The Bridge Of A Personal Encounter (Series)

THE BRIDGE OF A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com. (This is several part lesson.)

DO I REALLY KNOW JESUS? IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS PERSONAL TO ME? AM I GROWING AND DEVELOPING CLOSER AND CLOSER.

Jesus is much more than a religion, Jesus is all about a personal relationship. I always wonder at the CHILDREN OF GOD… WHY? WHY DO THEY STAY CHILDREN? I looked at this in a negative light. One day I thought GOD DESIRES US TO BE HIS CHILDREN AND DEPEND TOTALLY UPON HIM! GOD HAS CHILDREN, BUT GOD HAS NEVER HAD GRANDCHILDREN… Jesus must be personal.

Baal is frozen statue? Mohammed is dead. Buddha is dead. We know a risen Savior, HE IS ALIVE AND WELL. Why would one make a carving that has eyes and cannot see, ears and cannot hear, legs that cannot walk and then worship a dead, lifeless being?

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Faith, hope , peace and love GROW AT THE SPEED OF RELATIONSHIPS. LIP SERVICE AND HEARING AND NOT DOING WILL NEVER SATISFY. Is Jesus alive and well in your heart. Jesus must be more than just going to church. Jesus must be more than a SPARE TIRE religion that you use when you have a flat.

YOU DETERMINE THE POWER AND STRENGTH OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

A good relationship requires DAILY FELLOWSHIP. How do we know God? By His Word the Bible, by faithful church attendance, by fellowship and communion.

There are TWO DOGS with a person, the CARNAL or temporal and then there is the SPIRITUAL or ETERNAL. Which dog is the strongest? The one you feed will beat up the other. BURY THE OLD MAN, CLAIM THE NEW LIFE OF THE OLD MAN.

The very CORE of Christianity is “ HAVING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.”

GOD IS NOT SEARCHING FOR PERFECT PEOPLE. MARRED PEOPLE? GOD TOLD JEREMIAH TO GET UP AND GO TO THE POTTER’S HOUSE AND LEARN A LESSON ABOUT GOD… DON’T GIVE UP ON PEOPLE…

Many think I will come to Jesus when I get all my bad habits corrected. Not so, a personal relationship with Jesus will help you become THE GOD PERSON HE DESIRES!

Jeremiah 18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Marred: ruined, hurt, damaged, diminish the value, poison, stain, taint, tarnish…

OUR ENEMY COMES TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY US AND OUR FAMILIES. The enemy’s plan is total destruction… MARRED CLAY… A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP DOES NOT JUST CHANGE THE OUTSIDE… JESUS CHANGES US FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

THE MASTER POTTER CAN MAKE IT AGAIN… GOD’S PLAN IS CLEAR… WE CAN HAVE A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER THAT CAN CHANGED MARRED CLAY

Psalm 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Destruction: to damage something so bad it cannot be repaired, to utterly ruin,

I read in a dictionary years ago DESTRUCTION has no plural. You can only destroy something once.

GOD KNEW BETTER… GOD CAN DELIVER US FROM OUR DESTRUCTION”S” …

WE need God’s PERSONAL ENCOUNTER --- GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON PEOPLE AS LONG AS THEY ARE BREATHING.

JESUS INVITES US INTO A NEW PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO HEAR THE HEART BEAT OF GOD. THERE IS GOOD NEWS YOU USE IF YOU CHOOSE.

The Bible contains good news. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ to restore those that are broken and refresh those that have been crushed. God loves people, hurt, broken people. Jesus has a STANDING INVITATION FOR A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO KNOW HIM IN HIS FULLNESS.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

KNOW AND UNDERSTAND JESUS’ LOVE WILLS US TO FIND OUR PURPOSE AND GOD’S PLAN.

RECONCILIATION: to become friendly again, finding a way to restore, to settle…

God has a plan IN THE VALLEY HE RESTORES OUR SOUL, may we find a PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH OUR SAVIOR AND MAKE HIM OUR LORD.

CHANGE OCCURS WHEN WE HAVE A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER… GO OUT ON A LIMB?

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem for the Passover. JESUS HAD TO STOP IN JERICHO! Jesus knew a short man that needed A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH GOD’S OWN SON.