Love to hear from and know who is listening
An encounter with Jesus is not something that is spooky, super natural or made up by fanatics. There are many ways you can encounter Jesus in the every day details of your life. Some people may encounter Him when they are serving Him, some while they are worshiping and others may encounter him when they are in the midst of a turbulent storm in their life, I had such an encounter. I was recently divorced and I felt like my life was unraveling at the seams. My girls were away for the weekend and I was alone, something that I was not comfortable with. I went to bed, during the night I had the worst nightmare I have ever had in my life. I dreamed that my home was on fire and I was crawling on the floor trying to get my girls and myself out of the house, but I couldn't find my girls or the door. I woke up from the dream wrapped up in the blankets on the floor, drenched in sweat. The dream was so realistic that for a few moments I was unsure if it was real or a dream. I immediately called my mother because I was alone and needed someone to reassure me that it really was a dream. This may seem like a strange way to encounter Jesus but He was speaking loud and clear to me that I needed to be closer to my family. It was not long before my girls and I moved back to Bethany to be near family, because I desperately needed their help! Saul, who later became Paul, didn’t know the Lord at all in fact, he was a persecutor of believers. He had a miraculous encounter with God. He was on the road to Damascus when he was blinded by a heavenly light and heard Gods voice say: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” God had a plan for Paul, but He knew it would take a radical event to break through to him. God will do whatever it takes to break through into your life too. After Jesus was crucified some of his apostles were walking to Emmasus when they had an encounter with Jesus. As they walked along the road they were talking of Jesus’ death, when suddenly Jesus himself came along and joined them and began walking beside them. But they didn’t recognize him. You seem to be in a deep discussion about something, he said. What are you so concerned about? Cleopas, replied, You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about the terrible things that happened there last week. What things? Jesus asked. The things that happened to Jesus, the Man from Nazareth, they said. He was a Prophet who did incredible miracles and was a mighty Teacher, highly regarded by both God and man. But the chief priests and our religious leaders arrested him and handed him over to the Roman government to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had thought he was the glorious Messiah and that he had come to rescue Israel. Then Jesus quoted to them passage after passage from the the prophets, beginning with the book of Genesis and going right on through the Scriptures, explaining what the passages meant and what they said about himself. By the time they arrived at Emmasus it was getting dark and so the apostles invited him to stay the night. As they were sharing a meal they had their encounter with Jesus. Luke 24: 30-31 ESV When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. We talk to God, pray, read our Bibles, and interact with Him daily, but a true encounter with him is different. It usually happens when we least expect it. It is deeply personal and relevant to your situation at the time. It may be life changing in some way. It's purpose is to reveal God's glory. A true encounter with Jesus is timely, specific and purposeful. Finally an encounter with Jesus may leave you breathless
