How is your Intimacy with God? The Importance of Daily Fellowship
God aches to spend time with His children and to show them all the good things He has prepared for them, if they will only come to Him and love Him. Do you think your child could flourish and grow by only spending one hour a week with his or her parent(s)? All spiritual anemia, all major failure, all lack, destitution and deficiency that grows and abounds in one’s life is always caused by neglect of developing a relationship and friendship with God and seeking Him first. Another cause is neglect of studying, meditating, and renewing our mind to His Word until it richly grows in our heart. Our strength, our power, and our ability to overcome is so limited and inadequate without Him. Who or what do we choose to seek, trust and rely on? Do we seek God as the fountain of living waters with an unlimited supply in the time of need? Or do we seek and rely on ourselves, other people, or something else which is nothing more than a broken cistern that can hold no water, lets us down, and comes up empty just when we need it (See Jeremiah 2:13).
Jeremiah 2:29,32 (NIV):
Where then are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them come and save you when you are in
trouble! For you have as many gods as you have
towns, O Judah.
Does a maid forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding
ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me days
without number.
Deuteronomy 32:8 (New English Translation):
You have forgotten the Rock who fathered you,
and put out of mind the God who gave you birth.
What a sad commentary that God’s people had forgotten Him and put Him out of mind and memory. The Hebrew word for “forget” means: to ignore, to allow to wither, to cease to care for, to be forgotten, and to be lost to memory.” We can never allow our relationship with God to wither. We can never ignore and cease to care for our loving Lord. God spent the ages preparing to bring you into His kingdom as His treasured child and has chartered a course and a purpose for you that is awesome in its goodness and magnificence. Do we now turn away from Him, give Him a low priority, and selfishly focus on something or someone else? Are we going to allow our intimacy with Him to wilt and fade in the hustle and bustle of everyday living? Do you think God might be busy? But He is never too busy for you. He thinks wonderful thoughts of love about you and strongly desires to be a loving Heavenly Father in your life. His good awaits you if you will only embrace and love Him fervently. There is never a second that goes by where you are forgotten before the throne of God. He thinks about you constantly, and His invitation is to always come, draw nigh and fellowship with Him. You absolutely thrill the heart of God, and He has wonderful designs and plans for you from this moment throughout all eternity. How can we ever let God wither in our lives? We must never put him out of mind or forget His faithfulness, grace, and mighty works. We must seek Him as the most vital necessity in our lives and love Him fervently with everything we have and ever hope to be. We must have a reverent respect and awe of His magnificent goodness and all the works of His hands. Then His goodness will never fail to touch and permeate our lives in complete fullness.
Job 22:21 (Amplified):
Acquaint now yourself with Him [agree with God
and show yourself to be conformed to His will],
and be at peace; by that you shall prosper and
great good shall come to you.
Are you acquainted with your Heavenly Father, or is He just a distant relative? Are you at peace with your relationship with Him? What position does He occupy in your heart? The word “acquaint” in Hebrew means: to know intimately, to be in harmony with, to be of service or benefit, to become familiar with and to reconcile.” When we seek to know God intimately and live in agreement and harmony with His will, we will absolutely prosper, and great good will come to us. Great good in our health, great good in our finances, great good in our family, great good in our jobs, great good in our service to others, and great good in our walk with God. When we reverence, love and seek the Lord then we can be of great good to our Father as we are beneficial and useful to accomplish His will upon the earth. We have been reconciled and brought back to God through the accomplishments of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. It is now up to us to deepen, intensify, and grow in our relationship and love of our amazing and awesome God. We should have the closeness of the most trusted friend, the deep bond of the most beloved family member, and the most intimate union of a parent and child.
Romans 5:10,11 (Amplified):
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled
to God through the death of His Son, it is much
more certain, now that we are reconciled, that we
shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion)
through His [resurrection] life.
Not only so, but we also rejoice and exultantly glory
in God [in His love and perfection] through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
and enjoy our reconciliation.
We should enjoy our reconciliation to God, as it opened the door for an intimate, personal and cherished relationship with Almighty God. We have His resurrection life flowing through our entire being-Christ is in us the hope of glory. We are new creations in Christ and now have the opportunity to walk in fellowship with God and build a vital union and relationship with Him. Fellowship with our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ is the distinguishing mark of a Christian; and it sets us apart from the unbeliever. What an incredible privilege to fellowship with the Creator of the heavens and earth on an intimate personal basis, where you can walk and talk with Him in great closeness as the most beloved friends.
Faith Unleashes The Unlimited Power of God
Ephesians 1:19-23 (Amplified):
And so you can know and understand what is the
immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness
of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated
in the working (energeo) of His mighty strength,
Which He exerted (energeo) in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand
in the heavenly places.
Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion
and every name that is named [above every title that can
be conferred], not only in this age and this world, but also
in the age and the world to come.
And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed
Him the universal and supreme Head of the church, a
Headship exercised throughout the church.
Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all,
for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes
everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere
with Himself.
God wants us to know, understand, and experience the greatness of His unlimited and immeasurable power that is energized in us when we believe. The word “power” in verse 19 is the Greek word “dunamis,” which means “inherent power or ability” and the English word “dynamite” comes from this word. Dynamite has a tremendous amount of power that resides in that little stick, but no power is energized until the fuse is lit and the dunamis explodes in a great display of power. A stick of dynamite could rest on a shelf or stay in a box, and all that potential power and ability remains dormant and does not accomplish anything. It is not until the dunamis is energized that dynamite achieves what it was designed to do. Looks can be deceiving, because if you did not know what dynamite was, it would be hard to believe that such power could come forth from that tiny, little stick.
Dunamis is the capacity to accomplish something that is of such a magnitude that it inspires a sense of wonder and amazement in others. It is the mighty power that resides in something by virtue of its nature. You are a new creation in Christ; you have a new nature born within you in Christ; you have the dunamis of God Almighty residing permanently in you. This power of God is life-changing and circumstance-changing. This power of God is victorious over all of life’s challenges. The world may look at you and never think that such power could reside in you. But God places an unlimited power source inside of you at the moment you receive His gift of salvation through Christ. God does not want you to be like an old stick of dynamite that is thrown on a shelf and never utilized. God want His power in operation in your life daily so He can accomplish His good purposes. God wants the awesome display of His power to be vividly alive in your life. No fear, no worry, no obstacle, and no problem can stand against or overcome the power of God. Christians have failed to tap into, utilize, and understand the immense God-given mighty power that resides in them.
God wants you to understand the simplicity of putting this power in operation in your life. It does not require a seminary degree, a ministry ordination, a special ability, a knowledge of every verse in the Bible, a certain social standing or a certain level of intellect. What does God require to energize this power so that it explodes forth in magnificent glory and energy in your life? You must simply believe. Believe God-trust in Him; rely on Him; rest on Him; have confidence in Him. and have faith in Him. Believe God’s Word, trust in His promises, and expect His Word to come to pass in your life. This is the simplicity of believing and it lights the fuse to God’s dunamis working, energizing, and transforming your life.
Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified):
Now to Him Who, by in consequence of the
action of His power that is at work within us,
is able to carry out His purpose and do super-
abundantly, far over and above all that we dare
ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers
desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams.
The Amazing Peace of God: The Rightful Possession of Every Christian
Romans 5:1 (Amplified):
Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted,
declared righteous, and given a right standing
with God) through faith, let us grasp the fact
that we have (the peace of reconciliation to
hold and to enjoy) peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the
Anointed One).
No one can have the true peace of God in their life until they are reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Reconciliation produces the restoration of a relationship of peace that had been disturbed and broken in the Garden of Eden by the high treason of Adam. Reconciliation is to change a relationship of hostility, enmity, and separation to a relationship of love, acceptance, admiration, and friendship. It is a relationship of peace and favor, as we are no longer at war with God or hostile to Him. There is no rejection, no condemnation, no guilt, and no unworthiness in this close, loving relationship. This relationship of peace is more than the mere absence of enmity or hostility, but the invitation from God to come into his presence and enjoy the closeness and loving bond of a relationship with Him.
The peace of God is the legal right and possession of every born again believer. We HAVE peace with God. All the barriers have been abolished between you and God. There is no friction, no uneasiness, no conflict, and no obstruction in this new relationship of peace. It is a complete harmony and unity with God our Yahweh-Shalom. The word “peace” in the Greek means: to bind or join together what is broken or divided, setting the broken parts as one again. When the broken parts come together, there is nothing between them that would stop the cohesion that has taken place. Once they are joined together they are one, never to be separated again. It holds better than super glue, because they will never come apart. True peace is complete oneness and unity with God where there is a mutual enjoyment of the wonderful relationship of a Father with His children.
The Greek word also carries with it the meaning of the absence or end of strife and denotes a state of untroubled, undisturbed well-being. The word “with” in the Greek means: toward and is an indication of closeness or nearness and could be translated ‘facing’. We stand in God’s presence justified and freed from the penalty of sin, completely made righteous and redeemed with unlimited access to our Heavenly Father, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. We have made lovely and acceptable in Christ Jesus and gaze face to face into the loving presence of our God, having complete peace and oneness with Him. We are in Him, and He is in us, and in this oneness we have His peace as a permanent possession, because of who we are in Christ. His peace is a part of us, just as much as an arm or leg is part of our physical body. We don’t have to ask God for peace because we already have it. He has given to us all the peace of God to hold and enjoy every moment of our lives. We renew our minds by faith and confess this great sonship right of peace to bring it into manifestation in our lives. We do not want the peace of God to remain dormant in us, but we want to activate it by believing, so it is a living reality in every circumstance of life
What a wonderful truth and message about the peace of God, as it is so magnificent that God calls it the “gospel of peace” in Romans 10:15. The good news of peace that Jesus Christ brings should be declared from every mountain top to every valley, to every city, and to every town. We should just stand in awe of how breathtaking the goodness of God is as He has given us His peace that can never be disturbed, agitated, or broken.
Jesus Christ is the way, truth, and the life to the peace of God. It cannot be found or discovered anywhere else. It does not originate in the mind of man or in some philosophy, religion, or way of thinking. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, according to Isaiah 9:6, and the word “prince” in the Hebrew means: ruler, prince, chief, captain and leader. Jesus Christ is the captain, the chieftain, the ruler, and prince of the peace of God. If you want the peace of God to rule and reign in your life, you must come to its only Prince, the Lord Jesus Christ. The peace of God is only available in, through, and by Him.
Luke 1:78,79 (New Living Translation):
Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning
light from heaven (Jesus Christ) is about to
break upon us.
To give light to those who sit in darkness and
in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the
path of peace.
Ephesians 2:14(a) (Wuest):
For He (Jesus Christ) himself is our peace…
John 16:33 (Amplified):
I have told you these things, so that in Me
you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.
In the world you have tribulation and trials
and distress and frustration; but be of good
cheer [take courage; be confident, certain,
undaunted]! For I have overcome the world.
[I have deprived it of power to harm you and
have conquered it for you.]
Jesus Christ gave us His perfect peace, and this is the same peace Jesus had in quality, richness, and measure. It is the peace Jesus had in the midst of a raging
storm on the Sea of Galilee, in the midst of the angry crowd at the synagogue in Nazareth, in His quiet prayer times on the mountainside, and in the middle of the hurling accusations of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The heart of Jesus was absolute perfect calmness, even in the midst of the most raging circumstance or challenge. It was a place where no trouble or agitation could penetrate or disturb, and where the stillness and quietness of God reigned unbroken. It was a peace that came from the bond of unity He has with His Heavenly Father, and the harmony and intimacy of that relationship. We are to stop allowing outside influences to disturb, agitate, and trouble our heart, for we have the same peace of God that reigned in the life of Jesus. Jesus Christ never became agitated, restless, or disturbed inwardly, no matter what was happening around him. Even as he hung on the cross for hours in pain and agony, his heart was at complete peace. He did not allow circumstances, people, or relationships to steal His peace. There will be tribulations, trials, and frustrations thrown at you while you live in the world, but it never need disturb or agitate your inner calmness and peace. In Christ we have perfect peace and confidence, for our Savior overcame every circumstance and power in the world and deprived it of its power to harm us. His complete victory at Calvary gave us his peace so that we can be more than conquerors both inwardly and outwardly in every situation. We never have to shrink back in fear from any person, influence, problem, or circumstance, for we are His and He is ours and we have the peace of God living in our hearts.
