1 John 4:8

"He that loveth not Knoweth not God; for God is love."

Well, I guess I would be the last person to give relationship advice. And if we were talking about human relationships I would be the first to direct you to one of the many great people I know that have developed a "successful" physical relationship. Today, however, I have been thinking about the most rewarding relationship that anyone could have with another individual, that's the relationship we have with Jesus.

The reason I use terms like relationship and individual when I refer to our connection with God is because God is a living being. He isn't a stone or wood statue. He isn't an aloof personage that holds himself separate from us. But he is a living, loving, Christ who desires a relationship on such a personal level that He not only created us but came to earth and gave His life and said I won't leave you alone I will come again and dwell with and in you! Jesus is alive.

He hears, speaks, feels, knows, sees, calls, draws, hurts, loves. The first thing we forget when we begin to walk away is, God is love. Love is not the twisted concept that this television generation has defined it to be, that is lust. Love is God and so every "love" relationship we have should, at it's core, have and draw us to Jesus. That for me is the way I test all human relationships: Does this person draw me closer to God or try to create situations in which I am drawn away or sin? To cause someone to sin is to effectively cause that person to die. How can that be called love? You can't believe in God and Heaven and hell and draw someone towards hell and say you love them.

But God is life and that more abundantly. Even just thinking about Him and writing this I am overcome with a feeling of unexplainable love. Oh, How I love my Jesus. I want more of Him everyday. I want to walk with Him and talk with him and know Him on a personal level that I have never known anyone. Bishop Wilson says it best "I fell in love with God so many years ago and each day He gets better!" There is no diminish in God's love. As we saw earlier man's love grows cold but God's love, true love, grows stronger and more beautiful each day.

For me the joy of prayer and fasting is the same as being able to talk to and commune (Eat, spend time with) the one I love with my whole heart. It's not a chore to get up and pray or push through hunger in a fast, because our mind isn't on the physical when we truly connect with Him. It is on the Spirit. Those that worship God do so in spirit and truth.

So the words of one of my favorite songs continue to ring true today. Falling in love with Jesus/ falling in love with Jesus/ Falling in love with Jesus is the best thing I've ever, ever done/ In His arms I feel protected/ In His arms never disconnected/ In His arms I feel protected/ There's no place I'd rather, rather be...

I'm falling more in love with Jesus everyday and the joy is everyone can too! Share some real love today. God Bless.