Tag: jesus

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast for gotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” 

Hosea 4:6 [KJV]

In my last post, Christianity is A Relationship – Part 1,  I asked at question, “… if Christianity is meant to take us to a higher level of living, then why are so many Christians living and struggling like the rest of the non-believers of the World?” I think that this question can be answered in so many ways, and since we are tripartite beings any answer would need to take all three levels of existence into consideration. In other words, since we are spirit, who have a soul and live in a body, all three parts play a role in our victory and or defeat with relationship and intimacy with God as your foundation.

Before we go any farther, let us take a closer look at Hosea 4:6. The verse starts with God making a statement through the prophet Hosea, He says “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge…” get this, the fact that God loves us will not keep up from being destroyed, but praise God, He also tells us the reason why the destruction happens. “…because thou hast rejected knowledge…” This principle tells us that we do have a role to play in the quality life that we lead.

The Hebrew word for destroyed is “damah”. The Strong’s Concordance gives as one of the meanings for this word, “to be cut off at the sight of the theophany”. A theophany is a tangible manifestation of God.

The Hebrew word for knowledge is “da’ath”, which the Strong’s defines as, “knowledge, perception, skill, discernment, understanding and wisdom”, all of the key elements that it takes to be successful in life. In other words, without a tangible, physical relationship with God, we are disconnected from the tools that are needed to live the abundant life that Jesus died for us to have, tools that guarantee victory.

Relationship and Intimacy With God

Now don’t get it twisted, I’m not saying that we are supposed to have a life without problems, pain or suffering, but that without an active relationship with God, we are cut off from the answers, the revelations and solutions that He wants to impart into our lives.

It is through revelation, or from seeing things from God’s point of view that we have the ability to turn tests into testimonies, messes into messages of success and stumbling blocks into stepping-stones to victory and higher levels of living.

Without getting too deep with the rest of the verse, just let me break it down like this; because you reject an active relationship with Me, you are also rejecting the benefits that are found in the tools and resources that I want to give you. Moreover, if you do not have the tools and resources that I want to give you how can you do a proper job of representing me to the world. If you are not maturing and growing from a dynamic connection with Me you are not modeling for your children the skills that are needed to be victorious in life, so they end up just as lost as you are.

Jesus Is Savior and Lord

Once again, don’t read something into this that I am not saying, I am not saying that you are not going to heaven, but please understand the difference between the roles that Jesus plays in your life. Let us look at Acts 2:36:

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” [KJV]

Notice that the verse says “both” meaning two roles that Jesus is playing in our lives, one of Lord and one of Christ. It is in His roles as Christ, our Savior, that He reconnects us with Father God and it is in His role as Lord that He provides us with victory in daily living. Let us go to Luke 6:46 – 49

“Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you? For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words [in order to heed their teaching] and does them, I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built or founded on a rock. But he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great.”   [AMP]

Please take note that the passage says WHEN not IF the torrent broke, so trials, tests, temptations are all part of life, and all three can lead to suffering of some type.

I can now see that I am going to need a few more posts to do this subject justice. Before I close here are some key point to remember and to put into action:

• It is only through a tangible, intimate and active relationship with God that will there be an impartation of revelation and the spiritual resource needed for your situation.
• Realize that you are God’s hands and representation to the world. Acts 1:8 says that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to be a witness, not to do witnessing. To Be a witness is when the world sees the fruit of God’s Word being manifested in your life, which in turn makes your lifestyle your greatest witnessing tool.
• God loves you to the point that He gave His Son for you, but you are still responsible to step out in faith. In other words, to take action based on faith in His Word and promises for your life. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.
• Remember that your children will do what they see you doing, not what you telling them to do, so do your best to align your words and your actions with God’s Word through obedience. This is how you leave an inheritance to your children’s children.
• Be determined to not only to acknowledge Jesus as Christ, your Savior, but also to serve Him as the Lord of your life.

In part three, we will take a closer look at how the roles of Jesus and our obedience are the key to living the abundant life that is Jesus died and rose for us to enjoy as we represent God here on earth.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  

Romans 8:28 [KJV]

I genuinely believe that God has commissioned me to spread the word to four corners of the world that Christianity is a relationship, not a religion and that wealth, as in The Wealth Response, is a quality of living, having very little to do with money.

In other words, Christianity is a relationship that gives birth to a higher level of living. Since relationships at their deepest levels are about intimacy, “…gives birth to …” is the best phase to use.

For me, this revelation hits home in a couple of keyways. For one thing it is important to realize that everything in life can be boiled down to relationships and our ability to interact with _________ (God, self, spouse, family, career, environment, you fill in the blank). And the quality of my relationship with God, is meant to overflow in the rest of my life. Primarily, it means total acceptance and unconditional love and using that acceptance and positive energy to move forward for development and growth. As well as for me to develop a faith or trust that God will love and protect me even when I am totally exposed mentally and emotionally while interacting in my relationships.

This is intimacy at its greatest level.

I can only become impregnated with greater joy, ideas, and deliverance through exposure. That means that I must be willing to be vulnerable at times to grow and to move forward in life.

For most, if not all my life, I have felt like an outsider, with my nose pressed against a window longingly wishing that I could come in and join the party. Now, before I go any further, this is not about having a pity party, but to openly and honestly say that I have always had problems connecting with people in a heartfelt way.

I could point to being born to older parents or the huge age gap between my older sister and me. I could point out that I was ashamed to have an alcoholic father, so I went out of my way never to bring anyone home, resulting in few friends as a child and even fewer as an adult because I lacked many of the social skills that are developed in a healthy childhood.

When I look back on how I grew up, with the trauma of being in an alcoholic household and all the drama and pain that comes with that experience and environment, for God to choose me to talk about relationships and intimacy is proof that God has a sense of humor. Yet, I must also confess that I unknowingly carried that pain and anguish forward into my personal relationships.

In my professional role as a life coach, Bible teacher and minister, I have seen, and God has used me in His Holy Spirit moving to heal and restore many marriages over the years. Sadly, my first marriage, which lasted over 30 years, felt more like two individuals cohabiting rather than a deeply connected relationship, and it rightfully ended when I relapsed (again). My second marriage was far from a successful relationship. Filled with the difficulties of two people looking outwardly for a peace, love, and healing that only God can provide, it sadly ended with the unfortunate passing of my wife due to a heart attack.

I now understand more than ever before that no marriage is problem free. And I genuinely believe more than ever that the problems, attacks on the marriage and situations of life and living are really opportunities for growth and transformation. One of the keys to victory being that the relationship is one that is centered around Christ and learning to look at things from a Godly point of view.

A foundational Bible verse for me is Hebrews 12:2,

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  [KJV]

When I add to that what 1 John 3:8b says

“…the reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen and dissolve) the work the devil [has done].”  [AMP]

Seeing things from a spiritual or Godly point of view is to make the goal more important than the fight that it takes to get to the goal.

Jesus’ willingness to endure to cross speaks volumes to me. The Hebrew word for endured is “hypomeno,” it means to remain, to endure, to bear bravely and calmly.

This is where having the mind of Christ comes in. Thus, to bring the three elements of the Wealth Response into play, it means to deal with every problem with the heart of God, from a position of love. 

• Keep in mind that Godly love is more about action, doing the right thing and the right or good feelings and emotions will follow. 
• Having the mind of Christ means to look at things from a spiritual point of view.
• And being able to do this, making healthy, Godly choices, expressed by action because of the power and strength imparted by God’s Holy Spirit.

Here is where I’m thankful for the truth that God’s Holy Spirit is living inside of me. I can only follow Christ’s example through the power and strength given by God’s Holy Spirit. 

So, if Christianity is meant to take us to a higher level of living, then why are so many Christians living like the rest of the non-believers of the World? We will take a look at that issue in Part 2 of Christianity is a relationship.