INTIMACY WITH GOD
by Erwin Bourne—April 3, 2002
“Good morning, this is God. I just called to say,
I’m handling all your problems today,
and I don’t need any help!!!
So have a good day.”
Jesus didn’t act unless he saw his Father act. Jesus
had unbroken communion with his Father. Do you
suppose the Father desires the same for us?
Absolutely! God desires the same abiding intimacy.
In John 15 we read that Jesus is the vine and the
Father is the Gardner. We are the branches that bear
the fruit. If you abide in Christ and his words
remain in you, you ask any request you like, and it
will be granted! My true disciples produce much
fruit. This brings great glory to my Father (Jo. 15:8
NLT).
It’s to a salesman’s advantage if he can impress you
with his personal intimacy. “Hello Erwin. I’m Phil
Johnston, Remember when I came through here a year
and two months ago? Would you bring me your pressure
cooker.” Before I could protest, the kitchen help
brought it out. The man soon had it apart, telling us
all that needed replaced etc. His cost was
astronomical. At that moment my wife returned from
town. She took one look and told the fixer-upper man
to put her cooker back together again.
Not all people who sound religious are really godly
(Mt. 7:21-23 NLT). Prophesying, casting out demons,
and performing miracles are used as implied intimacies
with God, but the decisive issue is whether they obey
my Father in heaven (v. 21). But Jesus will reply, “I
never knew you. Go away; the things you did were
unauthorized” (v. 23). We may fall for their
testimony, but God is never fooled.
God desires the same abiding intimacy with you that he
had with his Son.. Jesus didn’t act unless he saw his
Father act. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and he called
God his Father—making himself equal with God (Jo.
5:15). So the religious leaders tried all the more to
kill him.
—Erwin and Jean Bourne