B. Developing that Relationship
a. Call for help
Key Verse: John 14:6 "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Do you feel sometimes empty inside? Does it feel like something is really
missing in your life? Instead of looking left and right for a purpose, come to
Jesus with this simple prayer:
"Lord, lead me to your truth".
If said from the heart, if said in utter desperation, if said honestly, it will
lead you to a complete fulfilling life. Not only will you find a purpose in your
life, not only will you not feel empty inside any longer, you will also discover
that God's truth is not a set of doctrines, nor a certain denomination. God's
truth is solely found in one person: Jesus Christ! It is all about Him, not us!
No more desperately trying to please God, He did it all for us! Jesus is "the
way, the truth and the life"!
John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Assignment: Read the following testimony. Prayerfully compare this testimony
with your own. If you are eager for a change and hunger to really getting to
know Jesus personally, utter this simple prayer: "Lord, lead me to your truth".
Daily watch for God's answer to your plea and respond when He reaches out to
you. You can be assured He will! You are important to Him and He cares for you!
If I can be of any help, let me know.
Lord, lead me to your Truth (Personal experience)
I used to belong to a church that was very legalistic in nature. It had a very rigid list of taboos. Oftentimes members were accused of being sinners because breaking one of the church rules. For example, one time my wife was approached by a member and was told: “No one would know you are a Christian!” When inquiring why, the response was “You are wearing slacks! This is a terrible sin!”
As you can see, being involved in a church does not necessarily co-exist with having a close relationship with God! I was involved, but I didn’t personally know my Maker. Oh, I thought I did – but no matter what I did, I couldn’t explain the huge emptiness in my heart. It was very confusing. I was spiritually dry, spiritually empty. I struggled with addictions that had plagued me for 30 years. Yet, wasn’t I part of God’s “remnant” church? Why didn’t God free me from this addiction? What was wrong with me?
Then one day, while driving to work, I was impressed to turn on the radio. It was tuned to a local Christian station, and Chuck Swindoll was presenting the gospel message in such a beautiful, simple way, that my heart was touched. That was the day God started to work on me. After 35 years of trying to “work” my way to Heaven, I realized that Salvation by Faith was, indeed, a very Biblical concept!
I wanted to share this Good News with my brothers and sisters at church. Not only did I learn that they were all still struggling with their own salvation, but also that they were not open to changing their beliefs, even though what I was presenting was based on the Bible! Sadly, I preached a sermon once about salvation, and during the course of the sermon, I asked who was certain that they were saved. Only 4 people put their hands up, and one of them was my wife. All the other 100 or so people were not certain of their salvation!
This saddened me more than I could know, but it made me begin to ask questions. If this very basic Bible-based belief was not embraced by my church, were there other things taught that didn’t have their basis in the Bible? I began to pray a prayer that would eventually change my life. I prayed, “Lord, lead me to your truth!” Little did I know that God was already preparing to answer my request!
A few weeks later, I received an invitation by e-mail to attend a Messianic synagogue. It sounded interesting, and they were only a 2-hour car drive away from where I lived. Why not try it?
The day I was supposed to go there, my mother-in-law fell and was rushed to the hospital. I was unable to go. I should have known that the enemy was trying to discourage me from having a unique experience with God. However, this did not stop me from making plans to attend at the next possible moment, and the following month, we headed to that place of worship. As we entered the synagogue, an overwhelming presence was felt by both my wife and myself: God’s presence through His Holy Spirit was in that place! I never had felt His presence that way before. During the service there was prophesying. The Rabbi’s wife prophesied that there was someone in the congregation who was facing the open door, the door of the Messiah Yeshua. She was encouraging that person to not hesitate any longer, but to go through that door. Little did she know that she was prophesying to me.
I thought I knew Jesus, I thought I knew my Bible, but that day I tumbled down from my ivory tower and accepted Jesus into my life. That day, He became real to me, and my whole life changed. He gave me total victory over the addiction I had struggled with for 30 years. But even more amazing, after my first encounter with the Holy Spirit, I found I could open my Bible and actually understand it. I mean really understand it like I never could before! The difference simple: God’s Spirit was dwelling in me. Jesus was so right when he said: John 16:13 3 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.”
My outward attitude changed as well. I used to be an egotistical selfish individual who would only think about himself (just ask my wife!). Dishes? That’s women’s work! Cleaning up? Women’s work! My wife had long ago given up hope that I would ever change, and she had stopped asking me to help out with these things. But she began to see changes happening in me. I began insisting on doing the dishes, putting away my shoes without any reminders, and cleaning up all my working areas. God made a difference in my life, He has become my Messiah! Praise the Lord for leading me to Him!
I attended that Messianic synagogue for a while, but due to time constraints we couldn’t afford going there on a weekly basis. I prayed for God’s guidance to know where He would like us to attend. His answer was quite clear: “Attend Word of Life”. I was confused. I had never heard of that church in my life and went to ask my wife. As she had had patients from that church, she knew exactly where it was located and it wasn’t too far from where we lived. Since then that church has changed its name, but we have been blessed attending this Spirit-filled congregation.
Yes, I used to think I was saved. After all, didn’t I obey all of my church’s doctrines? Didn’t I try to read my Bible? Didn’t I try to pray? Didn’t I…? But I learned that being saved is not about what I can do, it’s about what God does in a person’s life. Jesus came on this earth to die in my place, to save me from eternal damnation. He saved me through His own blood! Jesus loved me! Jesus loves me! He manifested that love by making His dwelling place in me, through His Holy Spirit! Praise to God!
All my life I went to church without knowing my Saviour. All of my life I tried to earn heaven, but I never succeeded. Jesus made the difference in my life! And He is willing to make a difference in your life, too! Will you let Him into your life? Stop being “religious”. Stop trying to earn your way to Heaven, because you will never succeed. Let Jesus come into your life, and you will become victorious! Let Him into your life, and the Bible will start to become clear to you. Let Him come into your life, and “when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.” Won’t you do that now?
I have discovered that many other Christians are in the same boat I used to be in. They feel empty, they doubt their salvation, and they do not know what to do about it.
My friend, you may be finding yourself in a situation similar to mine. You may be attending a church that professes to know Jesus, a church that proclaims that it is Bible-based. But does your life feel fulfilled? Do you have that assurance that you are saved? Have you experienced the power of God's Holy Spirit in your life? Have you obtained victory over your addictions?
If your answer to any of these questions is no, may I suggest you kneel down and pray a simple prayer: "Lord, lead me to your truth." Our Heavenly Father will honor this prayer. Wait for and expect His answer, and be prepared for changes to happen in your life. If you follow where the Lord leads you, your empty life will become full. Your uncertainty of your salvation will disappear. You will know beyond a doubt that you are saved. And as for your addictions? As you learn to rely on the Holy Spirit, you will become victorious!
Rob Chaffart
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