035 - Intimacy with Jesus

#035 – Intimacy with Jesus. God wants to have an intimate personal relationship with you. He created you with a plan and a purpose in mind and he loves you with an everlasting and perfect love.  Debora interviews Minister Pat Padgett-Snead who shares with us how she has learned to develop an intimate personal relationship with Jesus, and she gives practical tips about how to develop your own relationship with the Lord.

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Stay tuned for our next episode where we will discuss – Life Transformation Stories

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Transcript

Announcer

Welcome to transformed by the word, a podcast about discovering how to live your life with gratifying purpose. God created you for a reason and the Bible contains the keys to unlock your transformed life. Now, here's your host, Debora Barr

Debora 0:28 

Thanks for joining me for Episode 35 of Transformed by the Word. 

I am so glad that you decided to stop by and listen to this message today. This podcast is all about transformation. And for me and so many others, that transformation starts with a relationship with Jesus Christ. I met Jesus through the bestselling book of all time, the Bible, which I believe with all of my heart, is the word of God, given to all humanity, so that we can get to know and understand the heart of God for His people. 

God wants to have an intimate personal relationship with you. He created you with a plan and a purpose in mind. And he loves you with an everlasting and perfect love. He knew you before he formed you in your mother's womb, and he has been watching over you your entire life. 

Now you might be wondering, how can I have an intimate personal relationship with someone that I can't see or touch? Well, I'm here to tell you that it is possible. And when you develop this intimate personal relationship with Jesus, it completely transforms your life. 

Joining me in a few moments is a friend of mine who will share how she has developed her intimacy with Christ. Her name is Pat Paget-Sneed. And she is a dear friend and fellow minister at First Baptist Church of Glenarden. 

Pat serves as assistant director and chaplain for the senior Wednesday ministry, in which she offers teachings, motivational conversations, prayers and other care for senior citizens. She also volunteers for hospice at the Chesapeake Life Center in Largo, Maryland, where she offers sacred space classes of healing for people who grieve. Pat is a speaker, a teacher, and an author. And she has contributed as a speaker on topics related to wellbeing. And she taught the power and benefit of journaling, the excellent wife, sacred listening, and promises from God for single women. 

In 2017, Pat helped establish the All Things New Family Support Ministry at First Baptist Church of Glen Arden, where she served for three years as the assistant director. She is the proud author of Inspired to write new edition and her next book, a 31 day journal through the book of John, which is expected to be released in 2022. 

Pat is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in clinical mental health counseling from Lancaster Bible College, Capital Seminary and Graduate School. She is married and between her blended families, there are 8 children 16 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. 

Stay tuned. We'll be back in just a moment.

<<MUSIC INTERLUDE>>

4:44 Debora

Hey, Pat, it's such a blessing to see you today.

Pat

It's a blessing to be here. Thank you so much.

Debora 4:49  

It's always good to see you. And I wanted to let our listeners get a little bit more information about you. I just read your bio, but I want them to hear from you. So, could you share maybe a bit about your salvation experience? How did you come to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

Pat 5:11  

Well, back in 1978, I was the high schooler, I was in high school, and actually the 12th grade to be exact. And my late husband's sister Verona, invited me to church. She had just gotten saved herself a week before. Yeah, she had just gotten saved the week before. So she was already on a mission. And she invited me to church, I'll never forget, church in DC, called a Faith Bible Church. The church is no longer there now, but it was called Faith Bible Church. And she invited me there.

 And I remember, I remember and will never forget sitting there. And hearing the message, hearing the gospel preached in the way that it was preached. And I remember hearing this clarion call these the word a preacher was preaching, it says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I'm meek and lowly in heart. And you will find rest unto yourself. My yoke is easy, and my burdens are light. And I'm thinking to myself, What words - and then before I could grasp that, I heard, and I will turn your sorrows into joy. And I was like, this is something I've never heard before. But it drew me in drew me. 

And so, at the end of the service, they did an altar call. I already knew I wanted to give my heart to Jesus Christ. And I gave my heart to Jesus Christ, I went to that altar, they took me and, of course, in the back and shared some scriptures with me, and I remember them sharing John 3:16, For God so loved the world. Yeah, you know, and then they share the Romans road about that Jesus died and he was buried and, and that he rose again. And if you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart, that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. And I'm thinking, wow, that's it. And they said, you just have to believe that if you confess your sin, I confess my sins that day, what they said, and I said that you believe that Jesus, and I was Yes. 

So, I believed that by faith, and I hadn't even experienced what that meant. And so that's how my salvation experience began. I begin after that, of course, you know, reading the Word of God, and different things of that nature. But that's how it started. That's how it started. That's how you get.

Debora 8:08  

Wow, I love that story. And I love that you said that someone invited you to church, and she herself had just accepted this call, and accepted Jesus in her life. That is amazing. So, any of our listeners today that maybe as a new Christian has just recently accepted Christ, you can impact someone else's life by inviting them to church inviting them to believe what you believe. I love that. Today we're discussing how to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. This is like the next step after you initially say yes to Him. So, after you accept Christ in your life, how do you actually begin to grow in your understanding of what it means to be a Christian?

Pat 8:55  

Me? I remember. They gave me the counselors in the back. When they led me to Christ, they gave me a pamphlet, little pamphlet, and they also said begin reading the book of John St. John. And they gave me a Bible. And I was so excited that even when I left out of the building, this is the truth. This sky didn't look the same to me anymore. Nothing looked the same. Everything really literally looked brand new. 

And I remember going home and reading the Bible, just opening it up. And I was gonna begin at St. John course I had a look at the table of contents. Where is it? Where and I remember opening up my Bible. And I remember telling God how much I loved him. I mean, I said, I love you for what you just did you saved me and you spoke those words to me, you drew me, I was just so in love. 

And I remember him saying, and the page flipped. I was in John, but it flipped before I could get to the first chapter. And I remember St. John 14:15. It said, If you love me, keep my commandments. And I remember, it wasn't harsh. It was an easy, beautiful invitation to say, I'm gonna get you on the right track, right off the bat. I know you love me, but in of yourself, you cannot do it. But if you want to prove that what you just said, you have to keep my commandments. And I have vowed that day, not that I'm perfect. But I have found that that, oh, I'll go and prove to you that I love you. And I began to read that book of John. 

Every day I began to be, I was so hungry, that even when the family was put to sleep at the time, I would get up in the wee hours of the morning, to sneak away and get close to who I just met, and read and read. And that began to develop my intimacy. I read it was he was talking to me. And I began to talk to him. We were like friends, walking side by side. And the more I read, the more I prayed. The more I talked to him, the more closer I got. And I realized, this is the God of the heavens speaking to me, you know, so that's how my intimate relationship begin to develop by the word of God.

Debora 11:50  

And what a difference, what kind of a difference did it make in your life, even right away? I mean, before you knew this, Jesus, and then after you met him and began reading the Word, what, what kind of things in your life started to change?

Pat 12:08  

Me The first thing that began to change was, I could tell immediately, when I sinned, or did something wrong.

Debora 12:23  

That antenna goes up.

Pat 12:25  

Yeah. It was as though immediately I knew if something was not right. So that's the first thing that began to change and prove to me that you're not the same anymore. You are born again. And you have this relationship with the Lord. Another thing that really changed too, because at the time, I was not, I was actually living with my at that time, my husband, we were not married. We were not married, I had already had a two year old. And immediately, it begins, I began to say, wait a minute. What does fornication mean? Nobody said it. I looked it up. And I knew what it meant immediately that changed e media. I was I can't do that. No more. 

Debora 13:27

Yeah, the Holy Spirit's inside of you saying let's get some things straight. 

Pat

You said you want to obey me. You wanted to obey the commandments. These things are needed need some change in your life? 

Debora

That happened to me too.

Pat13:43  

Yeah, I mean, immediately, it's like, he said, You love me keep my commandments and, and what I felt more was not a taskmaster. I felt a loving father who wanted the best for me. And some of those things, he was like, let's move those things out of the way. And let's line it up and get it right. And we lined it up and got it right and be married.

Debora 14:10  

Yeah, I love how you said that. It's it's loving and not a taskmaster. Some people are afraid to come to Christ, because they know already know that things are not right in their life, and they're afraid that God's gonna take away things. But it's not like that. Exactly. gives us life. And even what you said at the beginning about the scripture that came to life about my burden is easy. My yoke is light. He's not putting hard things on us when we come to him.

Pat 14:47  

Exactly. He's taking them away. He's moving them. He's taking them off of us and his yoke is a different yoke. He removes it. We were under a yoke of the enemy. We thought that was a good deal. But that yoke kept us in bondage. But God's yoke is easy, his burdens are lighter.

Debora 15:14  

I love that. So if we want to practically grow closer in our relationship with Jesus, what are some things that we can do to draw closer to Him?

Pat 15:26  

Again, I will say the first thing is the Word of God, we have to get in the Word of God, because the Bible says that in the beginning was the Word. and the Word was with God. and the Word was God. So that's number one, getting in the word, because then the word gets a new, and you begin to know him. And that's the first practical step of getting to know Christ. And then of course, obeying, acting in obedience. Also church, I attend church, church helped me to grow I was under a shepherd was among other believers, that kept me accountable, that strengthen me, we shared. Also, there was Sunday school at the time, Sunday school, there was morning service. And there were times when there was revivals or conferences during that time, whatever it took, I did it because I wanted to show God that I was serious about my walk. 

I remember also getting involved, they wanted us to get involved. I mean, I remember assisting in the Sunday school class. And the teacher actually had to move two weeks after I just got saved. Now she has to move. This was a first grade Sunday school class. And she says, well, somebody's got to teach the children. And I'm thinking, Okay, me. And I remember taking the curriculum, because I told God, I wanted to do what he wanted me to do. And I said, you're gonna have to help me. We had already had a close relationship. So, I just started talking to him. Can you help me to teach this class? Can you show me and he did. He showed me how to actually teach the children. 

He says, I want you to teach them, you have a two-year-old. You know how to break it down to her. You know how to take my word, and you're talking to me, I'm breaking it down to you. So now you can break it down to them. I'll teach you it's not you. Anyway, it's me. So I, and that started my teaching desire to teach God's word in a simplified way. So those little bit of practical things,

Debora 17:56  

Yeah, for those listeners who have listened to the previous couple episodes, we've talked about spiritual gifts and calling and we talked about your life's purpose and your mission and vision statement. And Pat just said to us, that she was a mother of a young child, she was teaching Sunday school, or even helping out with a Sunday school for just a couple of weeks, and boom, she's the teacher. Do you see how God works everything together for his purpose, and the joy of being able to fulfill his plans and purpose for your life. I love it. Now, there's another part of your life that I know is very important to you. And that is prayer and journaling. Can you talk about that? And how that brings you closer in in to a more intimate, personal relationship with Jesus?

Pat 18:51  

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I, you can't see me but tears are welling up in my eyes right now. Because Oh, my God, prayer is talking to God and I love talking to him. And he to me, and, and then journaling, what he has to say, began to happen because as we're talking and he and I are walking, he would reveal so many things to me till it was almost overwhelming. And I would jot it down because I didn't want to forget it. Some things were so profound that I would write it down and that started my journaling. And even to this day, up into this morning, in my intimate time with God, I will sit there and when I read, I read it for what it's worth. But then I would let God speak to me from the passages what he mean and an hour Write it down what I perceive and let him to speak to me. 

So, prayer is me talking to God. And reading is what I get from what God speaks to me, although God does speak in various ways, but number one, his word, and journaling is my way of writing out all my thoughts, all my fears, all my concerns, all my questions, even if I read a passage of scripture, and there's a question I don't understand. Like, for instance, I was reading an exodus today. And God told them not to put any yeast in their bread, unleavened bread for seven days. And I was like, Whoa, what was that about one? Good, no less than in no yeast in their bread, and I puzzle but I wrote it down, and I kept going. And then a couple of days later, when I got to another chapter in Exodus, it says, because I was bringing them out. They had to get out in a hurry. They did no turn away for that yeast to rise, but that bread to rise. So, this is how God and I communicate, you know, we communicate this way, I may have a question. I may not know the answer, but I write it down. And somewhere along the line, as long as we stay close, and long as we keep talking, he will reveal it to me at some point. So journaling, is my heart. I love teaching about journaling, I love to journaling. And I love it when I can write down things. And I could maybe write out sometimes my frustrations worry. And my handwriting begin to change, because then the Holy Spirit starts writing through me. And answers what I just wrote through the same hand - mine. 

Debora 21:53  

Yeah, I love how you said that. I've experienced that too. In journaling. I've been a journaler for my whole life. And I do the same thing. I write questions out, and then I just sit quietly and listen for God. And any thought that comes into my mind. I know it's not me. It's God. And I just begin to write in I noticed that to the, it's like the Holy Spirit takes control of your hand, and does I write, and in for me, it comes in bullet points. And I just keep going, keep going, keep going until it stops coming. 

And then when you go back and read it, it's so profound. It's just, you know, you know that it's God speaking to you. And so anybody who might think that God is not accessible, he is he's alive. And he speaks to us today. And he wants to have an intimate, personal relationship with you. Yes. 

Do you have a favorite scripture or even a, like a favorite person depicted in the Bible who helps to guide your personal journey with the Lord?

Pat 23:00  

I would say I don't have a favorite person. But I do have a favorite scripture. And it's the same scripture, Matthew is 11:28 where God says, Come unto me. And even though that happened, when I first heard that scripture in 1978, when I was 18 years old, every day of my life, every trial, every tribulation, no matter what it is, that I have gone through that scripture invites me back it, it keeps me they and not that I've left, it always has just come to me, it doesn't matter what it is. It's labor. It's heavy, it's a trial. That'll give me rest. So that is my go-to passage. 

I have many passages of Scripture that I love, but this is one of the cornerstones and the John 16:16, which says, I will turn your sorrows into joy. Those I can't, I can't escape them. I can't escape those. So those are my favorite because it see the thing that's so amazing. And you know, this is God's word is so alive. If it never taught us, it's alive, and no matter what situation that I'm in, is still relevant. So I can hold on to those souls to as my anchor.

Debora 24:31  

Yeah. That's awesome. For any of our listeners, who might be reluctant to believe that Jesus wants to have a relationship with them, perhaps they've they feel like they're too far away from God or they've done something or they're stuck in a life of sin so deep that God wouldn't want to be in a relationship with them. What do you what would you say to them right now.

Pat 24:57  

I would say That God loves them. And I know that can be in some people's minds a heart is a cliche, but God loves them. God loves us. His love is beyond us. But he loves us. He so loved the world, that he died for the sake of all mankind. And I would also say to that individual, you know, don't put it off, try to God, you, you know, try him if you just want to say, hey, well, let me try. You just want to try God. But I guarantee you once you try him, you will keep him - accept him today, because tomorrow really is not promised. And it's better to accept Christ. Try him, then to not at all, what do you have to lose? You will not lose if you accept Jesus Christ. So those that are reluctant, I would just compel them to try.. my life has never been the same.

Debora 26:15  

Me too, and God is forgiving. No matter what you've done, no matter what you're caught up in. Jesus will forgive you of your sins and wipe all of it away and give you a fresh start. Starting today. Yes, he will. Now is there anything else that you would like to share with our listeners, before we wrap up?

Pat 26:38  

I want to thank the listeners for listening to my story. Definitely, I want to thank them. I pray that something that the listeners heard, has touched their heart, inviting them to grow closer, and have an intimate walk with Christ. Trust me, there is nothing like it. I just want to stress the importance of staying in God's word. reading his word, praying, believing him, trusting him talking to him. not shying away from him. If they draw closer to God, he would draw closer to them. So that's what I want to say to the listeners. draw closer to Christ, He will draw closer to you by getting in that word, praying, obeying it, talking to God, and believing.

Debora 27:45  

Yeah. Would you close us out with prayer? 

Pat 27:52  

Sure.

Oh, Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus. Lord, we thank you, we praise you and we honor you. Father, we thank you so much for your love for mankind. We thank you that you want and desire to have an intimate walk, intimate relationship with each and every one of us. You came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Father, we thank you for forgiving us of our sins. We thank You, Lord God, and if we confess our sins, you are faithful, and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So Father, we thank you. I pray for every listener. I pray that you will bless them, that you would touch them, that every word to your Holy Spirit would draw them like you drew me, only you can draw, draw their hearts unto you I speak a word to them, that they would say, Lord, what must I do to be saved? And even those that already have a relationship with you, God that they will continue to draw closer to you. Father, we thank you so much. We love you and thank you for your intimate relationship with us. In Jesus name, we pray and get things. Amen.

Debora 29:29  

Amen. Don't go away. We'll be right back after this short break.

<<MUSIC INTERLUDE>>

Debora 30:17  

We just heard from minister Pat Padgett-Sneed about intimacy with Jesus. She shared how she draws closer to Jesus, through the reading of his word, through going to church, serving others. And through prayer and journaling. God's Word in his Bible is powerful, and it heals and changes lives. For the Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, joints, and marrow. And it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. That's Hebrews four, verse 12. 

If you have never spent time reading the Bible, get started. By reading the book of John. It's in the New Testament. That book will help you to understand how much God loves you and will help you to begin to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Now, if you've not surrendered your life to the Lord, but you feel that tug in your heart, you feel like he's drawing you towards him. He wants you to know, and to love him. It is by faith that we believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He took the punishment that we deserved, for living in sin. And he alone has the power to forgive our sins, and to reconcile us to God. If you want to be born again, and you want to begin an intimate, personal relationship with him, you can pray this prayer with me right now. 

God, I confess that I'm a sinner, and I need Jesus in my life. I repent of my sins, and I turn to you. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. He was buried and rose from the dead. And I accept this by faith. And I invite Jesus to be Lord of my life, to reign and rule in my heart. Today, I surrender my life to you, Lord. Thank you for forgiving me and saving me. Amen. 

If you just made a decision for Christ, I would love to hear from you. Visit my website at TBTWpodcast.com. Click on the link on the homepage and let me know about your decision for Christ. so that I can encourage you and support you with the next steps in your faith. 

My prayer for you today is that he would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in your inner man, that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all of the saints, what is the width, and length, and depth and height. To know the love of Christ that passes knowledge that you might be filled with all of the fullness of God. That comes from Ephesians 3 verses 16 through 19. 

Stay tuned for our next episode of transformed by the word where we will discuss some Life Transformation Stories.

Announcer 34:16  

Thank you for listening to transformed by the word with your host Debora Barr, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or Google Play and connect with us at TBTWPodcast.com. Until next time, be blessed.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai