HAVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

2 Kings 20:1-2,5-6

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.”
When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the lord,
“Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the Lord.
I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Anyone who has followed this devotional through the years would understand one major emphasis of the message.

"WE NEED OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!!!"

That is how God made man in the first place, we did not need an intermediary, man had direct access to God. We were part of the meeting when the hosts gather in God's presence.

Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Man was actually created to live on earth, a perfect earth and of course that is where man will live.

Genesis 1:28,31
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

So man was like king over the earth.

However man traded his authority and life by creating sin and death, so man lost his place with God.

Genesis 3:9
Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Man was no longer in his place!

However, God did not abandon us. He just wanted man back in His place, in the original design.

This is what Christ came to do.

Luke 4:17-19
The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Just look at it.

The tempter told man:

Genesis 3:4-5
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.
“God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

However, it was the reverse that happened:

* man died

* man became blind, he couldn't see in the spirit anymore he was limited to the flesh

* man was already like God, so when he succumbed to the tempter he became less and was locked in bondage, he needed to be set free.

Listen, every thing the enemy says is always a lie or a well crafted manipulation of the truth, which is indeed a lie.

John 8:44
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus said this when he was telling the Jewish leaders the truth but they just wouldn't accept.

John 8:43
Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!

This is the same situation we have here today, we don't have sound teaching, truth is muddled up so that people just hear things that excite them then a display of supposed powers or miracles and the people go home worse than they came yet to return tomorrow with more need!

Depreciation instead of appreciation!

It is a type of bondage, but Christ came to set people free, even after Christ has done the work many are still held in captivity in the name of Christ. Strange right?

What was Christ's message?

(1)the reality of the kingdom of God,

(2) living in the kingdom of God, and

(3) the Lord of the kingdom of God

Matthew 3:2
“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Mark 1:15
“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Mark 6:12
So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.

So the whole message is about God's kingdom, where God reigns as king and where we live as His children, not just children but prince, the earth is an extension of God's kingdom, here we reign as kings.

So man was to directly relate with God!

Hezekiah knew this so when the prophet brought a message from God, he did not just accept it, he went to God himself. Selah

Listen children of God, when we gather, it is a gathering of God's children, not coming to worship a man no matter what the person's title is, but to worship God.

It is not a show where we come to watch someone perform(miracles, signs, wonders, songs, word, whatever . . .) NO!

We come together as God's children to fellowship!

Can we understand this simple thing!!!

1 Corinthians 14:26,40
Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.
But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

That is how it has been from the beginning of the church.

That is why Jesus said:

Matthew 18:19-20
“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

The Lord of the gathering is Christ Himself and no other. However, we have leaders to ensure order, be they bishop's, pastors or administrators.

So the message is that everyone must have their personal relationship with God.

You must know God for yourself. Yes, God calls everyone individually and we will be rewarded individually or judged individually.

That person you worship would also give account individually while you would also do same. Be careful not to get them in trouble. Instead help them do their work well without going against God.

If we understand this, then we go out into the world at our job, school, business, neighbourhood etc. We represent God, we live as examples and do the will of the Lord.

So we carry the same message of Christ.

Listen,

2 Corinthians 5:19-21
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

HAVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!

PRAYER
Loving Father thank You for my salvation, keep me in my role as an ambassador representing Christ in the world. My relationship with You will never be replaced or depreciated instead it gets stronger and stronger. Glory to Your name Lord forevermore.

He calls us blessed.

Love
@the watcher.