From The Heart: Friends

Let me share with a story I once read in Key Life Ministries Magazine; to the best of my understanding it’s a true story. They say it happened at Otchvich, in a concentration camp.  It happened when they were pushing Jews into those large ovens; those ovens that those who want to rewrite history deny existed. 

It happened that there was a man who had recently become a Christian before this took place. At this time he was serving as an orderly helping those who were being murdered in this holocaust stay in line.  In that line there was a little boy who was eight years old and he was weeping.  The orderly said to the little boy, "What's wrong?"  The little boy replied,

"They tell us we're going to get a shower, but we're going to die, and I know I'm going to die, and I don't want to die.  My mother, my father, my two brothers and my sister all went in there for a shower and they never came back. So I know what's going to happen." The orderly prayed and asked God to give him the words and he said, "Son, do you believe in God?" The boy replied, "Yes, Sir." The orderly then said, "Dying is not so bad, just go in and take two deep breaths and then immediately you will see your father and your mother and your family." It didn't help, the boy kept on weeping. 

The orderly kept on praying and finally reached into his pocket and got out a candy bar, unwrapped it and gave it to the boy.  He knew it had been a long time since the boy had had any candy. 

The boy took one bite and gave it back to him and continued to weep saying, “I don't want to die." The orderly prayed, "Please, please Lord, show me what to do." And then he knew.  He said, "Son it’s really hard to die, but it will be better if we do it together." They then joined hands and walked into the gas ovens together.

As I have sat with many individuals through the years as they approached and breathed their last breath, and many of them have been wonderful saints of our Lord, I have to admit that though I am ready and know what He has for me on the other side is better than what we are experiencing in this life, the process of dying does seem a bit hard. But also with that I have to admit that it's also hard to live. 

Living and dying is a lot easier with a friend holding your hand.  Many of us might make it through this hard life, and might even lead a few to Christ and do a few good deeds with out a friend.  But we must realize if true healing and revival is going to take place in our homes, churches and nation, one cannot do it alone. Yes, it is true, ministry can happen if only one does it, but revival and healing hardly ever happens unless there are two. When we join together as friends, there's great power and God is glorified and living is not as hard as it
 would be.  Think about it!

A friend is someone who is there even when you don't want them.  Someone who loves you in spite of all your faults, who is not interested in changing you but accepting you as you are. We all seem to fail at being a true friend, especially when life gets difficult.  If you think there's going to be a time coming, that you might need a friend, be friend to someone today. Just be there, whether they act like they want you there are or not. Be there with no judgments and expectations.  Just walk with them where they must go.

Please also know that “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV). Take a moment to meet Christ today, and then take the time to introduce Him to your friends; you'll then have friends for all eternity.

This message has been brought to you From the Heart of Tim Hall, Senior Pastor, Gully Springs Baptist Church, and author of “Church Go To Hell! Please?” P.O. Box 745, 2824 Highway 90 West Bonifay, Florida 32425. Located;,three miles west of the light at Highway 79, 850-547-3920, E-mail: timhall_2000@yahoo.com