Communion with God

Communion with God

Recently I was privileged to listen to a message titled “Communion with God” by Reverend Mark Virkler.

The basic theme of the message is that God wants to have deep, personal, loving communion with us and this truth is shown throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

In the very beginning in the garden of Eden, we see how God loved to walk in the garden together with Adam and Eve, talking to them, fellowshipping with them. We are so special because we are created to have a loving, intelligent, relationship with God.

In Deuteronomy, we see how God spoke to the people of Israel face to face from the mountain, out of the fire, declaring to them the 10 commandments. The people could not bear listening to the voice of God in all His holiness. Listening to God can be painful as God’s Word burns away the sin from our lives. The people said “let Moses pass us Your message”. They missed out on a direct relationship with God, hearing God’s voice for themselves. Only Moses had that privilege, and how wonderful it was, being so close to God, as a friend even. The people rejected relationship and they received the law, all 613 statutes.

Pastor Mark shared at this point how for 10 years he tried to live by the law, summarizing 26 rules from the New Testament and trying to follow them day by day. All he met was frustration and condemnation. We are completely unable to follow all of God’s law on our own strength. We must first start by knowing God. As our relationship with God grows, we automatically begin to obey the law more and more freely, easily. Where the Spirit is, there is freedom.

Pastor Mark used to think eternal life was a pass card that you would show St.Peter at Heaven’s Gate to get in. However, Jesus said that Eternal life means knowing God. The word for “know” used is the same as Adam “knowing” his wife. It is a very intimate sense of “knowing”.

In the story of Mary and Martha, we see how Martha got so annoyed with her sister for leaving her to do all the serving and just sitting at Jesus feet, listening to Him, loving Him. Most of us would immediately relate with Martha and think that logically, rightfully, Mary should help her. However Jesus said that what Mary did was far better. Relationship is more important than obedience. Relationship comes first, and obedience will follow as a result. As we learn to love Jesus and listen to Him, we will find ourselves obeying Him. 

Paul was the greatest missionary and apostle, surpassing all the disciples of Jesus in His ministry to the Gentiles but his deepest longing was not to save more souls for Christ or establish more churches for the Lord. His deepest longing was that he might know Christ, that he might intimately know Him. Knowing, loving Jesus is far more important than anything we can do for Him.

Finally, in the book of Revelation, we see the beautiful picture of  the marriage between our Lord Jesus and His bride, the church, us! What do fiancées in love do? They spend time together, they talk about everything and anything under the sun. They enjoy each other’s company. We who are destined for marriage to the Lamb must also build this great relationship with Him even now.

May the Lord help us to indeed intimately know Him as we walk closer to Him day by day.

God bless, Jason