An invitation

Beloved. We, as sons and daughters, as kings and priests, are being invited by our Father. Invited by His Son, the King and Bridegroom. Invited by His Spirit, the Teacher, the Comforter, the One who leads us and guides us into all truth.

We are invited into friendship. We are invited into partnership. We are invited into unity that transcends all other unity on the earth.  Its the heavenly unity Jesus talks about in John 17. "I will make you one as the Father and I are one."

Friendship with the Father, with the Son, and Holy Spirit, looks like moving out of slavery. Jesus desires a two way relationship.  He wants to hear YOUR voice, He wants to see YOUR face.  He wants you to tell Him everything He already knows because it's about a relationship. Many times this looks like waiting. It looks like being still. It looks like talking to a friend over coffee because He calls us His friend. Can you call Him your friend? Let's begin to step out of the one-way relationship we often have with Jesus--a slaves mentality where we want to only obey what the Master has told us to do. And instead, tell your Friend what you're thinking, feeling, dreaming.

Our culture, steeped in social media, in constant communication with everyone and all times, is a sign in the natural of the deepest longing and desire of every heart. To be in constant relationship and communication. To know whats going on. To know another persons thoughts or feelings about something.  That which goes on in the natural often reflects what is going on spiritually.  Relationship takes a lot of time. It takes being intentional.  Have you found it hard to keep in touch with people who don't live in the same city?  I feel like the Lord desires us to enter into a deep personal relationship with Him and with His body, the fullness of Him.  We are the fullness of Him who fills all in all.  I think this means not just knowing someone through a text message, through facebook. Though these things are nice they leave you feeling connected without the true connection. Because there isn't the balance of being intentional face-to-face all the time. Not just reading what someone is doing but actually talking or taking the time to actually write something or do something.  Isn't this just like it is with the Lord?  How do we cultivate a relationship with someone who we can't see?  Faith and the body of Christ. We seek them out. We ask questions that are deeper.  We make an effort to see them-face-to-face (in person or through technology).   Jesus lives in another city and yet He lives in me who is here, in this city.  He is in others here as well. Let's cultivate relationship with the One who has made our heart His home and through our relationship with Him cultivate depth in relationship with those who are near and far.