Good morning my friends
Even as I prayed and meditated on God's love this morning (with such gratitude for his grace and mercy). I usually ask God what to say to his people, and this is the response that came - ask them this question - "Do you know God?"
As I started doing research on the matter, here is the link on what I found
I have copied a few of the words to bring light to this subject
The New Testament. The Greek words commonly translated know are oida [ei [dw] and ginosko[ginwvskw].These words have the various nuances of meaning of the English word "know." They have been influenced by the Hebrew word yada [[;d"y], such influence having been mediated through the Septuagint, but they also reflect an adaptation demanded by a pagan world ignorant of God's existence.
The New Testament emphasizes that knowing God is not simply an intellectual apprehension, but a response of faith and an acceptance of Christ. It is he who has made God known ( John 1:18 ).To know Christ is to know God ( John 14:7 ). Eternal life is to know the true God and Jesus Christ ( John 17:3 ). Paul desires to know Christ in his death and resurrection ( Php 3:10 ). Failure to know Jesus as Lord and Messiah ( Acts 2:36 ) resulted in his rejection and crucifixion ( 1 Cor 2:8 ).
To know Christ is to know truth ( John 8:32 ). While this is personal, it is also propositional. Knowledge of the truth ( 1 Tim 2:4 ; 2 Tim 2:25 ; 3:7 ; Titus 1:1 ) is both enlightenment and acceptance of the cognitive aspects of faith.
Paul uses the rhetorical question, "Don't you know?" several times in 1Corinthians ( 3:16 ; 5:6 ; 1 Corinthians 6:2 1 Corinthians 6:3 1 Corinthians 6:9 1 Corinthians 6:15 ; 1 Corinthians 9:13 1 Corinthians 9:24 ). This may be an appeal to common knowledge, or a reference to a corpus of teaching that the apostle had communicated.
We need God, I don't know what life would be like apart from him anymore. I want to know him in deeper and deeper depths.
Do you?
Here are factors that would support the truth that we knew God and not just knew of him.
1 Is God our priority in our day to day existence. Are we thirsty for him as the deer pants for water? Does our desire for him consume our everyday living and being?
2 Have we been changed? When we have a true encounter with God, we can't go back to being the same old way. Spending time in his presence changes us.
3 Do we walk with repentant hearts? When God occupies the seat of our heart, there is no way we can be comfortable in sin. The first work of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of sin....the thing that separates us from God. There can be no real intimacy without true repentance ( that is not just saying sorry about sin, but truly turning away, being broken about sin and turning to God
4 Do we bear fruit for the Kingdom? Our desires once God is preeminent in our hearts and mind will be the furtherance of the Kingdom, we will care about lost souls and lending a hand to the lost, hurting and broken
5 We will care about others, esteeming them more highly than ourselves. God's love cannot be contained, it overflows and looks after and for the good of others
6 Are we able to bless our enemies? We reflect our Father when we do, for he rains on the just and the unjust
Abbah Father, we want to know you. You are our first priority. Remove anything that would block us from true intimacy with you. Give us a zeal and a thirsting after you O Lord. Move us from Faith to Faith and Glory to Glory.
In Jesus name
Amen
Walk Good in Christ
Pastor J
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