WEBVTT 00:04.553 --> 00:11.762 [SPEAKER_00]: Today we'll explore what I hope is the fruit of every day's devotional, communion with God. 00:12.333 --> 00:16.019 [SPEAKER_00]: We serve a God who is simply after being with us. 00:17.201 --> 00:25.153 [SPEAKER_00]: Every moment of every day is a chance to let God in, to live in real restored relationship with Him. 00:26.235 --> 00:32.265 [SPEAKER_00]: May God guide us ever closer to Him as we create room for Him to fill right now. 00:33.186 --> 00:35.590 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast. 00:51.567 --> 00:52.516 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you. 00:57.288 --> 01:02.736 [SPEAKER_00]: Our scripture for today comes from John 15 verses four and five. 01:03.557 --> 01:09.106 [SPEAKER_00]: Scripture says, abide in me and I in you. 01:09.166 --> 01:20.202 [SPEAKER_00]: As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 01:20.242 --> 01:25.270 [SPEAKER_00]: I am the vine, you are the branches. 01:25.621 --> 01:32.148 [SPEAKER_00]: Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. 01:32.969 --> 01:36.033 [SPEAKER_00]: For a part for me, you can do nothing. 01:39.597 --> 01:43.982 [SPEAKER_00]: The Christian life is meant to be marked by union with God. 01:45.384 --> 01:54.514 [SPEAKER_00]: By the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, the Holy Spirit now dwells within us, longing to make His nearness known. 01:55.658 --> 02:04.605 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs for his perfect love and peace to be the foundation of everything we do, think and feel. 02:06.188 --> 02:14.903 [SPEAKER_00]: Brother Lawrence wrote about a life-lived and continual communion with God in the book the practice of the presence of God. 02:15.905 --> 02:25.682 [SPEAKER_00]: He said, I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of God. 02:25.662 --> 02:42.405 [SPEAKER_00]: For my part, I keep myself retired with him in the depths of center of my soul as much as I can, and while I am so with him, I fear nothing, but the least turning from him is unsupportable. 02:45.102 --> 02:58.838 [SPEAKER_00]: The more we grow in our knowledge of the profound union that exists between our spirit and the Holy Spirit, the more we will discover our great need of his tangible, constant presence. 03:01.421 --> 03:05.746 [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you are at a place where you don't feel like you really know God. 03:07.007 --> 03:10.992 [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you know about him, but don't know him like a friend. 03:12.119 --> 03:21.450 [SPEAKER_00]: In describing the process of coming to no God, Brother Lawrence wrote, In order to no God, we must often think of Him. 03:22.492 --> 03:27.057 [SPEAKER_00]: And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often. 03:27.097 --> 03:30.481 [SPEAKER_00]: For our heart will be with our treasure. 03:32.724 --> 03:40.033 [SPEAKER_00]: An amazing transformation takes place in our hearts as our souls awake to our union with God. 03:40.958 --> 03:47.405 [SPEAKER_00]: His love has the power to ignite us toward a lifestyle of seeking greater communion with Him. 03:48.986 --> 03:56.734 [SPEAKER_00]: In many ways, our God is infinitely more noble than any person, because God is spirit. 03:57.355 --> 04:10.729 [SPEAKER_00]: And now dwells within the hearts of believers He is perfectly able to reveal Himself in deeper, more noble ways than you have access to with anyone else. 04:10.709 --> 04:25.413 [SPEAKER_00]: He has the ability to reveal his thoughts, feelings, power, love, and will, moment by moment, and in ways that surpass the miscommunication that language often brings. 04:26.815 --> 04:35.670 [SPEAKER_00]: He speaks straight from his spirit to yours that you may truly know him to greater depth than anyone else. 04:37.000 --> 04:39.744 [SPEAKER_00]: The question is not, can we know God? 04:40.526 --> 04:45.013 [SPEAKER_00]: But are we willing to center our lives around the knowledge of Him? 04:47.116 --> 04:51.624 [SPEAKER_00]: Take time and guided prayer to experience Eugenian with God? 04:53.106 --> 04:59.937 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask Him to reveal His nearness that you might know Him in deeper, more tangible ways. 05:01.013 --> 05:09.910 [SPEAKER_00]: May your day be marked by God's presence and love, moment by moment, as you seek to walk with him and all you do. 05:53.073 --> 05:54.662 [UNKNOWN]: you 06:15.584 --> 06:26.597 [SPEAKER_00]: as we begin, meditate on Scripture about God's nearness, allow the Word of God to build up your faith to meet with God. 06:28.199 --> 06:38.571 [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 139 verses 7 through 10 says, where shall I go from your Spirit or where shall I flee from your presence? 06:39.580 --> 06:42.545 [SPEAKER_00]: If I ascend to heaven, you are there. 06:43.687 --> 06:46.752 [SPEAKER_00]: If I make my bed and shield, you are there. 06:48.034 --> 06:59.513 [SPEAKER_00]: If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 07:18.764 --> 07:46.375 [SPEAKER_00]: And next, do you live in moment by moment union with God? 07:47.570 --> 07:50.496 [SPEAKER_00]: Is your whole life marked by His nearness? 07:51.919 --> 07:55.766 [SPEAKER_00]: Know that God has the fullness of grace and mercy for you. 07:55.806 --> 07:59.414 [SPEAKER_00]: No matter what your relationship with Him looks like. 08:00.636 --> 08:04.684 [SPEAKER_00]: He desires that you know His love to greater depths. 08:49.433 --> 08:50.134 [SPEAKER_00]: and last. 08:51.176 --> 08:53.760 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask God to reveal His nearness to you. 08:53.800 --> 08:58.328 [SPEAKER_00]: Take time to simply seek a greater knowledge of Him. 08:58.388 --> 09:05.299 [SPEAKER_00]: By seeking His face, you will experience everything that comes from union with Him. 09:06.460 --> 09:17.502 [SPEAKER_00]: Jeremiah 29 verses 12 through 14 says, then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. 09:18.665 --> 09:23.655 [SPEAKER_00]: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 09:24.837 --> 09:27.743 [SPEAKER_00]: I will be found by you, the Clare of the Lord. 10:07.227 --> 10:10.492 [SPEAKER_00]: Your God is both patient and kind. 10:11.753 --> 10:15.539 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs to be with you, so you might know His peace. 10:16.560 --> 10:20.586 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs for the foundation of your life to be His love. 10:22.188 --> 10:28.096 [SPEAKER_00]: Seek His face throughout your day today, that your life may be marked by His nearness. 10:29.278 --> 10:36.087 [SPEAKER_00]: Don't settle for an ordinary day, but strive for the fullness of life God has for you. 10:37.366 --> 11:02.496 [SPEAKER_00]: May your life be marked by a moment to moment knowledge of God's nearness and love. 11:18.001 --> 11:22.588 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for listening to today's podcast, Communion with God. 11:23.289 --> 11:25.172 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with verse 15. 11:26.333 --> 11:33.464 [SPEAKER_00]: As you go about your day today, recognize moments where you can focus on the communion you already have with God. 11:34.305 --> 11:35.467 [SPEAKER_00]: God is with you. 11:36.168 --> 11:42.878 [SPEAKER_00]: There's nothing you can do to separate yourself from Him thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. 11:42.858 --> 11:51.042 [SPEAKER_00]: Look for just a few moments today where you can celebrate that truth and know that your day will be far better as a result. 11:51.082 --> 11:57.120 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day and may God bless you as you see Kim.