Rushing waters exists to make Jesus tangible in your apprenticeship to him. That starts with how we think about a God who has a voice "like the roar of rushing waters." Ezekiel 43:2 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.
After I Choose To Live My WHOLE World illuminated by the teachings of Jesus - What do I do next?
Before we dive in, let's take a moment to revisit the gospel. For me, hearing this good news repeatedly reminds me of God's supreme sovereignty and goodness.
The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again for us, conquering death, and giving us the chance to live eternally with Him in heaven. Johbn 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Not because of what we have done, but because of his lavish grace upon grace he generously gives us if w choose to believe and put our trust in Him. As believers, he has designed me to experience God's love more intimately. He's not a far off God way up there.
Sin led me away from God, so I need his healing and grace through faith in Him. Because He loves me so much, He forgave me and sent his Holy Spirit to help me walk with Him. I'm now a child of God entrusted with a purpose: to glorify Him while I'm here on earth!
Lately, as a person of faith, I've encountered the question, 'Okay, after I understand and accept the gospel and choose to be saved by Jesus, what next?'.
A have a new friend who has committed to a personal relationship with Jesus. She has dedicated herself to connecting her life decisions, actions and mindsets around Him. As we walk this journey together, I am inspired to examine the question of how to both articulate and authentically live out this new paradigm shift of living close to God.
What Walking with God is NOT
When my husband asks me "What do you want for dinner?" or "What do you want to do for your birthday?" or even playfully "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I often start with what I don't want to help narrow down more feelings from there.
Walking with God is not a one and done event. Instead, it's a continuous and lifelong adventure. A relationship with Him is not meant to be done isolated from others, but rather with also shared experiences in a community of believers. It's not meant to be a lukewarm choice: He's an all or nothing God. He requires our wholehearted devotion. Would I marry someone unless I knew I was committed to getting to know them the rest of my life? My husband Bryant is thankful that the answer to that question is NO!
1. Daily choose to know Jesus and his ways. Choose to look like Him.
After prayer and reflection, the Lord nudged me to this simple conclusion: Continually get to know Him, like I would any father / lover / friend. Think about Him daily. It's not to check a box off and open my bible for10 minutes in the morning and then forget about him throughout the day. If I want to be like Jesus and glorify him, I need to spend time with Him, learn what it means to be like Jesus, and inevitably I'll also start to look like Him and do what he does. I am what I think about so if I spend time thinking about Him and being around His words and allow myself to experience Him, then I'll gradually reflect more of His image and likeness.
Here's How I Get to Know Him.
It's no one size fits all. But there are spriritual practices that have been around for millennia to help us.
I do this by reading my Bible and asking God about the meaning, context, and how it reveals more about Him. "God reveals himself to use through his Word. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." I ask experienced Believers and my Blue Letter bible app for help.
I pray. I speak to Him in prayer, and I wait around and listen. I share with Him both my excitement and my challenges. Sometimes I pray the Lord's prayer. Often I follow the ACTS model - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. As long as I'm talking with Him, I feel assured I'm on the right path. And when I don't know what to pray, I say his name. "Jesus.... Yahweh. Jesus? Elohim...
When I intentionally MAKE time to spend time in His presence, I learn to listen and surrender. Because that is what Jesus did with his Father. I wait for and cherish the subtle whispers, gentle nudges and essence of His words and character. I learn to trust and let Him love me. I allow Him to affect my decisions, actions, relationships; everything. I acknowledge and embrace the commitments associated with practicing the ways of Jesus. For me, this involves journaling, walking, immersing in worship music, serving, engaging in active conversations with God as I say scripture in my thoughts.
I invite others into my journey and go on missions with them too. Community fosters the awakening of faith. I see this weekly in myself and among the cherished individuals in my life. I need teaching, encouragement, and prayer. All of which are vital components of this same journey we're all on. As I now am on a journey of nurturing seeking hearts for God, the adversary challenges me relentlessly. I cannot stay the course with that kind of spiritual warfare without others praying on my behalf! And wow, there's such a power in unity with other believers that we're all running towards a tight personal relationship with Jesus. We care for each other and if one hurts, we all hurt. If one thrives, we all thrive. (Hebrews 10:25, Acts 2:42)
I worship. He deserves it. This involves expressing my love through music and in collective worship experiences. (Psalms 29:2). Music and singing were made by God and when authentic and sweet, it feels close to what Heaven may feel like.
I allow God to work through me to make disciples. I share about this awesome Jesus and my personal experiences with him in my community, with my girls, with my mentees and through this platform. Regularly sharing more boldly about my apprenticeship to Jesus is new for me and I'm facing challenges; but I'm doing it! I'm committed to embracing and navigating it! I baptize others as they publicly symbolize their choice of Jesus in their life. (Matthew 28:19).
2. Accept That He abides in me. Allow Him to do the transforming in me.
My mother in law recently visited and shared how she's studying the verses about abiding in me, and I in Him. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 Jesus here emphasizes the depth of connection and intimacy that can be experiences through a relationship with Him. It is beyond mere routine or interaction, it is a close personal relationship with God like the one I have with a regular being or a friend.
He's in the market of transformation and wants nothing less. Rev 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." He wants our commitment and faith, because being neither hold nor cold can lead to a life without Him in heaven.
As we were finishing up the dishes together after dinner, my mother--in-law talked about how usually she thinks about how we abide in Him, and how she can do that practically. But then, she said, lately her focus as been how He abides in us! What a relief. She likened it to her DNA and her mom's DNA. She has some of her mom's DNA, so she's inevitably going to look a bit like her own mother as she ages. God's DNA has been deposited into us in the way that he is whispering and dwelling in our hearts too. As two can become one, our thoughts align with the will of God too. We can resemble God more closely as we begin to reflect his desires for us.
I want to receive and dwell on those facts and His face. Just be with Him! Take a seat at the feet of Jesus, like when Jesus visited Mary and Martha's house, and immerse myself in his presence, absorbing His words and character. Choose Mary's posture of seating at the feet of Jesus over Martha, the busy bee (Luke 10:38-42).
3. Respond to His transformation with obedience.
Subsequently, I discovered that my faith is activated to want to do the will of the Father out of an abundance of love for Him and desire to bring Him glory. Every authentic relationship, after all, is a two way street.
But how? Where to start? Because growth as an apprentice to Jesus doesn’t just happen to us. Amen?! We are supposed to give all diligence to our walk with the Lord.
Ever experienced that feeling when a word or person seems to follow you wherever you go? For me, such occurrences often carry a personal message from God. Today, there was a set of verses from. Peter 1:5-9 that served as a divine message for me. Interestingly, I had set as my screen saver months ago these verses and guess what -- I didn't even pay much attention to them. Sad, I know. Perhaps I was in a rush and focused on what lay beyond that screensaver, or maybe I was oblivious due to its constant screensaver presence.
Then, I searched my phone notes for the word "faith" upon writing this, and it was a simple note I had written to myself on my notes app in 2022 that popped up first with this verse too. THEN, I open my bible app and guess what is one the homepage?! Yep. Here it is:
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9
Dear Friends, let's bask in the salvation that was obtained not by our efforts but by the righteousness of our God. By sitting at His feet, we invite Him to do the transformation within us, and, in response, commit ourselves to obedience. Let's reinforce our basic faith with 2 Peter 1:5-9. I pray that together, through this platform and the Holy Spirit working within us, our faith is reinforced and activated with the sound knowledge of the truth, combined with our committed obedience to it, and the transforming power He wields with His voice like rushing waters.
Lovingly,
Jenny Hadden
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