To Know Him

To Know Him…

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“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

Colossians 1:9-12

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“ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 1:13-14

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

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Our purpose…our ministry.  Amen.

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“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Wisdom And Understanding

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Often times the writings in the bible can be misunderstood because the true intent of the word has lost its meaning in society.  Take the word ‘fear’ as an example…in today’s world this strictly means to be afraid, danger or a bad feeling.  In the bible to fear the Lord is to regard God with reverence and awe, to be respectful.  When we learn we gain wisdom and when we understand the writing becomes clearer.  We would be wise to regard God with reverence and awe.  Amen.

“Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.”

Proverbs 3:13-14

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

To Know Him

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Originally posted in December of 2015…interesting to see how my writing and post format have changed over time.

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There is a significant difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God.  It is all about relationship.  To know about Him is to know the right words, to memorize some stories and to even to be able to speak about Him.  I have lived this sort of existence for many years of my life and thought I was doing well.  Take a moment to think about people in your life…there are some you know about and there are others that you truly know very well.  God desires to be someone you truly know.

To truly know Him means to be in relationship with God daily.  Through reading, prayer and quiet time between just you and Him.  To experience his presence in your daily walk of life.  It means you are willing to share your highs and lows with God.  It means you love and trust Him.  No matter where you are in life the best way to engage this relationship is to accept His Son Jesus Christ into your heart.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

Our Call

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“Submit to God and be at peace with him;
    in this way prosperity will come to you.”

Job 22:21

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“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:3-11

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 while traveling through in South Dakota)

Wisdom And Understanding

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When we seek wisdom, we are striving to learn and grow in our knowledge and experience.  The more we learn the greater the impact on our perspective and our attitude.  This increase in knowledge and shaping of our perspective also will help us gain understanding for many circumstances and situations in our daily life.  To put it another way…don’t assume something or judge others based on a social media post or a headline or as they used to say when I was younger…don’t judge a book by its cover.  Seek wisdom, seek to gain understanding.  Amen.

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“Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.”

Proverbs 3:13-18

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

Wisdom

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The ability to think and act using a combination of knowledge, experience, understanding, insight and common sense.  Wisdom does not promote the self or self-intelligence…it is humble, compassionate, faithful and understanding of the needs of others.  To continually seek to learn and grow and share what you have learned is to be wise.  Seek wisdom from the Lord and you will find peace.  Amen.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10

(This photo was taken in December of 2018 on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

To Know Him

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As it has been said, faith is a journey not a destination.  So what does that mean?  For me it is about making progress, every day.  We learn, we pray, we live, we give thanks, we cry for help, we forgive others and we learn some more.  We are human, we live in a broken and fallen world.  Nobody is perfect, even if their social media profiles try to project it.  We are not made to do this life alone.  We need to know Him, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  He gave His life to save us and to reconcile us to God.  Give faith a chance, spend time learning about Jesus Christ and His birth, His life, His teachings, His death and His resurrection.  Pickup God’s Word and seek Him daily, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Amen.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Knowledge And Understanding

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We just want answers…to know what happened…why…who did this…where are they…when did that happen.  To admit we do not know something is the beginning of being humble.  Unfortunately the sinful nature leads humans to take advantage others and erodes the trust of people.  That sounds like something evil would do…anything to keep people away from God and behaviors that promote goodness, kindness and compassion.  When you want to seek knowledge and wisdom, when you are pursuing understanding, turn to the Word of God.  The bible is the Word of God and He has the information you are seeking.  He is the Creator, He knows the most about what we want to understand.  If you are unsure where to begin, I recommend Proverbs.  May the peace and joy of God be with you.

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“For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 2:6

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior)

God Is Near

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“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

Psalm 25:4-5

(This photo was taken in September of 2016 at a lake in central Minnesota)