WHEN IT COMES TO STUDYING THE BIBLE, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MIND-TWISTING CONCEPTS, STATEMENTS, AND WORDS SUCH AS "PROPITIATION," "BLOOD," AND "JUSTIFICATION." IF YOU THINK THOSE ARE RELATIVELY TAME, THEN TRY TO FULLY COMPREHEND THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
BUT, SERIOUSLY, DESPITE THESE THINGS, I FEEL THERE IS STILL ONE WORD REMAINING THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT AS BEING A DIFFICULT WORD TO LEARN, UNDERSTAND, COMPREHEND, AND LIVE OUT.
I AM TALKING ABOUT THE WORD "WALK." NOW, YOU MAY RESPOND, "ARE YOU KIDDING? THE WORD ’W-A-L-K’ AS IN ’PUTTING ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER?’" YES, THAT WORD. IT IS HARD. IT IS DIFFICULTBECAUSE IT TAKES GREAT DISCIPLINE, RADICAL OBEDIENCE, COMPLETE SURRENDER AND SUPREME SACRIFICE. I AM TALKING ABOUT WALKING WITH GOD.
I AM TALKING ABOUT HAVING SUCH A DEEP, DEVOTED, PERSONAL, INTIMATE AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT YOU CAN TRULY AND HONESTLY WALK WITH GOD NOT ONLY SPIRITUALLY BUT PHYSICALLY EVERY MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE.
FOR EXAMPLE, ADAM AND EVE WALKED WITH GOD IN THE COOL OF THE DAY (GENESIS 3:8). ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD (GENESIS 5:22) AS DID NOAH (GENESIS 6:9). THIS IS WHY "WALK" IS THE HARDEST WORD TO UNDERSTAND. THE FACT THAT THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE WANTS TO BE MORE THAN "JUST GOD" TO ME AND MORE THAN JUST "UP THERE IN HEAVEN" CAN BE MIND-BOGGLING.
ONE OF GOD’S GREATEST DESIRES IS THAT WE WOULD COME NEAR TO HIM, TO GET CLOSE AND TO BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH SUCH DEPTHS OF INTIMACY. THIS WAS JOHN’S WHOLE POINT BECAUSE IFWE WOULD DRAW CLOSE THEN OTHERS COULD BE DRAWN CLOSE TO GOD.
JOHN NEVER CEASED TO BE AMAZED AT THE LIFE-CHANGING RELATIONSHIP HE ENJOYED WITH HIS LORD. IT OBVIOUSLY OVERWHELMED HIM TO KNOW THAT THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE CHOSE TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM.
THE JOY DEVELOPED FROM THIS RELATIONSHIP IS THE SAME JOY HE WANTED TO SHARE WITH OTHERS SO THAT THEY, TOO, MIGHT EXPERIENCE THE SAME JOY. WE CAN HAVE, LIVE AND SHARE THIS JOY EACH AND EVERY DAY.
THE JOY THAT JOHN SPEAKS OF CAN ONLY COME FROM AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD. IT WON’T COME HAPHAZARDLY. IT CAN’T BE OBTAINED FROM MECHANICAL RITUALS OR EARNED THROUGH CHARITLBE GIVING AND GOOD WORKS.
YOU MUST ENCOUNTER GOD. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION BUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH AN INTIMATE GOD. THE WORLD TODAY DESPERATELYS NEEDS TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE FROM US. THE WORLD TODAY NEEDS TO HAVE THE SAME ENCOUNTER WITH GOD THAT WE EXPERIENCE.
MOST OF ALL, THOSE AROUND US DESPERATELY NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED BY OUR ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD. THE WAR ON TERRORISM, DEPLOYMENTS, STRESS, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OF THE ECONOMY AND NUMEROUS NATURAL DISASTERS HAVE MANY PEOPLE ON EDGE AND ON THE VERGE OF LOSING HOPE.
THE LOSS OF HOPE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF SUCH DEVESTATING EVENTS CAN BLIND THEM INTO THINKING THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER EXPERIENCE THE REALITY OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN THEIR LIVES. THIS IS WHY THE DON’T NEED OUR PHILOSOPICAL TAKES ON LIFE NOR OUR THEOLOGICAL SPECULATIONS.
WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR, SEE, AND UNDERSTAND IS THE REALITY OF SOMEONE LIKE US WHO HAVE JUST COME FROM A PERSONA,L, LIFE-CHANGING ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING CHRIST.
WHEN YOU HAVE HAD SUCH AN EXPERIENCE YOU WILL REALIZE THAT YOU CAN’T KEEP SUCH AMAZEMENT TO YOURSELF. THE BEAUTY OF DEVELOPING SUCH AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST IS THE DESIRE TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.
THERE IS NOTHING MORE APPEALING OR CONVINCING TO A WATCHING WORLD THAN TO HEAR THE TESTIMONY OF SOMEONE WHO HAS JUST BEEN WITH JESUS CHRIST. THEY WANT TO SEE PROOF!
WE HAVE SUCH AN INVITATION TO COME CLOSER! ARE WE WILLING TO GET "UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL" WITH GOD? CAN WE BE WILLING TO MAKE THE EFFORT IT TAKES TO WALK THIS CLOSE WITH GOD OR HAVE WE BECOME TOO COMFORTABLE STAYING AT A DISTANCE? MAY WE DISCOVER A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO THE WORD "WALK" WHEN IT INVOLVES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. ONCE YOU DO, YOU’LL FIND WALKING WASN’T SO HARD AFTER ALL!
