It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here!! Day 31 of the #31day blogging challenge!! Some of you are sighing with relief! And yes, I am taking tomorrow off! Go find your own devotion, ha! Seriously, this has been a blessing to me and I hope it has to all of you who have either followed from the beginning, or jumped in from time to time, thank you all. It has been challenging, encouraging and when it rolls around next year…hmm…we shall wait and see!

A 19^th century Danish theologian acknowledged that there were two different kinds of religions. The first one was Faith in the name of religion only, as in the scripture in 2 Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”   We all know people such as that who go to church because that’s what their parents did, and their parents before them, and so on. It’s just what they have always done. But it doesn’t change them, and it doesn’t make a difference in their lives.

The second religion he says is “…a life-transforming, destiny-changing experience. It is a definite commitment to the crucified and risen Savior, which establishes an ongoing personal relationship between a forgiven sinner and a gracious God.”

Religion or relationship?

The Bible shows us the difference so clearly. The Pharisees were stuck on their “religion”. They were proud of it! They loved all of the rules and regulations. The dotting of the “i” and crossing of the “t”. That was what became important to them.

The Law.

There were so many rules that no one could keep them! Not even the Pharisees themselves!

But Jesus was all about LIFE.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

When He came into the picture, He went to where the people LIVED. He got down on their level. He listened to them, heard their stories, talked to them and helped them.

“God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:27-28 ESV.

God doesn’t want a Religious Experience for me, He wants a personal relationship with me!

He wanted relationship with US. He came, He loved, He died to repair that broken relationship with mankind.

It is available to each and every one who reaches out and grabs hold of it! Once we do that, once we accept that wonderful gift of relationship with Almighty God, we then will WANT to serve, love, give and be a part of the Body of Christ!

We are now called Christians, or “little Christ”. We emulate HIM. We will want to be MORE like Him by studying about Him in the Word of God which He left for us. Through prayer, the ultimate conversation with God, we can talk to Him, every day! Anytime we want to! How cool is that?! That is how we will keep our relationship growing and alive…communication.

These past 31 days of hope and healing have really been about relationship. We have learned that God is a God of deliverance, beginning with the story of Egija’s miracle. We talked about our insecurities, being a voice and not an echo. We did a two day series on fasting, and we may expound more on that at the beginning of the year! We talked about the beautiful promises of God, how we were made for another world, crazy coincidences or divine appointments and to expect great things! There were so many great topics including the guest post by my SIL, Sue on trust and the one by my son, Kristopher this week on Wisdom. You can see all 31 posts here!

What a blessing to KNOW the God of the universe…that is what it will take on Judgment Day. Our name must be written in the Book of Life. We cannot just say we went to church on Sunday. We must KNOW HIM! It is all about relationship!

Do you know Him today?

“For by grace are you saved, through faith; and this not of your own, it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.

Sharing with Homemaking Party, Hearts for Home, Time Travel Thursday, Thriving Thursday, Proverbs 31 Thursday, Still Saturday