One wonderful aspect of Christianity is how easy it is to have an encounter with God. All you have to do is ask, with a sincere desire to meet God and a certain humility, also known as brokenness. No one who thinks himself the center of the universe will truly seek to know God.
When God reveals Himself to you, that's the first and perhaps most important encounter. A person who puts every hope in God's hands and believes that an answer will come is ready to be 'born again' to new life in Jesus Christ. The old life and the old man (human nature) dies when the heart and spirit bow before the Father, and a new, eternal life begins.
This doesn't sound like a good deal for God. Many who reach the point of total release have messed up so much they truly need another start. However, God wants this relationship. If a person confesses sin, believes that all sin was paid for on the cross when Jesus died, and accepts that sacrifice, the way is open for salvation. You don't have anything to give but your surrendered life. God does the rest, and the angels rejoice in heaven.
God made everything, and He made you with a need for Him. People substitute everything on earth for the One who truly satisfies, but substitutions disappoint and destroy. You have been given the ability to believe 'in things unseen', and, when you surrender your own life for the new life God has for you, you will feel His presence and sense His love.
The first encounter may be the sweetest and the most memorable, but it won't be the last. Jesus tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us, and that He will be present through every joy and every trial. His direction and guidance, as well as help, comfort, and healing, will make your life full of miracles and special moments that are more precious than gold.
This kind of life is full of testimony, which is the story of the relationship between you and the Lord. The accounts believers give are important to them, since the memories strengthen their faith. They are also important to others, who can learn from them and may be inspired to seek God for themselves.
It is true, however, that the Lord does not invade an un-surrendered life. If you choose to close yourself off, He allows that. It grieves Him, as it grieves any loving parent estranged from a child. He watches over you by giving you air, water, and food, and reveals His glory in the wonders of nature. He may allow hard circumstances in your life, but He will not force His way into your heart.
An encounter with God should be every person's goal. It's the way to the free gift of salvation and the joy of the Lord that will be your strength as long as you walk with Him.
When God reveals Himself to you, that's the first and perhaps most important encounter. A person who puts every hope in God's hands and believes that an answer will come is ready to be 'born again' to new life in Jesus Christ. The old life and the old man (human nature) dies when the heart and spirit bow before the Father, and a new, eternal life begins.
This doesn't sound like a good deal for God. Many who reach the point of total release have messed up so much they truly need another start. However, God wants this relationship. If a person confesses sin, believes that all sin was paid for on the cross when Jesus died, and accepts that sacrifice, the way is open for salvation. You don't have anything to give but your surrendered life. God does the rest, and the angels rejoice in heaven.
God made everything, and He made you with a need for Him. People substitute everything on earth for the One who truly satisfies, but substitutions disappoint and destroy. You have been given the ability to believe 'in things unseen', and, when you surrender your own life for the new life God has for you, you will feel His presence and sense His love.
The first encounter may be the sweetest and the most memorable, but it won't be the last. Jesus tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us, and that He will be present through every joy and every trial. His direction and guidance, as well as help, comfort, and healing, will make your life full of miracles and special moments that are more precious than gold.
This kind of life is full of testimony, which is the story of the relationship between you and the Lord. The accounts believers give are important to them, since the memories strengthen their faith. They are also important to others, who can learn from them and may be inspired to seek God for themselves.
It is true, however, that the Lord does not invade an un-surrendered life. If you choose to close yourself off, He allows that. It grieves Him, as it grieves any loving parent estranged from a child. He watches over you by giving you air, water, and food, and reveals His glory in the wonders of nature. He may allow hard circumstances in your life, but He will not force His way into your heart.
An encounter with God should be every person's goal. It's the way to the free gift of salvation and the joy of the Lord that will be your strength as long as you walk with Him.
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