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Getting Closer to God
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To get closer to God we have to go His way, and do what He desires. His ways never change and never will change (Malachi 3:6) "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." [NIV]. It is God alone who satisfies "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." [NIV] the soul.
Getting Closer to God does not come by how much you know but by using your knowledge of Him in love. God is love and He desires people to be perfect like His Son Jesus (1John 4:8) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [NIV].
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
- 1. Humilty - Humble yourself, Be teachable, Receive Correction.
- 2. Pray - Ask God to show you things, Ask Him to reveal His heart to you.
- 3. Seek His Face - Read the Bible, Listen to Preaching, Look for Him in everyday circumstances.
- 4. Turn from Wicked Ways - Stop doing what God hates, Let Holy Spirit convict you.
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
Why is Humility #1? Because God hates pride, Pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Nobody with pride will receive anything from God because pride has to do completely with self and nothing to do with God. Keep practicing humility in every area in your life, the hardest place is in your home because you can act one way in public but when at home you can't act! Be real to people and real to God! (Hosea 6:6)For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. [NIV]. Want to get closer to God? Fight off your pride and humble yourself!
Baptism of Holy Spirit
Luke 11:13
"... how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Acts 2:38
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Don't debate theology about this. Just ask God and you will receive it, you will save yourself a lot of time. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today, and God wants to give you more of Himself. Matthew 3:11 explains John the Baptist speaking of Jesus, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
Lift your hands to God and say, "Lord baptize me with the Holy Spirit and fire, let me speak in new tongues." Start speaking in tongues, it isn't forced out, you just speak. Then glorify God, you now are baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Serving vs Quality Time
You have to understanding we need to rely on God for all of our needs. God created you to be filled with Himself, but when you act as if you don't need Him how can you ever be fulfilled?
Many people want a quick answer from God, I do all the time. We must honestly pursue Him and keep praying, I know it can get so hard and frustrating, but If you don't go near Him how are you going to hear Him? When you read the Word you are planting seeds in your spirit and later on you will have a good harvest. Be patient, but keep planting Gods Word in your life. The more you do, the more seeds get planted, and the more God will move for you. Growth does not happen overnight, it takes time and it will come.
There is a difference between serving God, and spending time with God. You can do what's right, but if you don't spend time with God and get to know him you won't get anywhere but temporary self-satisfaction of the acts of righteousness you've done. Spend time with Him and let God reward you. There is nothing wrong with doing good, but if you want to get someplace deeper with God, you need to spend time with Him! How do you get to know someone without spending time with them? How would you get closer to God by reading about Him but never taking a walk with him?
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. "
I encourage you to spend alone time with the Lord. Set aside anything you were going to do, and just pray and dig deep in your heart for God. Keep looking for more of Him in everything you do, He lives in you, and He will show you great and marvelous things.
"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Living Alive in God
To be closer to god you must live a life of Holiness - it is impossible without the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit for a reason, to guide, to council, to change hearts. It is the Spirit of God, living in us at every moment. Without the Holy Spirit in us we cannot change. Read your Bible and ask Holy Spirit for revelation and understanding, you must study and medidate on Gods word!
An intimate relationship with God will release His anointing of power to help you accomplish what he has planned for your life.
Jesus says: "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."
It is possible to be alive in the Spirit but not walk in the Holy Spirit. It is possible to have Christ live within us, but not live as if He does. As we continue to seek God it it is written:
Ezekiel 36:26-27
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
Colossians 3:8-11
"But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy
language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put
on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised
or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
Chase the Lord
Are you ready to go after God? Do it in secret, press into God. Outward power only comes from your inner purity. The inner purity is only the work of the Holy Spirit working inside. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you, the time is now, draw near to God!
God doesn't want His love for you to be at a distance, He wants to be with you. The most frequent promise in the Bible is; "I will be with you."
