PREFACE
TRANSFORMING LOVE
“…predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son….” (Romans 8:29).
“…predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son….” (Romans 8:29).
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The
best part of the Christian journey is the relationship I am able to have with
the living God. It took many years to learn I
didn’t really have a relationship with God, but was, in fact socialized into
Christianity.
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| THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY |
I
knew all the clichés and gestures like the back of my hand. I was a master at
imitating the Christian culture. I looked and acted like the real thing, but I
wasn’t. I worshipped God with my lips, but my heart was far from him.
That
reality was a real eye opener. I didn’t realize I wasn’t the real thing
until I met someone who really was Christ-like.
I
was doing Christianity, but I wasn’t
really becoming Christ-like. I knew
about God, but I didn’t KNOW God. Being raised in the church made me
think learning about God and Jesus, for years and years, made me an expert
Christian.
Actually,
I was a typical religious person. I was more moral and ethical than holy or
righteous.
But
when I met someone who was allowing the Christian faith to authentically
transform his life I knew I hadn’t truly committed to the relationship with
God. I wanted to have an authentic relationship with God too.
I
went home and cried. This experience or reality may not be true of everybody,
but it was true about me. I had to admit I didn’t “know” God and I didn’t
really “love” him. I looked and talked as if I both knew him and loved him, but
I didn’t. I was a phony Christian.
I
knew all along something was missing in my Christian journey. I had information
about God and I had an appropriate amount of understanding, but very, very
little relationship application.
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| WISDOM IS SUPREME |
Wisdom
is the application of knowledge and understanding. And the bible says Wisdom is
supreme. I knew, however, in many areas of my Christian walk I was pretending
to be in a relationship with God, when in fact I was not.
I
knew I wasn’t authentically Christ-like, but I could imitate Christlikeness so
well I ignored or justified any shortcomings. God knew too and when I went to
him in prayer to confess my pretense I could have sworn God sighed.
After
so many years of doing Christianity where do I start in order to have a genuine
relationship with God? This is why I wrote TRANSFORMING LOVE to help others
have a genuine YADA relationship with God too and NOT spend years experiencing
Christianity as just another religious system. I will explain YADA later, but
for now it simply means “KNOW.”
Anyway,
an authentic relationship with God is not limited to spiritual leaders, clergy,
televangelist, and other well-known Christians. It is for ordinary people like
you and me too who can experience personal signs and wonders in our private
lives through the relationship with God.
The
miraculous life of the Christian believer is not limited to just famous
Christian leaders, but God’s promises are yes and amen to the whole body of
Christ.
Every
brother and sister in Christ is on the same leveling ground, with equal
opportunities, when it comes to the Word of God. God is not like man and is not
partial to anyone, but treats every child fair, loving, and just. Every believer
should have a personal testimony about their relationship with God.
I pray in the Name of Jesus that this
book with lay a foundation for an authentic relationship with God that YOU can
build on. I declare and decree that
believers everywhere will read this book and renew, strengthen, or establish a YADA
relationship with God through Christ in JESUS NAME! May God capture every human being reading this
book and redirect their hearts toward a deeper “oneness” relationship with God
through Christ. AMEN.
God
is not far away, but is present, reachable, interactive, and lovingly
personable with each of us. God will lead you into the relationship with
Him.
He
desires a relationship with you more than you do. I will share with you how it
started with me. It has been the opportunity of a lifetime from that time on
and is continually wonderful.
I
am not trying to start a pattern or give you a box of tools or a set of steps
to a relationship with God. I only hope to point you to the Word of God for
yourself in order to enhance that relationship. I am finite just like you, but
God is infinite.
God
is not limited by our steps, or theories, or doctrines. Man’s theories,
writings, and doctrines are stepping stones to help you get started on a particular journey, but God is
never limited to man’s knowledge.
God made you unique and every relationship is
special even though we are serving the same Living God of creation. God uses
revelation knowledge to further enlighten us when we personally spend time with
him.
Therefore,
God will help you get started, or renew, or strengthen your own personal
relationship with Him. God will also help you to further grow in His grace and
knowledge from now on. Now I will answer this question: “How did the YADA
relationship finally start with me?”
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| KNOW GOD, NOT JUST KNOW ABOUT HIM |
Like
I said, I knew about God’s love for me basically as a collection of facts, but
I really did not know, his
love, experientially for me.
In other words, I had the knowledge of the God’s
love, understood it, but didn’t have much (relationship) application. Application
means to take what you know and understand and correctly apply it to the right
situations. Or in simply terms putting what you know and understand in
operation or action. Some people may call it wisdom or experience.
That
night I went home and cried, the Holy Spirit led me to read the book of Hosea.
God used Hosea to give me revelation knowledge of his love for me.
I was enlightened by his revelation as the
Holy Spirit led me further into the truth of his great love for me. I became
spiritually, not intellectually aware of his love for me. That’s where the
authentic relationship with God started.
I
started genuinely loving God because He revealed his love for me. Just like the
scripture says, “…we love because he first loved us…” (1 John 4:19).
This
is not a pattern, but an example of how my relationship with God began. God may
use the same method of revelation with you or he may start his relationship
with you in a whole other way.
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| TRUE CHRISTLIKENESS |
From
that moment of impact, my life was wonderfully revolutionized through the
loving relationship with God. Without having an authentic relationship with God
Christianity becomes as common as any other religious system.
Without
an authentic relationship with God, the believer is missing out on the
opportunity of a lifetime. Without an authentic relationship with God, the believer
will never know what it’s like to “be” authentically Christ-like.
Without
an authentic relationship with God, the believer will never be truly
transformed and therefore will not have an impact on society or those around
them. You will never transform anyone until you are transformed yourself.
During
my dissertation research, statistics revealed that believers who are in a
committed relationship with God are much more Christ-like than those who are
not.
In
addition, out of hundreds of Christians surveyed by one pastor only 1/3 of
Christians were in a committed relationship with God through Christ, 1/3 were luke-warm,
and another 1/3 admit to believing, but not following the bible teachings at
all.
It
is my prayer that more believers will seek to have a more authentic
relationship with God through Christ. We want Christianity to continue to
impact society, the adherents to be truly transformed, and to continually be a
relevant living faith.
You
become like the company you keep. The relationship with God will change your
life forever and for your holy good. You will find out, first hand, about the Transforming
Love of God.
Dr. Pensacola H. Jefferson
YADA Counseling Ministry
Colton’s Point, Maryland
BY DR PENSACOLA H JEFFERSON
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