I have some thoughts tossing around in my head. It started as I listened to my worship cd this morning....
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We are truly spiritual beings in a physical body, are we not? God made us and breathed life into us. Our physical bodies are just a "shell", if you will, that we live in until we die. That's not the end of us! Our spiritual bodies then go to heaven or hell, depending on if we accepted Jesus or not. There's enough scripture to back this up, but here's a few:
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"There are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies." 1 Cor. 15:40
"If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body." 1 Cor. 15:44
"And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man (Adam), so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven (Jesus). I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." 1 Cor. 15:49
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Okay, so we know that we are spiritual beings in our fleshly bodies. That's why when we give our heart to God and decide to turn away from sin and follow Him, our spiritual bodies learn and grow in the way of God. As long as we are on this earth we will have to fight the fleshly bodies, though, because they are carnal. But Jesus is our example that the flesh can be defeated! He lived through all temptations and succeeded! Yes, He IS God, but He is our strength in all things! ("I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:13) Everything God calls you to do, He will provide the strength for you to do it.
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Now, alot of people get stuck at salvation. Like once you are saved, that's it! You are going to heaven and all you gotta do is just live life the way God wants and witness to others. Be good, be pure, be holy, be a light. Yes, that's all true and good to do! BUT, there's so much more! What alot of churches fail to teach is about all the promises God has for us NOW on this earth. There's so much more out there for us to know and experience! There's nothing wrong with just being saved and living your life for God. But isn't there anyone out there who hungers for more?
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I lived a good Christian life and got baptized at age 13 and loved God with all my heart. I followed God and loved Him, but didn't truly KNOW him in an intimate relationship. After my rebellion, I came back to God at age 23 and the veil of religion lifted and I experienced a RELATIONSHIP with Him and is continuing to grow to this day. It will continue to grow until the day I die! Now, I know God the Father is seated in heaven and He created the world and created us. God the Son (Jesus) lived as a human to die for all of our sins so that we may have eternal life with God in heaven when we die. He raised from the dead and conquered death and Satan and sat down at the righthand side of God. When Jesus left earth, He left God the Spirit (Holy Spirit) to be with us. The Holy Spirit is the one who we have intimacy with here on earth. He guides us, teaches us, hangs out with us, and when we partner with Him, does miracles/healings/deliverances through us. All three are God, but at the same time---three different "people". Before my rebellion, I knew God the Father and believed in Him and accepted Jesus. After my rebellion, I became closer to the Holy Spirit and started to know God's heart. The Holy Spirit always points us to Jesus, Jesus always points us to Father God.
(Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-25)
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God made us because He loves us and delights in us. He wants partnership with us. Yes, He is God and can do everything Himself, but He chose to partner with us for His will on earth. He longs for relationship with each one of us. Not the casual friendship of being with us on Sunday mornings and on Easter and Christmas. He wants intimacy and closeness, to be our Best Friend. The Bible is our standard and is for us to learn God's ways and how to live our lives. BUT, He wants the Bible to lead us to further intimacy that can only be experienced by spending time with Him. He's waiting for open willing hearts. There's such power in an intimate relationship with God. As you grow closer, you begin to know His heart. You are way more sensitive to what pleases Him and what hurts Him. You can feel Him beside you in the mornings when you wake up. You can ask Him to go with you when you get groceries and He helps you pick out the best deals. He is an all powerful God and yet He cares about the little seemingly mundane everyday tasks you do!
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We need to get God out of the box and understand how huge and powerful and yet so close and intimate He wants to be with us. As we grow closer to Him, it will become second nature to partner with Him. Actually, that's what we were created to do in the first place! Then He can move through us and we can be willing vessels to carry out His plans on this earth. That's when we tap into the supernatural and live in His realm. We are not of this world! We need to start living it!
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I pray that each one of you who reads this starts to ask God what else He has for them. Lord, touch each heart and show Yourself in a new way they've never experienced. Let them see just how much You long for a deeper tangible relationship with them. That You are a living personal God who wants to be included in everything they do. Heal hearts, Lord, and break down the wall of religion in their lives. Let them see how real, exciting, and ALIVE a deeper intimacy with You can be!! We love You, Lord! :)
