Friend of God

A common thought (although many wouldn't be honest with themselves to admit that this is true in their own life) is that as Christians we spend only as much time with God as necessary to try to manipulate God into giving us what we want from Him. And while there is nothing wrong with believing God to work in certain ways or pressing in for more (purposely left very open ended... more of whatever), there is a much greater delight in being a friend with the Lord. When one enters friendship and openness in relationship with the Lord, the friendship is in and of itself a blessing. And, on top of that, the Lord blesses His friends! There is a better way! The key of David, intimacy with the Lord, opens doors that no man can shut and shuts doors that no man can open!

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I think one thing that is becoming apparent to me while I am out at Bethel Church in Redding is the paradigm shift. While many churches seem to emphasize what to do and not to do, school here emphasizes who you are, walking in relationship with Him, and what the Lord has blessed you with authority over and how to walk in that. I think I like that. Doing is a byproduct of being. If it one simply tries to do without any connection and relationship, that really seems to be the starting point of religion, putting up masks and fakeness (because for the most part it is only through Him that true and lasting change occurs). So we have relationship or religion... one Jesus died so that we could have and the other was what Jesus attacked the most!