Life seems meaningless if you don't have a "ship." In case you're wondering, I'm not speaking of an actual boat. We can live without that, but we cannot live an obedient life in Christ without a relationship. When you add the word "ship" to a noun or pronoun it reveals a condition or status. I can be related to you and never meet or speak to you. We are just related. Things change when we communicate, share, and get to know one another on a deeper level. The status changes and I have a relationship with you. The more I spend time with you, the more we build and the closer we become.
Since we are all created by God (See Genesis 1:26; 2:18), we are related to Him and to one another. But do we a have a relationship?
Going to church faithfully does not equal a relationship with Christ; it means you attend church regularly. Quoting scripture doesn't mean we have a relationship, it means God has given us the ability to retain His Word. However, when our walk and talk combine, they reveal our true relationship (See Ephesians 3:14-21). Many know of God, but do not know Him intimately. When we are intimate with Him, He dwells in us and we have Jesus' power. The best is this power is free to ALL that want it (Romans 10:9-10). All that is required is the desire to be be made whole, to be saved, then you pray and maintain a relationship with Him. Ask The Lord to enter in your heart and every part of your life. You will begin to walk victoriously in His power. I love to hear the sermons of Dr. Tony Evans. In his sermon, "The Prayer for Spiritual Power," Dr. Evans shares a trip he went on that really drives home the levels in which we can experience the power of God:
"....one time when we went to Niagara Falls for vacation. Many years ago, we went and I drove all the way from Dallas to Niagara Falls. I don't advise you do that, but we went all the way to Niagara Falls. Niagara falls has two sides, an American side and a Canadian side. Our hotel was on the Canadian side. We got there late at night. When we got into the hotel room, I opened the curtain and way out in the distance you could see the Falls, 'cause it's lit at night, and it was a spectacle to behold. I mean, it was just awe-inspiring. It was way out there, couldn't hear it. Could see it enough that it was impressive. So, I was impressed by it.
The next morning, we went to the Falls. On the Canadian side of the Falls is a park. We stood in the park on the Canadian side of the Falls. Oh, but this was different than the hotel room, 'cause I can hear it, the thunder of the roar of the water going over the Falls and hitting the basin of the Falls. And so, it hit with such force that the wind would blow up little drops of water, even across the street to the park, and you would feel little drops of water every now and then. So, in the hotel room I was impressed by it, but in the park I got a little feel of it, 'cause I was close enough to hear it, and every now and then I got a drop of water on me 'cause I was now in the vicinity. But now there's another way you can see the Falls. It's called, "The Maid of the Mist". These are boats down in the basin of the Falls.
Now, if you go to the boat in the basin of the Falls, they going to give you a raincoat and an umbrella, 'cause now you getting ready to get drenched 'cause you're down there in the basin of the Falls, so you're gonna be overwhelmed with the power. See, some Christians relate to Jesus from the hotel room of their lives. They're impressed by him at a distance. They don't ever hear anything. God never speaks to them. The supernatural is rare if ever, but they'll go to church 'cause they're impressed with Jesus. Some Christians relate to Jesus from the park. They're a lot closer than the hotel room, and every now and again, they'll get a drop here and a drop there.
But there are those few who are not satisfied with the hotel room. There are those few who are not satisfied with the park, because they wanna get drenched. They want a raincoat and an umbrella, 'cause they gonna take the risk of getting close. So, the question on the floor today is, how much God do you want? Because he will only give you as much of God that you can handle. Spiritual intimacy should lead to expanded spiritual capacity. Spiritual capacity brings on more spiritual power, so that God gets glory as he blows your mind with the supernatural. So, I invite you to ignite kingdom prayer in your life so that you can give testimony that he's real. He's real, 'cause I've seen him with my own eyes." (https://sermons.love/tony-evans/5504-tony-evans-the-prayer-for-spiritual-power.html)
Pray~ Study~ Apply and Be Blessed
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