STEEMCHURCH..... GROWING INTIMACY WITH GOD

Hello fellow brethren in Christ, today is another day the Lord has made. Today let us share the word of God. People's normally asked how do we get closer to God, that intimacy with GOD.

Intimacy with God is that mutual closeness and nearness between God and an individual that enables them to share freely their deepest feelings and secrets with each other.
(Prov. 3:32)

Hear the desire of Christ. He says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door. I will come in and eat with him, and he with me"
(Rev. 3:20)
Almighty God, the Lord of Eternity wants to be intimate with us to draw near and spend time with us. Why would any of us ignore the God of the universe, bending low to offer us the pleasure of his company? Today's lessons aims at encouraging you to draw closer to God.

• Encouragment To Draw Closer To God

Jesus instructed his disciples to be rightly related to him:

The vine is our Lord Jesus Christ, and of course, the vine includes the branches. He is the "true vine", that is the "original of which other vines are a copy". The vine is large and strong and impossible for anyone to break of a mature branch without injuring the vine itself. The symbolism of the vine and the branches is similar to that of the Christians relationship with Christ. As Christmas, our union with Jesus is a living one, so that we can bear fruit and loving one another, so that we may enjoy Him.

• The Benefit Of Remaining In Jesus

Fruitfulness is the result of the son's life being reproduced in a disciple. The disciples part is to remain. To remain means, first to accept Jesus as saviour
(John 6:54)
Second, it can mean to continue or presevere in believing continual abiding in Jesus and the indwelling of Jesus in him results in abundant fruit. However, those who fail. It's worthless and therefore thrown into fire to burn. The "burned" branches symbolically refer to the professing christians, who like Judas, are not genuinely saved and therefore are judged. Like a dead branch, a person without Christ is spiritually dead and therefore will be thrown into eternal fire.

• Evidence Of The Abiding Life

Effective prayer is based on faith in Christ and His word remaining in a believer. Christ's words condition and control the mind of the believer so that his prayer conforms to the will of the Father. Since his prayer is in accord with God's will, the answer is certain. The evidence of the abiding life are sense of the saviour love,obedience to His word, an answered prayer and joy
(John 157-11)

• Friends Of Jesus Christ

Since Jesus has opened Himself to His disciples, the title "slave" does not fit their relationship. He therefore called His disciples friends. Abraham was called God's "friend" because he obeyed God
(Isaiah 41:8)
Like close friends, Abraham and God communicated well with each other
(Genesis 18:13-17)
Similarly, we become His friends when we remain faithful in His word communicate with Him in prayers and abide in Him.

Conclusion
Abide in me and I in you. "As the branch cannot bear fruit itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me"
(John 15:4)