Friday, June 22, 2018

Reflection - Intimacy with Christ - Conversing with Jesus

Source (book): "Finding rest for the soul", Chapter Seven, Question 3, Page 120.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
How can you converse with Jesus regularly and in a deepening way?
PHOTO: How can you converse with Jesus regularly and in a deepening way?
Our knowledge of Jesus and our relationship with Him will deepen as we learn to have a personal conversation with Him. This conversation is two-way: when we pray, we talk to Jesus, and when we read the Scriptures, He speaks to us through His Word.

The Bible is like an instruction manual or constitution - a document that spells out what God has revealed about the principles and practices of His Kingdom. It also functions as God's personal letter to each of us. When we read the Bible, we should look out for a personal message from God. It might come by way of a phrase or word that catches our attention, or an insight that enters our conscious thought. Such things will give us a distinct sense that Jesus is communicating with us personally.

We might receive encouragement, a fresh promise, a warning to be on guard, wisdom to resolve a dilemma or to make a crucial decision, or something else that speaks to a particular situation we are facing at the moment.

Learning from the divine Teacher requires a growing intimacy with Him. This intimacy is sustained by listening to Him daily and speaking to Him through prayer. This deepening conversation will help us learn from Jesus.

Reflect on the practice of lectio divina, and give it a try.
lectio divina - a Latin term loosely translated as "sacred reading" - a way  of reading Scripture prayerfully as practised by monks in ages past. The steps are simple, but need to be followed slowly and deliberately:

First, you read a Bible passage slowly, paying attention to the words and rhythm of the text.

Second, you meditate on the text, opening your heart to Jesus and allowing Him to speak to you about your situation, where you are in your spiritual life, your anxieties, aspirations, temptations, relationships, and opportunities. This needs to be done in an unhurried, uninterrupted way.

Third, you speak to God through prayer, opening your heart to Him and letting Him see and hear all that is there. Tell Him what you think and feel about Him, and your needs and concerns.

Finally, you rest in His presence, savouring the moment and letting Him love you even as you seek to love Him.

Jesus is not an idea, programme, or institution. When we relate to Jesus, we are relating to a Person. Many of us approach Him with a long list of needs and wants, treating Him like a heavenly butler or concierge. But the Lord wants something much deeper than that; He wants us to learn to treat Him as the Person who loves us with a sacrificial, undying love. And we can do this by learning to cultivate a deepening, growing conversation with Him throughout the day, so that we become increasingly aware of His presence, love, guidance, grace, and protection.
Artwork by Joseph Brickey - In Similitude
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http://josephbrickey.weebly.com/old-testament.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2016/09/reflection-introduction-to-book-of-job.html


How can you converse with Jesus regularly and in a deepening way? Reflect on the practice of lectio divina, and give it a try.

How can you converse with Jesus regularly and in a deepening way?
Conversing with Jesus [1]
Our knowledge of Jesus and our relationship with Him will deepen as we learn to have a personal conversation with Him. This conversation is two-way: when we pray, we talk to Jesus, and when we read the Scriptures, He speaks to us through His Word. But how is this conversation personal?
Conversation with Jesus is two-way
PHOTO: Conversation with Jesus is two-way: when we pray, we talk to Jesus, and when we read the Scriptures, He speaks to us through His Word. Our knowledge of Jesus and our relationship with Him will deepen as we learn to have a personal conversation with Him.
Picture posted by Ada Supuwatha Team on Saturday, 09 January 2018 at 8:28 PM   - Hannah's Prayers Reveal Her Faith (1 Samuel 1: 9-20)
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http://supuwatha.blogspot.com/2018/01/ada-supuwatha-9.html


The Bible functions in two ways. First, it is like an instruction manual or constitution - a document that spells out what God has revealed about the principles and practices of His Kingdom. Second, it also functions as God's personal letter to each of us - a love letter, if you like. When we read the Bible, therefore, we should not only seek to learn and understand the broad principles that are applicable to all Christians, but also look out for a personal message from God. It might come by way of a phrase or word that catches our attention, or an insight that enters our conscious thought. Such things will give us a distinct sense that Jesus is communicating with us personally.
The Bible functions in two ways
PHOTO: The Bible functions in two ways. First, it is like an instruction manual or constitution - a document that spells out what God has revealed about the principles and practices of His Kingdom. Second, it also functions as God's personal letter to each of us - a love letter. When we read the Bible, therefore, we should not only seek to learn and understand the broad principles that are applicable to all Christians, but also look out for a personal message from God.
Painting by Joseph Brickey
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We might receive encouragement, a fresh promise, a warning to be on guard, wisdom to resolve a dilemma or to make a crucial decision, or something else that speaks to a particular situation we are facing at the moment. We will be reminded that Jesus is not just some faraway Saviour who has left us to our own devices, but a Lord who constantly communicates with us. As 18th-century Russian bishop and writer Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk advised, "Whenever you read the Gospel, Christ Himself is speaking to you. And while you read, you are praying and talking to Him." [29]


We will be reminded that Jesus is not just some faraway Saviour who has left us to our own devices, but a Lord who constantly communicates with us.
PHOTO: We will be reminded that Jesus is not just some faraway Saviour who has left us to our own devices, but a Lord who constantly communicates with us. We might receive encouragement, a fresh promise, a warning to be on guard, wisdom to resolve a dilemma or to make a crucial decision, or something else that speaks to a particular situation we are facing at the moment.
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Jesus can also speak to us outside the Bible - perhaps through a sermon, a card from a friend, a good book or film, advice from another Christian, or through our current circumstances - though of course He most frequently speaks through His Word.
Jesus can also speak to us outside the Bible - perhaps through a sermon, a card from a friend, a good book or film, advice from another Christian, or through our current circumstances - though of course He most frequently speaks through His Word.

PHOTO: Jesus can also speak to us outside the Bible - perhaps through a sermon, a card from a friend, a good book or film, advice from another Christian, or through our current circumstances - though of course He most frequently speaks through His Word.
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http://www.top4themes.com/bible-wallpapers/5430417.html


Learning from the divine Teacher requires a growing intimacy with Him. This intimacy is sustained by listening to Him daily and speaking to Him through prayer. This deepening conversation will help us learn from Jesus. Seventeenth-century Puritan theologian John Owen wrote: "Let us give up ourselves wholeheartedly to him. Let us tell Jesus that we will be for him and not for another. Let him hear this from us. He delights to hear it from our lips." [30]


Learning from the divine Teacher requires a growing intimacy with Him.
PHOTO: Learning from the divine Teacher requires a growing intimacy with Him. This intimacy is sustained by listening to Him daily and speaking to Him through prayer. This deepening conversation will help us learn from Jesus.
Picture posted by Dominical Biblical School on 09 March 2014
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Reflect on the practice of lectio divina, and give it a try.
Developing a Method of Reading Scripture [1]
Over the centuries, Christians have used various methods to deepen their conversation with Jesus and grow their relationship with Him. One example is lectio divina - a Latin term loosely translated as "sacred reading" - a way  of reading Scripture prayerfully as practised by monks in ages past. The steps are simple, but need to be followed slowly and deliberately:
LECTIO DIVINA (Spiritual, sacred Reading)
PHOTO: LECTIO DIVINA (Spiritual, sacred Reading)
Christians have used various methods to deepen their conversation with Jesus and grow their relationship with Him. One example is lectio divina - a Latin term loosely translated as "sacred reading" - a way  of reading Scripture prayerfully as practised by monks in ages past.
Picture posted by Rick's Notes on 05 March 2017
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https://rickcoffinblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/lectio-ladder.jpg
https://ricksnotes.blog/2017/03/05/lectio-divina-spiritual-reading/


First, you read a Bible passage slowly, paying attention to the words and rhythm of the text.

Second, you meditate on the text, opening your heart to Jesus and allowing Him to speak to you about your situation, where you are in your spiritual life, your anxieties, aspirations, temptations, relationships, and opportunities. This needs to be done in an unhurried, uninterrupted way.

Third, you speak to God through prayer, opening your heart to Him and letting Him see and hear all that is there. Tell Him what you think and feel about Him, and your needs and concerns.

Finally, you rest in His presence, savouring the moment and letting Him love you even as you seek to love Him.

A spiritual exercise like this can help you have a deep conversation with Jesus. It may feel a little awkward or difficult at first, but as you experience the blessing and peace of a growing relationship with Jesus, you will want more of it. As you move from merely pouring words out at His feet to opening your heart to Him, your prayer life will deepen.
A Ladder to Heaven: Lectio Divina
PHOTO: A Ladder to Heaven: Lectio Divina
A spiritual exercise like this can help us have a deep conversation with Jesus.
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A Ladder to Heaven: Lectio Divina
PHOTO: A Ladder to Heaven: Lectio Divina
It may feel a little awkward or difficult at first, but as we experience the blessing and peace of a growing relationship with Jesus, we will want more of it.
Picture posted by emailanand25, dailymotion - Hindi Christian Song - Yeshu Pyare
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According to experts, there are many levels of communication. At the most superficial level, we talk about things and about other people; this is the "safest" form of communication, as it is non-threatening, and non-committal. The next level involves talking about our ideas. This makes us more vulnerable, because our ideas may be challenged, dismissed, and even ignored. Also, they communicate what we really think about others. Then, we enter a deeper, even more vulnerable level when we move on to talking about what we feel. We now face the risk of our feelings being misunderstood, ignored, or even repudiated. But if our listener recognises our feelings, we will be able to deepen the understanding and conversation. Finally, there is the deepest level of communication: when we and our listeners talk about "us" - the relationship itself. We are at our most vulnerable at this stage, because the conversation could disrupt the relationship or force us to face up to our responsibility (or lack of it). However, this stage can also enable us to grow in that relationship, because it makes us address problems and explore new possibilities.
Levels of communication
PHOTO: Levels of communication
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These levels of communication are true not only for relationships with other people, but also for our relationship with Jesus. That is because He is not an idea, programme, or institution. When we relate to Jesus, we are relating to a Person. Many of us approach Him with a long list of needs and wants, treating Him like a heavenly butler or concierge. But the Lord wants something much deeper than that; He wants us to learn to treat Him as the Person who loves us with a sacrificial, undying love. And we can do this by learning to cultivate a deepening, growing conversation with Him throughout the day, so that we become increasingly aware of His presence, love, guidance, grace, and protection.
These levels of communication are true not only for relationships with other people, but also for our relationship with Jesus.
PHOTO: These levels of communication are true not only for relationships with other people, but also for our relationship with Jesus. When we relate to Jesus, we are relating to a Person. Many of us approach Him with a long list of needs and wants, treating Him like a heavenly butler or concierge. He wants us to learn to treat Him as the Person who loves us with a sacrificial, undying love. And we can do this by learning to cultivate a deepening, growing conversation with Him throughout the day.
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Dear Lord, Please help us to have personal conversation with Jesus, in order to increase our knowledge of Him and our relationship with Him. We want to look out for your personal message while we read the Bible, by way of a phrase or word that catches our attention, or an insight that enters our conscious thought. We learn that such things will give us a distinct sense that Jesus is communicating with us personally. We would like to receive encouragement, a fresh promise, a warning to be on guard, wisdom to resolve a dilemma or to make a crucial decision, or something else that speaks to a particular situation we are facing at the moment. We want a growing intimacy with Jesus so that we can learn from Him through our deepening conversation.<br><br>Help us to practice lectio divina, 'sacred reading', a way  of reading Scripture prayerfully, and to cultivate a deepening, growing conversation with Him throughout the day, allowing Him to speak to us about our situation, where we are in our spiritual life, our anxieties, aspirations, temptations, relationships, and opportunities. We want to share with Jesus by opening our heart to Him and letting Him see and hear all that is there. We would like to tell Him what we think and feel about Him, and our needs and concerns. We want to rest in His presence, savouring the moment and letting Him love us even as we seek to love Him. We need these levels of communication so that we become increasingly aware of His presence, love, guidance, grace, and protection.<br><br>Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, Please help us to have personal conversation with Jesus, in order to increase our knowledge of Him and our relationship with Him. We want to look out for your personal message while we read the Bible, by way of a phrase or word that catches our attention, or an insight that enters our conscious thought. We learn that such things will give us a distinct sense that Jesus is communicating with us personally. We would like to receive encouragement, a fresh promise, a warning to be on guard, wisdom to resolve a dilemma or to make a crucial decision, or something else that speaks to a particular situation we are facing at the moment. We want a growing intimacy with Jesus so that we can learn from Him through our deepening conversation.

Help us to practice lectio divina, "sacred reading", a way  of reading Scripture prayerfully, and to cultivate a deepening, growing conversation with Him throughout the day, allowing Him to speak to us about our situation, where we are in our spiritual life, our anxieties, aspirations, temptations, relationships, and opportunities. We want to share with Jesus by opening our heart to Him and letting Him see and hear all that is there. We would like to tell Him what we think and feel about Him, and our needs and concerns. We want to rest in His presence, savouring the moment and letting Him love us even as we seek to love Him. We need these levels of communication so that we become increasingly aware of His presence, love, guidance, grace, and protection.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
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Reflection - Intimacy with Christ - Conversing with Jesus
Question from source (book): "Finding rest for the soul", Chapter Seven, Question 3, Page 120.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012



Reference
[1] From "Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, Copyright © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-1-62707-709-5, Part III: LEARN FROM ME, Chapter Seven "Learning from Jesus: Intimacy with Christ", Page 115-119.

[29] Cited in Esther de Waal, Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict (London: Fount Paperbacks, 1984), 37.

[30] John Owen, Communion with God, ed. R. J. K. Law (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991), 60.

New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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