Thoughts For Consideration

Greetings again my Brethren. From the dawn of man God has had a great desire to have a relationship with His greatest creation so that we may know Him. But God does not want us to have a mere knowledge of Him; His character, nature, and attributes (which are important), but God desires for us to have a personal knowledge of Him and His ways so that we could become like Him. This is why man was made in the image of God and not some animal or tree that many today worship. In the garden we read where “the LORD God”

(God the Father) talked with man and in the cool of the evening, “And they (Adam and Eve) heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8) God made us in His image and do you know God has not changed His mind; God is still in the process of creating us into His image. Later in time God had plans for a man named Abram who later was called Abraham. Before we can be used of God we must come to know God and His ways. I wonder why so many Christians try doing things for God in their strength and ways? Abram moved in faith plainly taking God at His word believing and it was accounted (a reward for service) as righteousness. “ Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23) Abram never had the personal contact Adam did with God, but there seemed to be a richness in their relationship to the point the Bible called Abraham a “Friend of God.” Oh to God He would call us “Friend.” Amazingly enough God desires this for us. God wants so much for us and if we really knew if we really got this in our spirit and heart we would be ashamed of ourselves. Oh the times I come short of the glory of God, Lord please forgive me. For us to come into what God has for us we must come to the knowledge of Him personally. So many Christians try to know in the latest self-help book and or through our emotions and feelings, but we can never know God this way. We must allow God to work in our lives through His dealings and judgments in our heart exposing areas in us that needs God's attention and touch . God does not just take the liberty to straighten us out. We must give Him permission and as we do He then is able to reveal our heart condition, our intentions, motives, and attitudes that come before us and now we must agree with God (what we have allowed Him to show) or reject His revelation of our self. I find it comical many people (sinner and saints alike) today want to know the revelations in the Book of Revelation or want to know the revelation to their destiny in God, well what God wants for us is to have the revelation of how much we are not like God. Not too many people have had this revelation maybe that is why many people do not have a personal knowledge of God. God is a Spirit, we know Him by/with/through the Spirit and in truth. If we can receive this single revelation God will be able to open the Scriptures and enlighten our spirit to the deeper things of God in the spiritual realm. Knowing our self (by the Spirit of God) as God knows us opens the doors to the spiritual realm. God is then able to come and spend time with us as He did with Adam first then with Eve and Abraham. God has always wanted to man to have a personal knowledge of Him. We see this in the beauty of nature and the creation of the stars and the seas. God's detailed handy work cries out in all of its splendour; God has created all of this so that you will want to know the creator personally. The rain, the clouds, the seasons, every biological system in man and every environmental order on earth screams of how much God desires for man to know Him personally.

It is one thing to be called a “Friend of God” but it is another thing to know some one face to face. Moses was such a one that loved and served God. I really like what the Bible says about Moses, “ And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” (Deuteronomy 34:10) Wow! Moses knew “ the LORD” “face to face.” There is nothing more closer than face to face. This expression gives the reader the idea of nose to nose pressing upon each other, oh how intimate. This “face to face” image takes our relationship with God to a new level in knowing God. Relationships are on a horizontal plane of knowing someone, they seem to be one dimensional, but communion, where God desires us to know Him personally, is multi-dimensional horizontal and vertical in perspective to God as they relate to man and in turn as man relates to God. It is a flow out from the Spirit of God that touches our heart and soul. And contained in the stream that penetrates our very marrow is the knowledge of Him and how much He loves us. We can never discuss coming into the knowledge of God without talking about His love for us. Today our focus in the church is going to heaven to escape hell's flames or serving God so He can give is things, well some of that may be true, but God desires for us to know Him so that He can have that personal communion He has longed for since man was made, far beyond relationship. When I travel the expectation of seeing Karen waiting for me at baggage claim is almost overwhelming. When I see her I do not want to have a relationship, I what communion with her. No words spoken (none need) our hearts suffered loss the time we were separated and now as we embrace they beat as one.