Together # 4
A Together of Relationship with Go
A Together of Relationship with Go
Communicate with God Together
copyright by Dick Wulf, 2018
Listen through Bible study together.
Deut 6:6-7; 2 Kings 23:2-3; Ps 100:2-3; Acts 17:11; Acts 20:32; 2 Tim 3:16-17
Talk to God in prayer together.
1 Chron 5:20; 2 Chron 7:14; Matt 6:9-13; Matt 18:19; Mark 11:24; John 14:13-14;
John 15:7-8; Acts 12:5-7; Heb 4:15-16; James 4:2-3; 1 Peter 3:12
John 15:7-8; Acts 12:5-7; Heb 4:15-16; James 4:2-3; 1 Peter 3:12
Show love together through obedience.
Luke 6:46; John 14:21; 1 John 3:24; l John 5:3
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One way to look at communication with God is that it has three parts. There is listening to God through knowing what He has written to us in the Bible. Second, there is the two-way communication of prayer. And, third, there is our communication to God through obedience that shows we love Him.
We Christians are very familiar with Bible study, prayer and obedience as important in our relationship with God. But, we might not realize how important it is to communicate with God together, especially in our Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages. Individualized faith has diluted the power of Bible study, prayer and obedience by these essential relationships of the church. However, within our Christian friendships, families and marriages, study of the Bible, prayer and obedience can blossom and bring us much closer to God.
What really makes the difference between individual Bible study, prayer and obedience and those same vehicles of communication in the more intimate, hopefully more trusting relationships of Christian friendships, families, and marriages is the more personal availability of Jesus.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth
agree about anything they ask for,
it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matt 18:19-20
agree about anything they ask for,
it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matt 18:19-20
God is omnipresent, He is everywhere at the same time. So, Jesus is with us when we are alone. But, because of Jesus’ statement that follows His advice on Christians agreeing in prayer, we must trust that He is with us with something of more value when a few of us gather in His name.
When one of us alone drafts a prayer request, it might not be as complete as it should be for God to answer. It might be that it is biased to one believer’s way of looking at things. Two or three will probably be coming from slightly different perspectives and offer a change or add something very important to the request. In their discussion, Jesus can insert His will through being with them.
In Bible study by Christian friendship groups, Christian families, and Christian marriages, Jesus can work in the discussion until what God is saying is more clearly heard and understood. Small group Bible study is great, but there are often some people whose contributions do not emerge for one reason or another. This can happen in Christian friendships, families and marriages, but hopefully in these more intense relationships it will be more important to include everyone. Then, if Jesus is going to influence someone’s comments about the Scripture being examined, that person has less chance of being left out.
The same is true of obedience. In the closer relationships within a believer’s Christian Inner Circle, what Jesus wants the friendship group, family or marriage to do is more likely to be heard and brought up for consideration.
To summarize, since God wants to communicate with all of us together, we must listen to God speaking in our relationships that most frequently gather with Jesus. Because Jesus promised a special presence when 2 or 3 gather in His name, we can best hear and communicate with God in these smaller, close and trusted relationships of our Christian friends, families, and marriages.
Bible Study
God initiates communication with us through the Bible. He cared enough for us that He wrote his communication down that we might go over it again and again. The Bible is God speaking to us whenever we want to listen to Him.
When one of us alone drafts a prayer request, it might not be as complete as it should be for God to answer. It might be that it is biased to one believer’s way of looking at things. Two or three will probably be coming from slightly different perspectives and offer a change or add something very important to the request. In their discussion, Jesus can insert His will through being with them.
In Bible study by Christian friendship groups, Christian families, and Christian marriages, Jesus can work in the discussion until what God is saying is more clearly heard and understood. Small group Bible study is great, but there are often some people whose contributions do not emerge for one reason or another. This can happen in Christian friendships, families and marriages, but hopefully in these more intense relationships it will be more important to include everyone. Then, if Jesus is going to influence someone’s comments about the Scripture being examined, that person has less chance of being left out.
The same is true of obedience. In the closer relationships within a believer’s Christian Inner Circle, what Jesus wants the friendship group, family or marriage to do is more likely to be heard and brought up for consideration.
To summarize, since God wants to communicate with all of us together, we must listen to God speaking in our relationships that most frequently gather with Jesus. Because Jesus promised a special presence when 2 or 3 gather in His name, we can best hear and communicate with God in these smaller, close and trusted relationships of our Christian friends, families, and marriages.
Bible Study
God initiates communication with us through the Bible. He cared enough for us that He wrote his communication down that we might go over it again and again. The Bible is God speaking to us whenever we want to listen to Him.
All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Tim 3:16,17
and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Tim 3:16,17
Let’s remember that God wrote the Bible to all of us together. We must resist the idea that He wrote it just for each of us apart from the community of believers. The apostle Paul wanted us to understand that together we can understand the Scriptures when he wrote the following.
But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Cor 2:16
1 Cor 2:16
Paul was writing to the church in Corinth. He did not say, “But each of us has the mind of Christ.” Therefore, we must accept that we can best understand what God is saying in the Bible when we are together with other Christians. It is here where we can pool our understanding and apply it to current life and contemporary culture.
To help one another understand God’s Word, we need to share what each of us sees God saying in a Bible passage. There is a problem with individual study, and even sermons, as our primary way of hearing God speak to us through the Bible. Passive listening is inferior to active discovery with others. The beauty of studying the Bible in 2's and 3's with Jesus is that there is trust in these closest of Christian relationships that leads to openness and honesty.
This is a major reason why it is important to feel safe in our Christian friendships, families and marriages. We need to be able to drop our guard and relate like we don’t know the Bible very well. Then, we can express doubts and questions that open up while we are learning more from God.
Prayer
Prayer should be a two-way conversation. We speak to God and He speaks to our spirits.
The aspect of prayer with which we are most familiar is asking God for things. The Lord’s Prayer models this for us.
To help one another understand God’s Word, we need to share what each of us sees God saying in a Bible passage. There is a problem with individual study, and even sermons, as our primary way of hearing God speak to us through the Bible. Passive listening is inferior to active discovery with others. The beauty of studying the Bible in 2's and 3's with Jesus is that there is trust in these closest of Christian relationships that leads to openness and honesty.
This is a major reason why it is important to feel safe in our Christian friendships, families and marriages. We need to be able to drop our guard and relate like we don’t know the Bible very well. Then, we can express doubts and questions that open up while we are learning more from God.
Prayer
Prayer should be a two-way conversation. We speak to God and He speaks to our spirits.
The aspect of prayer with which we are most familiar is asking God for things. The Lord’s Prayer models this for us.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matt 6:11-13
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matt 6:11-13
It is very wise to bring our desires to our Christian friendships, marriages and families for examination. A Christian alone can present his or her request to God and the Lord will certainly hear. However, Christians together with Jesus can take a closer look at the need and refine it so that it more closely represents what the Lord wants the request to be. Think about it. Can God really grant something He does not want or something He knows is not in a person’s best interest?
And, this principle works similarly in marriage. A husband and wife can discuss the content of an important prayer request before presenting it to God in prayer. They can first ask Jesus what He likes or would change about the prayer being drafted. Then, two hearts with Jesus can present a united front, paving the way for God’s fulfillment.
A whole family discussing important things to pray about should bring Jesus into the discussion. Often, the children with their innocense and less stressful lives may hear Jesus best. Imagine a family discussing together what to do during the Christmas holidays with inner ears tuned to Jesus’ presence. First they ask the Lord in prayer if He has anything He wants them to know, be, or do. Then they discuss among themselves what they think the family should do based on what they may have heard from Jesus. Once they agree, they ask the Lord in prayer to help.
However, in prayer we also proclaim our praise, thanksgiving and loyalty to God. Prayer should not be all about asking for things. We need each other’s help to do more than thank God for food at mealtime. Again, the Lord’s Prayer shows us that praise, thanksgiving and reaffirmation of our loyalty should regularly be in our prayers to God.
And, this principle works similarly in marriage. A husband and wife can discuss the content of an important prayer request before presenting it to God in prayer. They can first ask Jesus what He likes or would change about the prayer being drafted. Then, two hearts with Jesus can present a united front, paving the way for God’s fulfillment.
A whole family discussing important things to pray about should bring Jesus into the discussion. Often, the children with their innocense and less stressful lives may hear Jesus best. Imagine a family discussing together what to do during the Christmas holidays with inner ears tuned to Jesus’ presence. First they ask the Lord in prayer if He has anything He wants them to know, be, or do. Then they discuss among themselves what they think the family should do based on what they may have heard from Jesus. Once they agree, they ask the Lord in prayer to help.
However, in prayer we also proclaim our praise, thanksgiving and loyalty to God. Prayer should not be all about asking for things. We need each other’s help to do more than thank God for food at mealtime. Again, the Lord’s Prayer shows us that praise, thanksgiving and reaffirmation of our loyalty should regularly be in our prayers to God.
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:9-10
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:9-10
Also, we need to recognize that prayer is not only from us to God, but a time for God to speak to us. We need to learn to slow down and listen in prayer for God’s voice.
Obedience
While Bible study is one-way from God to us, obedience is one-way from us to God. We give Him our obedience as a sign of our love and appreciation.
We can and should tell God that we love him in words, often in song. But, if we do not live the way the Lord has asked us to, what value is there to our words?
A Christian living alone in a cave might live relatively free from most sin. But, solitary obedience is surely limited as a way to communicate love and appreciation to God.
It was to the group of disciples that Jesus gave this command:
Obedience
While Bible study is one-way from God to us, obedience is one-way from us to God. We give Him our obedience as a sign of our love and appreciation.
We can and should tell God that we love him in words, often in song. But, if we do not live the way the Lord has asked us to, what value is there to our words?
A Christian living alone in a cave might live relatively free from most sin. But, solitary obedience is surely limited as a way to communicate love and appreciation to God.
It was to the group of disciples that Jesus gave this command:
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:12
John 15:12
The 65 Togethers of Scripture are all instructions from the Bible for when Christians get together. They are all ways we love one another and love God. Solitary obedience omits these Togethers and is not so strong a message of love for God.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
When Mike accepted Christ as his Savior, he was first interested in being a good member of the church he joined. Church leadership helped him know what that local church was all about. Unintentionally, Mike was taught that Scripture knowledge was the end, not the means to something more.
Then Mike developed a good friendship with Gary. They spent more and more time together, sometimes fishing and other times just talking over coffee. The thing with Gary was that he listened to God. It dawned on him that his friend Mike did not relate to God except in the most unnatural way. So, Gary showed Mike how to communicate with God personally in the way Mike talks to those he loves. He showed Mike that Jesus always talked to his Father with sincerity from his heart. Then Gary and Mike went the next step and together communicated more completely to God through Bible study, prayer and being obedient. |
Jesus knew the Scriptures. When we study the Bible with others, we become like Jesus who at an early age was in discussion with scholars.
If we want to become more and more like Jesus, we need to be together with other Christians searching out more truth from the Bible. We need together to rebuke worldly philosophies with as much Scripture as all of us together can grasp. We need to help one another bring our thinking, feeling and behavior into line with Scripture to open up God’s rich blessings. And, together we need to relieve some Christians of non-essential religious traditions that are burdens in violation of the freedom we have in Christ.
Bible study together will help Christian friendships, families, and marriages sort out what truly pleases God out of all that is allowable.
If we want to become more and more like Jesus, we need to be together with other Christians searching out more truth from the Bible. We need together to rebuke worldly philosophies with as much Scripture as all of us together can grasp. We need to help one another bring our thinking, feeling and behavior into line with Scripture to open up God’s rich blessings. And, together we need to relieve some Christians of non-essential religious traditions that are burdens in violation of the freedom we have in Christ.
Bible study together will help Christian friendships, families, and marriages sort out what truly pleases God out of all that is allowable.
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but
not everything is beneficial.
“I have the right to do anything”—but
not everything is constructive."
1 Cor 10:23
not everything is beneficial.
“I have the right to do anything”—but
not everything is constructive."
1 Cor 10:23
Unfortunately, we can be blind to our own preferences for the meanings of various Bible verses and passages. We want what we think works best for us. But does God know better? Our Christian friends and family members can struggle with us to find out what God would say to us. This can rarely be done alone.
Christians are to pursue solitary Bible study, prayer and obedience, but should not value it only. Jesus did not prioritize being by Himself. Autonomous Bible study, prayer and obedience is inadequate and must be supplemented by such action in our Christian Inner Circles.
Regarding prayer, Jesus constantly had conversations with God the Father. In growing to be more and more in conversation with God, both the Father and the Son, guided by the Holy Spirit, is to become more like Jesus.
It seems that God the Father and Jesus the Son communicated about the creation of humans.
Christians are to pursue solitary Bible study, prayer and obedience, but should not value it only. Jesus did not prioritize being by Himself. Autonomous Bible study, prayer and obedience is inadequate and must be supplemented by such action in our Christian Inner Circles.
Regarding prayer, Jesus constantly had conversations with God the Father. In growing to be more and more in conversation with God, both the Father and the Son, guided by the Holy Spirit, is to become more like Jesus.
It seems that God the Father and Jesus the Son communicated about the creation of humans.
Then God said, “Let us
make mankind in our image, in our likeness, . . .”
Genesis 1:26
make mankind in our image, in our likeness, . . .”
Genesis 1:26
So, if God talked the creation of mankind over with Someone, presumably Jesus, then we act like God when we talk over important things with those Christians to whom we are especially close. That should include (1) discussing together the Bible to hear what God wants us to hear, (2) together evaluating the things we want to request of God and then examining together what we think we hear back from God, and (3) assessing what is required for obedience to say to God, “We love You.”
Jesus loved God the Father and showed it by doing whatever His Father wanted. As we together help one another to increase our obedience and work for God in a hostile world, we are being like Jesus with regard to our priorities and as a way to express our love.
Opportunity to Worship God
Jesus loved God the Father and showed it by doing whatever His Father wanted. As we together help one another to increase our obedience and work for God in a hostile world, we are being like Jesus with regard to our priorities and as a way to express our love.
Opportunity to Worship God
Susan was in personal prayer and meditation one day when it occurred that her family of four kids and husband did not do much in the way of communicating with God together. She realized that family devotions consisted of learning what was in the Bible, but without true recognition that God was actually talking to them. Plus, prayers during devotional time were quick one-way messages to God without listening for God’s response. And, while the family did try to treat each other in a “Christian way”, they did it as a lifestyle, not a conscious expression of love for God.
This all changed after one particularly insightful family meeting. Now the family has devotions, not to just learn the Bible but to hear what God has to say to the family and each of its members. After learning something, they discuss what God has said to them in the Bible passage. And, now when they pray, they discuss what to say to God and what they want to request of God before actually talking to God in prayer. Plus, when they do something nice for one another when they don’t want to, they know that they are expressing their love for God. |
We worship God when we hold as very valuable what He says to us in the Bible. Reading the Bible without recognizing that it is God talking to us is like reading a letter from our favorite aunt and not treating it as personal. Worship is ascribing worth to God. We can judge just how strong is our worship by being honest with ourselves about the level of sincere recognition that He is talking to us through the pages of Scripture and how attentive we are to what He is telling us.
When together, Christians can reflect back to God his worth by sincerely valuing what He has to say to our friendships, families and marriages in the Bible. Together we can ponder Scripture passages, ask God what He is saying, and apply it to our lives. Learning the Bible just for information but without relationship with God is seriously discounting Him.
Together as friends, family members or spouses we have the responsibility to make sure everyone is relating to God. It is our job to see that those closest to us receive the words of the Bible as listening to a personal God speaking to them. We need to help them go much further than merely knowing information.
Likewise, talking with God in prayer shows that we value Him. Those we value, we talk to. We also listen to them. Talking with God in prayer, if personal, is valuable worship.
And here is where we need one another’s help. It is too easy to treat God like we treat the clerk who takes our order at a fast food restaurant. We drive up and quickly tell what we want. However, if that clerk just happens to be a friend, then we make our order a bit more personal. We ask her or him how the day is going. We talk about what we are doing that day. We even might ask what she or he recommends we order. We will honor God more if we treat Him more personally, at least communicating more like we would with a fast food clerk we know.
We often bring people important to us to meet someone whose relationship we value. If we know and trust a certain car mechanic, we introduce others to him. Even better, we go with them to talk over their car’s problem. Likewise, we honor God when we talk with Him in prayer when in our Christian friendships, families and marriages.
Consider how parents show that they value their children by talking with them. When they seldom pay attention to them at home or in the car and let them watch DVDs or play video games too much, they communicate less worth. It means quite a lot to children when their parents spend time relating to them. Research has shown that if a family just eats dinner together around the table a few times a week, drug and alcohol abuse go down significantly.
Those who just “go through the motions” of prayer will not be speaking to God personally. Those in such a person’s Christian Inner Circle need to reach out and help these believers until they can intimately relate to God. Let us never forget how valuable it is to help others who are so important to us have a relationship with God as personal as their relationship with us.
Furthermore, listening for God’s quiet voice is best accomplished together, with more ears focused on the task. Christians in their friendships, families and marriages would do very well to set aside times of silence with the purpose of hearing God speak.
Jesus commanded us to love one another just as He had loved His disciples. The way He did that is represented by the Togethers. We need each other’s involvement and help to make sure that our obedience to Scriptures that tell us how to love one another is a worshipful expression of love for God.
Extensive obedience is worship because it shows God that He is the wonderful and highly appreciated King of Heaven and worthy of being obeyed. To not encourage one another to take God as seriously as we should a loving King is dishonoring and disgraceful. Christians must help one another bow to the King by doing what He says to do. They must help one another worship through costly obedience that indicates sincere love for God.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
When together, Christians can reflect back to God his worth by sincerely valuing what He has to say to our friendships, families and marriages in the Bible. Together we can ponder Scripture passages, ask God what He is saying, and apply it to our lives. Learning the Bible just for information but without relationship with God is seriously discounting Him.
Together as friends, family members or spouses we have the responsibility to make sure everyone is relating to God. It is our job to see that those closest to us receive the words of the Bible as listening to a personal God speaking to them. We need to help them go much further than merely knowing information.
Likewise, talking with God in prayer shows that we value Him. Those we value, we talk to. We also listen to them. Talking with God in prayer, if personal, is valuable worship.
And here is where we need one another’s help. It is too easy to treat God like we treat the clerk who takes our order at a fast food restaurant. We drive up and quickly tell what we want. However, if that clerk just happens to be a friend, then we make our order a bit more personal. We ask her or him how the day is going. We talk about what we are doing that day. We even might ask what she or he recommends we order. We will honor God more if we treat Him more personally, at least communicating more like we would with a fast food clerk we know.
We often bring people important to us to meet someone whose relationship we value. If we know and trust a certain car mechanic, we introduce others to him. Even better, we go with them to talk over their car’s problem. Likewise, we honor God when we talk with Him in prayer when in our Christian friendships, families and marriages.
Consider how parents show that they value their children by talking with them. When they seldom pay attention to them at home or in the car and let them watch DVDs or play video games too much, they communicate less worth. It means quite a lot to children when their parents spend time relating to them. Research has shown that if a family just eats dinner together around the table a few times a week, drug and alcohol abuse go down significantly.
Those who just “go through the motions” of prayer will not be speaking to God personally. Those in such a person’s Christian Inner Circle need to reach out and help these believers until they can intimately relate to God. Let us never forget how valuable it is to help others who are so important to us have a relationship with God as personal as their relationship with us.
Furthermore, listening for God’s quiet voice is best accomplished together, with more ears focused on the task. Christians in their friendships, families and marriages would do very well to set aside times of silence with the purpose of hearing God speak.
Jesus commanded us to love one another just as He had loved His disciples. The way He did that is represented by the Togethers. We need each other’s involvement and help to make sure that our obedience to Scriptures that tell us how to love one another is a worshipful expression of love for God.
Extensive obedience is worship because it shows God that He is the wonderful and highly appreciated King of Heaven and worthy of being obeyed. To not encourage one another to take God as seriously as we should a loving King is dishonoring and disgraceful. Christians must help one another bow to the King by doing what He says to do. They must help one another worship through costly obedience that indicates sincere love for God.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Jesse and Pam have two grown daughters and one adult son. Unfortunately, one of the daughters married badly and is being physically abused. Naturally, Jesse and Pam are beside themselves. Each has been struggling with this situation alone. And getting nowhere.
Pam’s best Christian friend Jane knows Pam better than church friends who only see Jesse and Pam putting on “church faces”. Jane expressed surprise last week that Pam and Jesse were not really working together on the problem of their daughter. She explained to Pam that Christians were to face such serious things only together. The implications were clear and Pam told Jesse that they needed to communicate with God together to ask what the Lord thinks they should do. First they started pouring over the Bible to find what God says about handling such a tough predicament. Then they went in prayer and asked for more specific direction. Then they listened. Each day they asked each other if they had heard anything from God. After four weeks, just at the time such action had a chance for success, God told them what to say to their daughter. And what help to offer. |
Evil confronts us often and we should talk with God about it. What God has said to us in the Bible must confirm that what we are facing is, in fact, evil. Then, since we seldom clearly know how to confront evil, we need to pray. It comes naturally to ask God to stop whatever is evil. However, we must ask Him if He wants us to do anything about it, and what specifically. If we and those in our Christian Inner Circles whom we have consulted hear that God wants some sort of action, then we should obey out of love for God.
God’s archenemy Satan obviously does not want us communicating with God. He doesn’t want us to listen to God through Bible study with other Christians. But if we do, the devil will do his best to distort God’s words as he did at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. He doesn’t want us talking to God about what might be going wrong with others we care about, so Satan distracts us with good things like recreational pursuits creating problems for us that leave little time for prayer. Even more than taking away time to seriously present requests to God on behalf of others, these evil tactics destroy the inner peach that makes it easier to hear God talking to us about our requests. The final goal of our enemy Satan is to stop us from loving God and telling Him so by obedience.
Staying in communication with God is absolutely necessary for fighting evil and defeating the devil. Doing so as an individual is fine but usually inadequate for war. We need the active involvement of our Christian friends, family members and, if we have one, our husbands and wives.
Those of us who have been in the military know the absolute necessity of following orders with immediacy. Listening carefully to orders (Bible study and prayer) and acting right away (obedience) is demanded in the warfare against evil to which we are called. And, if a fellow soldier does not hear an order, those in battle know it is their responsibility to pass on the order. Not doing so is gross insubordination.
When we study the Bible together, are we only thinking of what God is saying to us individually? Or do we spend time wondering what God is saying to our friendships, families, and marriages? Are we listening for what God might want to say from the Bible study to each of those with us? Are we at war or not? !!!
Likewise, when we are praying together, are we wondering what God is saying to our friendships, families, and marriages? Are we listening for what God might want to say to each of those with us? Are we at war or not? !!!
When we are obeying together, are we all conscious of doing it for God out of gratefulness for all He has done for us? Hopefully, we are not just aware of our own individual thankfulness and love for the Lord. However, we need to get a glimpse of God’s joy when he sees His people together in love with him. This is easy to understand if you are a parent. Isn’t it the most thrilling thing when we see our children loving us together as a group?
“Together obedience”, obedience as friends, family and married couples, is too much for Satan to handle. We want that, don’t we? Are we at war or not? !!!
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
God’s archenemy Satan obviously does not want us communicating with God. He doesn’t want us to listen to God through Bible study with other Christians. But if we do, the devil will do his best to distort God’s words as he did at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. He doesn’t want us talking to God about what might be going wrong with others we care about, so Satan distracts us with good things like recreational pursuits creating problems for us that leave little time for prayer. Even more than taking away time to seriously present requests to God on behalf of others, these evil tactics destroy the inner peach that makes it easier to hear God talking to us about our requests. The final goal of our enemy Satan is to stop us from loving God and telling Him so by obedience.
Staying in communication with God is absolutely necessary for fighting evil and defeating the devil. Doing so as an individual is fine but usually inadequate for war. We need the active involvement of our Christian friends, family members and, if we have one, our husbands and wives.
Those of us who have been in the military know the absolute necessity of following orders with immediacy. Listening carefully to orders (Bible study and prayer) and acting right away (obedience) is demanded in the warfare against evil to which we are called. And, if a fellow soldier does not hear an order, those in battle know it is their responsibility to pass on the order. Not doing so is gross insubordination.
When we study the Bible together, are we only thinking of what God is saying to us individually? Or do we spend time wondering what God is saying to our friendships, families, and marriages? Are we listening for what God might want to say from the Bible study to each of those with us? Are we at war or not? !!!
Likewise, when we are praying together, are we wondering what God is saying to our friendships, families, and marriages? Are we listening for what God might want to say to each of those with us? Are we at war or not? !!!
When we are obeying together, are we all conscious of doing it for God out of gratefulness for all He has done for us? Hopefully, we are not just aware of our own individual thankfulness and love for the Lord. However, we need to get a glimpse of God’s joy when he sees His people together in love with him. This is easy to understand if you are a parent. Isn’t it the most thrilling thing when we see our children loving us together as a group?
“Together obedience”, obedience as friends, family and married couples, is too much for Satan to handle. We want that, don’t we? Are we at war or not? !!!
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
Carol and her three friends have just seated themselves in a restaurant after the church service. The pastor had given a sermon on the believer’s responsibility to preserve one another’s hope, which he explained was #59 of the Togethers of Scripture. Carol’s friend Katie seems uncharacteristically thoughtful, so she asks if something is bothering her. Katie replies that her spirit has been stirring since the middle of the sermon, and she wonders if Jesus is speaking.
Because this friendship group has grown far beyond occasional Christianity, Carol and the two others mention that they will listen also. After they order sandwiches, the friends go into silence, asking the Lord if He is speaking. Then, Carol thinks she hears Jesus directing her thoughts to their Sunday school class. Once she mentions this, Jean’s thoughts are drawn to a woman who visited for the first time. She mentions this to the others. “That’s it”, exclaims Katie. “That woman seemed either confused or troubled. When I glanced at her, I had the sense the Lord was talking.” More silence. Then Carol reports a growing conviction that Jesus wants the four of them to reach out to this woman and see if she needs her hope bolstered. All agree. Nina reaches for her cell phone and calls the Sunday school teacher to find the woman’s name and phone number. |
Developing our spirits to listen for God’s inaudible voice now will help us do it more easily in heaven.
Better communication deepens relationships. We all know how conversation is much easier with a long-time friend who will understand what we mean by what we say. In heaven, when we commune with God in one way or another, communication will be more adequate, functional, and enjoyable if we have further developed communication with God through Bible study, prayer and obedience now. Developing our communication with God now will prepare us for a closer relationship with God in heaven.
Communicating with God is difficult in this life before heaven, but that difficulty can give us stronger spirits for deeper communication with God in heaven. Presently we have to deal with the struggles of ordinary life and try to find time to read and meditate on Scripture. With regard to prayer, so many concerns in our minds and so much disarray surrounding us make it difficult to concentrate on talking to God and listening to Him. His is a still, small voice possible to discern in our minds if we can block out the static of everyday life. And, although we want to show God how much we love Him through obedience, we often can only find time for simple moral obedience rather than the sacrificial love that is the divine love represented by the Greek word “agape” in the Bible.
That is why we need the power of close, intimate, Christian friendships, families and marriages committed strongly to Jesus Christ. Because God said to the first man Adam, recorded in Genesis 2:18, that he needed a helper, we know that anything difficult that God asks us to do, any hard spiritual opportunity, needs help from other believers. Adam and Eve needed each other’s help to live God’s way for total happiness and contentment – and they forgot to help each other. As a result, they left us with sin inside of us and evil outside in our environments and cultures. Too often we make the same mistake, in this case studying the Bible, praying and offering our obedience alone, without the significant involvement of other Christians.
Heaven is all about God, so increasing our ability to communicate with Him is very important. We want to go there with more natural, spontaneous and automatic ability to learn from what God will tell us there in heaven, which will be far more than our Bibles contain.
The last verse in the Gospel of John reads, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
We also want to go to heaven with increased skill in prayer, in talking with God. Making prayer requests within His will and listening to what He wants to say to our spirits for daily life will make life in heaven more natural. There in heaven, the sense of harmony with God and its accompanying joy will be enhanced.
Last, we should want to go to heaven more prepared to show our love for God by doing things His way. Of course, we will all do things His way in heaven. But, the quality that will be different for each of us is the depth of our desire to please Him and bring Him joy through our obedience.
Then there is the other aspect of prayer, letting God speak to us.
Listening for God’s quiet voice is best accomplished together, with more minds focused on the task. Christians in their friendships, families and marriages would do very well to set aside times of silence with the purpose of hearing God speak to their spirits. This is listening with our spirits. The Holy Spirit will help us open up that deepest part of who we are to hear God speaking to us.
Jesus speaks only what God the Father wants Him to say.
Better communication deepens relationships. We all know how conversation is much easier with a long-time friend who will understand what we mean by what we say. In heaven, when we commune with God in one way or another, communication will be more adequate, functional, and enjoyable if we have further developed communication with God through Bible study, prayer and obedience now. Developing our communication with God now will prepare us for a closer relationship with God in heaven.
Communicating with God is difficult in this life before heaven, but that difficulty can give us stronger spirits for deeper communication with God in heaven. Presently we have to deal with the struggles of ordinary life and try to find time to read and meditate on Scripture. With regard to prayer, so many concerns in our minds and so much disarray surrounding us make it difficult to concentrate on talking to God and listening to Him. His is a still, small voice possible to discern in our minds if we can block out the static of everyday life. And, although we want to show God how much we love Him through obedience, we often can only find time for simple moral obedience rather than the sacrificial love that is the divine love represented by the Greek word “agape” in the Bible.
That is why we need the power of close, intimate, Christian friendships, families and marriages committed strongly to Jesus Christ. Because God said to the first man Adam, recorded in Genesis 2:18, that he needed a helper, we know that anything difficult that God asks us to do, any hard spiritual opportunity, needs help from other believers. Adam and Eve needed each other’s help to live God’s way for total happiness and contentment – and they forgot to help each other. As a result, they left us with sin inside of us and evil outside in our environments and cultures. Too often we make the same mistake, in this case studying the Bible, praying and offering our obedience alone, without the significant involvement of other Christians.
Heaven is all about God, so increasing our ability to communicate with Him is very important. We want to go there with more natural, spontaneous and automatic ability to learn from what God will tell us there in heaven, which will be far more than our Bibles contain.
The last verse in the Gospel of John reads, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
We also want to go to heaven with increased skill in prayer, in talking with God. Making prayer requests within His will and listening to what He wants to say to our spirits for daily life will make life in heaven more natural. There in heaven, the sense of harmony with God and its accompanying joy will be enhanced.
Last, we should want to go to heaven more prepared to show our love for God by doing things His way. Of course, we will all do things His way in heaven. But, the quality that will be different for each of us is the depth of our desire to please Him and bring Him joy through our obedience.
Then there is the other aspect of prayer, letting God speak to us.
Listening for God’s quiet voice is best accomplished together, with more minds focused on the task. Christians in their friendships, families and marriages would do very well to set aside times of silence with the purpose of hearing God speak to their spirits. This is listening with our spirits. The Holy Spirit will help us open up that deepest part of who we are to hear God speaking to us.
Jesus speaks only what God the Father wants Him to say.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
John 5:19
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Our spirits can hear the message of God the Father and God the Son because we will be enabled by God the Holy Spirit. The three persons of our One God can indeed speak to us when our spirits are silent and we are listening.
Training in how to listen can never be valued too much. Listening deeper than the words spoken, what some call “listening with the inner ear”, must be practiced and developed. We have a tendency to listen to ourselves more than to others. This is because in the sinful environment, the old self is still active inside of us. How often, when someone is speaking about something, are we preoccupied with what we think or how we want to respond? We are not carefully listening to what they are trying to communicate.
Listening more accurately to God with the help of our closest, trusted Christian friends, family members and spouses gains us more listening power. We can understand more accurately what God is saying to us when prayer is listening for God together.
A new mother learns to listen carefully to her small children playing in another room. But it helps her to have other ears listening just in case she does not hear something going wrong. In a similar way, it helps to have others listening with us to God. He might have a message for us that we cannot hear except by listening together.
We need one another’s help to listen to God when sin surrounds us. The ability to carefully listen for God above earthly distractions will go with us to heaven. We will find that we have a greater ability to recognize God’s voice, not over sinful distractions but over the many wonderful diversions of a perfect heaven. His voice will be all around us to hear at the deeper level allowed by our previously-trained spirits.
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
Training in how to listen can never be valued too much. Listening deeper than the words spoken, what some call “listening with the inner ear”, must be practiced and developed. We have a tendency to listen to ourselves more than to others. This is because in the sinful environment, the old self is still active inside of us. How often, when someone is speaking about something, are we preoccupied with what we think or how we want to respond? We are not carefully listening to what they are trying to communicate.
Listening more accurately to God with the help of our closest, trusted Christian friends, family members and spouses gains us more listening power. We can understand more accurately what God is saying to us when prayer is listening for God together.
A new mother learns to listen carefully to her small children playing in another room. But it helps her to have other ears listening just in case she does not hear something going wrong. In a similar way, it helps to have others listening with us to God. He might have a message for us that we cannot hear except by listening together.
We need one another’s help to listen to God when sin surrounds us. The ability to carefully listen for God above earthly distractions will go with us to heaven. We will find that we have a greater ability to recognize God’s voice, not over sinful distractions but over the many wonderful diversions of a perfect heaven. His voice will be all around us to hear at the deeper level allowed by our previously-trained spirits.
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
I am with my friend Sam sitting on a boulder in one of the beautiful meadows of heaven. Suddenly a wind comes up and stirs the grasses. Excitedly, I ask, “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” is Sam’s response. “The praise of the grasses. The words inside the sound of the wind rushing through the grasses.” Sam looks at me perplexed and without understanding. He can’t hear the grasses using the wind to sing, “We adore you, O Our God, for designing this wind to help spread our seed. And, to allow us to sing to You.” Some day Sam will learn to listen deeply. Perhaps not so deeply as those of us who spent effort to listen to the almost imperceptible, yet very definite, words of Jesus in spite of the interference of sin and unnecessary cares back before death. That level of listening above sin’s static can no longer be attained. But, my friend will eventually be able to hear some of the praise of grasses and flowers and rocks that I hear right now. |
If we are standing on the edge of a pond, can we hear all of what is going on, or are our senses limited to hearing only a few sounds. Do we hear the frogs, crickets, wind, lapping of the water against the bank and birdsong all together? Can we take in the complete experience?
Everything in heaven will speak of God. Sounds will praise Him and silence will praise Him.
Everything in heaven will speak of God. Sounds will praise Him and silence will praise Him.
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied,
“if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:39,40
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied,
“if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:39,40
Do you want to hear it all?
You will grow in heaven to be able to hear more and more, but perhaps not as well as those who learned to hear God in the middle of Satan’s sin-noise.
Think of the most wonderful parts of this world and realize that heaven will be a thousand times more. We won’t automatically know all that is available; we will never know everything – that is reserved for God. It is His nature to be omniscient. Almost all of the wonderful things in heaven are now hidden to us, beyond our imaginations.
You will grow in heaven to be able to hear more and more, but perhaps not as well as those who learned to hear God in the middle of Satan’s sin-noise.
Think of the most wonderful parts of this world and realize that heaven will be a thousand times more. We won’t automatically know all that is available; we will never know everything – that is reserved for God. It is His nature to be omniscient. Almost all of the wonderful things in heaven are now hidden to us, beyond our imaginations.
No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard
and it has never occurred to the human heart
All the things God prepared for those who love Him.
1 Cor 2:9
and it has never occurred to the human heart
All the things God prepared for those who love Him.
1 Cor 2:9
Jesus will know every wonderful place to go, every fascinating person to meet, and every exciting event to attend. What if each of us will be able to listen to Him differently, being able to hear His invitations to these things only to the capacity we gained in listening for His voice?
We pay good money for headphones that enhance the sound of the music we love to listen to. Those headphones screen out other sounds and enhance the reception so that we hear the sounds as the musicians and singers meant them to be. Such technical headphones cost more than others. Learning to hear God as He really is and what He is really saying costs screening out sin and its distractions. If we do that before death, does it not make sense that such training will carry to heaven in some respect that is not able to be developed s keenly there because of the absence of evil?
With our Christian friends, family members and spouses, let’s prepare for heaven where communication with God will be all-important. Let’s not miss out on things beyond the grave because we took too little interest in communication with God.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
We pay good money for headphones that enhance the sound of the music we love to listen to. Those headphones screen out other sounds and enhance the reception so that we hear the sounds as the musicians and singers meant them to be. Such technical headphones cost more than others. Learning to hear God as He really is and what He is really saying costs screening out sin and its distractions. If we do that before death, does it not make sense that such training will carry to heaven in some respect that is not able to be developed s keenly there because of the absence of evil?
With our Christian friends, family members and spouses, let’s prepare for heaven where communication with God will be all-important. Let’s not miss out on things beyond the grave because we took too little interest in communication with God.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
In heaven Barbara and a couple of friends are strolling along the path of the River of Life. Jesus suddenly joins them and talks about how he enjoys being in their company. Jesus sets the tone and just walks silently with them, only occasionally saying something.
Barbara feels a deep connection to her Lord because she, too, on Earth before death, greatly enjoyed being less active in the Lord’s presence, just listening for the next thing Jesus would say and occasionally sharing her thoughts with Him. Jesus glances at her and smiles. And Barbara feels the special connection. |
We all know how conversation is much easier with a long-time friend who will understand what we mean by what we say. That is the result of many conversations over time. We prefer to be with people who want to hear what we have to say and we want to hear what they have to say.
Why would it be any different with God? He will prefer to be with those of us who wanted to listen and hear what He had to say.
We also like to be with people who are not always asking for things. If that is all they do, we feel we are not important but only useful for what we can do for them. This does not lead to desire to be around them.
Why would it be any different with God? He will not prefer being around people who are always asking for things.
We need to stop concentrating on prayer requests and learn to be friendly with God. We want to start with praise, telling God that we recognize all the wonderful things about Him. Then we should thank God for all the things He has given us. We might want to share our thoughts and feelings with Him as we would with a very best friend. Once we are communicating with God as least as personal as we would a friend, we can share our needs.
If in our minds we think God has most joy in private communication with us, we might want to think that over. Scripture makes it clear in the Old Testament that God wanted to be with His people more than His person. And in the New Testament, all of us together are the body of Christ and the bride of Christ.
It might be that God is a “party person” in all the best ways to interpret that. So, we need to go over the last few paragraphs and apply that to when we meet with those in our Christian Inner Circles.
Let’s be the kind of citizens of heaven who God wants to be with. Let’s develop natural openness with Him before death.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Dear Lord, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to be in communication with You more regularly and build a more personal relationship with You. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we communicate with You in Bible study, prayer and obedience.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus in knowing the Scriptures, being constant in prayer with You, and doing what You want us to do. Help me and those in my Christian Inner Circle to be in the Bible together, talk to You in prayer together, and obey You together.
May our lives worship You more because we value learning about You and what You want us to know, value talking with You often, and value every chance to obey You when it does not come natural and automatic.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by ignoring him and, instead, communicating with You about evil. Help us to know Your ways very well that we might not adopt the evil one’s ways. Help our Christian Inner Circles to pray against Satan and those spirits under his power. And, give us opportunities to obey You and defeat the devil’s attempts to draw us away from You and decrease our love for You.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more completely to be in communication with You so that when we arrive in Your home, we will have an advanced relationship with You. May all of us in our Christian conversations and activities be quite aware of Your presence and learn from You, talk with You about what is going on, and express our love through obedience to Your ways of living.
Why would it be any different with God? He will prefer to be with those of us who wanted to listen and hear what He had to say.
We also like to be with people who are not always asking for things. If that is all they do, we feel we are not important but only useful for what we can do for them. This does not lead to desire to be around them.
Why would it be any different with God? He will not prefer being around people who are always asking for things.
We need to stop concentrating on prayer requests and learn to be friendly with God. We want to start with praise, telling God that we recognize all the wonderful things about Him. Then we should thank God for all the things He has given us. We might want to share our thoughts and feelings with Him as we would with a very best friend. Once we are communicating with God as least as personal as we would a friend, we can share our needs.
If in our minds we think God has most joy in private communication with us, we might want to think that over. Scripture makes it clear in the Old Testament that God wanted to be with His people more than His person. And in the New Testament, all of us together are the body of Christ and the bride of Christ.
It might be that God is a “party person” in all the best ways to interpret that. So, we need to go over the last few paragraphs and apply that to when we meet with those in our Christian Inner Circles.
Let’s be the kind of citizens of heaven who God wants to be with. Let’s develop natural openness with Him before death.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Dear Lord, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to be in communication with You more regularly and build a more personal relationship with You. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we communicate with You in Bible study, prayer and obedience.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus in knowing the Scriptures, being constant in prayer with You, and doing what You want us to do. Help me and those in my Christian Inner Circle to be in the Bible together, talk to You in prayer together, and obey You together.
May our lives worship You more because we value learning about You and what You want us to know, value talking with You often, and value every chance to obey You when it does not come natural and automatic.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by ignoring him and, instead, communicating with You about evil. Help us to know Your ways very well that we might not adopt the evil one’s ways. Help our Christian Inner Circles to pray against Satan and those spirits under his power. And, give us opportunities to obey You and defeat the devil’s attempts to draw us away from You and decrease our love for You.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more completely to be in communication with You so that when we arrive in Your home, we will have an advanced relationship with You. May all of us in our Christian conversations and activities be quite aware of Your presence and learn from You, talk with You about what is going on, and express our love through obedience to Your ways of living.
Ever increasing practice of the Togethers of Scripture will (1) create in you the loving essence of Jesus, (2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, (3) provide you with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, (4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to him through your behavior, and (5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer. And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will later (6) qualify you for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, (7) most important of all, give you greater empathy with God for a closer relationship with Him for all of eternity.