I read almost everything sent to me via WhatsApp messaging, social media, or any other communication platform. I tell myself that if the sender has considered me a friend to send content, then I am obligated to read it. Another reason I do it is because, by paying attention to their shared content, I can get a glimpse into their personality, thinking and character. After all, I need to know and get a better understanding of my friends and the people I associate with.

For example, I recently received a WhatsApp forward from a particular pastor who sends me something every morning at 5 am. I think this is some kind of automated thing set up to send me Christian content specifically around this time. Nevertheless, it speaks to the pastor’s desire to share God’s word with others. So, thanks, Pastor Figaro!  

One of the recent posts from Pastor Figaro included the following scripture:

John 14:8-9 (NIV) 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

Applying this scripture to my own life like if Jesus was directly speaking to me, here is how I interpreted it.  I did not take it as a question which read, “Don’t you know me, Dane?”. I took it as a statement where Jesus said, “You don’t know me, Dane!”. I took the latter perspective because, in essence, that is what Jesus was telling Phillip, “You Don’t know me!”

Superimposing myself in the shoes of Phillip, I had to sit and think deeply about this. I had to truly contemplate if I knew God and, if so, to what extent. After serving the Lord for 28 years, can I confidently say, “God, I know you”. Or even better yet, can God say he knows me? Can the Heavenly Father boast in me as He did in Job 1:8, “And the Lord said unto Satan, “Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who feareth God and escheweth evil? ”. This scripture has me thinking about, “It is a good thing to know God, and it is even better for God to know you”.

Job was so close to God that the Heavenly Father said, there is no one like him on the entire earth – Wow! I am not sure how many people were on earth in Job’s time, but to receive this accolade compared to everyone else is just mind-blowing. Now, compare this relationship to what Jesus was saying about Phillip, “You have been with me all this time, and you still don’t know me.” In essence, Jesus was saying, I cannot make my boast in you; you are just like everyone else. I am calling you to be a peculiar people, but you want to be average and ordinary. You know what ordinary Christians do; they have access to God, but they are not accessing God!

It is like the saying that goes, ‘Many know verses, fewer know chapters, and a handful know book (Bible), but always be the one that knows God!’ This means that we should strive to be believers who are constantly seeking God to truly learn and know Him.

What we are talking about here is relationship and the depth of that relationship. For too long, we have misused our heavenly access and wasted these Godly encounters, or at least, we did not make the best of them. Instead of being singled out as extraordinary (Job-ish), we are labelled ordinary (Philip-ish).  We are Phillip-ish (using poetic license), spending so much time with God but still knowing so little of God.

It’s common for individuals to spend a substantial amount of time with others, yet they may not truly know them. Even if they have been living or working together for years, they may not have meaningful connections or a deep understanding of each other. This lack of connection can occur between spouses, parents and children, or coworkers. Therefore, it’s crucial to be cautious in managing and nurturing all of our relationships to ensure they are fulfilling and beneficial to everyone involved.

As per my opening paragraph, people are communicating all the time in their relationships. If we spend the time to examine what they are saying, we will get an idea of who they are and a better understanding of them. But we must be willing to spend the time to listen and put in the effort to learn. This same approach must be applied to our spiritual relationship with God, in that we must spend time learning Him. A big part of this learning and knowing God is being present in His presence, and absorbing all that He has to offer.

Notice what Phillip said; he said, “… Lord, show us the Father, and that would be enough”. Phillip was desiring more access to God, but he was not even making use of what was already in front of Him, which was Jesus our Lord. This is why I made the statement that we must be present in his presence, to appreciate and maximize the moments with our Lord. Also ensure we are using our access to Him, to access Him.

My dear friends, I have a strong desire to go to heaven and meet God to rest in His eternal embrace. Fortunately, Jesus Christ (Yeshua), who is the son of God, has already made it possible for us to do this by shedding His blood, dying, and then rising again. This act has created what I call the “relationship connection”. His blood has turned on the spiritual WiFi, which allows us to search (Jeremiah 29:13) and access everything in God. Now, it is up to you and me to build a deep and meaningful relationship with Him in order to truly know Him and be known by Him.

The intent of this blog was to remind myself and everyone that “The starting point to seeing God in heaven is first knowing him on earth.” Therefore, I encourage all of us to work on building our relationship with God in the coming year and stop taking things for granted. Let’s not be like Philip and miss out on this opportunity to know Him while we are on earth. Let’s stop being PHILIP-ISH.

PS: Dane Miller was last seen spending quality time with his beloved.

Your Brother in the Lord,

Dane Miller – “God is the Author, I am the Pen”

Authored Book – What is the Woman Saying – Lessons from Biblical Women.

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