The First Priority

Martha and I are splitting time between New Hampshire and Florida, now that I'm retired. The deal was, that I can retire so we can go up north during the hot months.

She originally wanted to be up there for 9 months, but I like June and July in Florida, it is the best beach time all year in Ormond Beach. So, we agreed that I could stay in Florida for the summer, while she stayed in NH with her mom who is in her 80's.

Last year didn't quite work out that way, due to a prostate cancer diagnosis I received the very last week of my work life. God, Himself, told me not to worry about it...so I didn't.

I really didn't.

Getting stuck up north, while the beach was calling, was totally the worst of it for me. Especially, on the gloomy, rainy days, where I sat looking at my beachside front porch swing, via my Blink camera.

Now God didn't say He was going to heal me. He didn't say the cancer wouldn't spread. He only said "Do not worry about it."

I knew exactly what He meant, as I have heard Him speak, many times before. You see, because I have walked, and related to Him for over 40 years, I know Him.

He only gave me the information I needed, and expected me to trust Him otherwise.

You see, if the process was going to be painful for me, or my family, I know, He would have said so.

I still might have died from it, but it wouldn't be difficult. Yes, I knew from that one statement, that was exactly what He meant. That is the relationship I have with Him, and He is pleased with that, very pleased.

It is a wonderful position to be in, to know, and relate to the most powerful being ever!

This year, since there is no need to keep visiting the doctors up in NH, I got to spend my summer at our house by the beach.

As per normal, I spent a large amount of my day on my porch swing. On the swing, I can see a small sliver of ocean, but I hear the waves quite well. Whether a coffee in the morning, or a beer in the afternoon, anyone walking by, to or from the beach, could see me and wave.

This can give a great opportunity to meet people. In fact, I met a guy named Buddy, who had lived down the street for 4 years. I had waved to him before, but we had never talked.

That may seem odd to some, but you must understand that there are many vacation rental properties down my street, so people come and go often.

As it turned out, Buddy was not a regular vacation guy, but did in fact rent a house.

If I remember right, he came up to my friend and neighbor Greg, and I while fishing on the beach, and introduced himself. A day or so later he stopped by, and sat a while on my porch.

I didn't know Buddy well, but as I am friendly to everyone, I treated him openly, and kindly. As a Christian, this IS how we should be, not forced, mind you, but naturally, because God has accepted us "no charge". We WILL do the same to others.

When we first meet someone, our treatment of them takes faith. Since we don't know them, and they could be a serial killer, we trust God. God will orchestrate whether or not the new "friend" will be a benefit or problem. Either way, because I know God, the meeting will have value, even if the person wants to cook me in a pot.

Yes, that IS trusting God.

So, when Buddy sat down to join me on my porch, I openly began conversing in order to get to know Him. It started with questions.

The basics, what house do you live in? Where do you work? Do you have kids? Yeah, those questions.

Somewhere in the conversation, Buddy mentioned scripture. So, I asked Him if He was a Christian. He said he was, and had been so for about 10 years, if I remember correctly. I then asked him for his God story. You know, how he found Jesus Christ, and what led up to it.

Of course finding God is a view from our perspective, because truly no one "finds" God. We are chosen by God to receive faith in Jesus Christ long before we are born. He didn't even find us, as He has always known where we are. We just didn't know, or understand it yet.

Buddy, didn't tell me his "story", instead he told me of how all Christians are blind except a few, because they have not read three specific apocryphal books...Enoch, Jubilees, and Jasher. He said without these books, no one can understand scripture. He said they are required to unlock the true meaning of the Bible.

I dissagreed, and he got mad.

I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say God is God. I have known and walked with Him for over 40 years, and I'm not talking church work. I'm talking, me and Him hanging out.

Yes, anyone can do it. It just takes a wee bit of faith, trust, that God will, and wants to do this.

He does, because I know Him enough to say it is true.

In my response to Buddy I started with, "Well, biblically, the Holy Spirits job is to "unlock" scripture and our relationship to God. If God required the knowledge of these 3 books, I believe He would have made that much more widely known. I would also think in any of my encounters with Him, He would have brought it up...He didn't. This is the first I've heard of this."

I didn't point out that even as he spoke, God was not pointing at Buddy's statement as important. Yes, He will do that, and has done this to me many times. In fact, once while someone was telling me something they felt was important God spoke to me "Ignore them. I will show you what is really going on later." Later, this particular time, meant about 20 minutes, and, as always, God was correct. The person was completely wrong in their assessment.

I just love how interactive and protective God can be.

So, no, I saw no reason to agree with Buddy's statement. I did it politely, and not in a condescending way. He still got irritated. I told him our agreement didn't matter to me as it was not necessary for us to be friends. From there he started talking about the Earth being flat.

Here, I may have overstepped a bit. You see, I've never talked to a Flat Earther before. I was thrilled! In my dissagreement, I smiled. That may have come across as condescending. It was not intended.

Yet, Buddy got mad because I just would not acknowledge his superior understanding. My visions, interactions with God, and dreams meant nothing to his superior knowledge from these 3 books.

Very odd.

I am serious though. I dont care if I agree with someone, as if I had to, I would have zero friends. Yet, for Buddy, his frustration with my counterpoints became more than he could bear and he stomped off saying he could not talk to me about these things anymore.

I did see, and even even hung out with him several times after that initial visit, but there was always a distance on his part.

This is how relationships work...even with God. It is all about perception. Buddy created a means of insecurity in his dissagreement with me. It is either that he thinks I think less of him, or he thinks less of me.

Me, I think we all suck, so none of it matters! Truly!

I have never met anyone who really believes my visions, interactions and understanding. If I had, as I have said many times, they would grill me with questions. That is what I did when I met a guy who claimed to be a prophet. Believing him to be so, I really wanted to know! Mostly, to find out how I could get there.

It's all in our perception of the person we are relating to. It can be right, or it can be wrong. It all depends on what we believe that person thinks of us.

This is even more so in our relationship with God.

It IS the only relationship that matters. All others are simply practice for that one.

Faith is relational. You don't meet God if you don't want to. You will never join Him on His front porch.

You must trust that He wants to talk to you in order to engage Him in conversation. You must believe you are worthy.

You are not, but, you must know Him enough to know He doesn't care if you are, or not. That, if He says you are good enough, it is so!

Next, you decide what you talk about. What if He doesn't see things your way? Are you trying to convince Him, so you can feel superior, or do you want to learn from someone who clearly understands more?

Do you sit at His feet like a student, or walk with Him like a friend? Do you tremble because of His power, or weep because of His loving presence?

Frankly, knowing God, you will do all of those things, sometimes in a single sitting.

Either way, to know God, you must personally interact with Him...a lot.

He said "seek and you will find." The tone of our relationship falls on us. If there is distance between you and God, it is your fault.

If you sinned, confess it! Do you trust He forgave you, or not? If you trust He does, then the sin doesn't interfere with your "talk".

Did He tell you something you don't want to hear? Do you storm off, or sit and listen to Him as He tells you why?

Do you sit and complain about how He seems to get along better with others, or do you seek a similar relationship with Him yourself?

You see, just like any friendship with a neighbor, who you haven't met for 4 years or more, it will take work on your part.

Know that like Buddy, we are the ones who will set the tone. Jesus Christ is more than willing to relate well with any of us, even if you were a serial killer!

You just have to get over yourself enough to really meet the Guy, and get to know Him.

It is the best relationship you can possibly have. Don't let a church, priest, pastor, or anything get in the way. YOU can go to Him directly...anytime, anywhere!

Seek first.

It should be your first priority.