WHO You Know is More Important than WHAT You Know!

The discovery of this article today was such a blessing to me that I wanted to share it with whomever would read it. So, I decided to share it here with the website for you to visit and to give credit to the author. You may visit the link to search out more about its origin and author.
http://www.created4health.org/devotionals/WHO_You_Know_is_More_Important_Than_WHAT_You_Know.htm

WHO You Know is More Important than WHAT You Know!
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)
As someone who spent many years studying language in school and abroad, and as someone who has earned a living at teaching language, one of my favorite activities is studying the history of specific words, and how their usage has changed over time. One word that has changed in meaning quite a bit since it entered the English language is the word “science.”
Our modern day English word “science” was originally a French word derived from Latin, and in the 1300’s its meaning was very similar to the word “knowledge.” It meant the opposite of “ignorance” and generally meant something obtained by “studying.” It was not originally restricted in meaning to any particular branch of study. In the 18th and 19th centuries its usage was becoming more restricted, referring to a “body of regular or methodical observations or propositions ... concerning any subject or speculation,” and was often linked to the study of “philosophy.” (science. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian.)
From the 20th century up until today, the meaning of “science” is restricted even further, as can be seen by this definition found in a medical dictionary: “knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through the scientific method and concerned with the physical world and its phenomena.” (science. Dictionary.com. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc.)
This narrow understanding of “science” or “knowledge,” which only looks at what can be observed in the physical realm, is now equated with “truth,” and is considered by modern society to be more valuable than any other kind of knowledge. It has become the religion of modern man. But there is much knowledge in our world that cannot be observed in the physical realm, or “proven” by scientific discovery!
When we read the Bible, we get a much different view of “knowledge.” The most valuable knowledge is seen not as an accumulation of data, but in relationships. To truly “know” someone is not possible by simply using modern scientific methods. You can know “about someone” by studying a book written about them, for example, but to truly know another person is only possible by spending time with them. If the president of the United States walked into a place where I was visiting, I would recognize him because I know some things about him, including what he looks like. But I do not “know” him personally. There is a huge distinction in these two different kinds of knowledge. The kind of knowledge that only recognizes the president of the United States is not nearly as valuable as knowing the president of the United States on a personal level, where he would also know me.
So since there is valuable knowledge that can only be obtained via relationships (as opposed to scientific discovery or the observation of facts), which relationship is the most important? Obviously, man’s relationship to his Creator is the most important relationship! We know God by knowing Jesus:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” (John 14:6-7)
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:27-28)
You can get to know about a person by reading a book about them, but you cannot really know a person that way. Imagine if you tried to build a marriage relationship by simply studying facts that were written about your spouse! You could read volumes and volumes of books (if they existed) about a person, but you would never really know them personally. You could never really love them simply by knowing things about them, and never having met them in person. To love someone requires a different kind of knowledge; a knowledge which is based on experience – subjective experience from spending time with them and developing a relationship.
But in our modern day culture which worships a narrow view of knowledge called “science,” a knowledge which only recognizes the observation of the physical realm, subjective experiences are considered “invalid” ways of knowing truth. So the accumulation of data, bolstered by the belief in evolution, becomes the most valued knowledge in our modern society. And what does God think of this “knowledge” which attempts to deny (or at least ignore) his existence?
For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:19-21)
We cannot know God simply by studying his physical creation. Such knowledge may teach us some things about God, but it will do us no good when we die the physical death and then meet him face to face for the first time. The only knowledge that will lead us to eternal life is the knowledge that comes with a personal, subjective relationship with Jesus Christ: This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)
When we know Christ, we come to love him, and to know his love for us. And this love is more valuable than knowledge, and more powerful than any knowledge on earth.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19 italics added)
Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)
The Bible also makes it clear that the people who go around pretending to know Jesus, but really only know some things about him (maybe they read his book), and don’t know him personally, are NOT going to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven:
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:21-23 italics added)
So in the end, it really is true that who you know is much more important than what you know! If you know the love of Christ first hand, and have experienced him personally, you don’t need to know anything else to enter the Kingdom of God!
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11)
Do you know Jesus? Have you experienced his love first hand, the kind of love that led him to voluntarily give up his life as a sacrifice for your sins? Or do you only know some things about him, having simply an intellectual (“scientific”) knowledge about him? In the case of Jesus, the intellectual knowledge about him is not worth too much. The personal subjective knowledge, however, is much more valuable, both now and in the future. It is more valuable than anything else this life has to offer! So get to know Jesus and his love for you: your life depends upon it!

Think of Excellence

This week has been one of those weeks when everywhere I turn and everyone I talk to is having the relationship issues to deal with. Grown children with their parents, parents with their grown children, spouses and significant others, grandchildren with grandparents, friends and many other relationship issues. I am serious, it is amazing how they have all "come out of the woodwork" and called or e-mailed me. My heart is overflowing with compassion and concern for them all.

I keep hearing "peace, pray for peace". Faithfully, He sends us comfort as we pray and make our requests know to Him. Remarkably, various scripture from Philippians 4 keeps coming up as well.

Phillipians 4:1-23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Think of Excellence

1Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.
3Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
God's Provisions

10But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.
11Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
12I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
14Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.
15You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;
16for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.
17Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
18But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
19And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
20Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
21Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.
22All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.
23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

For many years, there has been a relationship mountain range of trials in my life. I believe it is time to make some changes and as always it needs to start with me. To see change around you, first you must see change in yourself. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:3, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Attitudes are contagious and I only want to catch a good one. I have found myself "boosting my immune system" with the word to stay out of the muck and mire. I have been fervently praying more. I have found peace in the answer I found. Distance changes perspective and silence gives us more opportunity to hear the voice of our Shepherd. Pray for healing and give it time to work itself out and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)

Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Dwelling on things is like reruns in your mind. Reruns should be selective with a pure motive to seek truth. What do you play over and over in your mind and what do you do about it the second, third, fourth etc. time you play it? Is it what you could have said or done differently? Or is it to ask the Lord what if anything you should have said differently? Or do you still play the victim which may give you a false sense of justification for your words or actions? How many times do you replay it before you just stop and pray about it? At what point do you seek the truth and base your actions on it? How long before you forgive? Oh, the road to change can be rough. It can be like riding in a buck board on a muddy dirt road in the spring. The ruts can be deep but I am determined to make it to my destination-no matter how many wheels have to be changed.

I was reading from on of my devotionals today, A Word for the Day by J. D. Watson and the topic was of all things, Lovely. He said, "Lovely means acceptable, pleasing and amiable. One commentator explains, its :fundamental meaning is 'that which calls forth love'...Thus, the Christian's mind is to be set on things that elicit from others...admiration and affection.' " He goes on to say, "What a challenge! The Christian is to think and do things that will express love to others but also inspire love from others. William Tyndale captured the thought in his 1534 translation with "whatsoever things pertain to love." So, how do we accomplish that? It seems pretty obvious, does it not? We certainly will not endear ourselves to others, much less to God, by lying, stealing, cursing, gossiping, losing our temper, or any other such ungodly behavior. Rather, we will elicit admiration and affection from God and others by godly behavior. And the only way we can do and say such things is to think about such things."

I have set my mind to dwell on lovely things. My precious friend, Frances, has said, "You only have 3 seconds to cast out thoughts from your mind that you shouldn't be thinking and the best way is to do that is to speak forth good things." Thank you Lord for all your blessings--especially all the people you have placed in my life for whatever purpose you have orchestrated.

LORD, I give you permission to work out whatever it is you want to work out in me. However painful the exfoliation may be, I trust you to bring forth something new and desirable in me so that I can be a blessing to everyone you place around me in my life. Thank you for loving me through all my growth. And LORD, please bless all my friends, family and loved ones with Your peace in their relationships as well. In Jesus' name. AMEN

Diligent Study

Hebrews 10:24 (Amplified Bible) And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities,



As I read this the word studying stood out to me. My husband and I recently finished the Love Dare book. The day that really impressed me was the one that spoke about studying your mate so that you could be a better spouse. It is one thing to read an article or a book on a subject and it is a totally different matter to study it. You can read about what is involved to become a doctor or watch a few movies or TV shows to get a more personal view but it is a whole different matter to make a commitment to set apart twelve years of your life to become a specialist in the area of medicine that you have a special interest--one you plan to practice for the rest of your life.



Some people would read that and say you are comparing apples to oranges. Some relationships are like comparing McIntosh apples to Granny Smith Apples. Others are like apples to oranges. It is like a man and his car. Have you ever noticed that some men clean their car and others don't. And with the ones who do there are varying degrees from just the outside or inside to a complete Q-tip detail including the tires. Women clean their homes in the same manner. You will find varying degrees from "get the bulldozer" to white glove test clean. And then there are the ones who are always consistent in what manner you will find it or you may never know what condition you will find it in based on their mood. You will find this to be true of relationships as well. Many have the idea that "it will always be there when I get around to it" or they may have a driving diligence to always work at it to keep it as "spotless" as possible. Somewhere in it all is truth.

When I think of a good relationship, I think of a diligent student.



Diligent 1. Quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness; "a diligent (or patient) worker" 2. Characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks



I you are in it for the long haul you are willing to put in the extra care that is required. I have had many relationships over the last half century. Some were complex and some simple. Some where short and required little effort. Others have had varied lengths of seasons. Some go on like years with changing seasons and others are like only visiting the same vacation spot every summer. Others, sadly, are like being stuck in a blizzard with no power or shovel to dig out of the snowbank. The relationships with parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and best friends leave the deepest impressions on our hearts and are the ones that tend to bring you all four seasons of blessings and trials. They are the meat, vegetables and desserts of life. The appetizers, snacks, treats, junk food and occasional ethnic fares are what round out and complete our relational buffet. It is all there for the tasting and enjoyment. But it can cause heartburn or "allergic reactions" and oddly we often come back to the same thing over and over again without making any changes expecting to get different results. That is where the studying comes into play. You may be able eat Mexican food or Italian food if you take an antacid. You may be able to have a clam or two with benedryl or you made need and Epi pen. It is important to study a relationship and know your boundaries.

I recently watched a TV show that stated a needy person needs needy people. Then it proceeded to show a very good example. A lot of things made sense to me at that point with some people in my life and myself. I could have chose to look the other way or study it out to see how a better understanding of the inner workings of myself and others may improve our relationships. I believe it is selfish not to spend the time studying to improve relationships. It is arrogant to say "love me or leave me--take me as I am--deal with it" etc.. Today, I humbly search my heart for ways to love better. I have been enlightened by the statement "hurting people hurt people". It made me want to add but "healed people love people". And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities. I want to be healed, whole and complete loving all God's people as He loves them. How do I grasp the concept of how much God loves us? It is a study I will be diligently continuing until I leave this earth. Then, and only then, will I begin to know how much He loves us. Then, the eternal study of worship will begin.

Focus and Spin

Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored. Romans 8:5-8 The Message

I read a sad statement someone had commented on blog. They were confused about truth. They had put their own spin on it and said that is ok becuase truth is what you perceive it to be. It is thinking like that that will get you into deep trouble. The word of God is the truth. You may not understand it but it is the truth. I love the line in the movie City of Angels that says, "Just becuase you don't believe doesn't mean it isn't true." Many people choose to believe their version of the truth in many situations. Something that has been deadly to thousands. Think of a few scenarios for yourself. The teenager that chose to believe they could drive the speed they wanted instead of the posted speed and didn't make it around the curve. The people that ignored the warnings about severe hurricanes and flooding but decided to stay. The smokers that didn't believe the warnings on the packs of cigarettes. The list is endless. One of the saddest is the ones who despite the many nudgings of the Holy Spirit, choose not to turn their hearts towards God. Eternity is a very long time to regret not making Jesus the Lord of your life. But, they have free will and the right to choose this. The truth has been explained and yet they continue to ignore it or deny it. Just becuase you don't believe, doesn't mean it isn't true. They laugh and mock instead of bow and worship. Their focus is on self and they spin it to be their own truth that they are self made and are going to heaven just because they are good or maybe they believe that there isn't really a hell. But, Just because you don't believe doesn't mean it isn't true.

The truth will be found as we focus on God's word. I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret." Colossians 2:2 The Message If you take your eyes off the prize or do not turn your ears to hear what He is saying you may fall into a trap of the enemy. You may find a way to put your own spin on the situation and measure your actions to your own truth rather than the truth of God. Disobedience can cost you your life. Ignorance or darkness can cost you eternity and eternity is a very long time to be without the fellowship of your Father.

Love One Another

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34 NASB

Forgiveness has been the main course of my prayer time and study lately. There really is a lot to say about it in the Bible. I was writing an e-mail this morning and this scripture summed it up nicely. Then I began to meditate on it. As I did, somthing was made clear. If you truly love someone with the love of God in your heart, how could you have anything but total forgiveness toward them in your heart. It doesn't excuse the behavior (love the man hate the sin) but it does remove the acid and bitterness that corrodes your heart. It may release that person to repent and move on as well.