Become the encounter
Posted by PropheticEdge | Labels: supernatural lifestyle | Posted On Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 3:35 PM
"Many people fall short of a divine encounter because they are satisfied with good theology." - Bill Johnson
This statement is unfortunately very true. It is very exciting to see young adults who are on fire for the Lord. They carry such a passion. As time goes on, why do they quickly fade away? As I began looking at this, I realized that they were living under their parents/elders view of who God is. They generally have never had a true experience with the Lord. Unfortunately, their lack of experiencing the goodness of God makes their views easily persuadable.
When these young adults enter college life and their views are challenged, they have no real answers for the questions that are being asked of their faith. When they find themselves unable to answer questions about their faith, they begin searching for the truth. In this search for truth, worldly arguments can seem very convincing. They get caught up in the "freedom" of these world views and foget that Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus didn't say "I am one of the ways, one of the truths, and one way of life."
Unfortunately, losing sight of this profound truth that Jesus spoke is very easy to do. The only thing that I have found to plant our feet on solid ground is by experiencing Jesus. I like the way Kevin Dedmon put it in his book "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt." He said, "A man with an experience has more than a man with an argument, but a man with an argument is one experience away from changing his argument."
As Christians, we might be the only piece of God that people encounter. I am not saying that we are God. I am saying that God is in us and we are children of God. We are heirs to the throne. Therefore, we need to stop just being satisfied with good theology and start living in such a way that those whom we encounter in turn have an encounter with the Lord.
This statement is unfortunately very true. It is very exciting to see young adults who are on fire for the Lord. They carry such a passion. As time goes on, why do they quickly fade away? As I began looking at this, I realized that they were living under their parents/elders view of who God is. They generally have never had a true experience with the Lord. Unfortunately, their lack of experiencing the goodness of God makes their views easily persuadable.
When these young adults enter college life and their views are challenged, they have no real answers for the questions that are being asked of their faith. When they find themselves unable to answer questions about their faith, they begin searching for the truth. In this search for truth, worldly arguments can seem very convincing. They get caught up in the "freedom" of these world views and foget that Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus didn't say "I am one of the ways, one of the truths, and one way of life."
Unfortunately, losing sight of this profound truth that Jesus spoke is very easy to do. The only thing that I have found to plant our feet on solid ground is by experiencing Jesus. I like the way Kevin Dedmon put it in his book "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt." He said, "A man with an experience has more than a man with an argument, but a man with an argument is one experience away from changing his argument."
As Christians, we might be the only piece of God that people encounter. I am not saying that we are God. I am saying that God is in us and we are children of God. We are heirs to the throne. Therefore, we need to stop just being satisfied with good theology and start living in such a way that those whom we encounter in turn have an encounter with the Lord.
Excellent and Amen! We should be like a pass through account at the bank - we receive the Father's love and blessings through our relationship with Him and pass it on to others - "Sow with a view to righteousness or uprightness before God and reap His unfailing love, break up the fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and reigns righteousness on you." We should point the way to the shelter and refuge of the Father for others. Let us press on!
Sometimes, when young people are on fire for God, they get burned out by the church. The church limits them or gives them to much at once and it kills the person's experiance there. Instead of listening to the new generation, the church is going over past ideals. I think the church should try to be more like water and not frozen pudding when it comes to listening to its people.