Friend of God: Embracing the Highest Point

In the new season of Relentless Pursuit, We dive into personal spiritual growth and intimacy with God, stepping away from guest appearances to create a reflective and engaging dialogue. Drawing inspiration from biblical figures like Abraham, John, and David, he illustrates what it means to be a true friend of God, emphasizing qualities such as love, trust, and unwavering faith.

A central theme of the episode is the spiritual symbolism of Mount Hebron, depicted as a sacred place of friendship and refuge. The host invites listeners to reflect on their own spiritual “mountains”—the highest points of connection with God—urging them to identify practices and moments that draw them closer to the divine. He highlights the vital role of prayer and righteousness in nurturing this relationship, encouraging listeners to align their lives with God’s principles for greater blessings and protection.

Looking ahead, the host previews upcoming episodes focused on divine secrets and the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, inviting listeners to engage in a vibrant spiritual dialogue. This season is positioned as an opportunity for transformation, urging the audience to deepen their friendship with God and embrace the life-changing impact of this pursuit. Join the host on this inspiring journey toward a more intimate connection with the divine!

Transcript

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What's up RP family. We are back with a new season of Relentless Pursuit. And I thank you for joining this week's episode. I was getting ready today and I wanted to just start this season off in sweats and a shirt. And my wife said no. And so I'm here ready to go. But the thing I wanted to talk to you about this episode is going to set us up for the rest of the season. And I truly believe God is doing something new, doing something refreshing. And for that reason, I believe He has instructed me to not have any guests this season. Although I love perspectives from other people, I love hearing where they come from. I love hearing another person's side of the story when it comes to their relationship with God. But at that same time, I believe that he's trying to teach me something, but also trying to make sure that there is an intensity and intimacy with his children. And to directly hit the point of what I believe God is doing, not just through relentless pursuit, but in this time, during these times, we have so much going on that He is saying that this is no longer a season of settling. This is a season of boldness. This is a season we're coming into where the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, but the violent take it by force. And I feel like that there needs to be a people that are willing to raise, rise to the standard that God is being set. And with that being said, this first episode is we're going to be talking from the subject of a friend of God. Friend of God now there are multiple people throughout the Bible when I say this subject title when We think about Abraham who was called a friend of God we think about John who was the beloved disciple We think about David who was a man after God's own heart And so we think about these people and how they were friends of God and one thing about it about Being a friend of God is it comes to a point where even Jesus said that you were my servants, but you are no longer my servants. Now you are my friend. And the difference between the servant and the friend is that the servant did not know the master's power. plan, but when you're a friend, you begin to peel back the layers or the veil of the mysteries of heaven, of the mysteries of what God's will is. And then you begin to really allow what God wants to do to become rooted in you. And so I start from the old, in the old Testament for, there was this mountain called Hebron. And Hebron has so many references in the scriptures. And what's crazy is that Hebron comes from a person. That person came from this holy lineage, which is part of the Levites, what is part of the priesthood, which is part of the ones that are the closest to God. And Hebron would then become an area which is a mountain range. It's right, it's outside of the Jerusalem. It's towards the western bank. And right now, it even, it's not even a part of Israel. It's more under the Palestinian command. But the thing is that the Hebron is in the Hebrew it means a friendship. It means a relation, or it means friendship, comrade. And so Hebron in Israel, though, is the highest point. Is the highest point in Israel. Now I want you to see this is because there is a reason why this mountain, this specific mountain was named Hippron, which means friendship. There is a reason why this specific mountain was is where it is. There is a reason why this specific mountain has such distinct. Or definition in the Bible. So we look at some of the stories in the Bible where it involves this mountain. And the first one that popped out to me was the where Caleb was talking to Joshua and they were old in age at this time, but the, but he began to have this courage in him. And he said to Joshua. Joshua I want to take this mountain because that's my inheritance and Joshua was like yeah Do your thing go ahead and Caleb with a with an army a small army Went and took the mountain who was inhabiting Giants Then I think of when David was anointed king and he was anointed king outside of Judah or Jerusalem because Jerusalem was under control of something else. And so he ruled for seven years on this mountain. Hebron. Hebron was also a refuge city. It was dedicated to be if you We're in trouble or killed someone or whatever. You could come into the city and you could have refuge. That, that Hebron means and is used for so many different things. There is one thing that I, or there, one of the big points that I want to focus on is that Hebron is the highest point. So as we go through these stories I want you to reflect on this because this now needs to apply to your life. What is the highest point of your life? What are the points of your life where you are able to get closer to God? How, what are the ways of discipline or the ways of opportunity even to get into the presence of God? As you spend time with God, you begin to think like him. So Hebron was the highest point in Israel, because it was the highest point of Israel, it was almost like it was a reference or of your relationship with him. And because it was the highest point, it is our highest point in relationship. And when we are in his presence, we begin to conform to his image, which then we can respond according to his heart. One thing that, that I told my wife is that there is this season that's coming up for our family. We will begin to or God will begin to be defining who we are in our ministry and the gifts that we have. And when we are in the presence of God, I believe He's really refining the hard edges, refining the trauma, refining the wounds, refining what is not like Him, so that we can become the fullness of who He decided, or who He predestined us to be. When you're in the presence of God, it begins to refine you, and it begins to define who you are in Him. You become aware of your identity, and everything that is not like God is removed. Caleb was a great warrior, and so as he was going up this mountain, there was these giants that were standing in his way, but because he spent time in the presence of God, because he wasn't willing to see Have fear, cast him down and chain him down. He was willing to walk in faith and go up and conquer this mountain. The thing about this mountain, it inhabited giants. And so how many times in our life, in our personal life, are we distracted? Or we are too busy to spend time with God. That's our relationship builder. That's the highest point of our relationship with God is when we can pray fast and seek his face. When we are able to open the word and read chapter after chapter, line after line, and just fall in love with him more. But because we live in this society or in this world, there's giants that are distractions. There's giants that try to block you. To say this, there is, let's say it like this. The enemy always tries to corrupt our relationship with the Lord. And with using this mountain, cause I'm going to stay on it for a little bit. There was this man named Absalom. He was David's son. Now, like I said previously, David ruled from this mountain for seven years and then moved to Jerusalem because God gave him that. God gave him and the inhabitants that were there, he moved, he pushed them out. And so Amsalon ruling from this city of trying to divide the kingdom He plotted to kill his father. And as he plotted, he began to move his army that he then wooed or manipulated on his to his side to the city of Jerusalem. And that is almost like a reference of what David do did. I could do better. Now let's think about it this way. When g when God was creating the heavens of the earth and Lucifer saw the glory that God was doing, what has he been trying to do? He's trying to come become like God or at the same level of God, so he's saying I could do it better, and he's trying to manipulate the kingdom. Away from God. Away from the Father. Come on, somebody. Here we go. And in the Bible, this man named Absalom. Absalom, first, means murder. So let's get that end. What does the enemy come to do? Kill, steal, and destroy. And Absalom, he's ruling from this, plotting his down, plotting the king's downfall and he's already committed murder once. And because he does not like how his father ruled the city or made a decision, he decided that he could do it better. Now, how many times in our life, because we don't have that intimacy with God, or have something blocking that intimacy with God, or have something So we are so determined in our mind for some way to happen that we then move or miss what God is trying to do in his exact will. But we become then like an Absalom, killing the will of God for our life because we think we can do it better or no better, but let's go back. So Absalom, he then tries to take David out, but he can't. He can't. He ended up, he ends up dying a disgraceful death. Let's see where I'm at here. And so if you see this day or I'm salon who killed David's eldest son, that's what the enemy's trying to do. The enemy. seeing David who or in this instance, he's seen God who his eldest son was Adam. And when he made Adam David or the enemy, then corrupted and infiltrated Adam who then death came into the earth. So now the same way that he killed Adam, he's trying to kill us. He's trying to kill us. And the thing about being a friend of God is like I said, Hebron was a refuge city. That's why Absalom was there in the first place. Hebron was a refuge city and so your friendship when you're a friend with God like David, like Abraham, you begin to have this intimacy with God where then he becomes your protection. This is the next point is that when you are a friend of God. You are protected. How do I know this? He says it in his word, first off. And then in John chapter 2, I'm sorry. In John chapter 15, 13 through 15, it says, Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends. If you do what I command, I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know the master's business. Instead, I have called you my friends. For everything that I've learned from my father, I have made known to you. Amen. The thing about that is that we are the friends of God, and so whatever is coming against us, the word says that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. The word says that whatever the enemy intended for evil, God will turn for good. Though that the word is very specific, that God is not a man that he should lie, and what his word that heaven and earth may pass away, but his word will remain true. There's a reason for this. There's a reason why God stamps his seal of approval over his word. It's because he knows that one day when we're facing Absalom, when one day we're facing the adversity, one day we're facing the pressures of life, one day when we're facing the giants of tomorrow, the giants of today, the giants of yesterday, that we're going to need to rely on the friendship we have with God. And so what does the Bible say? When the right the righteous run into him and they shall be delivered. The righteous run to him and he is our strong tower. The Bible says, Abraham was a righteous man and because he was a righteous man, he was a friend of God. And so that these three episodes of the. podcast of this season. I'm going to really dive deep into this. But I wanted to make you aware of the, what happens when you are a friend of God or more so the perspective you should have because you're a friend of God, because God loves you. He yearns for you. Want to say it like this. The more you determine in your heart to pursue Jesus, the deeper your relationship with him will grow, which will determine the longevity or the length of the closest to God you have. Meaning the more you spend with him, the not even that, the more you desire to spend with him. The longer your relationship with him will be. Because there are times, don't get me wrong, where you're like, man, my life is crazy. Where's God? God's here. Let me just zone in and make sure I pursue him because I just need him. I just want him. I just long for him. And when you're, when your need shifts to want, that's when you know it's a desire. Yes, I need God, but do I want God? Yes, I need God's hand, but do I want God's face? The crazy part is the more or the more closer, or if that's, I don't know if that's the proper language or proper English, but the closer you are to God, the more life it produces. What do I mean by that? You have life in your family. You have life in your finances. You have life in your visions. You have life in your dreams. The closer you get to God, the more life it produces. And The more, let's say this, being God's friend means that you have a willingness to see His will be done. What did I say? I said in John chapter 15 it says, For everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. Even before that, because servants do not know his master's business. He's called you his friend, I no longer call you servant. So what God is saying, what Jesus was saying here, is that he was peeling back the veil so he could make you aware. And when the disciples asked, Lord, how should we pray? They didn't ask how do you perform miracles? They didn't ask, how do we heal the sick? Do the to heal the blind? Make the lepers, lose leprosy? I don't know I said that wrong. They asked, how do we pray? And what did Jesus say? Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thanking Him, glorifying Him, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That means you have have to, an active invitation through prayer that God's will be done and not only in your life, but on earth as it is in heaven. Meaning, you don't just pray for what you want, you pray for what this earth needs. You don't just pray for what you want, you pray for the presidential election. You don't pray for what you want, you pray for the people who are involved with the hurricane in in the East Coast. You don't pray for what you don't just pray for what you want, you pray for the people in the Middle East. You don't just pray for what you want, you intercede on behalf of your brothers and sisters. There is a reason why Hebron means friendship, because Hebron was not just made for you, it was a refuge city. It was made for everyone who's sinned and done wrong. It was made for everyone who just, who needed a break from the weight Of their life, who were getting chased by the wrongs that they did. And so they came into the city so that they could find a fresh encounter with God, a fresh identity. What he brought on represents is a new wine skin where God can pour the new one. When you are a friend of God, your nearness to him is an invitation to examine your innermost being. And when you're examined by God, he begins to work on you. So your external activities begin to shift and coming into alignment. What do I mean by that? When God begins to transform your heart and transform your soul and transform your spirit. And I would say, Like this, when he begins to link his spirit to your spirit, you begin to act different. You begin to speak different. You don't begin, you don't, you no longer will say that. Cuss words anymore. You're going to be like, Oh, I'm speaking clean now. You're no longer going to want to drink anymore, but you're going to be I'm good. I don't need that. Oh, you're not going to want to smoke anymore. You're not going to want to do this. See, the thing is that we, as a church trying to control the people. And I say that very loosely. When I say church, we try to control people into submitting to God, but we can't control what should be a desire. Now. The closer you get to God, the more he is involved with your innermost being, the more the natural realm, meaning the world, the earth, comes into conflict with the supernatural. So there's a reason you're going through what you're going through is because on the other side of that there is healing. There's a reason you're going through the chaos and the trouble and the pain and the pressure is because on the other side of that there is breakthrough. The closer you are to God, it's the more you're inviting him in to say, Lord, I want more of you and less of me. So have your way, let your will be done in my life so that I can allow you to use me to make your will done on the earth. We initiate our interaction with God by saying, Lord, I'm a servant to you. But then he's saying, he gives you an invitation back saying, I don't want you to just be a servant. I want you to be a friend. And I'm I'm getting a little excited here. And the difference between the two is is a servant and a friend. Is blind to what God is doing when a friend has an ongoing relationship and an awareness of who you are close to. Who God is. Abraham, his, he was made aware that God was his provider. So he called him Jehovah Jireh, a side that no one's ever experienced. Abraham was the one to experience because he was a friend of God. And when you are a friend of God, God begins to communicate with you. That's why I said He invites you to be a friend. You want to be a servant, but He invites you to be a friend. And when He invites you to be a friend, He communicates with you. And when you respond to that invitation, He communicates with you. And then He begins To discuss things with you, talk things over with you. When Abraham and I keep saying, going back to Abraham because he was labeled as a friend of God, Abraham, when he was when him and lot separated and lot went to Sodom and Gomorrah because it seemed nice, it seemed awesome. But the thing is that a. God contacted Abraham and was talking on Lot's behalf. But Lot was supposed to be a righteous man. Lot was supposed to be another friend of God. But Lot just saw himself as a servant. And so Abraham beginning to intercede on lots behalf, knowing what's going to happen around lot had no idea, but Abraham, because he was a friend of God was speaking back and forth to God and saying, if there's 50 people that are righteous, would you spare? And then he went down to 40, 30, 20, 10. And he was like, if there's 10 people, there's gotta be 10 people. There's gotta be 10 people. And God said, listen. There ain't 10 people. And so what ended up happening, that God sent two angels of mercy on Abraham's behalf for Lot, so that he could save Lot. When you are a friend of God, God allows you to witness His will. So I ask you today, encourage you today, even more draw near to God. And as we get ready for this next episode, I want you to know that this next episode is going to be something I just, I'm so excited for because I'm talking about the secrets of heaven. And I'm not saying something crazy or deep or profound, but I want you to know that when you're a friend of God, He begins to reveal the secrets of heaven. Thank you guys so much for joining this week's episode of Relentless Pursuit. I had so much fun talking this out with you guys. And I know that God is doing something in you and in me. And I'm believing for great miracles, signs, and wonders to be fulfilled. If you guys could please share, follow, and subscribe to all our social media platforms. Share our Instagram, share our TikTok, share our YouTube. Begin to share these episodes because I know that if Someone needs to hear this message But with that being said I want to thank you all for joining. It means so much to us as at relentless pursuit Thank you guys and see you guys next week