Romance?

Do you ever get so caught up in the things you do as a Christian that they easily define your relationship with God? Do you find yourself not being fed from these things you have, the sermons don't come alive to you anymore? You've got condemnation for not praying as long as you probably should? You got a couple weeks off track in your Bible plan? You find yourself trying to sneak out before someone asks you to help clean up the church? You cringe at the thought of being asked to lead out in prayer, or step up and lead for the group?

I was just thinking about how easily we get caught up in these things, and even the trap of pleasing man. It's like deception. The thing about deception is....you don't know you are being deceived. And sometimes when your walk with God is so frustrating because you don't realize that in some form or another you've been going through all the motions to please the pastors, your leaders, to seem like the anointed one.... or because you know those are things you are supposed to be doing. But here's something important. Have you ever experienced a true intimacy with God? ROMANCE!!!!! Do you know what it is to feel so passionately in love with God?

I don't know.... I'm just so excited for this summer. To fall so deep in love with God. More than I ever knew was possible, more than I ever understood before. I was thinking about interns and every experience, and how God constantly whispered the words "more intimacy with Me" to me. And I kept saying yes God I love You that's what I want. But I've just recently received such a huge revelation of what true intimacy with God is. And it's helped me to see why so many of us struggle through our walks with God, and feel like we've resorted to compromise, or even backsliding in ways we've been able to convince ourselves were okay. I'm not referring to anyone in particular, and I think honestly no matter how strong of a Christian you are, including myself, we all deal with this on some level.

So here's the thing. Do you have a true romance with God? God created us to be with Him. God wants to romance you. You know any guy or girl can try to win your heart, but what about God? He's the author of pursuing someone, he's the best at knowing what makes you get butterflies in your stomach. If you can't see that about God, begin to ask God to reveal that side of Him to You. FALL IN LOVE WITH GOD, He is madly in love with you already, and desperately wants you to know it!!!

Forget every burden you have, every bit of condemnation, every pressure, and just begin to ask God to reveal His love to you in a more intimate way. Maybe at first it doesn't make sense, but if you really want to have a relationship with God that will transform you radically you'll get desperate enough to find a way to receive it. And you know what? It's okay to wrestle with God over it until You understand it (Genesis 32 Jacob wrestles with God for the blessing). Take the time to be genuine with God the next time you pray. Set the prayer cards and routines aside, and speak to Him as if He were sitting right next to you. Have you ever heard someone say time plus words creates intimacy? It's true. :] If you don't already have a goal for this summer, and even if you already do- you should aspire to fall in love with God for real. Past the zeal and temporary highs that help us run for a while, past the things we do to please God, past what you even understand as relationship, as God to take You deeper into His love. YOU CAN NEVER REACH AN ENDPOINT WITH GOD, even if you feel like you are in love with Him, there is an unfathomable amount of His love you have yet to experience. SO FALL IN LOVE WITH GOD!!!!

"And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [the face of God], saying, For I have seen God face to face, and my life is spared and not snatched away." -Genesis 32:30 AMPLIFIED BIBLE. Wrestle with God until the burdens, obligations, stresses, and cares are gone, and you can get down to just being with Him for the intent of being with Him. You can easily lose yourself, your passion for the house of God, and your love for God, if you don't understand intimacy with Him. And from that intimacy will come the pure desire to do all those things, minus the burdens etc.

The truth about living

What we know in our hearts is often the most valuable tool of testing for God to use to strengthen us. I believe that if you live your life submitted to the will of God and the authority He has hand selected for you to be under- no decision you make will ever cause you to be swallowed up in regret. There is a principal I have loved even before I knew what it was, and that is not loving my life unto death (Revelation 12:11). This whole year God has put this upon my heart and opened revelation as to what it means, testing me in so many areas, to refine my heart and push me deeper into my calling. If no thing can separate me from the love of Christ, the word of my testimony will truly allow those around me to overcome. That is powerful, and do you know why? Because more often than not, it requires the blade to sink deep inside of your heart. And when the blood comes flowing out, do I tell the surgeon to stop operating on my heart, or do I say finish what you started no matter how bad it hurts, no matter if I don't understand why your doing this, even if you told me it would feel, look, or seem different, I trust You to finish operating on me.
I have a passion to fulfill the calling that God has created for me. And I am learning increasingly more and more that things will be placed into my hands so that I can experience something to help me relate to others, refine my character, and even show God that no matter what that thing is I can be fulfilled with or without it. God will never give us more than we can handle, and that includes the extent of our revelation on something. He will open doors to us as we show ourselves faithful. He will close doors in order to open new ones. He will ultimately be sovereign and holy over EVERYTHING we allow Him to do in our lives. And doctrinally, if God is flawless and without contradiction we can trust Him undoubtedly with every thing inside of us. The Bible says that without a vision the people perish, or cast off. With a vision for your life from God, every obstacle is able to be achieved because you know you are working towards something. If you don't know the direction you are headed when something stands in your way, when something is pulled out, when something is pushed in, when something is broken, etc- you begin to question why you are even doing anything, and before you know it you have wandered down every path except the one that was lit up bright and clear- pointing you to where you should have been going all along. A bruise is better than a broken bone. A few tears is better than thousands. Allowing God to test your heart is so invaluable in the shaping of your destiny. You would not fulfill half of your potential without making sacrifices to God. How can God win your heart if you aren't willing to lay everything down for Him? In a test and sacrifice there is reward. Do you believe that? Does not the Bible say that God would pour out a such a huge blessing that you could not CONTAIN it? If every word of the Bible is pure and true, you better believe that God is going to reward every decision you make to further His kingdom and to have not your will but His be done.

John 12:23-28 Amplified Bible

23And Jesus answered them, The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified and exalted.
24I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest.
25Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.]
26If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
27Now My soul is troubled and distressed, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour [of trial and agony]? But it was for this very purpose that I have come to this hour [that I might undergo it].
28[Rather, I will say,] Father, glorify (honor and extol) Your [own] name! Then there came a voice out of heaven saying, I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again.

the unexpected.
the expected.
the collision of the unthinkable and thought out.

Do you think life is beautiful, when it looks as if someone took their paint buckets and smashed them against a huge wall? Colors, colors, an explosion so non-delicate it's beautiful.