"The Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." - Being WITH Jesus

I remember growing up the things that my parents warned me about. Be respectful to your elders, always say "Yes Sir/Ma'am" or "No Sir/Ma'am", eat with your mouth closed, don't take what is not yours and watch your mouth!

We had standards of behavior and people knew whose you were before they knew who you were just based on how you carried yourself. My brothers and I were oftentimes referred to as being "Pam and Jerry's boys". Not much has changed as I'm now 50yrs old and on occasion, I will hear from someone back home or on social media still referring to me as one of "Pam and Jerry's boys!"

So it is, we are recognized by how we carry ourselves, by how we act and interact with others. Our conversations reveal whose we are by how we speak with one another and how we behave. Our daily actions and/or reactions along with our lifestyles also gives us away as to whom we belong.

How many of us have heard phrases such as: "Bad company corrupts good character"? or "You are only going to be as good as the people you surround yourself with"? or "If you lay down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas"? These are all warnings about hanging around wrong, hurtful and damaging influences. Be warned that you will be associated with and by those you hang around with.

Being with Jesus and spending time in His Word and through prayer our thoughts, words and actions become Christ-like and the people we meet will recognize that we have been with Jesus because it's only by spending time with Jesus that our thoughts, words and actions will ever be transformed into His image.

What a wonderful compliment it must have been on that day when Peter and John were recognized by the legal authorities as having been with Jesus (scriptures below) because of their actions. How awesome of a compliment TODAY for others to recognize us as "BEING WITH JESUS" because of our actions and conversations.

I'm still honored to be recognized as one of "Pam and Jerry's boys", but my goal and pursuit is to be recognized as ONE WHO IS WITH JESUS!

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13 NKJV)