It’s difficult to believe in God, isn’t it? For someone to come to a conclusion that God does not exist, really doesn’t take that great of a stretch of someone’s imagination. Just look at all of the suffering in the world – the hunger, the cruelty, the greed, the lack of compassion and love. If there is a God, how could he ever allow such endless torment and misery? And if real – then why in all the world would he also choose to play a heavenly game of “hide and seek” with mankind? Why would he be so untouchable, elusive, and unseen? Anyone with courage to step out of the fear imposed conformity so often created by world religions could easily come to the conclusion – THERE IS NO GOD! …But what if they’re wrong? What if He is real? But because of some lost understanding of how to have an intimate relationship with Him…God now seems distant, uninvolved, or worse…imaginary?

What did you think a relationship with God would be like? Do you know what I mean? If you are reading this and are a follower of God, have you ever considered how your life was supposed to change? …Has it lived up to your expectations? Really lived up to all you expected?

I”m guessing in some way it hasn’t, or you probably wouldn’t be reading this now.

So how do you wish your relationship with God would change? Be honest. Do you wish God was more “present” when you need Him? Easier to hear? More comforting when you’re hurting? Able to protect you from what seems to be the unending cruelty that life in this world is able to produce?

Whether one believes in the claims of who others say Jesus is – the most remarkable thing about this amazing person is the fact that of all founders of world religions in history…he is the only one who made the claim of the possibility of an intimate relationship with God in this lifetime. One where God becomes what you would call “touchable and tangible”.  Why is this so important? If Jesus was right…then all of the promises about the kind of rich life that is possible depend upon you experiencing this touchable and tangible relationship with God. What sort of promises? Living each day with a peace that goes beyond any level of human comprehension. Experiencing an unexplainable joy that in comparison with the level most experience…can only be described as “full”. Imagine living without emotional emptiness, fear or insecurity. Or never being lonely again! Wonderfully losing all desire and compulsion toward any destructive habit in your life. And…beginning to live in good physical health. So many followers of God (even Christians) fail to experience this life. Why? Come and explore with me and discover a “touchable and tangible God”!

I believe with all of my heart, most of the cruel and destructive actions of any person, are created out of a heart that is living in unending emotional pain. Emotional pain that is present because of a life lived separated from God!

Each of us are born into this separation. And whether we believe in God or not, we still feel His absence. We feel alone, afraid, unprotected, unneeded, unwanted, and unloved. And as a result of this “God void” in our lives, and the emotional pain it produces, all of us begin to look for a “God substitute” to fill the emptiness.

As a child, we look to our parents. As a teenager, to our friends. As a young adult, to a husband or wife. Later, we look to jobs or careers, children, or even a religion or ministry. But no matter the source, again and again, we are forced to face the fact that none of our “God substitutes” have the ability to fill this empty void!