is HE just the Friend of a Friend?

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”  

 Exodus 20:18-19 (ESV)

Is this what we do with our computers and web surfing?  Is this what I do with my book reading and you do in listening to online sermons?  Do we have the very Word of God next to us, the Spirit of Christ inside of us, and the confidence to approach boldly before the Throne, and yet listen more to the teachings of others?  Are we saying, “You draw close to the God that is a consuming fire, and then tell us what you see” rather than drawing close to Him ourselves?  Do we do this because we want some wiggle room?  Knowing that if we hear the very words of God, we must choose to rebel or obey, and we will have to acknowledge that the choice is of great consequence.  Whereas hearing His words second-hand, we can debate and converse about the finer points, arguing their accuracy and relevance.  Or maybe we want others to draw close to Him for us because we feel as though we are not educated or sharp enough to grasp His teachings on our own.   Did not the same God that made the seminary professor make you and I?  Is He not capable of opening your mind and spirit in the same manner as He does for others?  Maybe the avoidance of direct contact is due to a sense of unworthiness.  But Jesus Christ has atoned for our sins on the same Cross as those of committed by the great heroes of the faith, and it was the Cross that made them worthy, not their actions.  Learning from sound teachers is a good thing, and should be done as a regular part of your spiritual diet.  However, it should never outweigh the time spent in prayer and study of the Word.  The internet, books and sermons should never take time away from your participation in the Body of Christ, the Church.  So, now that you came to this website and read this little article, please turn off the computer, get on your knees, and seek His face or open His Word.  Go spend time directly with the God that shakes mountains, created the universe, and yet died for you.