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Do you know God? What does it mean to “know” God? There are three different levels that we can know God.

Acquaintance level – Knowing God means to encounter Him at certain pivotal times in life. It could be at an especially moving worship service or perhaps in a life crisis.

In that moment we really do sense something different and may even go as far as to make a shallow commitment. But in our daily life, there is very little – if any – change.

Affectionate level – Knowing God is not just experiencing a moment of spiritual excitement but a commitment to be actively involved with God. Friends spend time together and are involved in each other’s lives. At this level, we are involved with God – to a point.

We come to church and may even participate in its activities. We try from time to time to have a daily quiet time and attempt to be disciplined in spiritual habits. In other words, we are really working at this friendship.

However, if the friendship level is as deep as we ever go in the pursuit of a relationship with God, sooner or later we will long for something more, because we were created for an intimate relationship with God.

Abiding level – When Jesus says we can “know” Him, He is talking about a “marriage level” relationship. The first time that “know” is used in the Bible is in Genesis 4:1 – “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain”.

When the Bible talks about “knowing” someone, it is not only referring to a physical knowledge, but to an even deeper level of intimacy. Many of us settle for a nodding acquaintance or a mere surface affection with the Father, when what He really desires and what we really need is the abiding level relationship.

There are many people in the Bible who had that kind of relationship with God. David was a man after God’s own heart. Moses spoke with God face to face. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were close, personal friends of Jesus. The disciples served beside Him day in and day out.

You and I can have what those people had! Do you know Him? Jesus‘ prayer for you in John 17:3 says “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 10.15. Live for God, on purpose, knowing that

Counterfeit Christianity Seminar

This Sunday and Monday, April 11-12, WFA is pleased to welcome back Bob Anderson of Watchman Fellowship for a two-day seminar on the subject of counterfeit Christianity.

Watchman Fellowship is a Christian discernment and apologetics ministry focusing on counterfeit Christianity, cults, and New Age spirituality. Bob Anderson has hosted a television show “Exposing the Lie” for over 10 years and has been a guest on television and radio programs including The 700 Club and D. James Kennedy’s Truths That Transform. He was a contributing author of two books: Earth’s Final Days, published by New Leaf Press, and Foreshocks of Antichrist, published by Harvest House.

The Counterfeit Christianity Seminar will begin on Sunday morning at 9:30, as Bob shares a session entitled “Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Dating Game.” During the 10:30 worship service, he will speak on “Counterfeit Christianity.” On Monday evening at 7:00, the seminar will conclude with a special seminar titled “Islam Revealed.”

Brother Anderson will be available for questions and answers from the congregation on the subject of cults and counterfeit Christianity. Also, materials from Watchman Fellowship will be available for purchase to all in attendance. The conference is free and open to the public. Invite your friends and family to this timely and informative seminar!

You can visit Watchman Fellowship online, and avail yourself to their resources, at http://www.watchman.org

God Said

If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I’m a Healer?

If you never went through difficulties, how would you know that I’m a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness, how would you know that I’m a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I’m forgiving?

If you knew it all, how would you know that I will answer your questions?

If you never were in trouble, how would you know that I will come to your rescue?

If you never were broken, then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had a problem, how would you know that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering, then how would you know what Jesus went through?

If you never went through the fire, then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things, how would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you, how would you know that I love you?

If you had all power, then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect, then what would you need Me for?

Thank you, God!

Total Commitment to Jesus

When men first learned to navigate the seas by using the stars, a whole new world opened up to them. A common saying in those days was, “He who is a slave to the compass enjoys the freedom of the open sea.” Make a total commitment to let Christ be your compass in life. Consult Him on every step you take. Let Him set your course and He will direct you to places of freedom and fulfillment you never knew existed. Be willing to say, like Paul, ‘...it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.‘ (Galatians 2:20 NKJV)

One night Toscanini, the famous Italian conductor, led the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, a very difficult piece to conduct. So majestic was the music that the audience stood for ten minutes of applause. Toscanini took his bows again and again. He turned to the orchestra; they bowed. The audience continued to clap and cheer. Finally Toscanini turned his back on the audience and speaking only to the orchestra said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am nothing, you are nothing, Beethoven is everything!”

CS Lewis wrote, “To love and admire anything outside yourself is to take one step away from utter spiritual ruin; though, we shall not be well so long as we love and admire anything more than we love and admire God.”

So, kneel at the feet of Jesus today and say, “I am nothing; You are everything. Here are my gifts, my resources and my dreams. I lay them at Your feet. I give them all to You, holding nothing back.”

Don’t Let Others Hold You Back

Joseph’s brothers resented his dream, so they sold him into slavery. David’s family didn’t consider him worthy of being king. The people who knew Jesus during His first 30 years said, “‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son?’...So they were offended at Him...” (Matthew 13:54-57 NKJV)

You must realize that some of the people who knew you “way back when” don’t know you now, because they’ve “pigeonholed you.”

What should you do? Do what Jesus did – He moved on. What else could He do? He refused to allow others to keep Him stuck at a stage in His life that was past and gone, and you have got to do the same. If you allow others to keep taking you down memory lane, you’ll eventually set up house, stay longer than you should and miss your God-given destiny.

It’s wonderful to have people in your life who know where you’ve been and can relate to where you’re going. However, if you have to choose between then and now, sacrifice then, for it can’t be rewritten, only replayed over and over. Stop rehearsing your beginnings and write the rest of your story. The future is yours – seize it while you can.

There’s a story of a hacker on a golf course who kept swinging at the ball and missing, repeatedly hitting an ant hill. Finally one ant took charge and said, “Follow me.” Another ant yelled, “But where are we going?” He pointed to the ball sitting in front of them. “There. If we don’t get on the ball we’re going to die!”

The Bees Wings

Beekeepers know that a bee’s age is determined by the condition of its wings.

Because bees constantly work, their wings get a lot of wear and tear. Young bees have wide, well-formed wings, whereas older bees have narrow, torn, and tattered wings.

The bee does not die of old age. It dies when its wings are completely worn out and it can no longer work or fly. Near the point of death, the bee points itself away from the beehive and begins to fly, never to return again. The bee literally wears itself out working!

There is a spiritual lesson here for us. As Christians, we must be diligent servants, doing the work of the Lord. When Jesus evaluated the spiritual condition of the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 2-3), their degree of acceptance was directly proportional to the kind and amount of work they were doing.

Paul admonishes us in 1 Corinthians 15:58, saying to the church, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Children’s Views on Love

How do people in love typically behave?

“When a person gets kissed for the first time, they fall down and they don’t get up for at least an hour.” (Wendy, age 8)

Concerning why love happens between two particular people

“One of the people has freckles and so he finds somebody else who has freckles too.” (Andrew, age 6)
“No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That’s why perfume and deodorant are so popular.” (Mae, age 7)
“I think you’re supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn’t supposed to be so painful.” (Manuel, age 8)

On what falling in love is like

“Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life.” (John, age 9)
“If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don’t want to do it. It takes too long.” (Glenn, age 7)
On the role of beauty and handsomeness in love
“If you want to be loved by somebody who isn’t already in your family, it doesn’t hurt to be beautiful.” (Anita C., age 8)
“It isn’t always just how you look. Look at me. I’m handsome like anything and I haven’t got anybody to marry me yet.” (Brian, age 7)
“Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time.” (Christine, age 9)

Reflections on the nature of love

“Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.” (Greg, age 8)

How do people in love typically behave?

“Mooshy... like puppy dogs... except puppy dogs don’t wag their tails nearly as much.” (Arnold, age 10)
“All of a sudden, the people get movies fever so they can sit together in the dark.” (Sherm, age 8)
Concerning why lovers often hold hands
“They want to make sure their rings don’t fall off because they paid good money for them.” (Gavin, age 8)
“They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle someday and do the holy matchimony thing.” (John, age 9)

Confidential opinions about love

“I’m in favor of love as long as it doesn’t happen when ‘Dinosaurs‘ is on television.” (Jill, age 6)
“Love is foolish ... but I still might try it sometime.” (Floyd, age 9)
“Yesterday I kissed a girl in a private place ... We were behind a tree.” (Carey, age 7)
“Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me.” (Dave, age 8)
“I’m not rushing into being in love. I’m finding fourth grade hard enough.” (Regina, age 10)

Personal qualities you need to have in order to be a good lover

“Sensitivity don’t hurt.” (Robbie, age 8)
“One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills.” (Ava, age 8)
Some surefire ways to make a person fall in love with you
“Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores.” (Del, age 6)
“Shake your hips and hope for the best.” (Camille, age 9)
“Yell out that you love them at the top of your lungs... and don’t worry if their parents are right there.” (Manuel, age 8)
“Don’t do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain’t the same thing as love.” (Alonzo, age 9)
“One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it’s something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me.” (Bart, age 9)

How can you tell if two adults at a restaurant are in love?

“Just see if the man picks up the check. That’s how you can tell if he’s in love.” (Bobby, age 9)
“Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold. Other people care more about the food.” (Bart, age 9)
“Romantic adults usually are all dressed up, so if they are just wearing jeans it might mean they used to go out or they just broke up.” (Sarah)
“See if the man has lipstick on his face.” (Sandra, age 7)
“It’s love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it’s just like how their hearts are – on fire.” (Christine, age 9)
What most people are thinking when they say “I love you”
“The person is thinking: Yeah, I really do love him. But I hope he showers at least once a day.” (Michelle, age 9)
“Some lovers might be real nervous, so they are glad that they finally got it out and said it and now they can go eat.” (Dick, age 7)

How was kissing invented?

“I know one reason that kissing was created. It makes you feel warm all over, and they didn’t always have electric heat or fireplaces or even stoves in their houses.” (Gina, age 8)
How a person learns to kiss
“You can have a big rehearsal with your Barbie and Ken dolls.” (Julia, age 7)
“You learn it right on the spot when the gooshy feelings get the best of you.” (Brian, age 7)
“It might help to watch soap operas all day.” (Carin, age 9)

When is it okay to kiss someone?

“When they’re rich.” (Pam, age 7)
“It’s never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you... That’s why I stopped doing it.” (Tammy, age 7)
“If it’s your mother, you can kiss her anytime. But if it’s a new person, you have to ask permission.” (Roger, age 6)
“I look at kissing like this: Kissing is fine if you like it, but it’s a free country and nobody should be forced to do it.” (Dave, age 8)

How to make love endure

“Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work.” (Dick, age 7)
“Don’t forget your wife’s name... That will mess up the love.”

The Last Impression

A surgeon, an architect, and a lawyer were having a heated discussion concerning which of their professions was actually the oldest. The surgeon said, “Surgery is the oldest profession. God took a rib from Adam to create Eve, and you can’t go back further than that.”

The architect said, “Hold on! In fact, God was the first architect when he created the world out of chaos in seven days, and you can’t go back any further than THAT!”

The lawyer leaned back in his chair and said, “Gentlemen, gentlemen – who do you think created the CHAOS?”

We are looking forward to this weekend here at WFA, as we welcome back Bob Anderson, and learn some important facts regarding those who would like to deceive people through their false religions. Invite your friends to join you this Sunday!