Ritual and Rules or Relationship?

Jesus taught that Christianity is about a relationship, not the keeping of rules and rituals. Jesus warned his disciples they would be cast out of the synagogues, for following Him rather than abiding by the rules and laws of the Jewish religion, John 16: 1-4. Jesus’ prayer, for his early disciples and for us, is that we may be one with him and with the Father, John 17:20-23. That’s relationship! If we look back earlier in John’s gospel we see another example of Jesus in relationship with his people. Jesus taught He was ‘the good shepherd.’ He is our shepherd … Continue reading

Communicating With God

Does God still talk with us? When we cry out to Him how can we be certain He hears us? It’s my belief that God is living and wants to have a relationship with His children. Not only do I believe God hears us, but I believe we too can hear God if we listen. The key here is “listening”. It is so easy to get wrapped up our daily concerns and put off spending time with God. But, as with any relationship, if you don’t keep communication open, you can lose closeness with the other person. The time when … Continue reading