‘Revelationship’ by Phil Joiner, 6 October 2024
What does God really want from us? Phil Joiner from Breathe Ministries looks at his forty-year journey of coming to terms with an idea he thought he knew, that God wants relationship. We can get a different idea from the efforts people put in to find correct answers to hard questions, including how to make sense of theology. Occasionally, revelations might occur to us and we might wonder if their point is to set us right, but what if ongoing revelation and relationship are always going to be God’s desire for us? Could he have made us for “revelationship”?
Prayer
Dear God
Thank you for every single precious heart that is before me or online.
We all have totally unique needs Lord.
Silence the internal narratives in our lives that lead me to false limitations.
Help us to receive what you say over our individual lives today.
Amen
God speaks your language - expect Him to today.
Be ready to write it down.
Phil’s background
Trained as research Scientist - Pharmacology
Married
Youth Work
Church Leadership
Churches Together
Breathe Ministries - link
Covid - 4 years Isolation/Books/Podcast
What did 4 years of isolation really teach me?
God just wants a relationship with me!
REALLY! You were told that 40 years ago - has it still not sunk in?
mmm 40 yrs in the wilderness – I remember others needing such a long journey
How is God finally getting this into my thick skull? What was my journey?
Scientist, always questioning, bit of a doubter
Churches Together, Different denominations staying at Breathe – different theologies
Listening to many skilled theologians and teachers has brought greater revelation of who he is. What God is like. What is His character. (Enthuse about the gospel in chairs)
Changing theology, Destabilising, frightening, lonely.
Discovered my encounters with Jesus over the years that were my anchor points, my standing stones, my experiences of Him meeting with me. - places where I know God met me and intervened. My relationship with him.
Two Stories Marie-Anne & Chronic Fatigue. The walled garden.
I have come to see that our beliefs still evolve and change over the years both with our experiences in life and as we get more revelation.
I don’t believe some of the things I did 30 years ago and I am not too comfortable with this being recorded as I may think a bit differently in 10 years time.
I am NOT saying theology is not important, it is very important but we need an ongoing revelation of God. That is what God set in motion at creation and it is continually unfolding!
Currently there are about 45 000 Christian denominations. If it is all down to right thinking then there are going to be a lot of disappointed people!
If the good news is for EVERYONE then it cannot ALL be about intellectual rigour or belief. That would preclude so many.
I have come to see through my experience and the scriptures that God is RELATIONAL! He has wired that relational imprint into our souls.
What we see & experience is only in part, or a pale shadow of God but still stunningly true.
I want to give you a few examples to think about this relational hard wiring in our souls and I hope you may find these helpful.
Think about who we would they want around our death bed? They’re our most important relationships. What would our hope be for life beyond this world? For our relationships to still have meaning, to be reunited with loved ones. Relationship is hardwired into the soul of who we are! Steve Legg Story. I love you, I’m with you, try not to be scared.
When we are in pain it is clinically proven as well as understood that just being with friends helps the pain. Presence alone without even words can change our ability to press through. We especially see this in grief. What is it about just being in relationship with others that can be so healing? Again this is just a pale reflection of God’s presence with us.
What is it about the parable of the running Father (prodigal son) that resonates so deeply? Is it because it is wired in us that we know that whatever our children would do, we would not stop loving them and would always want to restore relationship? Aside - I am your beloved - Jonathan David Helser. (live version)
For those who are more scientific. When I think about the Cosmos, the craziness of the size, how long it has existed, and the fact that I am a conglomeration of energy, cells that are constantly dying and being recreated, a mixture of atoms that will become part of something else after I die. Everything in my being cries out but what are all these relationships for? Without relationship it makes no sense! Our God has to be relational, nothing else makes sense. The entire Bible is about - telling the overarching story that God wants a relationship with you.
If my brief words cannot convince you - then 2 of the people who have helped me get relationship deep into my soul are the authors Brennan Manning or Eugene Peterson. I so commend them to you.
In Conclusion
God is taking humanity on a journey of revelation. God set that in motion with creation. We are constantly changing, constantly evolving, constantly unfolding, learning more of our world, our history, and our understanding of God and what He is like. The overarching story of the whole bible is that God wants a relationship with all humanity a relationship of love & trust.
In summary
God wants a REVELATIONSHIP with us.
Marie-Anne – combined words
Ministry