Spiritual Advance

More I should say a spiritual recovery. Went to "Ministry Team Training: Foundations for Power Ministry" in Houston Saturday at Calvary Community Church. The sessions I attended were foundational. Dr Steve Meeks who is senior pastor at CCC taught our sessions. Dr Meeks has an excellent book (Relational Christianity: Experiencing Intimacy and Companionship with the Living God). Dr Meeks teaches that it is necessary to know AND experience God. He speaks of how much of the church has become an "informational" model instead of, or as opposed to a relational model of Christianity. We in many instances just try to gather and give more information about God while neglecting the experiential move of the Holy Spirit. "My sheep hear my voice." When was the last time you actually heard God's voice? Can you be his sheep if you're not hearing his voice? This scripture tells us that God is speaking and calling to us. It tells us He is a relational God who wants communion with us. I am very much "into" knowing God through His word. I think that is the primary way to know God and to set boundaries on human fantasy about God. For instance, I could tell you that I want you to go pick up my wife at the airport. If that was all the information you had, you would be left to ask every person at the airport if they were my wife (I include in our current culture the thought that you could not rule out that I was a homosexual and considered a man to be my wife). But if I gave you information (a picture or at least a detailed description {She's 5'2, caucasian, eyes of blue, blond hair, wearing a white blouse and pink slacks, and carrying a zebra print purse}). Then you would be much more able to pick her out of the crowd. If I gave you further information about what flight she was on and the expected arrival time, you would be much more likely to quickly and correctly identify her. I could also give you information on how to behave, such as telling you that you are to catch her eye, smile and wave when you see her, but by no means are you to hug or kiss her. You are to take her bags and escort her to the car and open the door for her. That is information, and information is what we get from the Bible on identifying God and His Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Bible also puts boundaries on our Christian behavior. In the example of my wife, you have gained information on how to identify and act, but you do not really know her because you haven't experienced being around her and interacting with her, seeing her laugh and cry, or having hours of conversation with her. Through the Bible we can gain much information about God, about Jesus and about the Holy Spirit. But until we have spent time with Him, until we experience Him, we can't say we have a relationship with Him. And if we go back to Genesis 2:9 and the Garden, isn't that what God wanted with us? Relationship. It was when man was tempted with information that he fell from grace. Information can lead us to grace, but it cannot provide us with grace, only a restored relationship with God through His Son Jesus can do that.