“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought up close and personal by the blood of Jesus Christ!”  Ephesians 2:13-14

 Most of us are in to in!  We like to get into ourselves – what we like, what we want, what will make us happy and the list could go on and on and on!  But what we need to do is get into Jesus!  Now before you go running off – thinking I really don’t need any more of this spiritual stuff, stop and think about it for just a minute!

We get so into ourselves and what will make us happy, but seem to always be chasing after something that we can never catch!  Could it be that we have been chasing after the wrong thing?  Could a relationship with Jesus, a real, meaningful and life changing relationship with Jesus – could this be the thing that we need to seriously consider!

When you stop for a minute and think about it – the reason that we are so into ourselves is because we are looking for fulfillment.  Fulfillment comes when our life gets near to the place that it needs to be – wherever or whoever that is!  Could it be that this place where our lives need to be, is in a real relationship with Jesus?  I’m not talking about the “come to church and pretend that everything is perfect” kind of relationship!  I’m talking about a relationship where I admit that I can’t, believe that He has and will for me if I will let Him!  I’m talking about the kind of relationship where I realize that it’s not about being perfect, but forgiven!

In Christ Jesus -I am brought up close and personal!  I used to live far away from the blessings of rightness!  But now through my real relationship with Jesus I am brought up close and personal – how amazing is that?  Stop trying to make things happen and take some time to enjoy what Jesus has already done for you.  What might really surprise you is:  the place you are trying to be – you could already be at through your relationship with Him!

This past Thursday evening through Friday morning, I had the opportunity to spend some real meaningful time with the Lord.  I did not get to far away from home, but I got far enough that I did not have any of the usual distractions!  During this time – God took me back to when I first began to understand and deal with His call upon my life to serve Him as a Minister of the Gospel.  It was great to travel back to that time and remember the fear and the faith that was walking me through it!  God reminded me of some things about His calling upon my life!

He reminded me that I speak representing the very voice of God Himself!  Every time I open my mouth something could and should happen.  I have a choice to make – I can communicate with my mouth or with my heart.  I decided to go back and find my heart!  It’s not that I’ve lost it, it is really still where it has always been.  I have just recently discovered that years of serving in ministry has caused it to be covered over and coated with a lot of well intentioned, but misinformed and inappropriate agendas that were provided by some of my brothers and sisters in Christ!

God has chosen through the foolishness of preaching to confound the wise and to save the world.  God has blessed me with a calling to preach His Word!  I represent Him because I know Him and He knows me and somewhere a long the way, He put something in me that He wanted to use to share Him during this time and at this place!  I don’t know what I would do, if I could not preach and teach about our amazing God and the incredible blessings that come from having and growing in a real relationship with Him!

It would be a great tragedy to have bottled up inside of yourself a message from the Creator and Sustainer of life and not be able to get that out.  I am thankful to God for His calling and for giving me the gifts to fulfill His calling upon my life!  I am thankful for Northwood and Ridgewood Partnership and the opportunities that they afford me to do the thing that God has called and gifted me to do!  I am thankful for my family who support me, my brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage me and for any and every occasion that I have to share the amazing truths of an amazing God who has an amazing plan for our lives!

I hope you will find some special time with God this week and allow it to change your heart and life!