Communing

On January 24, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 24: 15          KJV

And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

Ministers, me included, are always telling you to commune with God but what does that mean and how do you do it? Here is a definition for the verb commune: to converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings, to be in intimate communication or rapport. Does that help?

The first level of communion is communication. That seems logical and reasonable, doesn’t it? They are from the same root word. Even think about taking communion at church. At its core, it means to commune with God or to communicate with Him. Secondly, this is not ordinary conversation. It is not business talk or casual chatter. Communing with God has an intimate component. I encourage you to talk with God about the weather and well, everything, but communion adds your intimate thoughts and your feelings. When we talk about communing with God, we mean more than just chatting with Him.

Notice also that communion involves an interchange of thoughts and feelings. Not only are we to share our innermost thoughts, hopes, dreams, and feelings with Father but He speaks too and we share in His intimate thoughts and feelings. This is a key component of communing with Him. It is as much about listening to Him as it is about sharing our thoughts. Communion is a heart felt open communication between you and Yahweh.

I think this understanding might impact your thoughts and practice of taking communion. Actually, I hope it will. Further, it should certainly impact your prayer life. Don’t leave out the word rapport as you consider what communing with God means. Think about talking with your dearest friend about your deepest thoughts.

Ultimately, I hope this clarifies communing with God for you. God isn’t looking for us just to pray. His desire is that we go hang out with Him, sharing our intimate thoughts and feelings and listening to Him as well. Take some quiet time for you and God to just be still together. If you have difficulty being still, then let’s work on that together. Call me or write me by replying to this devotion. Secondly, give yourself time to work into this model. You may have to do it for a while before it becomes comfortable. No worries. Just begin. Today, when you speak with the Lord, slow yourself down. Take a few minutes when you aren’t driving your car or pumping gas to reach into your inner self and ask what is going on in there. Then share it with Dad. Don’t make this weird or cumbersome. Remember, this is conversing with your best friend about that which is closest to your heart and then listening as He responds.

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Jesus is Real

On December 14, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 20: 27

Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

Yesterday I promised we would tackle the question of how we intertwine with Jesus. It can be frustrating when a pastor gives a directive without directions, I know. So, let’s see if I can help you find your path. I don’t pretend to have arrived. All I can do is show you the path I have traveled and try to share those things which have worked for me.

Here is a beginning place and though rudimentary, still necessary. We must come to the place where we realize and are convinced that Jesus is real. Thomas, called Doubting Thomas, didn’t appreciate Jesus was still alive. He saw him die, how could he be alive? Well, that is what the resurrection is all about. We, like Thomas, have to come to the same conclusion; that Jesus is alive. He is a real person with real substance. He isn’t an angel or some ethereal legend. He is a living person whom you can relate to and talk with. Okay, sure; he isn’t flesh and blood like the people you see everyday even though he can materialize when he chooses. None the less, he is real; he is alive. He is a living personality and until we really and truly embrace that idea, there is no way we can intertwine with him and him become an integral part of our everyday life. Jesus can become your best friend and your closest ally but first we must believe that he is real right now today and that he is present to interact with and in our lives.

The single thing that was most important to my walk was learning to commune with God the Father. Jesus is the way to him but eventually we have to reconcile our feelings, understanding and beliefs about God. Is he a religious image, a deity or is he a Father? I discovered that although I had a good relationship with Jesus, I had almost none with the Father.

In 2005, I learned that the fullness of truth is that God is every bit as much my Dad as my biological father. That revelation became very real to me. It was through communing with Him and getting to know Him that I came to understand that. The revelation was possible because some years before I chased God down. I knew others could hear Him but I could only occasionally hear Him speak to me. I was frustrated and angry so I flew out to LA to a conference I knew He would be at. I like to say, “I sought Him until He found me.” The Bible says if we will seek Him, we will find Him. It’s true. When I set my heart and mind to seeking Him, He revealed Himself to me in some awesome ways. So, first, let us seek Him out with all our hearts. Second, we must learn how to commune with Him. I will tell you how I was able to learn that tomorrow.

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