Hymnody is sweet with the longing after God, the God whom, while the singer seeks, he knows he has already found . 'His track I see and I’ll pursue,' sang our fathers only a short generation ago, but that song is heard no more in the great congregation.

How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of “accepting” Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls.

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True story: A while back I was with a group of Christian friends, 'fellowshiping' (whatever that may mean today) for 3-4 hours. During this time of ‘fellowship’, we talked about everything and anything from Obama to sports, families, jobs, vacations, and almost everything, ad-nasieum --- everything that is --- except Jesus and His "Kingdom stuff".

Akin to the feelings of Jeremiah, I felt I could hold my tongue no longer: “His Name…was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones: And I am weary of holding it in…” (20:9).

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Upon our “new birth” (John 3: 3-7), like the Apostle Paul, ALL believers have been called by God to know Jesus More intimately. After decades of knowing Jesus as Savior (Phil. 3:9), Paul declared (Phil. 3:10), “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and become conformed to His death. . This “call” from God is distinct, unambiguous, and clearly outlined in His Two Great Commands found first in Deuteronomy 10:12, then confirmed by Jesus in Matt. 22:37-39, a passage commonly called The Two Great Commands. The “greatest” of God’s commands always first, and having no equal: “Love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.” The second (greatest) command, “ …love our “neighbor” as much as we love ourselves”.

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"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.' Isaiah 30:21

For my wife, the best part of a driving vacation is the process of getting to our destination. She loves nothing more than spreading out a map on her lap and navigate as I drive. She titillates as the lines on the map turn from thick red to thin black where the road gets narrow. She marks off beautiful scenes, small out-of-the-way villages, and historic landmarks. She loves the process even more than the destination.

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To another wayward generation God declared: “I (can) will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, My great army, which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25 ESV.

As He promised His children Israel, God can and will restore ‘lost’ years, by providing a deepening relationship with Jesus, but only in direct proportion to us passionately seeking More of His realized Presence with a whole heart, in the here and now.

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