KNOWING GOD BY EXPERIENCE - 3 ESSENTIALS

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THE THREE ESSENTIALS OF A KNOWING GOD
  1. PRAYER - INTERCOURSE - LISTENING to GOD and TALKING to GOD
  2. BIBLE STUDY - LEARNING GOD's WAYS
  3. PROPHETIC - CO-MISSION - HERALDING GOD'S (NOW) WORDS
PRAYER - INTERCOURSE
 The apostle Paul told Timothy "I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;" 1 Timothy 2:8 

 Prayer is more than asking for our needs, or begging God to do something. Real prayer is much more than what you can get out of a 'fox hole' TRANSACTION with God. Prayer is a conversation with God, borne out of a love relationship with Him. 

Max Thomas shared that, "Prayer in essence is the connection between two hearts."  it was a powerful statement, I loved that and it has impacted my life over the last several months... but I also came up with my own definition. 

 Here is my definition 
Prayer - is the two-way breathe-in, breathe-out process of communion with God. Is is the process of baring one's heart and soul to God, it is the ultimate expression of in-to-me-see (intimacy) with God. 

Now let me join the two into one... 

"Prayer in essence is the connection between two hearts." it is the ultimate expression of intimacy with God."

 Thanksgiving, worship, supplication, intercession, praise, weeping, groaning, howling, laughing, joyous, exuberance are all aspects of expressing that love relationship.  If in doubt about what it looks like just watch a teen-aged girl who is in love. That is what first love is all about. 

BIBLE STUDY
Of course reading and studying the 'logos' word is imperative to growing in faith, however, if the Spirit does not breathe on it, we will only be eating from the 'tree of knowledge' and not from the 'tree of life' (in Christ Jesus).  So we must have the Holy Spirit to reveal the NOW word for us out of the Scripture (logos) we read and study. Paul again speaking to Timothy in his letter...
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 
2 Timothy 2:15

PROPHETIC - Action

While we are walking in obedience to read the (logos) word, once the Spirit breathes on it, it becomes a Rhema (NOW) word (which moves it from study and meditation into the prophetic realm.) Rhema words bring faith once they are 'heard' and faith always demands action. 
"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the (NOW) word of God."  Romans 10:17 
22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." 
I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10 
Really all three of these essential elements fall under the broader expression of knowing God, by experience. And we know that God wants to know us by experience. 

If we are not experiencing these FIVE essentials, on a regular basis, perhaps our activities are off target, even though well intention-ed or just our response to busyness. 

 "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law."  Proverbs 29:18

 Once nothing remains that is worth living for or dying for, (no vision or revelation originating from God) the congregation begins to stagnate and then decompose. Even the things you once had in past seasons in God, begin to erode. Much like the one talent man in the parable of the talents, he buried his one talent in order to preserve it, and in the end he lost everything including his 'secured' talent... because it was given to another. 

 Signs of life in the Spirit.
INCREASED PASSION,
  • FOR THE LOST 
  • FOR PRAYER 
  • FOR THE WORD 
INCREASED EXPECTANCY - hangs in the air 
  • NEW INITIATIVES BURST FORTH LIKE POPCORN
  • RE-ORGANIZATION - FOR EXPANSION
  • LEADERS ARE RAISED UP AND SENT OUT
  • MEN / YOUTH become MOTIVATED TO ACTION
  • PEOPLE CAST OFF - worldly affections
  • BIBLE STUDIES SPRING UP - there is hunger for - "fresh baked bread" 
  • Men's / women's groups emerge 
  • Organic Prayer meetings spring up in every place
  • Corporate Meetings become celebrations of His presence
  • Prophetic ministry is prolific, in every sized meeting. 
  • Volunteerism becomes contagious
  • The core people are busy
  • The congregation becomes engaged

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