Do you KNOW Jesus?

2 Tim. 1:12b

…for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

For we know the name of Jesus, we may know about Him, we may even have asked Him into our lives, but do we KNOW Him? Are we intimate with Jesus? Paul uses the Greek word oida, in the perfect tense which indicates to know intimately, to have seen and considered. Paul is saying that not only do I know Him but I have known Him, I have seen Him. I know Him so well that I am convinced of His reality, of His realness, of His closeness. I know His strength and power. Paul was not just acquainted with Jesus but knew Him in a much deeper way, at a much deeper level.

I am acquainted with other people, but I know my wife. I know her in not only the Biblical sense that “Adam knew Eve”, but after forty years of marriage I know her on a much deeper level than words can even describe. Our spirits have connected at such an indescribable depth that I am convinced that nothing could ever come between us, that even though someday in eternity we will have new bodies, I will still recognize her immediately. Even though I might be struck blind I would still recognize her. If I lost all hearing, I would know her touch and her presence. I know her because I have spent time with her. I can sit and be quiet with her and I can sit and converse with her. I trust her with my very life.

This is the kind of knowledge that Paul had of His Lord. He had complete trust in Him. Because he spent time with Him, because he learned of Him by talking with Him and learning everything he could about Jesus. This is the kind of knowledge that the Lord wants us to have of Him. He desires to spend time with us and is willing to teach us and give of Himself. He is the living Word (John 1:1, 14). If we want to know Jesus we must spend time in His Word, the scriptures. We must spend time conversing with Him in prayer. We must sit with Him in quiet times of listening as well as times of petition.

I know in Whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard the life that I have given to Him until that glorious day when we will see each other face to face.

My Heart, Christ’s Home

Rev. 3:20
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.
When we welcome Christ into our hearts, it is like welcoming someone into our home. Except with Jesus, He desires to come into our house and clean it top to bottom. Not only does He desire to clean and occupy our house and make it his home, He wants the deed to the house as well. Jesus desires total surrender of everything, every room, every closet. And He wants to fill it with His furniture and appliances, things that are useful for His purposes. We become His home here on earth.
At the same time, Jesus Christ welcomes us into His Father’s house, the Kingdom of Heaven. But we’re not just welcomed as visitors or guests. If you welcome someone into your home, they usually only have access to certain rooms. You might usher them into the living room or a formal sitting room. If you are very familiar with them you might welcome them into the kitchen to sit at the bar or table and share a drink and food and fellowship. If that person is staying with you for an extended period, you might welcome them to make themselves at home and help themselves to the refrigerator and the guest room and bath. But only the true children have complete access to the whole house and all its contents. Your children may run freely through any room and use any piece of furniture or appliance or utensil. And only your children are allowed into the most intimate of all rooms, the master bedroom, to come and snuggle with their parents.
So it is with the Father, when we become His children, we are given access to all the riches of His Kingdom. We may dine on all that He has to offer. He desires to feed us with the pure milk and meat of His precious Word. We are given comfort and shelter. He welcomes us into intimate fellowship with Him, to sit at His feet and listen to His voice and at times to be held in His arms. So it is that our hearts become His home and that home then becomes interconnected with His heavenly home. Thus we have fellowship with the God of heaven, Lord of the Universe, King of kings, Lord of Lords, becoming children of the King!
John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…

Stand Up In God's Strength

Daniel 11:32
"And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action."

In times of great difficulty smooth talking leaders often arise and subtly turn the hearts of believers away from the ways of God. Great promises are made, half truths are told. Little by little, bit by bit, people swoon and are swayed by seemingly gifted orations. Just enough truth is given to make it sound good. At the same time, if we are not truly seeking after God’s truth our eyes get blinded. We may easily be convinced to follow after the deceiver.


It begins in childhood when one child convinces another to go along with him to get into the snacks that are forbidden. In adolescence it continues when one teen convinces another to go along for a dangerous ride or take an occasional drink at a party or try an illicit drug. As adults, one is pressured to cheat their employer by taking an extra few minutes for lunch or take something home the company will never miss. Husbands’ hearts are turned away from their wives by airbrushed pictures of other women. Politicians promise great change and whittle away at our freedoms by making new laws to circumvent old laws and standard public morals.


In times like these true believers need to begin to stand up and speak out. Those who truly know Him will finally begin to take action. The Church needs to begin to speak out against injustice, prejudice, immorality, murder of the preborn, and abuse of the weak and the helpless. Christians need to come out of their own safe little worlds and return to God’s Word and its commandments to do and not just be. In fact, when we truly know God we will display His strength by taking action.

Blessed Reflections

As I was praying this week, I began to reflect on my life thus far. Funny how you do that more after you hit fifty. You start reading the obituaries more, not because you're concerned about who died, but how close to your age they were. But back to the point, I realized that even though there are things I would have liked to have accomplished, millionaire by age forty, retired at fifty-five, seriously though a doctorate, my own senior pastorate, a home paid for and no debt, a pottery/art studio for hobbies...all in all...I am blessed... no... immensely blessed. Life... no, God doesn't always lead us down the roads we would necessarily choose. But then, that's probably a good thing. What if I had done this or done that, pursued this degree or stayed with that job? I might not have married the wonderful woman that I did and then we wouldn't have had the 'perfect' kids that we did. (Oh my gosh, I might have had some of those horrible brats I've seen in the stores and restaurants through the years!) Or worse, none at all!
All kidding aside, I truly believe that I am hugely blessed with four of the best children in the world. I have been reflecting on how each has turned out, each with their own special talents and abilities and callings. Each with a unique entreprenurial drive that has taken them down different paths. Each with a spiritual awakening at an early age that has continued into adulthood and continues to deepen. It amazes me as I talk with each of the depth of their spiritual insights and maturity. Just a few days ago, these were children that couldn't find their own shoes or make a peanut butter sandwich for themselves. Now they are making huge lifechanging decisions on their own, affecting the physical and eternal lives of others. Now they are beginning to have children of their own that are already becoming spiritually aware. (Don't blink you'll miss it! It all flies by too fast.) I would love to have the last thirty-five years back again, there's a few things I would do differently, but then the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, had a plan. Some day I'll know all the whys and wherefores and then I'll understand. Until then I'll just try to enjoy the ride and continue to try to make a difference.

Philip. 1:4-6
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Loving Them Into The Kingdom

Under an early budding maple tree her granddaughters played on a warm March afternoon. Annie the black Labrador retriever began a low mournful howl. Then within seconds the wail of sirens begins to wind its way up the valley coming to a stop not too far away. One by one more than a half dozen sirens get louder and louder then halt. First come the volunteers then a sheriff’s deputy, a rescue squad, then finally the loud blast of a fire truck.

Turning every event into a learning experience Mimaw catches her breath and says to the girls, “We should always pray when we hear sirens, for the person who might have been in an accident or fire and also the emergency people, the policemen and firemen as they help people.” Right there in the side yard the three held hands in a circle as Mimaw began to pray. “Lord be with the people who may have been in this accident or fire and protect them. Also be with the people who are helping them, the police and the firemen and EMT’s. Amen.”

Suddenly another siren is heard, four year old Bella catches her breath and says, “We better pray!” Bowing her head she closes her eyes and begins to gently rock her head side to side. “Thank You God that you are so big and strong and can take care of everything. Oh, God pleease watch over the people in the wrecked car. Be with the policeman and the fireman…” Another lesson learned. Who knows what these little ones will become as they grow deeper, ever deeper into God’s kingdom.... The God Who created them and put them into her care knows.

Philip. 1:4-6
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.