"What Up J.C.? I.D.K...I Need Thee?"

For the past few days I feel as though I have been bombarded with one theme that keeps me company as I lay awake at night: I Need Thee. The hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour" is one of my all time favorites. I'm a little partial to the Jars of Clay Version:

"I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour;
teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

I need Thee, O I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee,
I need Thee every hour.

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

I need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour..."

Here lately....I've been in mid-conversation with a few people and a single question was raised in my heart regarding their individual circumstances:"What do you want?" Then after they answered I said, "What is it that you desire?" Then finally, I said, "But what is it that you need?" Of course I was met with silence...

People today may know what they want and may even know what they "need" in order to get what they want. But do they truly know what they need? Do they know that the very desires of their hearts come from the very being who put them there and that they NEED HIM? No, I'm afraid they don't.
As to not commit a literary fallacy of making a huge "party-foul" in writing--by playing the "sweeping generalisation" card, let me be more specific :We live in the "Communication Age." I laugh at that notion because it seems that with every technological advancement in communication we are being moved into the desert of "non-communication." We are deceived. Case in point: The generation only 5-7 years younger than me is addicted to "texting." They have become experts in all things text, so much so, that they can text while their phones are in their pockets. I can call them on the phone and no answer. But if I can text them--- there is an immediate response. Does this generation only know how to "talk" via a keypad and LCD screen? Seriously, I hate texting. It has marred ,if not murdered the all important "relational quality" of relating--and has stolen the foundation of relationships from this current generation-- which is sharing our hearts with one another, building one another up in brotherly love, "supping" together...meeting together. They are delusional and deceived. Thus, inadvertently exchanging the truth of God for a lie. They are oblivious and UNAWARE. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it true that the thief comes in the middle of the night when we are asleep? And isn't this same thief the "roaring lion"--waiting to devour us in order to fulfill his agenda of "stealing, killing and destroying?" Yes it is. The "Thief," "The Roaring Lion," "The Accuser" and "The Deceiver" are one in the same. The Devil is his name. He accuses us day and night before the throne of God--Rev.12. He is RELENTLESS. We have to wake up from this slumber! Become aware of our need for True Fellowship with Believers and with The King of Kings. We need to become RELENTLESS in our pursuit of God as our TREASURE.

So to tie up the lines of communication within with my two thoughts: 1) We do not know what we need AND we do not know how to talk, ask, open our mouths or ENGAGE with one another on a heart level. And secondly, if we fail to do so with one another, how then can we expect to succeed in battle for a deeper relationship with The Lord? You can't send God a text or say, "What up J.C.?" If we could I wonder how He would respond..."I.D.K. my BFF John." Do you see what I mean? It is ridiculous to think that one could have a real conversation or encounter with Jesus via the "cellular." So why do we consider it to be OK to do so with each other? It's not. We are self-saboteurs--deceitful and deceived! The heart is deceitful above all things--it is beyond cure...We are blinded by the culture of today, led by the god of this age, who preaches the lie that says, "If you loved me you'd say it in a text." Are you kidding me? Be serious.

On another note: I was semi-watching a movie last night entitled, License to Wed. The plot has an engaged couple going through pre-marital counseling class. The climax occurs when the bride-to-be realizes that they do not have a foundation in communication, and she calls off their impending nuptials. On top of that, she realizes that she has failed to allow herself to "need" Him. She loved him and he loved her, but she didn't need him--and he loved her anyway.Why would anyone want to be with someone who didn't need them and why would anyone need to be with someone who didn't want them? I can't think of any human relationships like that. But I do recall one: Rebellious, sinful children, orphaned and defiled, separated from God. God longed for us from His heart--the place we were created. And even though we rebel everyday and some days he is last on the list of people to talk to, that is IF He even makes the list--still He loves us and wants us. Why? I don't know. The best I can come up with is found in His word in Isaiah 43: "Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth...whom I formed and made...FOR MY GLORY. So to answer my own rhettorical question, "We were made for His GLORY." We are his "Trophy Wife." That is true--but only made possible because He first loved us. Christ is the gold that covers our flaws, our bruises and our sin. We are trophies of The Lord's because of Christ.

Essentially in all relationships there is a cyclical balance of the two: Need and Want. The "groom to be" wanted to be with someone who "needed" Him. They get together in the end, happily ever after, yada yada. The desires of the engaged couple were to "be known,understood, needed and wanted--all made complete in their love together." Let me paraphrase a verse out of the book of James: "How can two walk together, less they be AGREED?" News flash:GOD DOES NOT NEED US--HE WANTS US. And He wants more than anything for us to want Him. That would reconcile our hearts with Him and enable us to be "AGREED." He already knows that we'd be lost without Him--umm hello, that's why He sent us Jesus, but do we know this, recognize this and believe it everyday? Here's the truth: We are guilty of both when it comes to relating to the One who knows us better than any one in the world: God. All of us would fail pre-marital counseling as the collective Bride of Christ. Thank God it was not required.

My point is this: I need My Father, My God, My Jesus and My Holy Spirit. Not only do I need them, but I want them. For me to enjoy all that our relationship has to offer I have to communicate well--and God will do the same. He promises to never leave...He is with us always...If we love Him we will live as a freed people and lead righteous lives pleasing to Him. Actions speak louder that words: Once we cultivate this relationship it will spill over into every part of our lives. I think of the Apostle Paul's words, "If I love them more, will they love me less?" Of course He was speaking about a people who did not know the Lord--going to them and loving them, sharing the Gospel and his life--He could only do so by being driven by Christ's love which enabled Him to love in the first place. But because of Christ's love He was able to love despite flack and discouragement from people telling him to give up on having relationships with others. In doing so His love for Christ abounded! All of it is cyclical.

We are FREE to LOVE and ENGAGE. "It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set you FREE. Therefore, no longer allow yourself to be yoked in slavery." Galations 1:5 "Where the SPIRIT OF THE LORD is there is FREEDOM." 2 Corinthians 4.... We have been given the honor and privledge to enter into the "Holy of Holies"--the veil has been torn, from top to bottom, The Savior has come--IT IS FINISHED! Believe. Honor Jesus by fighting for your relationship with Him. No longer return to your former selves. Instead, live dangerously guirded with the truth that, "if the Son has set you FREE, you are FREE indeed!" Word and Amen to that!

In closing...See this with me: If we commune with God He communes with us. If we honor Jesus, the Holy Spirit is glad within us and honors us. If we "communicate" with God, He will "communicate" with us. Get the picture? But first we have to recognize our need. Our need is for Fellowship with Christ, Fellowship with believers and fellowship with His word. In order for our needs to be met, we must first talk to Him and ask for true, genuine, undefiled, blessed conversation. God's promises are made "Yes" in Christ. He will answer any and all calls. He is mighty to save...faithful when we remain faithless. Nothing can ever seperate us from His love--nothing can ever pluck us from His hand. My Jesus is not a "Screener." He is not a God of texting. He is an intimate God who is familiar with every facet of our being--he knows every hair on our heads! His thoughts towards us, far out number the grains of sand.Embrace these truths! Take advantage of Him and the Freedom we have been given by Him, the RIGHT to be called, "Sons of God." There are no "roll-over minutes" to fall back on. We are a vapor--He is FOREVER. Be diligent and fight for the most PRESCIOUS GIFT you have ever received, which is ALL OF HIM. Once we embrace this truth and believe it we will then have, "Spiritual Awakening,Spiritual Renewal and Spiritual Authority and Power." He will wake up His sleeping bride and breathe life into her. All because in Him and through Him He meets every need and grows us in Christ through His word and The Holy Spirit every second, every minute and every hour of our lives! View COMMUNICATION in its most genuine state: A BLESSING AND GIFT OF THE LORD in the form of HIM--not in part--but in WHOLE. He wants us to know Him deeper,wider, and higher! Seize every opportunity to grow in Him. Do not waste it! My charge to believers is this: stop having .5 second conversations with God--stop putting Him on hold, stop "missing" His calls and or "screening" them; and for the love talk to the body of Christ. All of this "grieves" Him. Choose to: Engage. Show up. Love, Love, Love!

My Jesus has Nextel and can't receive or reply to any and all texting...sorry for any inconvenience in this "modern" era.

Lord Jesus, I Need Thee....I Come to Thee.

Kristen