Posted for John Michael

We are good to go for men’s group next week 6:30 at Jesus’ house on Roberto

Pray for Jason my roommate

Additionally, Laura Ling and Euna Lee’s information is found at: http://www.lauraandeuna.com/

Tim Chaddick said it would really help if we all wrote letters (through the website is fine)…but addressed to the First Lady appealing to her as a mother…just FYI

Here's the notes from Monday night. Dig into these verses and chew on what was taught last night!

Intimacy with Jesus

First, lets get a fresh perspective.

• Jesus living; you can know, touch, see, and embrace Him

1. Sgs 2:6 "Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me."

2. Mat 9:21 for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well."

3. Mar 10:13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them;

4. Jhn 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

• Jesus desires to know us intimately

1. Sgs 2:4 "He has brought me to {his} banquet hall, And his banner over me is love.

2. Psa 139:1 O LORD, You have searched me and known {me.}

3. Psa 139:3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

• We were made to glorify Him & Enjoy Him.

1. Mat 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

2. Luk 10:39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.

• God made us with the ability [i.e. the facilities] to commune with Him on that intimate level.

1. Jhn 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

• We are even mandated to be intimate with Him: “Love the Lord your God”

1. Deu 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

• Nothing can separate us from Him and His love

1. Rom 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• We show his glory in and despite our yukkiness [i.e. the fact that an Almighty father, God of the Universe, who dwells in the Highest Heaven, would ‘rend* the heavens’ (*a term of immediacy and violence of action) and come down to save a disgusting and pathetic little sinner, much less have compassion or mercy, much less desire to be intimate with us; magnifies His Glory above the heavens][To bring an example down to earth look at the end of any medal of honor recipient’s epitaph: …and in doing so brought great glory upon themselves and great honor upon the United States Army (inferring the statement: ‘what other army has men such as these?’). So then: What other nation of people has a God such as our God?

The model of intimacy given by our father is the convent of Marriage [Ruth]---so we will use Marriage to illustrate intimacy

A perfect wife does nothing for herself, just as Jesus in John 8:28 “I do nothing of myself;” allowing her husband to provide all her needs while uplifting Him with all her heart and strength. Because she knows (or trusts) that his ministry is Jesus’ ministry and Jesus’ ministry is the Father’s ministry. And the Father has already given ALL to Jesus and Jesus will richly supply all to the needs of a husband following/trusting/obeying Him with all his heart, and a husband rich in Jesus will supply all his Bride’s needs: safety satisfaction and love [and all of those flow from the Hand of Jesus].

• [[What do we normally do? We are brides seeking these things in ‘broken cisterns’ like big houses, nice cars, children, financial security, etc]]

A wife should seek only her husband’s glory. She has taken on His name and so her glory is now intimately tied into her husbands. The Holy Spirit does this in John 16:13 “for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak.” Look at the Holy Spirit’s example: every time He shows up in the Old Testament He is introduced as an ‘unnamed servant.’ This is found when Rebecca is introduced to Issac and when Ruth is introduced to Boaz and many others. How terrific an example, that the third person of the Godhead would humble Himself to the point of not being named while doing the work of Glorifying of another. By His example we should never be named. Only Jesus should be named.

Knowing these things we are left with the question of ‘how.’ But if you think about it, the only reason we are asking ‘how’ is due to the context with which we live. We only see the ‘waves’ in which we are drowning. I will not address the ‘waves’ because they are pointless to even mention. I would, however, argue that there is nothing, but to have relation with Jesus Christ. Psalm 93:3-4 “The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is MIGHTIER than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.” Amen. Lets move to the solution. Two phases:

1. Press into your Jesus 1Chronicles 16:10-11 “Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.” Amen
2. Take off everything which hinders [i.e. the world]

Line 1: How to Press into Jesus:

• Read the word for hours a day [a bride needs to become her Husbands ‘biggest fan.’ If she is to be conformed to looking like Him [so is what it means to be one flesh with Him.] She needs to acquire as much information about His character that she can find—to the detriment of all other activities

[Just as you would want your wife to swoon over you---so swoon over Jesus]

• Pray for hours a day (in one sitting) You are the Bride of Christ and what the Bride’s heart needs is constant communication with her Bridegroom.

[just as human wives need this communication]

• Listen for His voice. Jesus speaks in a still, small voice. Satan uses our eyes to lead us astray. So go to a place where satan can’t use your eyes and prostrate yourself and listen. Just listen. Silence before God is right.
• Acknowledge Him in everything. [He brings everything to pass---even the bad---He made the whole world and, like a good husband, delights in giving it all to you!!!]

[articulate this in you conversations with friends Tarik is a good example of this]

• Thank Him [In a marriage, thankfulness is key gigantic. Go overboard! Thank Him for everything that brings you joy—then thank him for proven Character and Hope born from the things which don’t.
• Obey Him [you show your love as a Bride by obeying; Obey his word]

[Submission is right]

Line 2: Rend all which hinders (For me: I always start extreme and work backwards: like Josiah [II Chronicles 34] [Tell the story about Todd and the CD’s]

· Essentially put off everything but Jesus. Lay your daily or weekly pleasures on the alter and walk away. [wait for Jesus to hand them back]

· This includes surfing, movies, dinner out, the mall, the beach, running, weightlifting, shopping, alcohol, video games, magazines, posters or pictures on your wall, television…any input (especially visual) which isn’t Directly Jesus.

· Be mindful that in doing this, we are only creating an environment of intimacy (but like worship at Reality, just turning down the lights doesn’t make people worship---likewise, DEEP AND TERRIBLE HUMILITY is obligitory to truly be intimate with Jesus)

1. weep bitterly

2. die to yourself

3. it should hurt as your divorce yourself from the world and everything you know. All for a promise which is not in this world.