People are relational. The question is, what is the nature of the relationship? I have had more professional relationships in my life than personal. Professional relationships have a common bond found through work, school, church, organizations, and many others. Professional relationships may have some of the same characteristics of caring, empathy, and knowing personal details, but note when the common bond is no longer present the relationship fades away.

In our Bible Study Fellowship Revelation study, this issue came up. One of the members said, “Ya know, there is a difference in knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. I know a lot of people who go to church every week that know about Jesus, but they don’t know Him personally.” BAM!

Growing up I knew a lot about Jesus. I was very active in our church. I knew the Bible stories. I thought I had it down. I had “religion,” but I didn’t know Him personally. Going to church was like belonging to a club. As I grew older, I began to see ‘this religious” thing as a bunch of rules…rules that cramped my style. I saw them as old rules from a different time…rules that did not apply to me. This all changed in 1984. On September 18^th, I ran out of me! I had nothing left. I needed Hope.

I think something similar happened thousands of years ago. The religious leader Nicodemus, came in the night (secretly) and asked Jesus, “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” He knew about Jesus. Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3. Nicodemus had a professional relationship with Jesus. Nicodemus knew the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah but had that gnawing that this was not enough. His religious relationship was not enough to bring peace in the storms of life or transform fear into Hope…or defeat into victory.

One of the incredible Blessings of being a “Born Again Believer” is, life is no longer complicated. It’s having a single purpose. David gives us an insight in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.”

Having a personal relationship with Jesus begins with changing your old ways…never to return. Romans 10:9 tells us, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

A personal journey with Jesus will take you through many storms of life where you will learn to trust Him and recognize He is the only Hope. This journey will take you through unimaginable highs & lows, fears & doubts of life. The Joy of having Scripture come alive in your life. I call it God’s Great Adventure. You will see things differently. You will cherish His whispers, and you will know in your “knower,” “I Am With You.” (Matthew 28:20). Knowing Jesus personally changes everything.

On that September 18^th, Monday morning I heard His voice, “Have you had enough of this, or do you want some more?” I knew I had all the world’s ways I could stand…I needed Jesus. How about you, have you had enough?