I Have a Friend that Sticks Closer than a Brother, His Name is Jesus

By Pastor Christine Peebles

I have a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and his name is Jesus.

Solomon spoke a word in Proverbs 17:17, saying, "A friend loves at all times." Talking about a friend that sticks closer than a brother and a friend that loves at all times, I had biological brothers and sisters, but none of them were in my life. I was the only one out of eight that was not in the home with them. On September 25, 1975, when I found my way to the Cross, Jesus told me, "I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you. I'm going to be with always."

On June 19, 2021, I was at my church that Saturday morning, crying and praying. I felt so all alone. I was under such heavy burdens. I felt like what the prophet Isaiah said, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood." As I was crying, talking to the Lord, telling him, "I feel so all alone. I don't have anybody," I heard Jesus say unto me, "I am your friend that sticks closer than a brother." Jesus told me, "Begin writing the book, and title it I Have a Friend That Sticks Closer than a Brother, His Name Is Jesus."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885408189

Book preview

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I Have a Friend that Sticks Closer than a Brother, His Name is Jesus

Pastor Christine Peebles

ISBN 979-8-88540-817-2 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88540-818-9 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Pastor Christine Peebles

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

God Was There All the Time Waiting in Line

A Chosen Vessel

I Am That I Am Is My Friend

I Am Looking for the City Where My Friend That Sticks Closer Than a Brother Lives

I Am Your Friend That Sticks Closer Than a Brother—Behold, I Stand at the Door Knocking

I Am Your Friend, Don't Kick against the Pricks

I Have a Friend That Sticks Closer than a Brother, His Name Is Jesus

About the Author

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

—Proverbs 17:17

A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

—Proverbs 18:24

I Have a Friend That Sticks Closer than a Brother

His Name Is Jesus

Pastor Christine Peebles

Victory Temple Ministry of Reconciliation

Introduction

Jesus is that friend that sticks closer than a brother. A brother is a family member who can sometimes be a person's greatest enemy. The Bible said in Matthew 10:36, And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. My friend Jesus, who sticks closer than a brother, his family rejected and despised him. The Bible said, He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name (John 1:10–12).

Jesus had an earthly mother and father who were Jewish, but he was not conceived through them. Concerning Jesus's birth, the Bible said,

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, though son of David, fear not to take unto thee, Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife. And knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son: and they called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18–25)

One Saturday morning, on June 19, 2021, I was feeling down and so all alone. I began to cry. Then I heard Jesus say, I am your friend that sticks closer than a brother. I do the things that Jesus commands me to do, and I know what Jesus does. Jesus told his disciples, Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you (John 15:15–16).

Chapter 1

God Was There All the Time Waiting in Line

There have been and will be times when we have and will face some very low valleys, some high mountains and hills, some crooked and rough places; but my friend, and your friend, who sticks closer than a brother will be there every time, waiting patiently in line. This is what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:3–5)

In my book I wrote, When the Righteous Cry, the Lord Hears, and Their Prayers Avails Much. Chapter 2 is, Lord teach us how to wait. When we are facing mountains and hills, valleys, crooked and rough places, even though God is waiting in line, we have got to know how to wait, that we will not get weary and faint along the way. The prophet Isaiah said, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). When we expect to reap the harvest that we have sown in tears, we have got to know how to wait and faint not. Paul said in Galatians 6:9, And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not.

Even in the midst of our praying, Jesus is already there waiting in line, and I believe that it is accurate to say that because the Bible said that Jesus is long-suffering. Jesus is waiting to hear our prayers so that he can submit them to God. The Bible said, Who is him that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also make intercession for us (Romans 8:34).

It is expedient that we know how to wait upon and before the Lord in prayer, even as he is always there waiting upon us. In the Bible, Daniel had a mind to wait upon the Lord in prayer no matter how long it was going to take for him to get an answer. Daniel did not know that God was already there when he began to pray. I am persuaded that he was entering into the unknown, and not what he was seeing with his natural eyes; he was walking by faith. The Bible said in Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

When we set our hearts, minds, and affections to pray and seek the Lord, he is there waiting, but the devil comes to the altar along with us. The Bible said in the book of Job 1:6, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. When Satan comes, he can only hinder the prayers, but he cannot stop them. Sometimes, our prayers have got to be hindered that we might be able to wait patiently upon the Lord. There are times when our prayers are hindered by tribulations that we might obtain patience. There are stages and steps we go through that we might have faith and hope in our friend that sticks closer than a brother. Apostle Paul said in Romans 5:1–5,

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into his grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation works patience. And patience experience; and experience hope. And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

When you are being tried by fire, my friend, your friend that sticks closer than a brother is there waiting in line.

In the Bible, in Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, but he was not able to interpret the dream. In fact, he couldn't remember the dream. So he called for the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. He asked them to interpret his dream, so they asked him to tell them the dream, but he couldn't remember the dream. He wanted them to tell him the dream and the interpretation. The Chaldeans thought that King Nebuchadnezzar was being so unreasonable; they said in Daniel 2:10–11,

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord nor ruler, that asked such things at any magicians, or astrologers, or Chaldeans. And it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Now the king became angry, and he was prepared to destroy all of the wise men of Babylon,