Encountering God

Phillip wanted an encounter with God but didn't realize it when it happened: "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough.  Don't you know me Phillip?  Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:8,9).   

You may well have had a Phillip encounter. Ever read the Bible and gotten an "ah ha!" moment?  If so, where did you think it came from?  Considering that the "person without the Spirit cannot understand because they [Bible truths] are discerned by the Spirit" (1 Cor 2:14), then, an "ah ha!" moment is an encounter with God.  

This being true means that encountering God is not something reserved for Bible Heroes of old, a separate class of Holy Ones today or even a rare occurrence.  Encountering God could happen any time He desires but certainly the frequency of those encounters would rise as we immerse ourselves in the Word.

If encountering God is a desire of yours, make Bible study a daily habit and keep your heart open for the Spirit's presence.  Jus' Sayn.

God vs gods

As Paul affirms in Ephesians 4:6, there is only "one GOD."  Just as surely, however, Moses affirms in Exodus 20:3 that there are "other gods."  

There is only one GOD who created us but there are many gods that we create. Anything that commands a greater commitment from us than Jehovah is a god to us. 

Just think of the "sacrifices" we make to "get ahead."  Think of the men who have offered up their families on the altar of "sexual indiscretion."  How many have sacrificed their freedom paying tribute to "greed?"  

These gods are forever in our ears saying, "You know you want that - go ahead, scratch that itch."  The only way to defeat them is to fill your mind, heart and soul with GOD's Word.  Whoever we listen to the most will gain our ear and our life.

Simply put, our lives will either be ordered around the truly divine or we will order them around the things we elevate to divine status.  As revealed in Matthew 6:25-33, we will either "seek first the kingdom of God" or we will seek after "all these [other] things."  Which do you choose?  Jus' Ask'n.

Listening To God

When I was young, all I wanted from school was to get done and get out (I even tried to get my Dad to sign a waiver so I could drop out and enlist in the Army). My parents, however, had a different goal: They wanted me to get something out of school. 

Often times, as children, what we want and what our parents want for us are at odds; but seldom were we right.

With God, as adults, it is not much different except that when we want something different than what He wants for us, we are always wrong. 

The Word of the Lord says, "My ways are not your ways, neither are your thoughts, my thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than Your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isa 55:8, 9), which indicates clearly that we will be at odds with God's will for us regularly and just as regularly be wrong. 

Therefore, it seems only logical that our prayer life should be more geared to listening to what God wants than listing what we want. Perhaps as bit more of "What would you have of me?" and a little less of "This is what I want of you."  Jus' Sayn.

Ears to Hear

I am convinced that many Christians live in a rather ironic state where they long for God to speak to them so they might have some clear direction in their lives, all the while God is longing for them to listen to His clear direction, which He shares liberally.

God is not far off and he is not silent; the sheep of God's pasture are not without a Shepherd. John 10:27 plainly states, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

The truth is that God continually speaks through his church, the Bible, through circumstances, through prayer and by the Holy Spirit within us. The trouble is never a failure of God to speak but always a failure of us to listen.   As it is repeated some seven times in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  Jus' Say'n.

Dropping Your Nets

In Luke chapter 5, Jesus tells Peter to take his boat out into the deep water and drop his nets.  

Peter, an experienced fisherman, had been up all night, tirelessly trying to catch fish that were nowhere to be found, had stayed long enough to hear Jesus speak and was undoubtedly ready to go to bed instead of drop nets in the same waters he had already experienced as fruitless. 

Nonetheless, Peter said, "because you say so, I will" (v. 5b).  It is important to note that Peter did not say that he thought it was a good idea - quite the opposite, he said, "we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything" (v. 5a).

Peter was clearly saying that they had thoroughly fished that area out and found it void of fish.  Yet, in spite of what his experience told him, he chose to obey.

He caught so many fish he had to call his partners, James and John, to bring another boat.  

Principle: Obeying God may not always seem attractive or even logical, but God can bless us in ways we would not have otherwise imagined.

Action: Do what the Lord directs even when it directly contradicts what you want or think you should do.  Go ahead and drop your nets.  Leave the fish part up to God.  Jus' Say'n.

Just Do It!

You have to love Moses' final point in his debate with God over choosing him to deliver Israel: "O Lord, please send someone else to do it" (Ex 413).  

Moss' feelings of inadequacy were so strong that he didn't believe even God could help him pull it off. But He did. And, He can equip you to do whatever He calls you to do - despite how inadequate you may feel. In fact, God "can do more than you can ask or imagine according to His power at work within you" (Eph 3:20). 

When you feel God calling you to do something beyond your ability, instead of running away, put on your spiritual Nikes, run toward the Father and "Just Do It!", focusing on your faithfulness not the outcome, trusting God to "make it grow" (1 Cor 3:6).

Knowing The Way

In John 14:1-6, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to his Father's house and assures them, "You know the way to the place I am going" (v. 4).

Doubting Thomas questions him saying, "How can we know the way? (v. 5).  Jesus then replies, "I am the Way..." (v. 6).  In other words, the Way is not a body of doctrines, rituals or theology.  The way is a relationship with Christ. 

Simply said, "it is not what we know, but Whom we know" that allows us entry into the eternal home in Heaven. Specifically, it is knowing The Word, not knowing about Him or believing in His existence for "even the demons believe that - and shudder" (Js 2:19).

It is quite possible to study, perhaps even memorize, the Word of God (Bible) without ever having met the Word (Jesus the Christ), leaving us informed that there is a Way but not actually knowing the Way.  

Jesus calls for us to get to know him, to meet with Him, to walk with Him, to talk with Him and to listen to Him (cf. Matt 11:28-30).  Do you?  Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord?    In the words of a hymn from a few decades back, "Do you know my Jesus?"  Jus' Askn.