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August 14, 2015 11:47 am
Every man, Jesus was one feels more like a losing battle for no welcome you with the time we get a little giddy or we laugh little bit that's important because were altogether.
We have all been together. It seems like forever. It's been a while one of us is gone or are couples counselors five of us in the studio to hear from all five of us, but it's me and Robby and Alan Dennison, Vinnie, and so we we do have a roomful which is really good to see you guys again okay thrilling I guess is well. Maybe God will be glad for near him and so that brings us to the topic today of what happens if you sit a different way. Drawing near to God is that easy to do, is hard to do something you never really thought about you don't know how to do it and sort of talk about the topic. It comes from James for a first part of the verses that says come near to God and he will come near to you. Think when things will talk about very first is notice it doesn't say he might come near to you. There's a promise or there's a promise that he will come near to you. We also have an action.
We need to take Soren talk today little bit about how we become more familiar with moving closer to God. What we do to do that and how that sometimes we have a hard time doing so. Go to clip pretty quickly and it's from the movie courageous and I know if you listen to chauffeur while I don't often use Christian movies. Believe it or not make points because I really love secular music. Not that I don't appreciate Christian movies but this one from courageous. I just found it and I had to use and so in this clip what you have is a man who's lost his daughter and reason being counseled by the pastor.
I took a little snippet from that conversation because I want you to listen to but don't think about in the line of having lost somebody but just a difficult time in your life and apply to difficult time in your life will come back we'll talk about that that those who go through this. Trust in the Lord discover comfort and intimacy with God's people never experience all interest storms. He doesn't promise an exclamation but he does promise to walk with you does promise walk with us through the pain you think about this topic a little bit.
I thought about the times that I grew closer to God and initially early on in my my walk with Christ was in the times of difficult situations when they would come up. You know the death of a parent or death of someone close to me or just loss of a job are the things that happen in life that really kind of bring you to that point and you have to make a decision. I move closer to God that I get mad at him and move away for me.
A lot of times that's what took me closer to him before the thing that I want to play the clip was waiting on those bad things to happen.
That's life. Things are going to happen. People are going to die. People get sick. All those things. That's part of living in a fallen world rices overcome this world were still here for now and while were here. Those things are going to happen. So, not waiting till then to draw near to him is pretty important.
Want to go to you and ask your question brought up this topic earlier chuckled about when you are a non-Christian, just becoming a Christian how this topic really kind of struck you know what I was a new Christian, I thought that these personal close relationships were strictly for pastor profits. People in the Old Testament.
Maybe the New Testament not not where I was at and so there was an ignorance that there was this close relationship and you know for me. We call being fathered by God where you have that relationship you're talking your you know your going to him for everything in your your listening as well. Sometimes the you feel words in your heart.
Sometimes things happen you get enlightened or you get encouraged, but for me that was the darkest time be looking back. Not realizing I could have that relationship.
It was possible that was probably darkest time of my life up until that point.
So part of it is not knowing it's available in the Bible is a book of examples, not exceptions), and so knowing that that's got put that there because it's available to us and so that's part of it on, switch gears a little bit and ask you guys, each of a question. What causes you to draw near to God or would you do to draw near to God in your life and swallowing the kind of start with you again of what you do currently or have you done in the past to draw near to God seeking me more in his presence that said that's a good question. It's a tough question because you know it's it's been a progression before it would be tragedies before it would be before I was on a daily basis praying or reading the Bible, but now is not the tragedies or the stress it's more just we have that relationship were like when I wake up, you know, I look at my wife first thing I smile at her and do the same thing with God, I just say good morning and how we doing today that that kind of joy in at least one of them smiles back some of my wife with the nasal go to Dennis what about you what some things in the past were you draw near to God, or what you do to draw near. It's interesting because with the clip that you used that 20 years ago when my dad had a massive heart attack was that that situation is what started to draw me back closer to God in communication with him getting back into his word. So it was a bad circumstance in seeking, you know, praying to him to save my father that really started that over the years it's been just developing a regular communication with him and I have to admit that some day some really good about that. Some days I'm not so good because it requires intimacy. It requires work and sometimes sometimes we don't feel like doing that, whether it's in relationship with him or with other people's probably what about you what to what you do currently draw closer to God. Well, I've coined the phrase for years. The five slam pajama Pajama prayer and so you know, in those times where I feel like wow you know I really need to hear something and I believe that pastor once said it stuck in my heart never got out that you have two ears and one mouth, and so prayer is twice as much hearing as is talking and for me and so the five slam pajama cats pajama prayer is all about hearing from God because if I'm not hearing back anything from a prayer that I don't feel like I actually have any intimacy and so the way that prayer essentially goes.
It is on the spend a lot of time trying to prepare to hear and to focus on listening and having a great expectation that I am going to hear from him and not necessarily on any given topic that may be up but just simply what I need to hear from you I need to know that you're there can you know Robby God coming God that looks and then sit back and listen with the expectation of hearing everyone followed with a distal moment is the enemy like that reviewer does he try to throw things to get you derailed in them out of the part of the five slam pajama's is called giving it to God so for these zillion things will pop in your head that you want to listen to other than trying to hear from God and what you have to do almost immediately and it's it's part of the five slam pajama process is okay that thought popped my head note God, give that to you. You got that comes this thought here comes this pain here comes this issue, give that to you, Lord, I know that's not what you're talking about some waiting here for coming to tease a little bit and ask your your permission okay rather not tease you.
Please the listener that if you want to know the five slam pajama prayer.
I'm sure Robby will have it posted for us to put on the website.
I will I will update the blog before they ever hear this pocket before they ever have this broadcast so the five slam jam all the steps the five slam pajama cats pajama prayer will be there@masscountryradio.com with your listening live.
Yeah, you are amazing you time while you watch me okay okay Vinnie for you what the you draw near to God is Seattle. I draw Mira. I was in a closer right now it was going on in my life, I'd be in a shadow honestly and truthfully, I've always been close to God. I believe maybe I've strayed, but I will lose been close to him because I don't know anybody in my lifetime. That is a Christian that I've said this little you guys that you know whether you believe in God or not. When something drastic happens, you say oh my God, and everybody does so with me was happening in my life now being a little bit on the old side and blind with a blind wife.
I'm so close to God that you know I almost wonder, put on a roll been these business associate and help them with. I just believe in God and I now know that I've always believed in God and I was always drawn to him like most everybody here and out there. Always when something is going wrong this not get close to God.
You know you only go to him, something is wrong should be close to him at all times celebrate the good things as well as the things that you can handle because that's about how I feel about going on. Like I said if I got any closer now, I'd be in a shadow I think I'm on the same cloud is an is telling me to lose weight because you don't want full and I think you bring out is always some very, very good points. Thank you really get it looking your faith, not only when things are going bad when things are going really good is are you going to God as much when things are good is your winter batter for just in between is honestly a lot of life we live kind in between the peaks and valleys. But there's also some plateaus were on and delete often go to him and all those times I think part of what were talking about is this just for new Christians do existing Christian service trouble with my failure existing Christian struggles. Well, neck, back and talk about that. I have passed more information on what we might be doing a mass concerning radio.org to learn more about us to watch watch to listen to some podcasts try to load some pictures of our on their know we will, so that you going to come back, go to that website you the five slam agenda prayer now one in five kids diagnosed with cancer who will find the cures together children's research on September 19 and 26 one in childhood cancer. We won't stop until new go to CQ.org/walk one to sign up right Jackson five Jackson five. How often you get to turning to Christian radio station here and oldie like that out here yeah yeah I was out there just real quick. Howard, Don, who called. He wants his shirt back is what you did get here when we were on break was how human heart, a producer came in and said that the communications commission called so there's absolutely no pictures about to be posted on their websites and aren't have to honor that. But Don, how does one assure clean this time. Okay were to move on to a beautiful picture of how God sees relationship with you Sam and you Robby. You have me.
I'll be there for you when you listen to that song obviously it's their singing to a girl when you take out just a couple of the lyrics.
It really is how God is speaking to us.
I will be there.
I'll be there to comfort you will be there to protect you but the things in life won't happen.
There's protection in the midst of all that, but there's protection of your heart, even though it may not be protection your body or or of a situation, but is there to help get you through it and I think it's really pretty cool song when you listen to it in that context. So it when we left.
We talked about is this is for new Christians or to existing Christians, regardless of how long you been a Christian struggle from time to time, drawing near to God for me. I struggle sometimes and we'll talk about that here in a little bit with Dennis yet a clip may help explain why sometimes people struggles that that's a clip from a movie called up in the air which George Clooney I believe started and it is character in this scene is I guess what you call corporate writer. He was a guy that went in and broke up corporations and people would get laid off and things like that he's given a talk to a group of people in this particular scene and not less, listen and see what he thinks about relationships is a little difficult to stay with her new backpack.
This time I wanted to fill it with people.
Start with casual acquaintances and friends of friends folks around the office and moving to the people that you trust with your most secrets cousins or aunts or uncles brothers or sisters parents and finally her husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. Given that backpack don't worry I'm not going to ask you to light it on fire. Feel the weight of make no mistake, your relationships are the heaviest components in your life for the straps cutting into your shoulders.
All those negotiations and arguments and secrets compromises you need to carry all that weight and she said that some animals carry each other to live symbiotically for a lifetime. Starcrossed lovers, not swans.
We are not slower we move the faster we die we are not swans or sharks. Yes. So what he's saying is basically relationships guys are paying the backpack just don't.
It takes work to have relationships. It's not something that if you're if you're moving.
If you're on the go, and I'm sure to submit listening today that have busy lives, you have to take time to develop a relationship and some of us fear that intimacy, you know, because that takes work. So this guy later on he he came around in a relationship with a woman, but what he was saying basically as I don't have time to develop relationship how many of us think that way and maybe even if were honest with ourselves are thinking that way about our relationship with her heavenly father enough collies of the war you go through your day and you find it. I've been going through this all day today and I haven't really spent any time with my heavenly father because he's not the bigger party because you were sharks and something else so that's that's kinda how it spoke to me about. It takes work to do that you have to get over that fear of intimacy that maybe some of us have experienced getting that close but is it it does take hard work does it and then maybe a big part of his, we don't know what it will require of us as well. It's going take some hard work or it may take the fact that I can't be is independent as I think I should be here maybe throw in stubbornness that might get in the way of I want to do things my way and I'm afraid God's mass. Do it a different way have to give up some control after give up control when you really don't have it anyways, and I think you do. Or maybe it's a distressed as you talk about of relationships are the father's heart and buying in the lives of the enemy, but there's something else that might kinda get in the way Robby in there. There's something that your click okay to speak to yeah the thing I thought of when I heard about the topic was what Adam's problem was was the he wanted to hide. He needed a fig leaf and that has to do with when we've messed up when we sin, which also often happens because of her own fear and course. That's where we find Adam and that's what you find this young man from the movie Cinderella Man this poor boy had stolen some stuff and his natural root in her response was to hide from the father. And if you listen closely, the two other children in the family jumped out to greet the father but the one that's in trouble, you will find him until you are looking for trouble from the purchase. When you go boy right now down things he only excuse to take what you wields the one and I promise we'll never send you the reconciliation.
There Sam just spoke to my heart just like volumes that if we could get to the place where we would drop a fig leaf and and come to the father and say okay I admit I was scared and I thought we were going out not have any food and you would send me away, but the way that this particular father went after the boys heart and then assured him and gave him a promise like, draw near to you that I will never send you away.
What is that you are concerned about is not a real fear that you listen to so as I think about one of the places of the master journey has brought me in my journey in drawing near to God was seeing how many fig leaves. Robby is been wearing most of my life and it's in those places where I am really struggling with sin that group provide the greatest opportunity for reconciliation with the father that I can go like that boy and say what here's why and what I'm struggling with. Can you help me father and we can have some major freedom available to us with what Christ paid for us at the cross and noticed that through that.
He didn't say hey good talk to the butcher, the father stayed near them all the way through it is with him every step of the way.
Even boy thought there was disappointment evenly thought there was all these things. The father was still there.
Robby, I will be praying for you, those fig leaves drop not one around and seeing that it's a full-length for Dennis when we live without being near God, we kinda live in conflict only interim internal conflict happens because something just hand me there when to tell me little bit about what verse one because it is actually a devotional friend of mine was reading to me a couple of days ago and I thought it spoke volumes about what we talk about here today is why am I here why did God create me just three things with the first one it says you were created for an intimate fellowship with God and to have daily communication with him.
So we were created for that purpose to have a relationship with our heavenly father. So if were not having that relationship and something inside of this just isn't going to feel right. Maybe some of that unhappiness that anger may be direct related to unknowingly or maybe even knowingly living in conflict with that that way you are made to be near God suits what some advice you would give some people out there today as we come towards the end of the show of how would you draw near to God today, what would you do if you had five minutes Robby or Al or Dennis or Vinnie. I said you need draw near to God right now how would you do that for me.
I would just speak to this.
I know he's listening. I know he's there and that's the biggest part of it. A lot of people think that they're not doing anything, by prayer.
Prayer is the biggest thing but being close to God and if you do it on while not 24 seven. But you know most of your life you'll never he'll never push you away. Always listen the thing of it is is that you this thing I would say is that if you were trying to entice a girl to fall in love with you. You would be thinking how can I go after her heart. What a neat prayer for me lately. Last few months.
For God, how can I like the lady break the spikenard and come after you, like sheep, you know you're already having hello Jennifer, matter where you are today. If you didn't know, is available it is available. If you don't know how to do that.
There are some tips since it the latest breakthrough that cigarette I give it to you. Thanks for joining us will talk to you next week. The masculine journey radio show comes to you weekly on the truth because of your faithful prayer and gifts their addresses. Masculine journey radio, PO Box 550, Kernersville, NC 27285 or online@truthnetwork.com.
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