Relationships & Foundations

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you, Away from me, you evildoers!'
~ Matthew 7:21-23

I read this tonight and wondered, if that day was to come today, what would Jesus say to me? I know it is truly all about a relationship, so how is my relationship with the Lord? If I was to meet Him face to face would He claim to know me or would he respond with "Away from me!"

The next verses in Matthew are the story Jesus told of two men building homes. One built on a rock and the other built their house on the sand. When the storms came the house built on the rock is the one that remained standing. The emphasis of course is the foundation on which we build our lives. Do we build it on the shifting sands of this world or on the Rock of Jesus. I started to ponder this in my life as well.

As I pondered this and wrote the above in my journal, I received a notification of new email. It was a daily devotional to which I've subscribed. The opening words of the email were "How is your spiritual walk? Do you spend enough time with God that you are happy with your relationship with Him?" It goes on to encourage us to make time with God and nurturing that relationship a priority in our lives.

At another point in the devotional it says "Our relationship with God is foundational to the rest of our lives. His working in our lives makes or breaks the quality of our lives and our ability to love and serve others."

This past week I've been part of a group who has been fasting, looking for direction from the Lord regarding the new year and what the Lord has in store for us and our families. What direction He wants us to take in the upcoming year. This is clearly part of the answer for me. Maybe this is the entire answer for me.

I've often told others that the whole "God thing" is not about religion or rules. It is about a relationship. If we can get that figured out the rest will all fall into place. I guess it is time for me to live this out more fully myself. Obviously the Lord wants me to work on my relationship with Him, to ensure the foundation of my life is the Rock of Jesus. Everything else in my life and that of my family will fall into place if I make my relationship with the Lord my top priority.

Created in His Image - Beginning a New Year

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. . ."
~ Genesis 1:26

"the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
~ Genesis 2:7

Today I read the creation story in Genesis. These verses stood out to me. I also read the following excerpt from a book I just started. I thought it was very fitting for the first day of a new year.

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From the Prologue of Escape to Freedom,
Book 3 of the Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips

In man did the Creator, the Almighty I AM, raise the holy creative act to its very pinnacle, calling into life a being apart from himself that yet reflected his divine nature. Here was a being says his Word, created in the image of God himself, who yet was also given that ascendant capacity, distinct from all the rest of creation, called free will - the power to choose whether to walk in that image so intrinsic to his making.

Ah, God our Father, does such intimacy truly exist between us and thee, that we may lay claim to such hallowed origins? Have we truly - incredible thought! - been created in thy very image! Expand our minds, open our hearts to absorb the lofty and life-changing truth, that in thee we can discover all that a perfectly loving Fatherhood was meant to be!

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The above passage got me to thinking - We each were endowed with free will, we each make our own choices. Blame can be cast nowhere else but in our own laps. What is my choice in the new year?

I choose to follow the Father, to walk in the image He created me in. To pursue that relationship with the Father for which I was created.

A Dead Church - Cecil A. Thompson

Below I have reposted today's devotional from "Blessings from the Heart". It spoke to me, especially going into this new year.

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DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
December 31, 2008

“A DEAD CHURCH!”
Revelation 3:1-3

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

In this passage God is speaking. He is speaking not merely to a first-century church, but also to the churches of our day. Keep in mind that the “church” is not the structure made with wood, brick, stone, or other building materials. A church is composed of the people of God who come together as a body, for worship, fellowship, service and edification.

I want to walk very carefully here, as I express the words that God is laying on my heart at this very moment. We often think of a dead church as being stuffy, stilted, formal, and boring. That is all too often the case, but it goes much deeper than that. A dead church may also be filled with noise, activity, and even spiritual sounding terminology. It is even possible for people to seek emotional feelings in place of tenderly seeking God and God alone.

So what determines if a church is alive or dead? Let's focus in a little closer. What determines if “you” are spiritually alive or dead? One of our typical responses is to focus on, "them." “They are dead! He or she is dead!” I, on the other hand, am practically perfect in every way!" Such an idea, filled with self-sufficient pride, should be a dead giveaway of our spiritual morbidity (death).

We are spiritually dead, or near death, when we no longer have a spiritual appetite. If there is not a hunger in our hearts for God's pure Word—we must check our pulse immediately! Unfortunately there are church members, or should I say, church attendees, who are more interested in the hymn selections, how long the service lasts, color of the carpet, etc., than they are about meeting with God. They fail to cherish a time to shut out the world and listen to His Word read and proclaimed, lift their hearts in prayer, and join with others of His family weekly, for a spiritual family reunion.

We individually are in need of spiritual “911” care if we do not have it daily—YES! I SAID DAILY—times of intimate prayer with God. Not just praying a shopping list of our requests, but sharing our deep feelings of praise and petition. A sign of spiritual life is being silent before Him in order to hear His soft, still voice speaking words of comfort and purpose to us. We need to take the time to lovingly read His Word and then spend time meditating about the words and visualizing what is being said. It is life giving to use scripture as a part of our prayer.

I hope you are beginning to see that death in our midst is not easily covered up with the stench of human programs, practice or pretense. God sees the real us and desires more than "Let's pretend." It is time for a complete spiritual examination. As the Lord dictated this letter to the church in Sardis, and said they were dead, what would He say about us? Do we need to be resuscitated? If so, He stands ready to raise us from our dead condition, and breathe His new life into us.

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

- - - Pastor Cecil

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