I WANT TO BE CLOSE TO GOD, BUT...

Over the years, I’ve talked to many people who, at some time in their lives, have accepted Jesus as their savior. Many of them struggle every day to be good people. Many have given up because they have lost that battle. They tell me they want to be close to God, but they just don’t seem to be able to reach that goal. I know what they’re going through because I’ve been there myself.

Living a Christian life in this day and age can be challenging. Many times we lose track of what’s important before we realize it. It’s so easy to wake up one morning and realize you’re a million miles away from God. Well, there’s a reason for that. “If You’re No Longer Close To God, Guess Who Moved.” I’m sure you’ve heard that one. It’s true. If we’re not close to God, it’s our fault. There are many things to distract us, and too often, we allow other things to take priority over God. We don’t mean to, but it happens.

When we come to Jesus we’re so excited to know we’re saved. It’s so good to be free from the guilt and shame that our past life of sin put on us. Then the newness wears off and the excitement level drops, and many times we forget that we have been made into a new creature. Satan reminds us of our past, and sometimes we wonder if we're really saved. Many ask themselves, “Did God really save me?” If one reaches this point, it’s a sure bet that they haven’t been spending enough time with Jesus, in prayer, and in Bible study. Believe it or not, this makes a big difference in a person, and others around us can see the difference in us when we spend time with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

We have to be intentional about our relationship with the Lord, just like any other relationship. If you aren’t close enough to God that you can hear and know his voice when he speaks, then try these few steps; Pray, Read and Study the Bible, and Avoid Evil things that will lead you away from God.

PRAY – Talk to Jesus and listen for him to talk to you. It may not be an audible voice every time, but sometimes it will. Talk with him all the time, no matter where you are or what time it is. Stay in constant communication with him. Talking to Jesus is the first and most important step to getting back on the right track. Return to your first love (Revelation 2:4-5). Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray more for others than for yourself, but remember, prayer is the first step to getting closer to God.

BIBLE READING – Get out your Bible and read it. Read it every day. Job said, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Reading the bible helps us to get to know Jesus better. The better we know him the easier it is to trust him, and that draws us closer to him. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more like him we become. We actually become less sinful. We see more clearly. Many of the things that were once acceptable to us, we now see their true nature and reject them. The opposite is also true. The less time we spend with Jesus, the more sinful we become and evil is easier for us to accept. So, fill your mind with God’s word.

BIBLE STUDY – Studying the Bible is comparing scripture with scripture. We take everything the whole Bible says about a certain subject and put them all together to get the full picture. Then we know everything that God has said on that subject. We're commanded to study for God’s approval (2 Timothy 2:15) and to be able to tell others about the hope he gives us, whenever someone asks us (1 Peter 3:15). Studying the Bible also helps us to better understand what he expects from us, and we find proof that it is, indeed, the Word of God.

AVOID EVIL – The Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man who loved God and avoided evil (Job 1:1). 1 Thessalonians 5:22, tells us to, “Avoid all forms of evil.” In Psalm 101:3, David said, “I will put no evil thing before my eyes:” We have to protect ourselves from evil things coming into our minds. Whether through the eyes or the ears. What many people don’t understand is, that we can’t live like everybody else, and participate in all the things the world offers, and still stay close to God. People disagree strongly when you tell them that their entertainment is preventing them from being as close to God as they need to be, but today, the majority of movies, TV shows, games, and music are controlled by people with no morals, no family values, and no desire to please God. In fact, many of them don’t even believe in God. At least, that’s what they say.

A person who has been born again, and wants to stay close to God, should not watch any presentation that shows anything the Bible says we shouldn’t participate in. If the Bible says don’t do it, then it’s a sin. If a movie, TV, play, or real-life presents such things, we should avoid those presentations. Sin is often glorified by movies TV, and music, and by watching and listening to it over and over, we become desensitized. Common sense should tell us this is true, but I know this from experience.

It’s not just the things you see, but also the filthy language, with the sexual references and the innuendos. Even the commercials and advertisements are going too far lately. If God’s followers watch movies and television at all, we should only watch programs that are Godly, or at least family-orientated. I’ve even seen several “Christian” films that have cursing in them, which makes no sense at all because the Bible says we shouldn’t use foul language. Many people try to rationalize that fact away and say the only bad words are using God’s name in a derogatory manner. Sad to say, I used to be one of them, until God showed me the truth in his word. Look at what God says about that at this link. What’s Wrong With Using Profanity?

Video games are the same way. Not all are bad, but many are. Not just video games, but board games, and card games as well. We need to be wise in choosing our entertainment. Everything that we see and hear is teaching us, and we need to be careful about what we allow ourselves to learn.

The music we choose to listen to is also a factor in our drawing closer to God. Many people don’t like it when you tell them they’re listening to the wrong music. Not all secular music is bad, but much of it is. Apart from the fact that most music today is engineered to alter people’s minds as well as bodies, the songs are filled with filthy words and immoral messages. They glorify sin and demean those who don’t participate in those sinful acts. Look what Colossians 3:16 says about music.

Colossians 3:16 

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

We should fill ourselves with the word of God in all wisdom, and teach ourselves and others with Christ-centered songs. Whatever the message in a song may be, we learn from it, whether it’s good or bad. Even though Contemporary Christian music is supposed to be Godly, many songs don’t even mention God, and some have no destination from the music of the world. If we want to draw closer to God, we should listen to music that makes us think about him. Songs that uplift God as the Creator. Songs that talk about our duties and responsibilities to him. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all, guard your heart; for out of it are the issues of life.”

In Philippines 4:8, Paul says, “Whatever things are True, Honorable, Just, Pure, Lovely, and of Good Report; Whatever has Virtue, and Praise, meditate on these things.” In verse 9 he said, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things: and the God of peace will be with you.”

That’s what I want. That’s what all those people I’ve talked to over the years wanted, but didn’t know how to get there. If that’s what you want, remember that it takes a little work on our part, as with any relationship. There are many who worship and serve God with all their hearts. They have dedicated their lives to his service, and are very close to him, but there are many who are still struggling with their relationship with God. Try these few things for yourself, and you'll see that they work. Then, share them with others and watch God transform their lives as well.

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A MAN ON THE EDGE

It’s one fifteen in the morning. Chris is startled from sleep by a blood-chilling scream. By the time he gathers his senses, he realizes the scream came from his own mouth. The dream again. The same dream, over and over, for years. A better description would be a nightmare. This one is not as bad as some of the others he has, almost nightly, but this one keeps coming back. The sweat burns his eyes as he tries to catch his breath, and he wonders, “What’s going on with me?” He won’t get much sleep for the rest of the morning. Six a.m. will come, and he will be so tired he won’t be able to function properly all day.

That’s the way it’s been for several years now. The meaning of many of his nightmares is perfectly clear to Chris, but he doesn’t have a clue about this one. Maybe that’s why it haunts him. Maybe he needs to understand. He just doesn’t know. What he does know is that it’s not normal. He knows that everybody doesn’t dream the same dream over and over, again and again, year after year. He wishes to be normal. He wishes he could get some sleep.

The lack of sleep, and the pressures of work, along with a thousand other problems, have led to anxiety and depression, which have given rise to other problems, both physical and emotional. All this is having a negative effect on his relationships with his family and friends, and it’s affecting his performance at his job, as well.

Now, he lies in bed, tossing and turning, trying desperately to get back to sleep. His mind just won’t rest. It won’t even slow down. One thought jumps to another, and another, and then another until they all run together. Finally, after hours of restlessness, Chris finally falls asleep. Less than an hour later his alarm goes off. He hits the snooze to rest a few more minutes. By the time he gets awake enough to move, he realizes he has overslept.

Running late again, he fights his way through the thick rush of morning traffic. Finally, he makes it to work. The morning wears on slowly, and he is bombarded with paperwork. He has several moments where he almost walks out, never to return, but he perseveres, and lunchtime finally arrives. Exhausted from lack of sleep, and drained from the morning’s toil, the last thing on his mind is food. All he can think about is closing his eyes and never opening them again. He goes to his car, sets the alarm on his watch for one hour, and quickly falls asleep.

An hour passes, and when the alarm on Chris’ watch startles him awake, he feels as though he had only just closed his eyes a minute ago. He drags himself out of his car and back to work for two more terribly long, agonizing hours. Quitting time finally arrives, bringing with it a breath of fresh air, and a sigh of relief. Still, Chris feels overwhelmed and drained of all his energy, so he drags himself to his car, and heads home for the day.

As he drives home, he thinks to himself, “There’s gotta be more to life than this. If not, why even go on living?” Just then, he looks up at the sky, and says out loud, “Why don’t you help me, God?” He spends the rest of the ride home talking to Jesus and hoping for some kind of answer, some way to feel better, some peace, some closure. “It has to get better,” he says, “It has to.”

Does that sound familiar in any way? It’s sad that, so often, we have to reach our lowest point before we call on God for help. He wants to be our friend and constant companion in all situations. In the good times as well as the bad. Many times a situation would have been resolved long before it escalated into something unbearable if we would only stay in constant communication with God, as Jesus did when he was on earth.

In today’s world, a close relationship with Jesus is what we all need to stay on the right track. We are being attacked on every side. We need his help to remain strong in the face of opposition. Christian persecution may not have affected you yet, but Christians around the world are being persecuted and killed every day. None of us can stand for God in the face of such evil acts unless we spend time, daily, in his presence.

Trust him (Psalm 9:10). Obey him (Luke 11:28). Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Give him all your burdens (1 Peter 5:7), and he will give you strength to face anything, and still be able to stand up for him and his truth. ---

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© 2012 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

Adapted for the book “Inspiration For The Journey” by Teddy Lynn © 2012-2016 All Rights Reserved

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WHAT'S IN A NAME?

“What’s in a name?” That’s part of a famous quote from the popular play, Romeo, and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. The full quote says, “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” I’ve heard the first part of that quote from time to time as long as I can remember. I’ve never really thought about it for more than a few minutes each time though, until recently.

It got me to thinking about all the names I’ve had over the years. Other than all the sweet names my wife calls me, I’ve been called Daddy, by my children, Fred, by my friends, Ted, Teddy, Teddy Ruxpin, Tetty Theodore, Bobby Q, Christopher, and occasionally, a few other names I’d rather not mention.

I’ve always been fascinated by names. Names have the ability to define us. In Bible days a name actually meant something. For example, Abraham means “Father Of Nations.” We see several examples of people having their names changed because of something they did. For example, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Simon’s name to Peter. We also see name meanings change to reflect something someone did, like Judas, which now means Traitor.

In thinking of all the names I’ve had over the years, I started thinking of all the names of Jesus we see in the Bible. It’s amazing how many names and titles he has.

I think “Jesus” is his most popular name in Christianity. The angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the Son of God, and she was to call him Jesus (Luke 1:31). He also told Joseph to call the baby, Jesus and added: “because he will save his people from their sins” (Mathew 1:21). The name Jesus means “salvation.”

The New Testament writers often refer to him as Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, and sometimes just Christ. The word Christ is the English translation of the Greek word Messiah. It means “Anointed One.” So saying “Jesus Christ” and “Jesus, the Messiah” is the same thing. Jesus is the Messiah.

In the New Testament, he is called the Son of God. He is also referred to as the Son in the Old Testament (Psalm 2:12). In Isaiah 9:6, he is called “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Other names include Shiloh, Emmanuel, Lord, Master, Rabbi, The Word, the Lamb of God, The Son of God, the Son of David, The Son of Man, Savior, King of Kings, Rose of Sharon, Redeemer, and many more.

That’s a lot of names and titles, and each one reveals a different aspect of his character. So, what’s in a name? A lot, but no matter which name he is called, he is just as sweet.

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HOW CAN YOU TRUST GOD?

In this world of selfishness, it’s growing more and more difficult to trust others. People lie, cheat, steal, kill and do all kinds of immoral deeds just to satisfy their own lustful desires, without any concern for the feelings of others. Is it any wonder that people don’t trust God? Unless a person knows him pretty well, why would they trust him? That’s Satan’s plan. He doesn’t have to get us to rebel against God or do all those despicable things that so many others are doing. If he can weaken our trust in God, he knows that eventually, we’ll turn away from God. That’s more likely than you may think. I grew up in church. I’ve seen it happen to many people. It happened to me. We have to trust God. We MUST trust him.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, you people, pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us.”

How do we put our trust in God? Well, in the beginning, it’s easier said than done. Anyone who has ever been in a relationship of any kind knows that trust is usually not something that is just automatically there. Trust has to be earned. You don’t trust someone that you don’t know; At least not completely. God wants us to have complete and total trust in him.

How do we do that? We have to develop a close personal relationship with God. He will earn your trust as the relationship grows, and soon, you will be able to trust Him completely. Even when things aren’t going well. Now comes another question. How do we get to know God and build that relationship? The answer is simple. Through prayer, Bible reading, and Bible study.

Psalm 73:28 says, “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, so I may declare all your works.

As you read and study God’s word, you’ll get to know him by reading about him, and he will speak to you through his word. You’ll read about how he created everything, and how much he loves his creation, including you. You’ll read about many of his followers and their relationships with him, and you’ll learn more about how you can have a great relationship with him.

When you read about what he has done for others, and see what he does in your life, then you’ll begin to understand why so many others love him and trust him with their lives. As you study his book and get to know him, you’ll begin to see that you CAN trust him, but you have to get to know him, so start reading the bible today. It’s a great book, and I highly recommend it.

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ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE JOURNEY

There is an old Dutch proverb that says “He who is outside the door, already has a good part of his journey behind him.” We are all on a journey. It begins, not when we’re born, as some have suggested, but when we’re conceived in the womb. As we travel on this journey, there are many roads to choose from. Some are chosen for us by others, and we are forced down some roads by circumstances, but where we end up is ultimately up to us.

By setting goals in life we can reach our destination more efficiently, and with fewer pitfalls. Our ultimate goal should be heaven. I know there are some who say there is no heaven and that God does not exist, but the Bible says, those who say there is no God are fools (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). The religion of evolution has clouded the minds of countless millions, but there is no excuse for not following God.

The Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

The Bible also says, “what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).

There is no excuse for not following God. He created us. He loves us. He died to save us from the power of sin, and he’s coming back for those who love and obey him. Those who have been born again. Soon he will end all this suffering and we will live with him forever.

I truly believe we are almost at the end of our journey. What a day that will be when we stand face to face with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who loves us and gave himself for us (Romans 5:8, Titus 2:14).

As we travel on this journey we should invite everyone we meet along the way to join us. At the same time let us be aware that our enemy, “the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8).

We’re often tempted, but God won’t allow us to be tempted with more than we can handle. God always provides a way for us to escape without sinning (1 Cor. 10:13). The Bible says he is able to keep us from sinning (Jude 1:24). Sometimes we get discouraged and take our eyes off Jesus. It’s in those times that Satan and his forces can overwhelm us and we give in to sin. When we sin we’re ashamed to face God, just like Adam and Eve were when they sinned in the garden of Eden. They ran and hid from God.

There’s an Ethiopian Proverb that says, “He who Conceals a disease cannot expect to be cured.” That’s the way it is with sin. Sin is a terrible disease and if we keep our sins concealed we can’t expect to have them forgiven.

In 1 John 1:9, the Bible tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Praise the Lord for that verse. It’s so good to know that he loves us and will forgive us if we confess. This is something every follower of Christ needs to understand. It can be a determining factor in where our journey takes us.

As we walk, day by day, through this sin-cursed earth, we must realize that this world is not our home. We are only passing through. We are headed for a better home on high, whose founder and builder is the Creator of life itself (Heb. 11:10).

We can’t walk through life with blinders on. We need to be aware of what’s going on around us. Although we must be in the world, we must not be of the world. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and persevere. We will receive our reward when he comes in the clouds of heaven. And it will be a reward far beyond anything this world could ever offer us.

The road ahead may get rough and rocky, but don’t be discouraged. “He that endures until the end shall be saved” (Matt. 10:22). One hundred percent trust in God is a must for these last days because things are getting bad already. Believe me, our faith WILL be tested, so surrender your life to Jesus and be born again. Trust, obey and serve the King of Kings. Lift up your eyes and behold the Great City of God. “In a little while, we’re going home.”

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2015 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6