Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Our Relationship With God


The other night I was spending time with God in my room and was completely consumed in His spirit. It was amazing, anyways, this is so I don’t forget what he revealed to me that night and the scriptures to back up what he told me. (This is how I know it was God.)

            I have always wondered how religion is so successful, because it makes no sense to me, if I want to do something I’m going to do it, just that simple. Now, there are things I do and don’t do because of my relationship with Jesus, just to make that clear it has nothing to do with religion. God told me that people use religion to cover up who they are, because they don’t want the world to see who they really are on the inside, a sinner. These people are ashamed of who they are and think that religion makes them better than everyone else. Guess what…. THEY ARE WRONG!!!! In Genesis 34 there was an incident when one of Jacob’s daughters, Dinah, was raped by Shechem. Now Shechem went to Jacob and Dinah’s brothers to ask for forgiveness and for Dinah as a wife, and they replied deceitfully saying that only if them and every male in their city were to be circumcised would they be forgiven and be allowed to have Dinah as his wife. Shechem went and immediately did what was asked. This angered Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi, they then went and murdered everyone in the town and stole from the town. This angered Jacob and God, because later on you will find out that Simeon’s and Levi’s  descendants lost the part of the promised land that was given to them because of this sin. You see they did this though not only in part of revenge but also because they thought they were better than all those in the town because they were set apart by God. You see we are set apart from this world by God but that does not make us better than anybody else. We need to learn humility as a whole in this area.

            Another thing about religion and religious thinking is that it hinders us from developing a relationship with our heavenly Father. It is only when we come to the Father with who we really are (which no matter how hard you try you can’t hide anything from Him) that we are able to develop that relationship with him. In John 6, Jesus explains that he is the bread of life and the people who eat it will not die but have everlasting life. This confuses and offends many of his followers. In John 6:66, it says “From that time many of his disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (NKJV). However his twelve disciples were right there still next to Him, and he asked in verse 67 “Do you also want to go away?” (NKJV). And His disciples replied with, “”Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”” in verses 68 and 69 (NKJV). You see the ones that walked away are the ones who were wanting to look good because they were following the Messiah,  but as soon as it got weird and uncomfortable they walked away, but the disciples said they wanted to stay with Jesus because they KNEW that Jesus is the Christ and Son of the living God. You want to know how they knew? It’s easy because they had that personal relationship with God.
            The biggest bible verse to back all this up is Matthew 7: 21-23. In these verses he says that not everyone who calls on His name, prophesies in His name, does many things in His name shall enter heaven. Instead he says “And then I will declare to them, ”I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” in verse 23 (NKJV). This sums it up right here, if you don’t know Jesus as your heavenly father then you are wasting your time. You have to develop that relationship with him that he longs for. That’s the whole reason why we were created was to be with Jesus (So there is the answer to our existence for all those people wondering). When we have that relationship we don’t have to wear a mask because we simply don’t care. We are no different than that prostitute, the crack head, or the dealer selling meth to kids. In that relationship with Christ we can come to accept that, because we are loved and accepted by our heavenly Father, Christ Jesus and we don’t care what the world thinks of us. When we realize this and let go of our religious thinking, it becomes one of the biggest burdens He will ever lift off of us, and we will be set free!

Matt's Meditations



Dear Friends,

As some of you may know, I have been invited to serve as a missionary with Global Ministries Teams and an armor bearer to Director Irvin Rutherford. GMT (Global Ministry Teams) is the same organization that I went to SE Asia with the first time.

That trip has always left a desire for me to go back to SE Asia; however, I knew it had to be according to God’s timing. Earlier this year, God told me that He intended for me to go overseas, and I would know when and where very soon. The only people I shared this with were close family and friends. About 3 months after learning of God’s calling for my life, Pastor Irvin Rutherford had asked my father if I would be willing to serve as a Missionary Armor Bearer – with no knowledge of what God had revealed to me earlier in the year. After praying about it, and learning what it meant to be an Armor Bearer biblically, I told Pastor Irvin that I was willing, able, and in full belief that serving as a Missionary and Armor Bearer in Malaysia is what God has intended for me to do.

I plan on being able to depart for Asia in the middle of May. I will be gone for four years, and will be working under Pastor Irvin Rutherford and other leaders in GMT. I will also be going to GMT’s school GET (Global Evangelism Training), for missions training. I truly do believe this is the calling that God has for my life, and this is my first step in that direction; however, I’m going to need support financially and spiritually in order to complete my journey.

My Challenge and Your Part

I need to raise at least $1,700 plus an additional $300 a month for each year while I’m overseas. The $300 a month will go towards the student loans that I have accumulated while I was attending school here in the U.S., and the $1,700 will go towards traveling and living expenses while I am in SE Asia. It is also necessary that I raise additional $5000.00 cash before I leave in May for airfare and setting up a place to live in SE Asia. I am also asking that you pray about your part in helping me to do what I believe God has placed on my heart.

I do believe that my missionary calling is God’s will for me. Irvin and I would greatly appreciate any one time offering towards the initial $5000.00 and/or any monthly pledge towards the $2000.00 I will need each month.

For any monthly or one time donations, just click on the PayPal button to make a donation, and you don't have to have a PayPal account. Also we will be sending a tax deduction reciept.

During the time I’m away, I will be updating my blog with stuff that God has been showing me, and also other things that God puts on my heart.

Thank you and God Bless,
Matt Lee