Intimacy with Jesus

Do you ever just soak in His beautiful presence and let His love and grace wash over you?

It's in that moment that we can experience a taste and touch of heaven.

We so sense the weight of His glory, His lovely peace and the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit touching every part of our being, spirit, soul and body.

The Holy Spirit wants us to experience the anointing, those times of refreshment when our spirits are strengthened and build up, our minds know His peace that passes all understanding and our bodies are quickened and know such rest and even pain goes because we burn with His fire and glory.

There is nothing deeper but also more difficult in our walk than waiting, doing nothing and just allowing the Lord to touch, quicken and minister to us.

Our deepest needs are met and we can feel so intimate with the Lover of our souls.

He leads us by the still waters and He makes us to lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23

It's difficult because we have been programmed and conditioned by religion to have to always be doing, speaking, talking, petitioning etc. There is a time to pray when we are unctionised and anointed by the Holy Spirit but there is a time to enter into the Holy of Holies through the veil and to sit or lie prostrate in His presence in awe of His majesty and glory.

It is there where we know that we know - all doubt, all striving, all effort goes - that we are His and that He so loves us and wants to reveal Himself intimately to us.

He wants us to drink of the river of His pleasure, to draw from the well of salvation and experience something that is so indescribable and so intimate between Jesus and us that words are not sufficient.

Intimacy must once again be sought and activity dropped

We must depart from the activity based churchianity with it's effort based focus and rediscover the intimacy of fellowship with Jesus.

In Revelation 3v20 He says these words (not to the unsaved as its often preached but to His people)

20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

He longs to be intimate with us.

He longs to sup with us.

It's only in intimacy that we will know and be aligned with His purpose, plan and pattern in these last days.

Hebrews 4v9 says there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

You see even God rested from His works on the 7th day.

He has prepared a rest for us but to experience it we must be prepared to cease from our self effort and religious works.

We may have come out of Egypt but has Egypt come out of us?

For us to enter beyond the outer court and into the Holy Place and ultimately through the veil into the Holy of Holies, then we must be prepared to be sensitive to His voice, His presence and touch and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us His ways and lead us into all truth.

The greatest need of the Body of Christ in this our day is to rediscover what it is to be led, guided, taught, anointed and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Being led by the Spirit is the mark and evidence of sonship. Romans 8v4

The Lord wants us to learn the secret of life from above.

A life greater than that we have known. A life that swallows up our self life and all that is of the flesh and of ourselves.

Unless a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies it abides alone, BUT IF IT DIES it bears much fruit. John 12v24.

Oh Lord there is so much of self and so little of you in us Your people.

Teach us once again the secret of life from above, that we may enter into the rest and fulness you have prepared for us.

Your Word declares that eye has not seen not ear heard, neither has it entered into our hearts, the things you have have prepared for those who love you but you have revealed it unto us by your Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2v9&10.

I pray that we would rediscover that which our fathers knew - the power of intimacy and the joy of ceasing from our own works, ways and mindsets and being taken over by you, in every part of our being, including our ways of thinking and in our very bodies whereby everything of death and sickness will be cast out.

That we would be the people you have called us to be, that victorious, glorious and spotless Bride. That true representation of you in the earth, conformed to the image of your precious Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8v29

Awh there are depths and realms that the Lord wants us to experience in these last days.

He's calling us to leave behind the flesh pots of Egypt and the deadness of man controlled religion and in that leaving behind we will know realms of grace and glory beyond our wildest dreams.

Will we heed the call?

Will we say Lord teach me and lead me no matter the cost, no matter how it makes me appear, no matter how misunderstood I may become?

I want everything you have for me. I want to go deeper. I want to be taken into the deep waters whereby I'm no longer in control but the water carries me where it wills. I'm taken over by another element, greater and stronger than myself.

Will we allow the River of God to carry us where it wills?

Will we let go and let God?

Will we let ourselves be taken outside of being in control so that we are possessed and controlled by another life, the life of the Spirit?

Romans 11v33-36

33¶O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?35Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?36¶For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

I'm finding it difficult to express how much the Lord longs for and desires intimacy with us His children.

He is not condemning us for the lack of intimacy but is lovingly and graciously calling and drawing us, to a deeper and higher walk and experience with Him.

If only we could truly understand how much and the Father's longing for us, to experience the life and freedom that He has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2v9

John 17v3

3“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

The Greek word for know is:

A — 1: γινώσκω

(Strong's #1097 — Verb — ginosko — ghin-oce'-ko )

and signifies "to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand," or "to understand completely,"

Such "knowledge" is obtained, not by mere intellectual activity, but by operation of the Holy Spirit consequent upon acceptance of Christ.

The verb is also used to convey the thought of connection or union, as between man and woman, Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:34. (Vines Expository Dictionary)

The Greek word speaks of knowing, through an experiental relationship.

To know God the Father and Jesus Christ, speaks of an intimate relationship.

Jesus tells us that this knowing, this intimate relationship is eternal life.

This is what constitutes eternal life

This is such an important and understated truth.

The emphasise, is often on knowing Jesus through a process or rituals, such as man made traditions and religion. We come to know God by attending church or being involved in religious activities.

We could do all these things and never have an experiental relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, never being intimate with Him and truly knowing Him in His fulness.

Religious activity is a poor substitute for intimacy with Christ.

A husband and wife do not know each other by seeing each other twice or three times a week for an hour. No they spend time daily in each others company. They share good and bad times. They laugh together and they cry together. They are bone of each other's bone and flesh of each other's flesh (Ephesians 5v30). They know the deepest form of physical and emotional union. Marriage between a man and woman mirrors God's order and in it's deepest and purest form, speaks of the union between Christ and His Church (ekklesia), His Bride. Ephesians 5v30-32.

We can only experience the intimacy that God desires with us, as we yield to the Holy Spirit and depend on Him to reveal Christ to us and take us deeper into Him.

We must be teachable and pliable in the potter's hands.

It is in our weakness, helplessness and nothingness that the Holy Spirit will lead us, teach us and bring us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus.

We will grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3v18.

A broken spirit and a contrite heart are the soil in which the Holy Spirit cultivates and produces intimacy, longing and depth in our walk with Christ. Psalm 34v18, 51v17, Isaiah 57v15.

He loves us so much and wants us to know him intimately.

The Lord is calling a people to Himself in these days, a remnant if you will. He is preparing hearts, He is testing and trying us, to see who will follow His voice and will ignore and dismiss the voice of the stranger. John 10v1-18.

He is seeking out a people who will follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Who will lay down their lives if necessary.

A sold out, uncompromising band of spiritual revolutionaries, who know Him and as a result of this knowing, this union, have been set on fire by Him and truly represent Him. Who are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.

Inseparable from Him, indistinguishable from Him, sold out to Him and empowered by Him, as His Body and Bride on earth.

Daniel 11v32b

"The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits"

Some scriptures to read and meditate on.

Psalm 31v19, 36v7-9, 139v17&18, Isaiah 12v2&3, 30v18, 40v31, Jeremiah 29v11, Lamentations 3v25&26, Zephaniah 3v16&17, Romans 8v14-23, 28-39, 1 Corinthians 2v9-16, 1 John 3v1-3, 5v15 & 20.