Friendship With Jesus
Finding Companionship With the One Who Loves Us Most
Finding Companionship With the One Who Loves Us Most
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Do you ever wonder where God can possibly be hiding? Why is life in this world is so difficult?
Regarding Use of Scripture On This Website:
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All Rights Reserved.
The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of the International Bible Society.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All Rights Reserved.
The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of the International Bible Society.
Welcome to Friendship With Jesus!
Friend: 1. a person whom one knows well and is fond of; intimate associate; close acquaintance 2. a person on the same side in a struggle; one who is not an enemy or foe; ally 3. a supporter or sympathizer. *
Jesus Christ: King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Alpha & Omega, Son of God, The Resurrection and The Life, The Door, The Living Water, Advocate, Lamb of God, Man of Sorrows, The Bread of Life, The Good Shepherd, Image of the Invisible God, The Word, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, The King of the Jews, Bright Morning Star; The Way, The Truth, and the Life...among others.**
Can you imagine having the God of the Bible as your best friend? Why would you want to?
The possibility hinges on discovering who He is, who we are, and being willing to consider the unbelievable: that Jesus really does love you, despite the difficulties He has allowed into your life.
For many who were raised in the Christian faith, the existence of an Almighty God and Creator of the Universe was taught from their days before remembering. It is woven into the fabric of their being. The luckiest among them had decent parents who followed God and modeled His love. But every human being is flawed and imperfect.; not even a great parent can love us the way God does.
Our faith may have been passed down from generation to generation, landing in our laps like the family photo album. While it's a record of our identity, we don't really know much about those people. Even the beliefs of our parents don't automatically transfer into our hearts, much less a personal relationship with God. Relationships are built on shared communication and knowing one another. No one can build a friendship for us.
For those raised in a different faith, with no faith, or in difficult circumstances, the leap between what we were taught and the idea of an omnipotent, yet loving Supreme Being: well, that's more of a stretch than most of us can cover. Throw in family dysfunction, abuse, whatever the brokenness may be, and we're not likely to accept the fact that Jesus loves us with abandon, just the way we are.
Fortunately, it is He who pursues us. It is He who loved us first. It can take some time to comprehend the miracle and accept the gift. But the moment we do, the friendship is born. That moment signifies the beginning of our hope, our peace, and our happiness that will last throughout this lifetime and into eternity.
Sound too good to be true? Well, I didn't believe it either, until I found it myself. I have only one story to tell: how the God of the Universe, revealed through the Bible and by the grace of His Son, Jesus Christ, saved me. He saved me from alcoholism and drug addiction, helped me recover from child abuse, walked with me through the death of my daughter, kept me married to my husband Kevin since 1982, and promises me Heaven when it's time to go home. He continues to give me all the best gifts I've ever received: faith, hope, sobriety, love, peace, strength, truth, and courage. I cannot say enough about my best friend, Jesus Christ.
My name is Rachel Ophoff. I'm a writer and speaker based in western Colorado, and I'm passionate about sharing how Jesus loves us, how God has a plan for our lives, and how the Bible contains all the power and information we need to live in victory over all challenges common to humanity. Click away for my writing credits, statement of faith, copyright information and privacy policy.
Much like myself, the goal of this site is to build a bridge between two worlds- the secular and the sacred, the seen and the unseen. My Meeting Jesus page explains how we met and how you can too, while my Resource page supplies links to resources, for both those who seek and those who believe.
I'm glad you have stopped by. Stick around. Come back an visit. Let's face it- this world hurts our hearts. Hopefully you will find honesty, hope, resources, and an ever-changing community of questioning people who hang on to Jesus, the only One with all the answers.
Welcome to Friendship with Jesus! Stop by anytime. You can reach me at rachel@friendshipwithjesus.com.
*Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition
**The Holy Bible
“There are deep sorrows and killing cares in life, but the encouragement and love of friends were given to us to make all difficulties bearable"- John Oliver Hobbes
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."- Jesus Christ (John 16:33b NIV)
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."- Jesus Christ (John 16:33b NIV)