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TEACHING:
findING intimacy with THE LORD
I was asked the following question in the QW prophetic
class:
“I want to ask how can I really draw close to the Lord?
Have this intimate relationship?
I find that most times I forget my dreams and I feel God
really leads me in my dreams but I forget it most times,
how do I go about this?”
INTIMACY THROUGH DESPERATION
I have often heard prophets say that we can get as close
to the Lord as we want to. That truth used to really
bother me, because I noted so many who were
“experiencing” Him in much closer ways than I was. I
started searching scripture and also going through an
intense amount of suffering and I discovered that truth
first hand. God is available to the exact degree that
we need Him, cling to Him, are desperate for Him, are
satisfied with Him, call upon Him, and receive Him.
Luke 11:9-13 NLT
And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be
given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will
find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. 10
For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks,
finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.
11 "You fathers — if your children ask for a fish, do
you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an
egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 If
you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."
Matt 5:6 NKJV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Matt 13:58 NKJV
Now He did not do many mighty works there because of
their unbelief .
At one time I thought perhaps it was related to one’s
callings and to the degree that someone is equipped to
function for that purpose. That is partially true. But
in the end, it still settles down to the fact that even
the highest callings can operate independently from Him,
use their gifts for their own purposes, and eventually
fall away. And non of that equates to intimacy in
knowing Him.
Matt 7:21-23 NKJV
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall
enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of
My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day,
'Lord , Lord , have we not prophesied in Your name ,
cast out demons in Your name , and done many wonders in
Your name ?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!'
INTIMACY THROUGH CULTIVATING THE RIGHT SOIL
I believe the following passage of scripture is one of
the best answers on how we can cultivate closeness with
the Lord. Just like the temple parable of approaching
God in various degrees of closeness through the outer
court, the inner court and the holy of holies... we have
a choice of bearing 30, 60 or 100 fold fruit in our
abiding closeness in Him. This scripture tells us HOW.
Matt 13:3-9 NKJV
Then He spoke many things to them in parables,
saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he
sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came
and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where
they did not have much earth; and they immediately
sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But
when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they
had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among
thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But
others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a
hundredfold, some sixty , some thirty . 9 He who has
ears to hear, let him hear!"
Matt 13:18-23 NKJV
"Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When
anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not
understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches
away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received
seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on
stony places, this is he who hears the word and
immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root
in himself, but endures only for a while. For when
tribulation or persecution arises because of the word,
immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed
among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares
of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the
word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received
seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and
understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:
some a hundredfold, some sixty , some thirty ."
THE RIGHT PATHWAY
We need to learn how to walk in the ways of God. His
ways are the right pathway of aligning our faith and
choices with scripture.
When we walk in the wayside, it is not walking directly
in His path, rather it is in the general direction but
with compromise and disobedience. Throughout the years,
the closer I get to God, the more I understand that
carnal choices really do affect my level of intimacy and
relationship with Him. For instance if I watch
something on TV that is defiled with the world’s
standards and against scripture, instead of hearing from
Him that night, I get to receive a slimy demonic dream
instead. This clearly gives me feedback about my
choices for intimacy. What door do I knock on when I
turn on the TV and whom am I fellowshipping with?
James 4:4-5 NKJV
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that
friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever
therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the
Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us
yearns jealously"?
THE STUMBLING STONES
Even when we are walking in God’s ways and living right,
there will be stumbling stones in our path. It is
impossible to get through the Christian life without
having to overcome offenses. Even Jesus, Who was
sinless had to forgive and overcome accusation.
However we can keep from multiplying more stumbling
stones by believing scripture, and then making different
choices. Learning obedience to scripture is like
teaching a child that the rocks in the fire are hot.
You teach them in a lesser degree what hot feels like.
Once they understand, some children see the fire and
never get near. Those who do get increasing doses of
hot until they learn.
There are many kinds of stumbling stones that can cause
someone to stumble. I believe the most prevalent ones
are un-forgiveness, accusation and judgment. How do we
keep from tripping? It is just like the hot rocks in
the fire.
If we believe scripture and that God means what He says,
we are promised if we dont forgive, we will not be
forgiven. We are promised if we judge others, we will
be judged. And we are taught that what we sow, we reap
and so we should treat others as we would have them
treat us. Thus we refrain from accusing others so we
dont receive a harvest of accusation in return.
One may wonder how does overcoming offenses relate to
knowing the Lord in an intimate way? Because God is
love and if we don’t learn to love, we don’t know Him.
When we do not forgive, when we accuse and judge we are
not loving others and we are not loving God.
Matt 25:45-46 NKJV
Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say
to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the
least of these , you did not do it to Me.'
THE CARES OF THIS WORLD ARE DISTRACTIONS
In the Greek, the word “cares” means a distracted,
divided mind or heart. God has given us a unique
ability to only have one thought at a time. We were
created to be single minded and focused. If we have one
thought in one moment, but then have a totally unrelated
thought the next, we have a divided mind and it lures us
away from our closeness with God.
Luke 10:41-42 KJV
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha,
thou art careful and troubled about many things. But
one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good
part, which shall not be taken away from her.
How do we overcome distraction to get close to God? It
is very simple! Scripture tells us to PRAY about
whatever is distracting us!
Phil 4:6-7 KJV
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God. And the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:7 KJV
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for
you.
1 Peter 5:7 AMP
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties,
all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all]
on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares
about you watchfully. [Ps 55:22.]
If I tried to condense intimacy with God down into one
nugget, I would say desperation and intimacy are good
matches to cause and effect. Why? Because the world,
the enemy and our own hearts are completely PACKED with
distractions. Each and every distraction lures us away
and challenges our values and priorities to test what or
whom do we really love? What or whom we love will end
up consuming our time and putting all else as second and
third place. Some of us it takes a life time to cull
through the stuff to find out the answer to that
question. And some of us it just takes some genuine
suffering.
PRAYER: Lord teach me to PRAY about everything
that steals me away from You. When I am distracted by
worry, fear, anxiety... remind me to put those very same
issues that are dividing me from You, right back into
Your loving care. I want to hear You more, I want to
see what You are doing more, and I want to understand
You more. In Jesus Name, amen. |
