The simplicity of the experience

Last night Pastor Charles taught the third reality of Experiencing God in the evening service. It was so awesome because the morning service was focused on spiritual maturity, and the over whelming lack of it.
The key to growth is exposure to God.
This is what God said to me:
"Not in simple bible reading, robot service, or rote prayers will you find me. Just in the simple exposure to Me."
Does that phrase sound as odd to you as it once did to me – Just in the simple exposure to God Now please do not get me wrong – I am not trying to say or even imply that encounters with God are small things. They really are God sized. I believe that they are all God sized.


A major teaching that God has been working into my life is that I have overcomplicated my relationship with Him. Paul speaks of the simplicity of the Gospel. It is not tough. The relationship that ensues should be no tougher. Galatians 2:20, 21 have become something very special to me. I am focused on these verses because within them are two of the keys that I missed.
1. The power to live is based on the Faith of the Son of God. I am coming to understand that my union with Christ is so strong that it is HIS faith that provides all things – not simply my faith IN Him.
One evening a few months back as I was pouring my fears out to Patrick Estrada and sharing with him my lack of faith in God to still care about me and have plans for me; Patrick physically came along beside me and told me that it was ok because he would stand in the gap that I felt. That is a brother. God used that to encourage me – it was a building block to a greater truth that I lacked maturity to live in.
Here is that greater truth: There is no gap.
Intellectually I knew that, but experientially I am just now coming into. The major obstacle was shame. I always told myself that I was stronger than this sin, and better than that attitude. Perhaps you can identify with that. My continual failure brought deeper shame. It was a never ending cycle. Notice I said that it was. Past tense was. The sin was repented of in late January; the shame lingered with amazing power. Shame caused me to believe that Jesus had lost faith in me. And the lion devoured my bowels.

2. In verse 21 Paul says “I do not frustrate the grace of God…”
God says to me “Shane, do not complicate and twist up my simple grace.” I had spent an entire decade not relying on the faith of the Son of God. 10 years tying myself and my relationship with God into knots of shame, helplessness, despair, and sin. Knots tied with extreme self effort tied from behind a mask.

Here is my conclusion: The key to victory is exposure to God in all humility and need; accepting His Faith in my place, and allowing Him to untie the knots of our relationship. And it will not take Him long – He knew every one I would tie.

As I wrote that conclusion I thought of this – Sure does sound a lot like the first three weeks of Celebrate Recovery.

My encouragement to you as you read this: God does provide all you need to recover from your addictions and hurts.


Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Rom 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Rom 5:15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Rom 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.
Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.