Your Unique Privilege

He made the way, all you need to do is follow….

Instruction from the Lord is intimate because it’s one to one – just you and Jesus. Jesus speaks softly and expressly to you. Jesus has already made provision for this intimate instruction.         

·         He gave you a new heart just so your relationship could go deeper:

Ezekiel 36:26-27: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Jeremiah 31:33-34: But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."  

·         He took sin out of the way…freeing communication.

Colossians 2:13-14: And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

 Psalm 66:18: If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

 Isaiah 59:2: But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

·         To prove His love and commitment to you, He constantly reveals His heart to you.

John 14:21-23: He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

 John 15:15: No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

·         Only the child of God can receive intimate instruction…no one else will understand it.

Matthew 13:11-12: He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Intimate Instruction

Learning from Your Lord

Intimate adoration is our new and living way for moment by moment communion with the Lord. He calls and you respond by going; just there Jesus speaks to you about absolutely everything. At His feet is the place of submission, of worship, and the perfect place to listen.

Now, I know we all have Martha demands on our lives and I am not suggesting you ditch all your responsibilities; BUT remember the good is the enemy of the best. We can cultivate a lifestyle of continual communion with Jesus. We can receive His intimate instruction while we are leading our homeschooling lesson, as we are peeling potatoes for dinner, and even as we rush to meet our deadlines at work.

All you need for Intimate Instruction is your Bible & a heart willing & ready to pray.

Heed this daily call; get away into a secret place, setting all busyness aside, and wait in His presence ~ that can be in your car as you drive, in the elevator up to your floor, in the ladies room, at the laundry machine, anywhere your heart can slip away. Begin this time by adoring Him just for Who He is! Ask for intimate instructions for the moment and the day!

Jesus will literally pour Himself into you….

       It is in this daily receiving of His love that deeper revelation is given.
             In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 Jesus is always the answer….

      Not just once,

     Not just for big things…

                         But continually & for all things!

Make a Date with Jesus...

The Glory of His Presence

The Bride’s entire being was created to partake of Christ; that means you and I, as the Bride of Christ, are vessels designed to hold Him. Trying to fill our lives with anything else is useless.

He sought us out, found us in our hopeless lost condition and lavished love so amazing and infinitely greater than anything we have ever known upon us.

Jesus permeates all five of our senses to saturate us with His love in order to transform our relationship into one of intimate adoration. He initiates and sustains this rich intimacy because He adores you! Jesus wants to be intimately acquainted with all your ways….that is why He cries, “Come away my beloved…run after Me!”

Yield to His love the more we do the more we can literally experience what Andrew Murray calls, “the heaven of His presence.”  Just saying that makes my heart yearn for more time away with Jesus.

More walks on the beach…
     More sunsets…
          More candle light prayer vigils…
               More worship under the starry African sky….

Where do you meet with Him?

I always love when there is a thick marine layer fog. I go for a walk because it reminds me of the chabod, that thick cloud of God’s presence that Israel saw. I long to be shrouded in Shekinah glory, don’t you?

Protect that secret place, hallow it, and don’t let anything rob you of your time with Him. We make date nights with our husbands; I think we should make date nights with Jesus too! God’s love still beckons us to come away, to enjoy Him, to rest for a while…will you come?

This is not just a day off or a break from life…
     It’s a new and living way of life and it’s yours for the taking…

Are you ready…because Jesus is willing & able?

Sure & Steadfast

God gives us hope for a purpose. We see here it’s to anchor our souls, to steady us in a stormy world, to assure us that we are safe right where we are.

Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His

 counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things,

in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation,

who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,

and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 

where the forerunner has entered for us,

even Jesus, having become High Priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:17-20

God, Master of the universe, Creator and Sustainer of Life, the LOVER of your soul has promised you by an oath that can never be broken that He will give you mighty, valiant relief from emotional distress; comfort at a time of sadness grief, or disappointment.

Amy Carmichael said of Colossians 3:2-3 that to be “hidden in Christ,” meant she could “tuck” herself into the Father - safe and protected from all that rages around, as if you are in the eye of the storm. For me Psalm 18 is a perfect picture of this. I see myself in this bubble, everything around me is violent, merciless, insatiably seeking to devour…yet I am secure in the hand of my Master and Lord.

Be both sure and steadfast:

o   Sure: the definition of this adjective speaks for its self: 1) unquestionably true; 2) inevitably going to happen, 3) definitely going to obtain or achieve something, 4) effective, accurate, and reliable at all time, 5) firm, secure, and steady, 6) demonstrates confidence and competence, 7) able to safely be relied upon

§  We are all sure we are going to heaven but…Are you sure God is working this situation together for your good?

§  This is where the rubber meets the road. Having an intimate relationship with the Lord enables you to be sure no matter what the circumstances may be screaming at you.

§  You can discern the truth from the lie because you are looking through the lens of real hope, the lens of His AGAPE love.

o   Steadfast: firm and unwavering in purpose, loyalty, or resolve. Constant.  Just like Jesus, with one goal, willing to keep the course at any cost, loyal to death….This kind of hope is ours.

§  Do you possess it?

§  How does it show?

§  What are you doing with it!

Your intimate relationship with Jesus produces hope - living hope. Experience His touch, see His face, hear His voice, taste of His unchanging goodness and be anointed with His beautiful fragrance…then you will have unshakeable confidence.

Trust Him completely and life becomes joyful because hope – that absolute expectation of coming good – floods our soul.
 
Will you join me now as I boldly enter the throne room of grace to ask for more?

He is the Vine

Drink in His Nourishment

Reflect on the fact that your soul a vineyard – planted, watered, weeded, and harvested by the Lord.  Take a few minutes to meditate on these things:

The Owner of the Vineyard knows everything about His precious vines:

·         What will enrich our soul?

               Worship music, communion, fellowship….

·         What distracts or hinders you from being focused on Him and what He would have us do?

               TV, Facebook, gossip at the office….

·         Knowing where to be based on the environment….are you blooming where He planted you?

               He chose that spot for a purpose, ask Him what the eternal purpose is….

·         What gifts and weaknesses in you need to be exposed for His glory to be revealed to all around you?

              Ask Him….Boldly ask for grace and help where you see need…

·         When there is need for a Sabbath? The Lord had the land rest every seven years, He asked man to rest one day in seven…

               Where have you built rest into your schedule?

·         When does your soul need to truly rest and quietly wait on God?

               Daily quiet time, weekly prayer meetings, meditation….Make finding out your chief aim

               today, it will be invaluable…

Guard yourselves…it’s His command…

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23

How is your vineyard?

Jesus desires fruitfulness, He does not want any of us to be barren or even sparse. He will protect and cherish, with loving, particular, meticulous care, so none of those good motions and dispositions that make you young and tender get nipped, trampled, blasted, or rubbed off.

He won’t shrink back at the disrepair

No contamination can harm Him

Nothing repulses Him

He is a Healer…a Helper…a restorer of Hope!

There in the vineyard of our own souls, that He gives us His love Hosea 2:14-20

Relinquish & be Revived!

Walk with Him

Listen to Him calling to you personally. "Come, My beloved, let us take a walk together, that I may give counsel, instruction, and comfort to thee, and may make known My wants and grievances, with freedom, and without interruption.’’ Do you make time to talk with Him like this? Start today, find just a few minutes and sit quietly under the shadow of His love with great delight.

Jesus wants you to intentionally avoid all that diverts your concentration or hinders, just so that you can attend upon the Lord without distraction.

Your willful relinquishment of self in order to be wholly taken up with Christ….

            Is true freedom!
                 He is so worth it!

Beloved, what are you waiting for?

            What are you holding on to?

                          Relinquish and be Revived…..

Entirely devoted...Song of Solomon 7:10-13

Love gives birth to intimacy

This love relationship with Jesus is dynamic, as you grow and more clearly comprehend how much Jesus loves you it will set you free to reciprocate and love Him unreservedly. You’ll find yourself satiated by His love because it is steadfast, secure, and safe. Run into the outstretched arms of our Beloved. He wants to tell us many things.

I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is towards me. Come, my Beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages, let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded. Whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you My love.

The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits,

all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, My Beloved.”

Song of Solomon 7:10-13

The lovesick bride says this with absolute assurance and fullness of joy, “I am my Beloved’s, not my own, but entirely devoted to Him and owned by Him.”  Can you join her in that bold proclamation right now?

Let your guard down, give Him free reign, be entirely devoted and rest in the fact that He owns you. You have no need to take care of yourself your Creator will take care of you and I assure you His care is tender, gentle, meticulous, and loving.

Romans 14:23

......If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Let this be your guide throughout the day….

Stop and pray before you speak or act…

Watch how intimately the Lord will instruct you…..

Come away…Song of Solomon 4:9-10

Jesus, our heavenly Bridegroom calls to you, His Bride, “Come away…”

Today the Lord wants you to know, beyond all shadow of doubt, that you are His and He is yours! You are the Bride of Christ; therefore realize that your walk with the Lord is the sweetest when intimacy permeates every part of your relationship with Him.

Allow Him to sweep you away, to claim you as His Bride, and let Him is profess His everlasting love for you. The dictionary says intimacy is a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship. Intimacy means you love Him but I believe that even more importantly you must grasp onto the glorious reality that He adores you!

Intimacy is the anchor of His love for your storm tossed soul. It protects us against temptation, doubt, fear, and sin that seeks to toss us to and fro. Be confident that when you make the effort to go before God, He will be there to meet with you!

Expect it,     
     Anticipate it, and then 
              Go forth and enjoy it!
Do you realize that our LORD is enraptured with you?
       It’s true! The scripture declares it:

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.  How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

Song of Solomon 4:9-10

Turn & Receive…

Turn at My rebuke; surely I will pour out My Spirit on you;

I will make My words known to you.

Proverbs 1:23

 Stop long enough to listen to what He is saying…..

                Before you shrug it off remember He is the Omniscient One….
                                Who loves you with an Everlasting Perfect Love….

He ONLY wants what is best for you…..

                And He offers you the dynamic for the demand….

                    Be RADICAL ….
                              Listen and obey….

Don’t you want to know for yourself WHO He really is?

Diffusing His Fragrance…

Intimate Adoration ~ Sweet smelling sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2)

2 Corinthians 2:14-16: Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses (manifests) the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.

His fragrance is noticeable, it’s sweet, and it’s evident….

Is that irresistible fragrance what you bring into a room?

     Our gift to this hurting world is this fragrance of Jesus.

Will you please ask Him to anoint you from head to toe so that you can be His ambassador even in your silence because His fragrance lingers where ever you go?

His Embrace….

Intimate Adoration ~ Love's Touch

Science tells us touch is the most powerful of all the senses. Babies will literally die without being help and caressed. Jesus lovingly gathers us into His embrace. He holds us close to His heart, under the shadow of His Almighty Wings; there we are safe, secure, and keenly aware of His tender mercies because He drenches us with that everlasting, unconditional agape love.

 Zechariah 2:8: For thus says the Lord of hosts: “…he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”

I treasure those times in my walk when I feel his presence ~ protecting, enveloping, & giving me boldness. Proverbs 18:10: The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Think of a time in your walk when you have felt His touch like this.

Ask Him for more times like this….

     He is so willing!

           He only waits for you to ask….

                   So much comfort and encouragement comes with His touch…

If you have never felt His touch, or it’s been a long time, ask Him right now to reveal Himself to you by touching you. Tell Him you want to feel His touch.

Meditate on Psalm 73:23-26 today….

Beyond Yourself

The power of imagination is what God gives a saint so that he can go beyond himself and be firmly placed into relationships he never before experienced. Oswald Chambers~

How far are you willing to go?

               …I want to go to the uttermost….

Linger & Listen

Intimate Adoration ~ My Beloved spoke and my heart yearned

The One Who knows every detail of your life ~ the good, bad, and ugly ~ has inclined His ear to your prayer (Psalm 116:1-2). The meaning implies that He leans over, putting His ear near to your lips, making sure He hears even the groans that are so deep they cannot be uttered. Jesus is listening AND Jesus is speaking into your life.

 It’s a two way communication…
We Hear Him…practice being still and listening with your heart!
Revelation 2:7: …he who has an ear; let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…

He hears us…amazingly; the God of all creation loves to hear the sound of our voice!
Malachi 3:16: Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name
     When was the last time you heard His voice?
           When was the last time you were His voice to a child of His, to His Bride, to the lost?
Take time out right now and LISTEN as He whispers “sweet somethings” to you…. Linger in His presence, He is speaking….
     Now respond…
          Yield to whatever He asks…
                Watch your life evolve into a miraculous adventure of faith…
                    All His Words are powerful…

Feasting at His table

Intimate Adoration ~ Savor the Savior

Psalm 34:8: …taste and see that the Lord is good….

The word taste here means to perceive spiritually. This is our moment by moment communion with our Lord. What do you taste at His table right now?

     Suffering?

Mercy?

     Chastening?

          Forgiveness?

Take time to savor what He has put before you ~ even if the flavor is bitter, savor it. Journal, or blog, what God is doing. Bask in His glorious grace and begin to explore what is going on in your heart. Be still long enough to shut out the distractions then ask for revelation...

     He promises to give it ... Matthew 7:7-11

          Ask Him questions,

Listen for His voice

    Discern what God is saying by holding what you sense up to the truth in the WORD

TASTE His attributes and KNOW~

     For He is Gentle, Powerful, Just, Faithful…. and most importantly YOURS!

Call to Arms

Call to Arms ~ Prayer Warriors & Intercessors Needed

 I believe this may be the most important message God has given me, PLEASE take the time to read through and watch the video link at the bottom….a life depends on it…..

For quite some time God has been stirring my heart for the plight of the modern day slaves, the women and children especially, who are being bought and sold EVERY DAY…in nearly EVERY COUNTRY…for inconceivable forms of sexual abuse and torture.

Google “Human Trafficking” and find statistics as high as 32,000,000 (yes, that is million, not thousands or ten thousands or even hundred thousands, MILLIONS) people living under cruel and oppressive bondage….

It’s a GLOBAL problem – people are abducted, kidnapped, or tricked into believing a job awaits them in another country…only to wake up chained to a bedside, raped repeatedly, sometimes injected by force with illegal drugs, they are TRAPPED and WITHOUT HOPE…..

      How do I know this is true?
               It happened to a sister from our church in Nairobi, my dear friends met the
                traffickers and tried to expose the truth....
                           I will share the whole story soon watch for the post!

All of these victims are bound with no way or even HOPE of escape TODAY ~ while many of us are comfortable and secure….

Hebrews 13:3 says,

“Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.”

My eyes are welling up with tears just typing….as if I felt their pain in my own body…Oh LORD have mercy on me….

I am accountable to God for my actions & you are accountable for yours. I will stand before Jesus and have to explain why I did or didn’t do anything about these brothers and sisters (Matthew 25)….

I know it’s HUGE and OVERWHELMING... there are governments, law enforcement, armies, politicians, millionaires, drug lords, and the like propagating and protecting this billion dollar business.

BUT GOD is Bigger, Greater, Stronger, Smarter, Richer, and in

EVERY way ABLE to intervene…

           We must link our impotence with His Omnipotence for the sake of these
            suffering brothers and sisters….

            NOW before any more people are enslaved….

 2 Chronicles 7:14 says,

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves,

and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

 BOW before Him now…

             PRAY…
                     From a HUMBLED heart because you recognize ONLY Jesus is big enough
                     to save the women and children being bought and sold and the immoral
                     men and women creating the demand…. He is no respecter of persons…
                                  CONFESS the sins, even if they are not yours personally. We are a
                                   BODY and we NEED Jesus more than ever before!
                                            SEEK HIS FACE daily until every soul has been set free. God
                                            will direct you how to pray (there are great resources on the
                                            web to pray for countries and ministries I will pass on later). Just start to pray,
             wait on the LORD and
                   listen to the Holy Spirit guiding you!

This link is a video made to expose the trafficking. One of the experts testifying is Pastor Justin Holcomb, a dear friend and longtime partner in this ministry. http://vimeo.com/unearthed/jacob

WARNING: The content is graphic ~ not in pictures but the facts alone are horrifying ~ but these are someone’s children, sister’s, friend’s…and MOST importantly these are people made in the image and likeness of God. The ending clearly reveals Jesus is the ONLY HOPE…for the victims and the abusers…

PLEASE prayerfully watch and share it and….

PLEASE I BEG YOU JOIN ME IN PRAYER…..

GOD IS A MIGHTY DELIVERER….

HE WILL HEAR OUR CRIES FOR THEM…..(Psalm 10-15)

Seeing Him Who is Invisible…..

Intimate Adoration ~ Seeing Him as He is

Jesus desires for our daily encounters to forever and radically change us. We can ~ and WILL ~ experience Him with all five of our senses over the next few days. The Scripture clearly shows us God desires this intimate connection between the LORD and His church…today let’s pause to gaze into the eyes of our Beloved Savior….
       Exodus 14:13-14:…Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord….
Psalm 32:8: … I will instruct you … in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
      Matthew 5:8: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

Creation is the most vibrant picture of the majesty of God to me...Pink is my favorite color, it makes me feel warm all over. When the sky is ablaze as the sun sets I see the flashes of pink and know that Jesus loves me!
Ponder how the ocean waves pound on the rocky shore line, over time they gently wear holes in the rocks. The rocks never feel a thing, but slowly holes appear and each one contains water that breeds plant life – making homes and food for the ocean dwellers.
So too in my life the Holy Spirit is pouring over me, usually I don’t realize He is making the same grooves in my heart so that I can hold more of Him; thus being broken bread and poured out wine to others sojourning here.
I see Him…do you? Don’t be discouraged if you don’t – just ask and begin looking with the eyes of your heart. Look full into His wonderful face, study His eyes, and allow Him to lead you with His eye.

Come let us adore Him….

Intimate Adoration ~

God wants to reveal to you personally His great love for you. Let God draw you away for this quiet moment to sharpen your spiritual senses. He longs for us to know Him – experientially, not just to be anchored in His love, but to be intimately intertwined with Him. Close your eyes….adore the One Who laid down His life to prove you are worthy of being loved supremely!

Worship Him

Listen to this Misty Edwards song....it will bless you.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIAPM46dYPY&sns=fb

His for them...

Amy Wilson Carmichael is one of my heroes of the faith....listen to this poem, it challenges me so deeply.....

Give me the love that leads the way, the faith that nothing can dismay,

The hope no disappointments tire, the passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod: Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.

Can we pray God will make us His fuel today? Willingly consumed in His love that others might come to know His passionate, eternal, intimate, and unconditional love for them?

Jesus Loves You!

Jesus… the Only Wise God Omnipotent in His Power…
          Omniscient in His Knowledge and Wisdom…
                Immutable in His Promises and Character…
                      Perfect in His Majesty…
                           Beautiful in His Perfection...
Jesus…Whose eyes are like a flame of fire…
          Whose tongue is a two edged sword - which will judge all the actions &
           thoughts of the world without exception –
               Whose execution of justice is flawless ~ yet He delights in giving mercy to the
                     humble…
                    Whose Words created the Universe from nothing…
                            By Whom ALL things consist…
                                    In Whom we LIVE, MOVE, & have our BEING…
This Jesus wants to…  Consume you with His Agape Love….
            Forgive you with His Mercy…..
                        Bathe you in His Grace….
                                    Baptize you with His Holy Spirit….
                                                Transform your mind….
                                                            Renew your strength…..
                                                                       Restore your soul….
                                                                                   Replace your broken heart….
Jesus LOVES you…..