IT’S THE YEAR TO BE IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP

“The glory which you have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.  I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”—John 17:22-23

 

Many times, we often let our past shape our future.  How we think about certain things is based on our past experiences and somehow we get a mind-set of future failure.  This past year you may not have ended up where you would like to be in your relationship with the Lord. Does it seem that you are having a long-distance relationship with Him?  Perhaps there were some things that were not completed some failures, and some mistakes; however, because Jesus has took our sins, failures, weaknesses, and problems out of our way we are able to say to the past: “You will no longer hold me back—You are not longer relevant.”  “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

 

Rev. Brenda Kunneman gave the following prophetic word, Monday, December 31, 2012:    “The Spirit says, know that the past is no longer relevant to your future. Your past mistakes, problems, and even the things that did not turn out like you hoped are now over.  So as you look at the year to come, say of the past, It is not relevant!” 

 

Because you made a decision to not allow the past to be relevant to your future, this year can be the best year of your relationship with the Lord.  Jesus said in John 15:15, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  Having a close intimate relationship with  the Lord allows Him to manifest Himself to you.

 

I have read somewhere that when Michael Angelo was in the height of his fame, a boy named Raphael, destined to be his worthy successor --was introduced to him as a promising-pupil.  At first the young man was employed in the simplest duties of the studio, cleaning brushes and mixing paints, but as he developed the qualities of exactness, punctuality, and sympathy, he became entrusted with increasing responsibility, until the master painter made him his friend and confidant.  So we come to Christ, first, as redeemed from the slavery of Satan, to be His servants, and He calls us His friends.

 

A friend will reveal himself and you will hear from his own lips items of confidential information. Thus it is with the Lord Jesus. He manifests Himself to those who love Him, and keep His word.

 

A friend will interest his friends in his undertakings.  It is a joy to Christ when those whom He loves are able to take a share in His world-wide redemptive schemes.  A friend will be interested in our failures and successes.  So to it is with our Lord. When He sees some peril menacing us, does He not make intercession?  If we fail, He meets us with the same tender affection, not alienated from us, but only intensely sorry, ready to point out the cause of our failure and to encourage us to try again.  If we stand our ground, He meets us as we come forth from the fight, glad for us, eager to refresh us in our weariness, careful to heal any wound that we may have received.

 

Such is the intimate relationship that we have with Jesus.  He is always the same, His love never wanes, His compassion they fail not, His mercy is new every morning.  

 

Prayer—Father I pray that Jesus Christ may become dearer to me. May I love Him as a personal Friend, and hide myself in the hourly consciousness of His presence.  May I have no taste or desire for things which He would disapprove and let His love constrain me not to live unto myself, but to His glory, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.