Month: September 2020

September 17, 2020 Jfuglerwriter 1 Comment

Fresh Faith 24/7

Do you have more time on your hands as Coronavirus season continues?

Some people do, but others are busier than ever. We’re surrounded by families with young kids. You bet the parents are going crazy with the kids home all the time. Thankfully, a few of them are back at school.

Being grounded the past few months has helped me develop a new rhythm and pace. You might relate to that. With travel off my schedule, it’s given me more time to reflect on a lot of things, including my relationship with God.

My life has slowed down, and that’s good. I’m getting to know Jesus more deeply in a study of John, digging deeper and asking some hard questions.

The Lord has also given me time to take a longer look at life. My vision is to help a million believers know the Christ of the cross. This quest has bubbled up in me for the past several months. It will come to a significant point in late fall with the birth of Fresh Faith 24/7, a place where believers can come to experience a relationship with Jesus that will cause their faith to soar.

Where do you find fresh faith? A tougher question is this: Where do you find fresh faith in this crazy world today?

Jesus calls us into intimacy with him. He is our only source of fresh faith.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39 NIV)

Our love relationship with Jesus conquers all these things that Paul lists.

If hardship is hitting you, run into the arms of Jesus. He loves you.

If financial stress has you discouraged, run into the arms of Jesus. He loves you.

If your faith has run into a dry spell, run into the arms of Jesus. He loves you.

If you’re oppressed by conflict, run into the arms of Jesus. He loves you.

If pain is pulling you down, run into the arms of Jesus. He loves you.

One thing is certain. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. While dark things drain our faith, Jesus restores it.

Fresh faith is found in the intimacy of your love relationship with him. 24/7.

September 1, 2020 Jfuglerwriter 3 Comments

How Can We Know Jesus?

(NOTE: I’m feeling much better than when I last posted. Thank you to all who have been praying for me. And to those who contacted me with words of encouragement, I am grateful. My back muscles have healed. My leg is still a little numb, but getting better. Believe it or not, I joined a Herniated Disc Facebook Group! Yes, there is one. With 25,000 members).

Knowing someone on earth is one thing, but how can we know the God in heaven?

Good question.

We can’t reach out and touch Jesus. We can converse with him, but not in the way we would our spouse. I’m not one who audibly hears the voice of Jesus.

We can’t go out to dinner together. Or ride bikes. Or spend a day at the beach with each other. Or take a walk together. Discuss the day when we get home from work.

In a sense, we can, but I think you know what I mean. Knowing Jesus is a whole different concept and needs a different approach than getting to know your kids or friends.

Let’s go back to Philippians 3:8: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (NIV)

I did a word study on knowing. I wanted to know what it meant, I guess. (Chuckle). It was fascinating. I learned that the word means to “experientially know.”

Aha. I had made a breakthrough. Knowing Jesus like Paul knew Jesus isn’t about facts. It’s about experience. Head vs. heart. Intellect vs. living.

The word study also revealed that it was a knowledge gleaned from first-hand (personal) experience. In other words, I can’t know Jesus vicariously through my pastor. Indeed, I can listen to the most inspiring sermon about Jesus, but that doesn’t replace knowing him first-hand.

Knowing Jesus is experiencing Jesus. And experience comes from time spent with him. A minute ago I said that knowing Jesus is nothing like knowing a friend or spouse. At the core, however, it is. We just have to go through a different process to know our Savior.

Experiencing Jesus happens in some of the darkest and challenging times of our lives. My wife’s battle with cancer turned into a season of knowing Jesus. We came to the throne of grace over and over again, standing in the presence of our Lord. Personally, I spent many stretches of time pouring my heart out to Jesus, in tears at times. Then I soaked in his love, peace, care and strength. Cancer season brought me closer to Jesus. I felt I knew him well.

My recent pain-filled experience on my back was a knowing Jesus opportunity. It drew me closer to my Savior.

Knowing Jesus doesn’t always have to come in trial. God never meant it to be that way. He wants to know us daily. A close friendship experiences highs and lows together, but mostly the normal in-between seasons. You do life together, enjoying each other.

Jesus desires that we come to know him in all seasons, not only when we face the hard times. We need our Savior every day.

Pursue him desperately. Today.

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