REVELATION : RELATIONSHIP : AUTHORITY : AUTHENTICITY : IDENTIFICATION : POWER

Before he was John the Revelator, he was John the Beloved. Before he was caught up into Heaven on the Lord’s Day, he laid his head on the Lord’s breast.

John’s power was a result of the authority he received from the Christ. His revelation was a result of his relationship with the Christ. That authentic revelation was revealed through authentic power.

There is vulnerability in the Church today caused by a lack of authenticity. We have lost the element of surprise – that is, that unique manifestation of power demonstrated by the Christ - as we attempt to establish His Kingdom in the earth. This element of surprise comes from our authenticity; our authenticity comes from knowing our true identity; our true identity comes from truly knowing our Father. In essence, we must truly become Sons of God.

Sadly, there is very little authentic power evident in the Church today. There is more emphasis on the spectacular than the supernatural. There is more concern about how many people are sitting in the seats than there is about setting those same people free from the things that bind them. This is a product of insecure leaders who build churches full of co-dependent people. These co-dependent people, in turn, feed the insecure leaders. And the cycle continues.

In order to find our true identity in the Father, it must first begin with relationship. That relationship will lead to revelation, and the authority you receive and operate in will release power. The supernatural power demonstrated by those with authority will validate the authenticity of who they are and identify them rightly in the earth, as Sons of the Most High God.

The earth is waiting...

Desperately Seeking a Saviour

Psalm 24:6, "Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob."

There are a few characteristics that identify a person who is seeking after God.

A God seeker is willing to go after Jesus regardless of the cost. Throughout the Scriptures, we find people who were desperate for God and disregarded the comments and the scorn of the crowd. One such person is blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. The people tried to shut him up, but the Bible records that he cried out even louder. It did not matter to him the price that had to be paid. He wanted a miracle.

A God Seeker will go after Jesus regardless of how painful the present circumstances may be. Perhaps you are like the woman with the issue of blood, described in Mark 5:25-34. Like her, you have exhausted all your resources. She was suffering-it is THE time to seek the Lord.

A God Seeker is willing, not only to go after Jesus, but also to obey His words. John 9:7 records the story of a blind man who came to Jesus for healing. Jesus instructed him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. He did, and received his sight. He had sought and found Jesus, but the had to follow His instructions.

A God Seeker maintains an open heart, always ready to embrace new revelation from the Lord. Read the account of Apollos as written in Acts 18:24-19:6. Apollos was learned, eloquent, and people were listening to him. Sometimes, that is a prescription for pride and arrogance, but not for Apollos. When confronted about receiving more from Jesus, he was hungry, not haughty. He was a God Seeker, not a Self-Seeker-therefore, he was open to receiving new revelation from the Lord.

A God Seeker is willing to pay the price when persecution comes. The blind man healed in John chapter nine passed one hurdle when he obeyed the Lord. But, the religious leaders of his day persecuted him and threw him out of the synagogue! The Bible teaches that everyone who lives a holy life will suffer persecution.

Friend, are you truly a God Seeker?

God's Blueprint for Redemption

Cecil B. Demille’s The Ten Commandments (1956) is one of the most successful movies ever made. At the time, it was a grand cinematic achievement. Its cinematography and special effects wowed the movie world. Everyone marveled, not only at the presentation, but also at the story itself. The story indeed isa grand one, as it recapitulates the storyline of the entire drama of redemption. The deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt is an unforgettable story of God’s purposeful and powerful salvation of His people. The account of God redeeming Israel from Egypt foreshadowed the redemption to come in Christ. Just as God redeemed Israel from Egypt through the blood of the lambs on their doorposts, so all God’s people ultimately are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Case in point is found in Ephesians 1:7: in Christ “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

One of the major themes of redemption in the Bible is the idea of captivity. The idea is that someone is trapped, enslaved, kidnapped, or held captive, and thus a price must be paid or a sacrifice made in order to rescue him. When it comes to our redemption through Christ, we were in a situation similar to Israel. As Israel was enslaved in Egypt, we were enslaved to sin and death.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they sold themselves and all their progeny into slavery — slavery to sin and death. From this captivity there is no escape by natural means. The power of sin is such that it has mastery over its subjects even to the point of death (1 Cor. 15:56). Those who admit to addictions understand this well. Yet, biblically speaking, we were all addicts at one time. Drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, and food are controlling and addictive forces for sin. Yet they are not the only ones. Money, popularity, pride, gossip, ambition, and work can all become sinfully addictive and hold us captive to the destruction of our souls.

Thus, for our redemption it is important to see that the Bible portrays sin not just as an action, but also as a tyrannical master (Rom. 6:16). Jesus sa id in John 8:34: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Elsewhere, the Bible reminds us that all who are of the flesh are “sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14). Sin is a power that must be broken. It is a tyrant that must be defeated.

This is the condition that the entire world is in prior to faith in Christ. We come into the world held captive by sin. We live every day according to the edicts of our master and in accordance with our captivity. The human race is hopelessly and helplessly held captive in “nature’s dark n i g ht .” However, when faith in Christ is realized, our condition changes.

If you are a Christian today, you have been redeemed — you have been purchased, delivered, and rescued. The Bible says sin no longer has mastery over you (Rom. 6:12, 17–18). And just as Pharaoh ceased to hold power over the children of Israel after their deliverance, so sin no longer has power over you. The blood of Christ has delivered you from captivity to sin and death. People make much of so-called deliverance ministries, and some go so far as to call themselves “deliverance churches.” True deliverance, however, is found in the blood of Christ, in the knowledge that He has delivered and redeemed us from sin. Every true church is a deliverance church if it is preaching salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Consequently, the Bible teaches us that we have been purchased with a price (1 Cor. 7:3) — the precious, priceless blood of Christ. Seeing that we have such a great redemption, the Bible says we are to glorify the One who has purchased us. This is the only appropriate response. Therefore, let us sing:

Redeemed — how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am.

Do you long and look forward to the final redemption, when your humble estate will give way to the glorious revelation of our Redeemer at His second coming? Do you long for the day when your faith shall be sight and the clouds be rolled back as a scroll? Then Jesus says in Luke 21:28: “Look up! Your redemption draws near!” Who is our redemption? “There is a Redeemer, Jesus God’s own Son. Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One.”

For a more in depth look at the Blood Covenant, I have uploaded a teaching series on YouTube entitled: The Blood Covenant.  I highly recommend that you take a look at it.

5 Steps to Being a Better Christian

How do you become a better Christian? By not trying to be a better Christian. Why? Our trying to become better turns into striving, which is followed by dead works. No one can add anything to the righteousness received by faith. You cannot add to the Work of the Cross. The moment a person steps into works, he departs from grace and enters into self-righteousness. 

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (KJV). Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (KJV). Hebrews 4:10 tells us, “For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His (KJV). What do these verses have in common? God does the work; we don’t. We cannot make ourselves better. The righteousness of Jesus is our righteousness, period. 

As soon as a person attempts to become better, he begins to make up his own standards of righteousness. He gets a picture in his mind what righteousness should look like, and then attempts to become what sees. That person soon develops a list of dos and don’ts; as well as shoulds and should nots. He proceeds to wear himself out trying to do what he cannot do, much like those who try to follow the Law of Moses. When failure comes, so does guilt, and God has nothing to do with any of it. 

As a person begins to do those “super spiritual things,” whatever they may be, pride tends to set in. The next thing that happens is he begins to pat himself on the back, congratulating himself on a job well done. He compares himself to others, and measures them by his standards. He judges them worthy or unworthy in his own mind. They cannot be Christians if they do not stack up. This is self-deception in action. In the mean time, he cannot figure out why he feels distant from God, and why no one wants to be around him. Forgetting the Scripture that plainly says, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV). 

What are some keys to being a better Christian? 

1. Stop striving
2. Surrender
3. Be a follower of Jesus Christ
4. Be His disciple
5. Stop trying to be your own

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (KJV). When we deny ourselves, we no longer insert our selves into the equation. We let Jesus define what it means to be His disciple for us. Put away the list of “Christian duties,” and let the Holy Spirit lead you day by day. It really boils down to believing Him and loving Him. Everything else will fall into place. Consider the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham (Galatians 3:1-9).

Your New Identity

There is a conference this weekend called 'Manifest Identity' and it is important that we know and understand our identity in Christ as new creations. Identity may be defined as the distinctive characteristic belonging to any given individual, or shared by all members of a particular social category or group.

The Bible says this in Ephesians 1:3-14

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.


9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

The wonderful fact of your salvation is that you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. That means all the good that is due to Him comes to you. Your old identity has been removed forever and it is a blessed release. Everything that speaks of your old life is gone. You are no longer lost, living in guilt, shame, blame or condemnation. Instead you are completely surrounded by God’s grace.

Remember, you are in Christ and blessed forever. You have nothing to fear from your old life because it has been removed forever. Now you must learn your new identity and enjoy the blessings that are yours in Christ.

The more you focus on who you are in Christ the more you will live according to that identity. Never think of yourself as anything other than being in Christ. That way you can begin to become in your daily life the new person that God has made you. Remember, you are different now, and you don’t have to do what you used to do. Today, remember who you are and what you have in Christ and let that thought guide you through the day.

A prayer for you today:

Lord, thank you that I am not that person I once was. Help me to see who I really am in Christ and help me to live out the fullness of that identity day by day with joy.

The Manifest Identity Conference begins this weekend with a BBQ at 3982 Borelli Drive, Windsor, Ontario at 6pm on Friday, July 25, 2014 and continues on Saturday and Sunday at St. James Anglican Church, Roseland at 4276 Roseland Drive, Windsor, Ontario. For more information, call (519) 800-4845 or visit our Facebook event site at https://www.facebook.com/events/668063173265106/

The King Has One More Move

Now, there is the story of two men in a museum who saw a painting of a chess game. One character in the painting looked like a man and the other looked very much like the devil. The man was down to his last piece. The title of the painting was “Checkmate.” One of the two men looking at the painting was an international chess champion. Something about the painting intrigued him. He began to study it. He grew so engrossed that the man with him got a little impatient and asked what he was doing. The chess champion said, “Something about this painting bothers me. I want to study it for a while and you go ahead and wander around.”

When the friend came back, the chess master said, “We must locate the man who painted this picture. We must tell him he must either change the picture or change the title. I have determined there is something wrong with it.” His friend asked, “What’s wrong with the painting?” The man replied, “It is titled ‘Checkmate,’ but the title is wrong. The game is not over. The king still has one more move.”

That is the message of Hope. The King still has one more move. When you think it is over, done, finished, that you can’t go on, that the obstacles are too big, the grief is too intense, the failure too final, the disappointment too deep, the hurt too horrible, the debt too large, when you are ready to throw in the towel, disappear into despair, wallow in self-pity, or live sad, Hope says, “Hang in there; don’t give up; hang on. The King still has one more move.” Remember, the tomb is empty.

The same message of Hope exists for our loved ones. In Joshua chapters 2-6, there is a story about a woman named Rahab. 

Built over this gap between the two walls of Jericho was the house of a woman named Rahab 
who was a harlot. There was a constant stream of visitors in and out of her house and this 
probably influenced the spies to seek refuge there. They presumed that two strangers would not be noticed and the character of the woman was of no particular concern to them. The presence of these men did not go undetected, however: 

Rahab took the men to the roof of her house and hid them with stalks of flax that were laid out 
for drying and processing. 

After the departure of the king's messengers Rahab went up to the roof and addressed the spies: 

"...I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." 
(Joshua 2:9-13, NKJ) 

A few days later, the Jordan River parted and the Israelites walked across on dry ground. The people of Jericho peered across their walls to see a crowd of Israelites walking around the city in a silent procession. For six days, the strange ritual was repeated. On the seventh day, again the people walked silently around the city but this time at the conclusion of their hike seven priests with trumpets blew their horns. The people began to shout, the earth trembled, foundations cracked, and walls which had safeguarded the city for years collapsed. 

Remember now--Rahab's house was built on the walls. What tremendous faith she demonstrated to remain in her house while the walls of the city were shaking and crumbling in the dust. But there she stayed--Rahab and her entire family--and from the window of their home fluttered the scarlet cord. Then Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the country: 

"..Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her." And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. 
(Joshua 6:22-23, NKJ) 

This example is a great spiritual parallel of household salvation. Rahab interceded for her entire family, and they were all saved. Biblical records reveal that this woman later became the wife of Salmon, a prince of Judah. She gave birth to Boaz who married Ruth, who bore a son named Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, through whose line came Jesus Christ. Rahab is listed among the ancestors of the Lord in Matthew 1:5. James commends her for the faith demonstrated by her works (James 2:25) and Paul enrolls her in the hall of fame of the faithful, declaring: 

By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. 
(Hebrews 11:31, NKJ) 

The scarlet cord from Rahab's window was a symbol of redemption through the blood and the promise of God, "When I see the blood I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13). Rahab claimed this promise for herself and her entire household. Even when it seemed all hope was gone and the very walls upon which her home was built were crumbling, Rahab’s faith remained intact. 

Have you prayed for years for your loved ones, without visible results? Are you interceding for a lost son or daughter, parent, or spouse? Do you feel like you are up against a big CHECKMATE in this area? 

Don’t you dare give up on them! When you pray for their salvation, you are spiritually placing the scarlet thread of the blood of Jesus Christ over your household. When Paul and Silas ministered to the Philippian jailer, they told him... 

...“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” 
(Acts 16:31) 

Begin to claim this promise every day. Come against the CHECKMATE that Satan has erected in the lives of your lost loved ones by declaring, “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am saved, and my household will be saved!” 

Don’t stop praying. Don’t give up. Don’t let Satan write CHECKMATE over their lives. It isn’t over yet because THE KING HAS ONE MORE MOVE!

What Makes A Good Friend?

In one of Charles Schulz's comic strips "good ol' Charlie Brown" pays a visit to Lucy's five-cent sidewalk psychiatric stand. Totally dejected Charlie says to his would-be counselor, "I can't help it. I feel lonely, depressed." 

"This is ridiculous!" Lucy insists. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Charlie Brown! You've got the whole world to live in!" she continues. "There's beauty all around you! There are things to do. Great things to be accomplished! No man treads the earth alone! We are all together- one generation taking up where the other generation has left off!" 

Slowly a smile spreads across Charlie's face as Lucy's words begin to sink in. "You're right, Lucy! You're right! You've made me see things differently, I realize now that I am part of the world. I am not alone. I have friends!" 

Lucy quickly replies, "Name one!" 

Everyone needs friends. It is the second most basic relationship in life. Jesus said that the two most important commandments are to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. We often experience God's love through the love of a friend. People usually don't care if they have a friend in Jesus until they see that they have a friend in us. Proverbs clearly tells us what makes a good friend - how to develop and maintain meaningful friendships. 

#1. What makes a good friend? Faithfulness. Friends do not desert each other when times are bad. 

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 

Proverbs 27:10 - Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you - better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. 

One of the greatest friendships in the Bible was that of David and Jonathan. When Jonathan's father, King Saul hated David enough to kill him, Jonathan protected David. (Read the story in I Samuel 20:30-33.) 

#2. What makes a good friend? Keeping confidences. Friends do not gossip. 

Proverbs 16:28 - A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends. 

Proverbs 11:13 - A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. 

As a friend you'll know details and secrets of your friend's life. Friends do not gossip. Gossip is telling detrimental things about another person to someone who is not a part of the problem or the solution. Friends know when to tell someone else (such as in cases of abuse) and when to keep confidences. 

#3. What makes a good friend? Kindness. Friends do not carry jokes or pranks too far. 

Proverbs 26:18-19 - Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" 

Fathers can help their children by teaching them the difference between a joke or harmless prank and going too far. 

#4. What makes a good friend? Do not co-sign for each other. Friends encourage each other to live within their means. 

Money is often the cause of bitterness between close friends. 

Proverbs 6:1-5 - My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. 

Proverbs 17:18 - A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor. 

When you co-sign, you accept responsibility for the debts of others. When you co-sign you are enabling your friend to buy something he cannot afford. The Bible calls that "putting up security" or being "surity." 

It is best to encourage your friends to buy only what they can afford. When someone wants something they can't afford, encourage them to save until they can buy it. If your friend is truly in need, it is better to give them a gift rather than to loan or co-sign. 

#5. What makes a good friend? Generosity. Friends do not turn away when their friend is in need. 

Proverbs 3:28 - Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" - when you now have it with you. 

We have all been given the same amount of time - 24 hours a day. Even with our busy lives, it amazes me how many people have time to give to their friends. When my wife was sick for a prolonged period of time many friends helped us. They brought in meals, did the ironing, ran errands and prayed for us. Many hours were given. Did they have nothing else to do? Were their days empty? I don't think so. These were acts of friendship. 

#6. What makes a good friend? Forgiveness. Friends do not seek revenge. 

Proverbs 24:29 - Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did." 

Proverbs 20:22 - Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. 

Our fallen human nature says, "Don't get mad - get even." Jesus says we must forgive - not 7 times, but 70 X 7. Other than Jesus, every friend is imperfect. We must be ready to forgive our friends, just like they have to forgive us. 

#7. What makes a good friend? Bringing out the best in each other. Friends do not ask their friends to participate in sin. They look out for each other. 

Proverbs 16:29 - A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good. 

Proverbs 22:24 - Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared. 

On October 24, 2008 the Daily Mail (a British newspaper), stated that a female police constable appeared in court charged with burglary and misconduct in public office after she allegedly abused her position to help her friends commit crimes. 

This 26-year-old woman is said to have passed on confidential information from police computer systems to her boyfriend and others. She is also accused of helping a friend to steal thousands of pounds from a shop by listening to traffic on her police radio to warn him if police were on his tail. 

This is not the behavior of true friends. 

#8. What makes a good friend? Telling the truth - even if it is "bad news". Friends do not with-hold the truth in order to save the other person's feelings. 

Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. 

Proverbs 27:6 - Wounds from a friend can be trusted. 

Proverbs 27:9 - The pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel. 

A girl saw her friend doing something that was self-destructive. What would a friend do? If she confronted her or told her parents, it would certainly ruin their friendship. 

A man saw a friend acting in a way that would probably destroy his friend's family. What would a friend do? In this case, he did nothing because he didn't want to lose the friendship. 

True friends put the needs of a friend before their own need to keep the friendship. 

We all need someone who will tell us the truth in a loving way. It is hard to grow without the help of our friends. It's never easy, but when you must tell someone the truth, use this approach: speak calmly, clearly, directly, honestly and respectfully. This is how Jesus would confront someone. 

#9. What makes a good friend? Unselfishness. Friends look out for the interests of each other. 

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all time. 

Proverbs 18:1 - A unfriendly man pursues selfish ends. 

On August 5, 1936, at the Berlin Olympic Stadium it was a little past nine in the evening. The pole vault event had lasted longer than expected. 

The final three competitors were Earl Meadows of the United States and two close friends from Japan, Shuhei Nishida and Sueo Oe. The bar was at 14 feet 3 1/4 inches, which Earl Meadows cleared on his second try. Nishida and Oe missed all three attempts. The two Japanese continued to jump for second and third place, but the competition ended without a conclusion when it became too dark to continue. 

"Oe and I went back to the Olympic Village certain we had tied, since we both jumped identical heights," Nishida remembered. (At that time they did not have a tie breaking rule.) 

The officials decided to award the silver medal to Nishida. They never fully explained their reasoning. Oe was awarded the bronze. Nishida was not happy with the decision. When they got back to Japan both Oe and Nishida decided to cut their medals in half. Then they joined half of the silver medal with half of the bronze medal for each of them. The medals were called the Medals of Eternal Friendship. 

Soon after Oe was killed in World War II. His medal is on display at the National Stadium in Tokyo. What an unselfish act on the part of a friend. 

At the end of the day, what makes a good friend? Practicing the golden rule. Friends treat each other as they would like to be treated. 

Jesus said, "I have called you friends." John 15:15. How does Jesus treat us? That's our best example of what makes a good friend. 

How can you be a good friend?