God is a person! What do I mean by that ? I mean that God is not some cosmic energy out there in space. He is not the "universe," He created the universe. Nowadays people talk about sending "positive vibes," pray to the universe ect.. All these are plots of the enemy to destroy who God is in our minds. God is a person ! It means that God has feelings. He rejoices over us , He cries, He grieves over our sins. He loves, He hates . God has feelings and the things we do affects Him. Because God is a person, He is interested in relationships with us. What ? The Eternal God is interested in a relationship with lowly me ? Yes, God is interested in you
Now that we understand that God is a person and is interested in a relationship with us, how do we develop that relationship? Does being religious mean you have a relationship with God? No. Does going to church mean you have a relationship with God? No. Let me break it down. You may go to church every weekend, you may see the preacher every time on the pulpit but it doesn't mean you have a relationship with the preacher. The pastor may not even know who you are even tho you attend his church every weekend. It requires conversations, fellowship for the pastor to know you and for you to know the pastor and so it is with Jesus, the Sheperd of the sheep.
We were born into this world not knowing God. A baby has no knowledge of God. A child has to learn about God. The Bible says in proverbs 22:6 ," train up the child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it ." It is the parents ' responsibility to teach the child about God, to teach the child how to have a relationship with God. But if the parents themselves have no relationship with God, what can they teach the child ? Next it is up to the church 💒 to teach the child about God, but if the preachers and members don't have relationships with God, what can they teach the child ? For many, religion is simply a coping mechanism, a drug that comforts them.But praise be to God He has not left us at the mercy of parents and preachers. God reveals Himself to each and every single one of us at some point in our lives. At some point in our lives, through different circumstances we encounter Jesus in the way of life and He tell us come and follow me. It's interesting Jesus always invite us to come and follow Him, not a preacher, not your family,not your church , but Him personally. To follow Jesus is to walk with Him and to walk with Him means to have an intimate relationship with Him. For as you walk with Christ and follow Him in life's journey, both of you will be having conversations. You will talk to Him and He will talk to you
For many, God is only a therapist. Meaning that they only go to God when they have problems, but as soon as their problems are gone they forsake the Lord. While God is the chief therapist, He doesn't just want to be our therapist, He wants to be our Father, our friends. When you go to a therapist, you only talk about your problems, you don't even care about the therapist, relationship with a therapist is mostly one way 🛤. God doesn't want a one way relationship with us, He wants a true loving relationship and a true and loving relationship is always two ways.
You tell God your problems and He tells you His problems.
God's problems? What ! God has problems 😮? Yes, Jesus has problems. What are God's problems? When you become God's friend and not just see Him as your therapist, or Santa claus or some old grandpa, He will tell you about His problems, the pain your sins have caused Him, how your your unfaithfulness have bruised His Spirit and how your continuing rebellion and desiring everything else over Him has pierced His side. Yes, God has problems and He tells His problems to His friend. As you tell God your problems in prayer, God will listen to you and tells you His problems in His Word, by His Spirit and through the preaching of the gospel.
As you follow Jesus, as you daily walk with Him, a true relationship starts to develop. As you talk to Him about your life and He speaks to you about His life, you begin to understand Him and He begins to transform you. As the Lord starts to transform you, you starts to see more of His goodness, His faithfulness, His love etc..and as you start to see more of His love, faithfulness and goodness, you start to trust Him more with your deepest and darkest secrets. As you start to trust the Lord more, He in turn starts to trust you with more of His blessings, He starts to empower you more, He starts to reveal Himself even more to you and your light start to shine the brighter .
As your light start shining brighter, you become a greater witness for Jesus to those around you. The more time you spend with the Lord, the more your character starts to reflect His character, the more the lovely Jesus is seen in you. Relationships require time. Trust takes time to build. Don't believe for a second that you can live your life however you want without an intimate relationship with God and in the moment of crises you will suddenly trust in God! No friends, you will not. People trust those who have been with them through thick and thin, those who have proved true to them and it takes time to test and see whether a person is truly trustworthy.
Those who neglect building relationships with Jesus today will find it more difficult to do so in the time of trouble soon to come upon the world. A person who you have no relationship with is a stranger to you and you to them. For many church goers Jesus is but a stranger. On the last days many church goers will come to Jesus asking for entry into the heavenly Kingdom, but He will reply ," depart from me you evil doers, I never knew you." Friends, now is the time to develop a relationship with Jesus, now is the time to learn to trust Him.
To delay is perilous, for trust takes time to develop. Seek the Lord while He is near
Isaiah 55: 6
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
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