Getting REAL!
By Michelle Amirault
Too often people will go forward at rallies, including those like Billy Graham's, and think they made a choice for Christ, yet they struggle their whole life in their own strength to overcome sin and to please God. For some reason, they never really get to know Him. Even some of you reading this article may feel that you chose God, and you may also wonder why you do not feel very changed within. The Word of God says, "No man comes to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws (=drags in the Greek) him," (John 6:44.) Many go forward out of guilt, emotion, fear of eternal torment or peer pressure. Then thinking they are now saved, they try to walk with God, convincing themselves they are, but not really able to commune with God. They go to church as that is the place all Christians seem to go, and because the conversion isn't real yet, they quickly become dependent on the pastor to teach them about God. They question very little out of respect or low self-esteem, at least regarding the things of God. (Who am I to question this?) Many people who go to church today are people who go because it is the "right" moral thing to do, or that's where their parents went. This too seems good, but we know that the mixture of truly converted Christians and those not really awakened yet, has not glorified life in God. (In the Hebrew the word "to know" indicates great intimacy. In God's sovereignty, He knows us, but do we know Him?) The Written Word of God tells us that Jesus will send 'the Spirit of Truth to guide us into all truth,' (John 14:26 & 16:12-15.)It is time to get real with God and ourselves. As people who call ourselves Christians, one important question to ask is 'how real is God for me?' If you feel like you really aren't growing in closeness to God, then call upon Him and trust Him to send you the Holy Spirit in His time. You will know when He does. You will never be the same! And if you were really converted by the Holy Spirit, but have gotten lukewarm, please seriously seek God's face and return to your first Love.
If we want to see meaningful conversions, we, God's people, need to seriously repent, turn one on One to God Himself, instead of depending on men to teach us everything they know about God. 2Chron. 7:14 seriously says, " if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." May this be a time of searching for the people of God, that we might truly become one in Him, not divided by denominations, or anything else, for a house divided against itself will fall. . . it must if we are ever going to reflect the depth of His love and His reality, purity and Oneness.
God does not want us to learn dependency on man and his many concepts of God, that just produces boxes of mechanical people who, 'though meaning well, are performing in their own strength. This in turn produces self-righteousness and self glory. Before God got me to be real with Him, I was just like this. I tried to do everything I was taught by men that I "should" do. Having seen by the Spirit that all I was doing was performing, I am now continually learning to relate to God directly. He will have us grow up into dependence on Him and His reality, where He is truly glorified. I long for the day when people will be drawn by His Spirit to our worship of Him and we will all be consumed by His Presence. Our worship of God is not to be a Sunday and Wednesday type thing, but a life that grows in its radiation of the Spirit of the Living God in all we think, say and do. Only by His Holy Spirit will we become as One body, coming together to share what He is doing in each of our lives, and the lives of those He reaches through us. Call on Him today.
With much love, Michelle
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