Forward

Exodus 14:15“And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:”

In the above verse, God is speaking to Moses, His commander in chief on the earth and asks him, “Why are you crying to me?”, I have already told you to go forward!  In verses 10-12, the children of Israel began to complain because they were uncomfortable.  Their minds even conjured up stories of their fondness for Egypt, challenging Moses and asking him, “Why did you bring us here?  We want to go back to Egypt, back to the way it was!”  The devil is real good at making the things that you couldn’t wait to get out of, become something that you want to go back to, when you face challenging times. 

Sometimes we can get stuck in a certain place, sometimes for weeks, or sometimes for even years.  Because the misery of the known can seem safer than the need to trust in the unknown.  I’m sure when Peter stepped out of that ship to walk on the water, it was a “forward” moment in his life.  He wasn’t just walking on water, he was walking on the water to go to Jesus, he was going someplace, he was going to Jesus. 

That’s the perfect will and purpose for every person, to go to Jesus.  He is the only One who has the fulfillment and contentment we desire in life.  Things don’t, hobbies don’t, even other people can’t fulfill us.  Don’t get me wrong, those things are good, but if you want meaning in your life, you’ve got to get out of the “ship” and “walk on the water”, walk on the Word. What word?  The word “come”. 

That’s what Jesus is saying to us today, “Come, I have new things for you, I have a destiny and a plan waiting for you, come to Me”.  It’s time to move forward!

Kismet?

James 4:7 " Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you" 

Much of religion today believes in a fatalistic mentality that everything that happens in life, whether good or bad, must be God's will.  They say things like, "bad things happen to good people".  I know what people mean by it, but what's behind it is a doctrine of the extreme sovereignty of God, that says no matter what happens in your life, it's from God. 

The term "kismet" is an old Turkish word that simply means "fate".  In other words, if someone dies of cancer, or a terrible accident happens to a family member, or a woman is raped, well, it must have been God's will, or at the very least, it couldn’t have happened unless God allowed it!   

In James 4:7, we are told to submit to God and resist the devil.  But why resist if everything is from God?  Because it's not!!  Sickness is not from God.  Acts 10:38 says "How God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil".  

It also says, "and he will flee from you", the keyword here is you (and me).  God will allow what we allow.  So don't just accept that you have to live below the standards of God's covenant of blessing, health, favor, and the good life!  To resist means to actively fight against.  Don't just accept depression as the norm, lack as a way of life, sickness as something to just endure, but instead, use your authority, speak the Word, and say NO!  It's your choice…resist or kismet?

My Pillow

Mark 4:38 "And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master carest thou not that we perish?" 

Have you heard the pillow commercial on TV and Radio with a catchy jingle that says, "For the best night's sleep in the whole wide world, mypillow.com".  Now, I’m not endorsing "My Pillow", but I love the concept. You probably didn’t know that My Pillow is the official pillow of the National Sleep Foundation.  Founder, Mike Lindell, tells the purpose behind the pillow, "When I invented My Pillow, my dream was to help as many people get a good night's sleep as possible". 

In Mark 4:38, it says that Jesus was in the back of a ship sleeping on a pillow in the middle of a storm. I think most of us would be busy bailing water out of the ship, or screaming for help!  Not Jesus, He's asleep on a pillow in the middle of the storm.  It was the peace that was already on the inside of Him, that allowed Him to sleep through a storm.  It was that same peace that was spoken out of His mouth, "Peace, be still", that calmed the storm.  Jesus shows us a picture of restful increase.  His sleep was evidence of his trust, faith and rest that "all is well".  

We have that same peace, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, on the inside of our born again spirit, that is to be exhibited in our actions and our words. When we rest He works, but when we work He rests.  More happens when we rest, than when we don't rest.  So grab your grace pillow, lay your head down, and rest on the promises of God.  

Blank Space Baby

Colossians 2:14 (The Message) "Think of it!  All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross".  

In 2014, Taylor Swift wrote a song called Blank Space, poking fun at all her multiple failed romances and the casualties she's left behind.  Though her relationships were at a loss, her song won a Grammy for Song of the Year..crazy! 

I'd like to put a little twist to her song title, to help you remember this very helpful principle when dealing with your close relationships.  Here it is: Blank Slate!  If God has wiped the slate clean with all our sin, how about if we wipe the slate clean at the close of every day with other's sins against us?  

Ephesians 4:26-27 says to “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil."  In other words, wipe the slate clean every night and wake up the next day with a clean slate, totally empty, no records of wrongdoing against anyone.  Don't mess up today with your wife, or husband, or best friend, or boss, or neighbor's mess ups (intentional or unintentional) from yesterday.  

Paul said there is one thing that he does…forget those things that are behind and reach forward to those things ahead (Phil. 3:13). If you need to confront something, do it in a godly way, then regardless of the outcome, move on!  Forgive!  Let it go!  Start each day with a blank slate baby! 

I Know God Loves Me, But...

Romans 5:8 "God commended His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" 

A few years ago, our puppy Benny (who just turned 16 by the way), went outside for a little while.  Then there he was at the back door asking to back come in.  I opened the door, and the smell was so strong it almost knocked me over. Benny had a close encounter with a skunk.  Well, he started running around the whole house and the smell of the skunk got on everything.  Our couch, the carpet, everything, yuck!  I searched every possible remedy to get rid of the smell. I used vinegar, baking soda, Lysol, you name it, I did it, in an effort to "neutralize" the smell, I did it all! 

If we really understood how much God loves us it would change everything.  If we understood that God loved us, worry, stress, and panic would no longer be an everyday occurrence.  When we say "I know God loves me, but…", we basically neutralize everything about His love for us. Neutralize means to render something ineffective by applying an opposite force or effect. That’s what "but" does, it renders God's love ineffective in our life!  

Think about this, when you were born again, how much had you been fasting, praying, going to church, paying your tithes, living holy, and doing everything just right?  Romans 5:8 means that Christ did the ultimate when you deserved it the least.  You may have been in adultery, doing drugs, at your very worst, whatever, and yet Christ died for you!  It was completely independent of what you could do. It was a gift, and it was presented to you. So, don’t neutralize God's love for you…no more buts.  

Are You a DO-2-BE?

1 Corinthians 1: 30 "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, holiness and redemption" 

Are you a DO-2-BE?  What's a DO-2-BE?  Someone who is DOing things to BE a "good" Christian.  Or are you a BE-2-DO?  Someone who knows who they are in Christ, then does. 

A BE-2-DO is based on your true identity in Christ.  Before you were born again you did many good deeds: you helped people, you did nice things for people, you probably gave money to people.  But all your "doing" never changed who you really were, a sinner with a sin nature.  

Likewise as a believer in Christ, when you do things wrong, you sin, or you make a major mistake, all your "doing wrong" can never change who you really are, a child of God, a believer, with a new nature…your true identity. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 is definitely a keeper for me.  I love how it begins, "of Him you are, in Christ Jesus"…of Him you ARE!  Of Him you are righteous, you are holy, you are wise, you are purchased, you are all of those things in verse 30.  The more you focus on that, the more you'll begin to do things that express these things.  That’s awesome!  You'll be a BE-2-DO.  All of your doing will flow out of who you already are in Christ Jesus. Effortlessly!  Hey, if you want to be a born again DO-2-BE, go ahead, but you're missing out and can never win!  As for me, I'm a BE-2-DO and enjoying my life and true identity in Christ!  You can too!

Recipe for a Tender Heart

Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you". 

I recently grilled some thin pieces of beef on skewers, marinated in a teriyaki sauce with sesames, delicious...uh, no.  Even though I only cooked them for five minutes on each side, they became a "burnt offering", really tough, dry and chewy.  Then next time, I definitely decreased the time on both sides and they came out perfect, really tender, and…delicious! 

The word tender means having a soft or yielded texture, to soften. Similarly, the word tenderhearted means easily moved with love and compassion.  And the word tenderize means to make tender or soft by applying a process or substance that breaks down the hardness. 

In Ephesians 4:32, Paul says for our hearts to be tender towards ourselves and other people, to "be kind" one to another. That simply means to be nice or to be easy with one to another.  But he goes on to say that a tender heart comes from one thing and one thing alone - forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you!  In other words, know that you are forgiven of past present and future sins, and forgive one another, as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.  

So, here's a recipe for a tender heart!  "Cook it" the right amount of time in God's presence, listen for His voice and follow His instructions, be nice to each other and forgive one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.  Have a kind day.  Voila!

Say Goodbye to Guilt

Gal 4:17 (The Message Bible)  "Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God's grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making themselves important." 

The biggest curse in the body of Christ today is the enormous amount of guilt, condemnation, shame, and fear.  These destructive behaviors are totally disarming and paralyzing the people of God. Sadly, statistics have shown that Pentecostals, Charismatic's and full gospel people suffer with guilt and guilt related disorders more than any other religious group in the world. 

The dictionary defines guilt as, the feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, or crime, whether real or imagined.  The reason why is we get hooked on what I call a toxic mixture of old testament law and new testament grace.  Once you mix the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life, it will poison every area of your Christian life. 

For the majority of believers in the church today, guilt is their drug of choice.  For many, if they don't feel guilty, they wonder how they be motivated to serve God!  Some actually think guilt is a Christian emotion. IT"S NOT! Paul calls this mixture "another gospel".  Any time a person tries to earn the love, acceptance, forgiveness and favor of God, it is going to result in guilt, condemnation, shame and fear. God's unmerited favor is the answer that will deliver God's people from this addiction.  God loves, accepts, and forgives every one of us unconditionally.  It's time to kick the habit!

The Accepting Church

Romans 15 :7 NIV "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God"

For too long the church has been known as a place of rejection, judgment, and condemnation.  This is the consequence of mixing grace with law, which makes people fearful of their heavenly Father.  Under the law, they prayed for the day when the LORD would "make his face shine on you and be gracious to you" (Numbers 6:25). The good news is, you and I are living in that day.  He is looking at us and smiling from ear to ear.  We are the accepted and a member of "the accepting church". 

I recently read this and thought it would be a perfect way to open a Sunday morning church service… 

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, gay, rich, poor, yo no hablo ingles.  We love crying newborns, people who are skinny as a rail, or those who could afford to lose a few pounds. You're welcome here if you are just browsing, just woke up, or just got out of jail.  If you can sing like a rock star or can’t carry a note in a bucket.  We don’t care if you’re in church every Sunday, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s baptism. 

If you blew all your offering money at the casino, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell or came because Grandma is in town and wanted to go to church. We welcome soccer moms, football dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, and junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion.” We’ve been there too. 

We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We’re glad you’re here if you could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid, or got lost and wound up here by mistake. We welcome visitors, seekers, doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!  Welcome home!  We accept you just as Christ accepted us!

Grace that Laid the Golden Egg

Deuteronomy 8:18 "Remember the Lord your God, for it is He that gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers as it is this day" 

One of Aesop's Fables, called The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg, is about a man and his wife who owned a very special goose. Every day the goose would lay a golden egg, which made the couple very rich. "Just think", said the man's wife, "If we could have all the golden eggs that are inside the goose, we could be richer much faster".  "You're right", said her husband, "We wouldn't have to wait for the goose to lay her egg every day". So the couple killed the goose and cut her open, only to find that she was just like every other goose. There were no golden eggs inside, and now they had no goose and no more golden eggs. 

In Deuteronomy 8:18, the Word of God speaks about where your wealth comes from.  Let's use this fable to better understand this scripture.  Please pay close attention.  

In this scripture, what would represent the golden egg?  Money, wealth, riches?  No.  The golden egg is God's favor and the power to get wealth.     

Who would be the goose?  Who would be the one producing the golden eggs?  You, with all your hard work, talents, and good business sense?  Those are all important, but no, it's not you. It's the blessing of God on your life, and your covenant with Him.  

It's God's super on your natural that makes you supernatural regarding your finances. It's the blessing of God that causes things to happen financially that can't be explained or seem impossible.  It's the blessing of God that gives you insight and wisdom beyond your ability and expertise.  It's the blessing of God that positions you for breakthrough and promotion.  It's the blessing of God that causes "whatever you put your hand to" to prosper. Do you see it?  He's "the grace that laid the golden egg!"

Unzip Your New Self

Ephesians 4:24 NIV "And put on your new self created after God in righteousness and true holiness" 

The other day I needed to make a copy of a document, so I placed it on the copy machine, pressed the button, and boom there was an exact copy of the document.  It didn’t change any of the words, everything was exactly, perfectly the same as the original, absolutely no difference at all. 

Similarly, if I wanted to see exactly what my born again Spirit-filled spirit was like, I know what I could do.  I could place the pages of my Bible on the copy machine and that's exactly what my spirit would look like. My born again spirit is an exact copy of what the Word says.  You have a new you! 

Ephesians 4:24 says that your new self was created in righteousness and true holiness.  That's awesome.  I often think, if I could zipper open my body and see into my spirit, I would see righteousness and holiness.  You and I are an exact grace copy of the Word of grace and favor.  Inside of you and me is health, abundance, purpose and victory.  John 6:63 says, "The Words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life".  The life of God Himself is on the inside of you!  You're a grace copy!  Time to unzip your new self!

The Happy God

1 Timothy 1:11 (Rotherham's Emphasized Bible) "…the glad-message of the glory of the happy God…" 

The other day I was laughing and talking with someone about the Lord, and how good He is.  We were having such a fun time.  When I walked away, someone I had never seen before, was listening to our conversation, and glared at me, then quietly cursed at me and said that I had no idea what I was talking about.  If eyes were guns and looks were bullets, I would’ve been target practice! This was not a happy person. 

I love this translation for 1Timothy 1:11 that says "It’s the glad message of THE HAPPY GOD".  This is such great news.  I can assure you today that God's definitely not glaring at you.  In fact, whenever He thinks about you, which is all the time, He's grinning from ear to ear!  To glare means to frown, to scowl, to glower, to make a nasty face (love that one), to look with daggers (like that one too) to give someone a look of disgust. 

Well, there's nothing you can do to make God glare at you.  The gospel of Grace declares that God loves you with a love you cannot measure.  To quote Philip Yancey, "Grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less".  Another definition is " the good, glad, merry news that makes you want to jump and leap for joy". 

God is a happy God and has a glad message, so smile!  God's not frowning at you, He's not mad at you, and He's not even in a bad mood.  You put a big smile on His face! 

No More Religious Do Do

Romans 4:6 "Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:" 

Because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, as Christians, we no longer live a life of do, do, do.  Under grace, we live a life of done, done, done!  Everything promise in the Word of God is already ours through Christ.   

Do, do (aka: doo-doo).  Sound familiar?  It's that little "present" that your dog leaves for you when you're out of the house for an extended period of time.  

Similarly, a "performance based" Christianity, or trying to do good so that we will get good is what I call, "religious do, do".  Trying to pray long enough, or read the Bible long enough, or fast long enough, just to get good, is religious do, do.  Trying to earn God's goodness, or living in fear of something bad happening if you don't do enough, is a total "waste" of time.  Religious do,do. 

Don't get me wrong, praying and reading the Bible and fasting are all good when you are living a life of grace, and enjoying the freedom and victory you already have in Christ.  In Romans 4:6, Paul says the man who God imputes righteousness without doing anything to earn or deserve it, is blessed.  That’s powerful and liberating!   You were made righteous, it was a gift, you can't do anything to earn it.  So, no more religious do, do.  At the cross it became done, done, done! 

High Octane Grace: LOVE

Ephesians 3:19 "To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God"

So, you're at a gas station, filling up your car, and you have a choice of three buttons, but only one fuel nozzle.  Regular is 87 octane, mid-grade is 89 octane and premium is 93 octane. Premium gas, which has the higher octane rating, leads to more power from the same amount of gas. When I looked up octane rating, the definition gripped me, especially as a grace preacher. Octane rating is a measure of grace under pressure: how evenly a gasoline will burn under difficult conditions, like hard acceleration.  That’s really cool! 

We would all like to experience more health, abundance, and success in our lives.  God, being God, possesses all of these things, won't you agree?  So to be full of God is to be full of health, abundance, and success.  But how are we to be full of God?  In the past, I was told "to be filled with all the fullness of God", I had to fast a certain number of days, pray a certain number of hours, and do all kinds of things. 

But to be filled with all the fullness of God is not about what you do, it's not even about your love for Christ!  It's about knowing His love for you.  When God made you, He designed you to run at optimal level when you are filled with His love. Like a car that runs at its best when it is filled with the best premium gasoline.  When you feed on His love for you, you'll run so much better, and with more efficiency, and effortlessly. How?  On high octane = His love for you. So press "premium 93" daily, and fill up on high octane grace!  You'll live much better. 

Who is Your First Love?

Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have a complaint, you have left your first love" 

How much do you love your smart phone?  Probably not as much as the California man who married his phone in a Las Vegas wedding chapel last summer.  Ok, so the ceremony in Vegas may have been ridiculous, but this man made his point about how people are connected to their phones.  As crazy as it sounds to wed your phone, there's no denying the degree to which smart phones have infiltrated our daily lives.  Studies show that Americans check their phones every six and a half minutes during waking hours or one hundred fifty times a day. 

After a busy day at work or caring for children, couples desperately need meaningful conversation to help them reconnect, but for many the habit of conversation falls by the wayside, from long intimate talks focused on getting to know each other to short exchanges focused on administrating their lives, budget, to do lists, working through conflict and putting out the latest fire. 

After speaking of all the church of Ephesus had accomplished, and all they had labored to do, the Lord says in Revelation 2:4, "Oh, there's one important thing, I want you to return to your first love".  You first love is God's over the top love for you.  Here's the question, are you spending more time on the work of the Lord, or on the Lord of the work?  God loves you, that’s what brought you to Him!  His love for you!  Make that your focus today.  Take some time and think about just how madly in love Jesus is with you! 

*Excerpts taken from Focus on the Family

It's Worth the Wait by Natalie Fortunato

Acts 1:4-5 - "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

Jesus didn't recommend or suggest that the disciples not depart from Jerusalem until the "Promise of the Father" had come, He commanded them. After His resurrection, they had spent many amazing days together, He taught them kingdom principles, and He knew the disciples were eager to share the good news all over the world.  But He commanded them not to get started until they had been clothed with the Spirit's power (Luke 24:49).  

In 1 Corinthians it says that He gave this command to about 500 people, yet in Acts 1:15 it says there were only 120 men and women in the upper room filled with the Holy Spirit.  What happened to the other 380?  Perhaps they didn't want to wait.  They wanted to get started doing the work of the ministry…without the power of the Holy Spirit! 

When God calls us to do something, we need to make sure that we don't get so excited about the task, that we move out ahead of Him.  Moving out in our own power and timing will actually interfere with what He wants to do in our lives, and interrupt the process.  Our decisions greatly affect the lives of those around us, and the people that God has called us to reach.  Slow down!  Don't worry, you'll know when the Holy Spirit says to move, and He will empower you for the task at hand.  It's worth the wait.

Group Hug by Natalie Fortunato

1 John 4:19 - "We love because He first loved us." 

I LOVED when my kids would say the words, "Mommy sandwich!"...then my daughter gets in front of me and my son gets in back of me and they squeeze me real hard until I cry out for relief!  Even our dog, Benny, gets all excited when we do this!  I feel so loved by them.  You've been there too, right?!  When someone says, "group hug!!", then everyone throws their arms around each other in a huddle.  It feels so good to be loved.  

Years ago, I was spending time with God and thinking about how great it is to "receive" God's love.  I sensed His love so strongly, and I just started saying, "I'm receiv'n Your love, I'm receiv'n it, thank you Father".  Then I imagined Jesus joining us with His arms around me too, then I heard the Holy Spirit say, "Group hug!", and felt His arms around me too, all three just loving me, with smiles on their faces and making that "mmmm" noise when you grip someone tight in a hug!  I know it sounds crazy but, talk about feeling loved, God's love feels SO good and it's so real.  

I can truly understand why God wants us to receive His love...it's the only way we will be able to give it away!

The GOOD News Gospel

Romans 1:15-16 "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." 

What did Paul say he was going to preach at Rome? The "gospel".  So, what is the gospel?  It's not "good advice".  It's not "good ideas".  It's not "good steps".  No, the Gospel is simply good news.  

In Romans 1:15, Paul didn't say "I'm going to preach scriptures" or "I'm going to Rome to preach some good advice, or 12 easy steps to victory".  Good advice is good, and so are good ideas and any other information that will help us to succeed.  However, the reason that Paul was so direct about defining the gospel, is because He goes on to say in verse 16 that the gospel is the power of God!   

It's the power of God unto salvation.  The Greek word for salvation is the noun soteria or sozo, containing every promise that God has ever made to man.  When you hear a message at church or on the radio or TV, you'll know it's the gospel if it contains the good news of salvation.  If it's filled with condemnation, tradition, someone's opinion, legalistic rules, a list of do's and don'ts to earn salvation and right standing with God, you can be sure it's NOT the gospel.  If you want the power of God in your life, fill yourself up with the gospel, the almost too good to be true news!  

Loose Lips Sink Ships

Ecclesiastes 10:20 "No, don't even make fun of the king, even in your bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said" 

Have you ever heard someone say, "loose lips sink ships".  Did you know that this phrase was coined as a slogan during World War II, as an attempt to limit the possibility of people inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies. This was one of several similar slogans as part of the campaign's basic message - "careless talk costs lives". 

So what does this mean to you and me? It means that unguarded talk may give useful information to the enemy!   In other words, victory in our public life really begins with what we say in our private conversations at work, at home, and with our friends and family.  

We need to make sure that what we pray lines up with what we say.  We can't pray in agreement with God's Word in one area, and then try to be politically correct and speak contrary to the Word as we go about our day, it won't work. Our words need to work for us and not against us or what we're praying for.  

Who is the Holy Spirit? by Natalie Fortunato

John 14:16-17  "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you." 

Many want to understand the gifts, fruit, voice, power and workings of the Holy Spirit without first coming to know Him as a Person.  Yes, a Person, not a human, but a divine Person, the third Person of the Godhead.  He is not an "it", or a mystical power that flows from God, He is God.  

I encourage you to take a minute and think about what place you give Him in your personal day to day life.  Ask yourself, "Do I honor and reverence Him as a Person?  Am I aware that He knows me best, and loves me most.  Or that He has made His home in my heart and wants to be actively involved in my life?  Do I long to spend time with Him, getting to know Him through the Word, and developing an intimate relationship with Him?"  

If you can honestly say that you have pretty much ignored Him, or give Him little room in your life, let me re-introduce you to the most amazing, wonderful, kind, tender, sensitive, mighty Person on the face of the earth. He is all-knowing and all-powerful.  He is a lifelong and permanent companion who is willing and able to teach, help, protect, counsel and guide you.  He is infinite in majesty, glory, splendor, wisdom, knowledge, and holiness.  He is God.