming the Destroyer, overthrows deadly assaults and
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  silences the spirit of destruction.
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  Book 5, Dominion over Death, establishes resurrection
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  authority, victorious living, and destiny fulfillment in
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  Christ. This series equips you with
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  Scripture anchored prophetic prayers to reject fear, cancel
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  dark decrees, and walk in divine preservation.
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  Order now on Amazon or visit prayerscripts.org.
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  Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's three-year
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  Bible reading plan. Proverbs chapter 14 verse 20
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  World English Bible The poor person is shunned even by his
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  own neighbor, but the rich person has many friends.
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  Romans chapter one World English Bible Paul, a servant of Jesus
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  Christ called to be an apostle, set apart for the good news of
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  God, which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy
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  Scriptures. Concerning his Son, who was born
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  of the offspring of David according to the flesh, who was
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  declared to be the Son of God, with power according to the
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  spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.
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  Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we received grace and
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  apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations, for
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  His name's sake, among whom you are also called to belong to
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  Jesus Christ. To all who are in Rome, beloved
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  of God, called to be Saints, grace to you and peace from God
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  our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1st.
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  I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your
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  faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
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  For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the good
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  news of His Son. How unceasingly I make mention
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  of you always in my prayers, requesting if by any means now
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  at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.
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  For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual
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  gift to the end that you may be established, that is, that I
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  with you, may be encouraged in you, each of us, by the other's
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  faith, both yours and mine. Now I don't desire to have you
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  unaware, brothers, that I often plan to come to you, and was
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  hindered so far that I might have some fruit among you also,
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  even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
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  I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise
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  and to the foolish. So as much as is in me, I am
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  eager to preach the good news to you also who are in Rome.
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  For I am not ashamed of the good news of Christ, because it is
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  the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for
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  the Jew 1st, and also for the Greek.
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  For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to
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  faith, as it is written. But the righteous shall live by
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  faith. For the wrath of God is revealed
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  from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
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  of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that
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  which is known of God is revealed in them, for God
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  revealed it to them. For the invisible things of Him
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  since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
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  perceived through the things that are made, even His
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  everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse.
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  Because knowing God, they didn't glorify Him as God and didn't
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  give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their
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  senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be
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  wise, they became fools and traded the glory of the
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  incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of
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  corruptible man and of birds, 4 footed animals and creeping
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  things. Therefore God also gave them up
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  in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies
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  should be dishonored among themselves, who exchanged the
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  truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the
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  creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
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  Amen. For this reason God gave them up
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  to vile passions for their women.
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  Change the natural function into that which is against nature.
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  Likewise also the men leaving the natural function of the
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  woman burned in their lust toward one another.
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  Men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in
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  themselves the due penalty of their error, even as they refuse
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  to have God in their knowledge. God gave them up to a reprobate
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  mind to do those things which are not fitting, being filled
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  with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness,
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  covetousness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
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  evil habits, secret slanderers, backbutters, hateful to God,
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  insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things,
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  disobedient to parents without understanding, covenant Breakers
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  without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful.
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  Who, knowing the ordinance of God that those who practice such
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  things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also
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  approve of those who practice them.
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  Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
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  everyday life. If today's devotional encouraged
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  you, share it with a friend and be sure to follow the podcast so
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  you won't miss the next conversation.
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  Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
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  walking daily with Jesus.