2 replies to this topic

[Thinker]

For much too long, many of us have sub-consciously thought of prayer and the Bible as religious duty. We will never grasp reality in our relationship with God until we see prayer as actual conversation with God Almighty, our Creator. Nor will we grasp reality until our reading of His Word is understood to be the very Voice of God speaking to us. The Bible is not a collection of stories but actual history. The church is not the building where His people meet; the church is His people meeting there. The church is the Spiritual Body of Christ and He alone is the Head of that Body. Witnessing is not giving someone a convincing argument but it is our telling what His salvation has done for us and what it can do for them. Singing His music gives vent to an actual experience in our hearts and it's words enable us to articulate to ourselves and others what otherwise we might not be able to do. Jesus actually suffered that excruciating agony and death on the Cross to salvage us from eternal condemnation and torment. To relate to all of this as only a powerful story is a fatal mistake. It is reality! "Thy Word is Truth." (From Jesus' prayer in John-Chapter 17). Selah! Let's stop relegating the Bible to being just a good book, maybe even the best book ever. It is God's full and firm Word to man! Thinker (Ron)

[radar]

Very well said!

[Annette]

I like to think of it as God's love letter to me. He made me just the way I am and He knows that I need things to be simple - not high-brow, intellectual or to be interpreted. He shows me through His Word that I am no different to any others and He gives me examples (especially in the Old Testament) of people who did not always get it right - but if they truly repented He was ALWAYS there with the right solution ... and with oodles of blessings. Over and over again in His Word He gives me examples of his faithfulness, of His perfect justice and above all of how constant He is. He is not the one who gets out of bed in the morning in a bad mood, grumpy etc. He is faithful. I can count on Him. Always. In the Old Testament one discovers the loving Father always encouraging, pointing the way forward, showing the pitfalls and clearly setting out the consequences of disobedience; and in the New Testament the glorious solution that He has given to us in His Son Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah.

I know from experience that He does hear when I "speak" to Him and His response is often staggeringly prompt. Oh, how I long for brothers and sisters in Christ to all have this vibrant, living, "today" experience. All I can do is to tell as many as who will listen of what He has done for me and to assure them that He longs to do as much and more for them also, regardless of who they are, what they've done or what their church might say to the contrary (and that - sad to say - is often the biggest stumbling block). Of course, the enemy is going to try and give the impression that you're talking to a brick wall, that no-one is out there to hear. He's lying. MY BIBLE SAYS IT SO ITS TRUE.

God bless you all. Right where you are. Today. Right now. He's as close to you as your next breath.
Your sister in France,
Annette.