INTIMACY WITH GOD

When Jesus came, what was He seeking? What was His mission? Certainly it was not politics, or reaching a certain height in the eyes of the religious establishment. We all know that Jesus came to lay down His life for all of us, so that we could be saved, but He didn’t come just for that, He came to save us and so much more.
 
Jesus came so that we could not only be saved from the eternal punishment of sin, but to bring us into relationship with the Father. Becoming a believer is not just believing that Jesus exists, even as the Son of God and that He died on the cross for the sins of the world. It is believing it personally, repenting and accepting His Lordship. When we go from spiritual darkness to being spiritually born-again into His light, everything changes. It may be that someone is reading this and has had only faith. Faith is good but until one is truly born-again, one is not there yet. We must turn from self-lordship, receive the pardon that God offers through Jesus and then live for Him.
 
At this point, Jesus comes into our heart by the Holy Spirit.
 

• John 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
  

 
Every day with Jesus is a day in the abundant life of being a true Christian. Father God sent Jesus to us, to be God with us.
 

• Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel (which means, “God with us”).

 
From the Garden with Adam and Eve, to today and forevermore, God wants relationship with us! Throughout the entire Bible, there are verses stating how God wants to be our God and for us to be His people. This is the true heart of God. Following this blog, there is a list of some of these verses.
 
In order to be our God and for us to be God’s people, when we start this new life in Christ, He comes to live in our heart. God is spirit and so are we, even though we live in a physical body. Our inner man, or our spirit, is often referred to as the heart. And it is a spiritual relationship, it is a heart relationship.
 

• John 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

 

• Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

 
Father God, with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, want to be intimate with us. God wants to live in our heart and provide for us, spiritually and also for whatever we need in this life. It is a joy and not a burden. We are not a burden to God. It is His pleasure and the purpose we were created for! And one does not have to be worthy of God’s love and grace. Jesus is worthy and His grace is all we need. The devil comes to many and tries to discourage with condemnation and unworthiness lies. We were condemned in our sins and never worthy. It is a fact. So send him away. God’s love and grace are all we need! With Jesus as our Lord and the strength and direction of the Holy Spirit, we can live victorious lives. We can have the abundant life God wants for us. Can we do it right 100% of the time? No, but, we never give up and the Lord keeps molding and shaping us!
 
As we grow in our walk with the Lord, the fleshly nature loses out more and more and the godly nature, wins more and more. This is the life of a believer. It is so important to live in grace and not in bondage. We choose not to sin, not out of fear and torment, but for reasons such as pleasing the Lord and wanting to do better. While sin and the flesh steal true life and are costly, choosing right brings the abundant life and joy. Consider the following verse about King David.
 

• Acts 13:22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'

 
Many know that God spoke of David having a heart after His, but how many see the rest of this verse? David’s heart was to do God’s will.  And so does the heart of a born-again believer. As believers, our focus is no longer self-oriented, but Christ-oriented. We go from being in tune with and trying to satisfy fleshly desires, to being online with the Holy Spirit and seeking to hear and please the Lord. Everything changes.
 
It is a joy to live in cooperation with the Holy Spirit! Every day is a new day in our walk with the Lord. All the challenges that come in a day, are met with the Holy Spirit as our guide. Hallelujah, we are not alone and we have the best Help to meet life’s challenges. The Holy Spirit is all-knowing, unlike us who only see in part. By seeking His help, we have supernatural help. He knows where the enemy lurks and keeps us from his tricks. He helps us with everything from difficult decisions to picking the right vegetables at the market. All this is available for those who draw close to the Lord and seek His guidance.
 
The joy and peace that is available for the believer who prays and worships is beyond the comprehension of the lost. When we live “in” the Lord and not just “for” Him, the life flow that comes from Him is in us. The Word of God becomes a lifeline for a believer. The Bible is not revealed to everyone. For the true Christian that is hungry for His Word, the Lord does not disappoint. He reveals His Word as we feed on it and it sustains us. It guides and the truth of it exposes the lies of the enemy and this world.
 
Praise the Lord that He did not create us as angels or robots! Praise the Lord that He created us as humans for fellowship with Him forever. Praise the Lord that we are His! He blessed us with a beautiful world and tons of blessings. It is up to us to choose the Lord and follow Him with all our hearts. We have so much to be thankful for. A true sign of a believer is thankfulness. Well, kindness and gentleness are too. And love. The fruit of the Spirit sustains us and is also a blessing to others. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and guide us, the more His fruit manifests through us, the happier we are and more of a blessing to those around us. This is the abundant life and a life lived in intimacy with God.
 
 
 
“Our God and His people” verses:
 
Genesis 17:7-8, Exodus 29:45-46, Leviticus 26:11-12, Isaiah 7:14, Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 32:38, Ezekiel 37:27, Ezekiel 43:7, Zechariah 8:8, Zechariah 2:10-11, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 1:3, John 1:4, John 14:23, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Hebrews 8:10, Revelation 7:15, Revelation 21:7
 
Revelation 21:3,7 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. […] He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.