Experiencing Intimacy with God

At Restoration Church, we dream of our family of missionaries living life centered in Jesus and experiencing intimacy with God.

But here's the thing: knowing about God isn’t the same as truly knowing Him. It’s like knowing what friendship is without ever having a true best friend.

Ideas about God - like thinking of His characteristics or qualities - can sometimes take over and replace the real, personal connection we’re supposed to have with Him. When we focus on an image or idea of God instead of actually experiencing Him, it’s easy to lose the intimacy He calls us to.

The Prophets Knew Him Personally

The prophets from the Bible didn’t just come up with theories or guesses about God. God wasn’t just a distant thought or concept to Micah, Obadiah, and Nahum - He was alive and powerfully present in their lives.

Their words didn’t come from studying or trying to figure God out - they spoke because they had encountered Him! These weren’t guesses about God’s nature; they were responses to moments of being touched by His voice and presence.

To Ezekiel, Daniel, and Hosea, God wasn’t far away - He was close, real, and deeply involved in their lives.

More Than Just Ideas

When we think of God as just a collection of ideas - like goodness, love, or wisdom - we can miss the bigger picture.

To the prophets, God wasn’t just qualities; He was action, passion, and relationship. He wasn’t distant and abstract - He cared deeply about people and showed His heart for them through His words and actions.

Our Calling

So rather than focusing on ideas about God, let’s focus on living lives centered on Jesus and experiencing God’s love firsthand.

At Restoration Church, our hope is that our family of missionaries doesn’t just know about God but lives closely with Him - just like Joel, Isaiah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah who were moved by His voice.


 Blessings,


Terry Ishee
Lead Pastor
 
HT: Abraham Heschel & Alan Hirsch