Consider this quote:
"Any revelation from God's Word that does not lead us to an encounter with God only serves to make us more religious. The Church cannot afford 'form without power,' for it creates Christians without purpose." (from Bill Johnson's book, When Heaven Invades Earth, p. 87)
So I ask myself, "Do I really desire to encounter Jesus when I read the Bible and pray...or am I only fulfilling some religious requirements, because that's what I am supposed to do as a Christian?"
Seem like I'm splitting hairs? Look more carefully...or should I say listen more carefully to the distinction here. It's not enough to be informed by study. It's not enough to be inspired by worship music. It's not enough to be instructed by your spiritual leader(s).
You need an ENCOUNTER with Jesus.
And I need one, too, because that is the only hope I have of being changed into the man He wants me to become. And it's never a "done-deal." The process is never finished. But when we encounter Jesus, we will experience his life-changing POWER. And here's the disturbing part: without him, we ourselves become fulfillments the solemn prophecy about the last days, regarding people "having a form of godliness, but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5)
Ouch...
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Whoa! That was spot on, thank you Pastor David for sharing another revelation with your readers.
ReplyDeleteOur daily focus can get cluttered with stuff: situations, decisions and mind paralyzes – fear of doing anything. I know, at times, I get distracted during bible study or prayer time with allowing stuff to enter my mind. I would say 80% of the time; my mindset has hindered my “Jesus Encounter” and another 3% due to environmental distractions like an engaging TV show or working on the computer. Next thing I know. My window of opportunity for a Jesus Encounter gets snuffed out by the sleep monster. I'm not making excuses, just a fact of life for me. I’ve got to overcome and do better.
I’ve often wondered if the Bible Greats had trouble positioning themselves for a “Jesus Encounter”. Not to compare then and now or make light of it, but could you imagine Pete, James and John at Gethsemane playing video games while Jesus went away to pray. Do you think they would have been asleep when he came back?
Keep me in prayer for more “Jesus Encounters”. I desire that to be my norm rather than on occasion.