Intimacy

Before I get started, I want to make it clear that the God I believe in, is the one and only God. He is the God of the Hebrews, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is not only the God of the Old Testament He is the God of the New testament. I believe that God sent His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). I believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, God's only Son, the Messiah that the prophets spoke of. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, He was crucified, and resurrected three days later by the power of God. He is part of the Holy Trinity. The God I believe in, is Y-weh, the Great I Am. He is not Allah, Buddha, Krishna, John Smith, the Pope or any other..He is the One true God according to the Torah and the Bible.

Intimacy...This is a word that is associated with love, close friendship, involvement, etc. Intimacy in today's world, is often related to sexual attraction. However I want to analyze the true meaning of intimacy with God, not referring to physical intimacy, but spiritual intimacy. When I think of Intimacy, I think of the words mentioned above. As friends grow closer, they become more intimate in the way they interact, how they treat each other. With intimacy comes a deeper friendship. Intimacy brings closeness and a passion. Intimacy involves passion.

Intimacy though, requires faith as well. Or is it through faith that we obtain intimacy? Intimacy and faith are dependent on each other. If its not for faith in God, we wouldn't have an intimate relationship with Him. However without intimacy, without really coming to know, love, and trust in God, we would be denying growth in our faith.

From the beginning of time, God has desired an intimate relationship with man. He used to visit Adam and Eve in the Garden. It was one in which God and his creations visited and began to know one another. Trust was established, which is crucial for intimacy to function. However man broke that trust between him and God, and the intimacy factor was severed. After the fall, God began to make advances towards humanity, once again. After all, humans were created in His image.

One reason man betrayed God, was because of external distractions. In the garden, it was just creation, man, and God...and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For so long, Adam and Eve kept their focus on God. However, as soon as Eve gave one ounce of her attention to the Serpent (Satan),she was led astray. The distraction was always there, but as soon as soon she began to look elsewhere for intimacy, she put the intimacy with God on the line. They had chosen. The Spirit of God could not dwell in the same place where sin was allowed. Eventually the intimacy they once shared with God, took on another form. Since they had given into sin, they no longer shared the face to face interaction they had with God every day. Despite this, God still pursued man, even in our fallen state.

It was intimacy with God, that made Abraham leave the land of his fathers in search of the land promised to him by God. Looking back at Abraham's life, we see that Abraham's life was full of faith. Romans 4:3 claims that, "Abraham believed God..." Abraham simply believed God when He told him to pack up and leave his homeland. Because of this simple act of obedience, and many more to follow, for hundreds of years later, God Himself is known as "The God of Abraham."

King David shared intense intimacy with God. Why? Because wherever he went, he went because he was obedient to God. One way to look at intimacy through the life of David is realizing that there is a connection between David and God, in which there is intense conflict, and intense loyalty. God of course, is loyal, He has taken all the steps necessary in which we can have an intimate relationship with Him. David realized this and sought after God with all His heart. Through all David's conflicts, we can see that he sought God out for everything. Because of such intimacy, we now recognize David as a man after God's own heart.

God has always desired to have an intimate (close) relationship with His creation. Throughout the Bible He makes various advances towards mankind to offer intimacy with Him. His greatest attempt to bring us back into a true intimate relationship came with Jesus. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." What greater sign that God desires us, than giving us the life and gift of His ONLY Son? This proves that God desires to restore what we lost during the fall of man, His Spirit that resides in us.

Even though there are many great examples of Godly men and women who were obedient to the Lord in the Old Testament, they never had the Spirit of God on the inside of them. God would always fall ON them, but never resided in them, because of their sinful nature. However, when we become reconciled to God, through Christ Jesus, we are made as new vessels, that His Holy Spirit can reside in. What a great and wonderful gift to know that I have been reconciled and made righteous before God! Not only that, but because His Spirit resides in me, I can approach His throne room with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).

Since His Spirit resides in me, the relationship God has desired to have with man has been restored. "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men." (Romans 5:18) However, just as it was with Eve, there are always distractions. School, work, sin, the mundane activities of everyday life, becoming so bogged down "serving" God that we actually miss His calling. All these things, and more, are external distractions that pull a our focus away from God. Satan uses these things to try to capture our attention for just one moment, to get our eyes off of Him. When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, he was swallowed up by the waves of the Sea of Galilee.

As I said before, God has done everything necessary to be in an intimate relationship with us. He has wooed us, and called out to us. Will we answer? Make no mistake, you are either walking on the water with your eyes fast on Jesus, or you are sinking in whatever else you might put your focus on. In Song of Solomon, the lovers go back and forth in these scriptures, proclaiming their undying love for one another. They have eyes only for each other. Are our eyes only on Him?

There is a cost of intimacy. Whether it be your friends, your social life, your money, your time, among other things. We can't be afraid to cry out to Him, "I love you Lord! I love you more than life itself! I abandoned my all to you! I desire to know you!" Sometimes in our quiet times, we have to say, "I'm going to touch you Jesus. I'm going to get a touch from you!" God has been, is, and will always be proactive in wooing us to be more intimate with Him. He is there waiting for us to run to our Abba. We have to set our faces as flint and determine we gotta have Him more than anything else! Let us enter into the romance with our God who gave His all. He desires you. Do you desire Him enough to run to His outstretched arms, with your eyes fixed on Him?

I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine.
Ani le dodi, ve dodi li.

Creed

I believe in God the Father
Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

I believe that He who suffered was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and on the third day, rose again
He ascended into Heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning
To judge the quick and the dead of the sons of men

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

I believe it, I believe it
I believe it
I believe it, I believe it

I believe in God the Father
Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One Holy Church
The communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sin
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
I did not make it, no it is making me
I said I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and
not the invention of any man

I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe it
I believe it, I believe it
I believe it, I believe it
I believe it



All copyright belongs to Third Day. This is their lyrics.

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth Everyone!

I feel so blessed to live in a country that has offered the freedoms that we get to enjoy today. I feel as though sometimes as Americans we forget what brought us to this point. First, all glory goes to God. Without Him, we would not be here right now. Lets never forget that. Second, thanks to the founding fathers and soldiers who risked their lives to stand up against tyranny, we are now free.

I invite you right now to go read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights just real quick, so that you are reminded of what our founding fathers wanted for this country. Read it, you'll be surprised as to what you find in there!

Here is a link to the Constitution: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html

Here is a link to the Bill of Rights: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

Happy Fourth of July, and

God bless America!

The Vision

The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.

The vision is an army of young people.

You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.

They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.
What is the vision ?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.

Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers

choose to loose
that they might one day win
the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.

Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing…
This is the sound of the underground

And the army is discipl(in)ed.

Young people who beat their bodies into submission.

Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".

Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them ?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them ?

And the generation prays

like a dying man
with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and
with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24 – 7 – 365.

Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive

inside.

On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,

they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.

Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.

Guaranteed.
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This is the vision of 24/7 Prayer. I did not write it, however everytime I read it, I am moved by the words. It paints a picture of a Christian that is totally abandoned to himself and in love with his God. One that is totally in love, that he/she would do anything for God at whatever cost.

I dare you to read whats ahead. Only those who are serious should proceed.

This is the type of Christian that needs to rise up within our generation. Our parents have come from an extremely blessed generation, and I feel that we take for granted many of those blessings. Let us as a generation of young people never forget that we are in a battle for our lives and out very souls. I sense that our generation, has grown numb to the realities that Christians have to face. we have grown numb or choose not to face those realities. While the blessings of God are not a bad thing, we have taken it so much for granted that we begin to believe that God is there as a Santa Clause figure, to give whenever and whatever we ask.

This is a plead to my generation, let us RISE UP! Let us no longer be an apathetic generation that takes for granted the gift that Christ gave us, or the blessings God offers us. Let us rise up and throw off the chains of laziness. Let us desire to know God more. If we are to know God more, then we have to cry out to Him. We have to search for Him. We can longer choose to please the world if we are to truly know God. In our quest to know Him more, we are promised that if we "Cry out to Me and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)

Let it be clear though, that searching for God will lead to knowing Him. The more we know Him, and His love for us, will only compel us even more to obey Him. This is where the rubber meets the road. Many of us "know" God though not many in our generation have been compelled to follow him outside of their comfort zones. Where is the dedication, perseverance, and passion in our generation that has been so clearly expressed in that of our parents, grandparents, and of many great Christians that have come before us? What will our generation be known for? Will it characterized by laziness? A sense of apathy perhaps? Maybe an overall blatent disregard for the things of God?

Who are the ones of our generation that will break the mold that is so being quickly set of conforming and catering to the world? When is our generation going to hop off the coat tail of our parents and seek God on their own?

Let me challenge you today to do just that. Jump off the coat tail of your parents relgion and seek God on your own. The more you seek Him, the more in love you will find yourself. Soon His presence will be so exhilirating and intoxicating you won't sit still. You will be compelled to throw off the chains of the same old routine and shake things up in your life. This will have a great ripple effect among your friends and those you come into contact with. Who cares if your friends make fun of you or you stand out like a freak because you won't participate in their mundane, evil activities? I dare you to take a stand for God...sure you will stand out like a sore thumb, but at least people know where you stand. The more you live your life for God and not for man, the more attractive you will become...the more God's light will shine through you. Soon you will notice that your friends will come to God, not because of you and your amazing tactics to present God in a "cool, hip and subtle" way, but because of the utter sense of worth and complete abandon for God. Forget trying to fit in with the world. Forget being subtle, people are going to hell in hand baskets everyday...where is our sense of urgency? Forget being politically correct or trying cater to every single feeling.. Your message will offend the flesh. Just fyi, the world is going to hate you (I didn't say it, Jesus did). However, since your a freak, an utterly hopeless, crazed maniac who is in love with the One who sent His One and Only Son to die for you, it shouldn't matter what the rest of the world thinks.

Its your choice...you can choose to dabble in with the world and with Christianity, but heads up, you're Satan's little toy. Those types of people are disgusting, they are sickening, and are an utter embarrasment to Christianity. I dare you to throw down and rise up and refuse to let Satan use you any longer...it will be more than you can handle, but God is on your side. Put on your armor! Face the enemy..no longer skirt behind religion and excuses. The time has come for us to make a difference as a generation. No longer say you aren't ready, or you will wait til summer time to go on missions. Seek Him and your life will never be the same. I dare you to fall in love...if you do you will be consumed in His fire.

Be dangerously pure, leave the minimum integrity to one side, and become the sold out person living for a sold out God.

He gave us His best who are we to not give Him ours?

Be dangerously attractive.

Memorial Day

On this day I would like to remember the sacrafice made by our forfathers and our troops. This is a day to honor their memory and all that they stood for. Thank you for protecting us and doing your duty, even though it cost you the ultimate sacrafice. For those who still serve, thank you. We will never know the pain or the loss that you have had to go through for our freedom. Thank you does not even seem enough to show the grattitude of a thankful nation. We will always be in your debt. You guys are amazing!







Thank You!

Americas Heroes

As I browsed through the Depart of Defense's website, I found a tribute to the Medal of Honor recipients. There was one story on there that I found disturbing and quite honestly sad. I'll post it right here.

Who Are America's Heroes?
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, March 13, 2009—


The challenge issued by a flight attendant during a recent commercial air flight seemed innocuous enough: Name just one of the five Medal of Honor recipients from the current engagements in Afghanistan or Iraq, and get a free drink coupon.


But the passengers’ response – more specifically, the inability of all but just one to respond – revealed how little the average American knows about its military heroes.


Bombarded by superhero lore almost from birth, many Americans grow to revere fictional heroes as well as sports and celebrity icons. But silence descended over the cabin of a flight bound from Jacksonville, Fla., to Baltimore when the conversation turned to those who had earned the nation’s highest honor for valor – even when a free cocktail hung in the balance.


Dale Shelton, an Annapolis, Md., resident who served five years as a Navy intelligence specialist, was the only passenger to press the button over his seat to beckon the attendant. Shelton’s response: Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, the first Medal of Honor recipient in the global war on terror, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom.Smith received the highest military honor for valor posthumously on April 3, 2005, two years to the day after saving more than 100 soldiers in the battle for Baghdad’s airport. His young son and widow accepted the award on his behalf during a solemn White House ceremony. The flight attendant gave free drink coupons to Shelton, as well as his wife Jean and two other traveling companions. Then he returned to the crew area to announce over the intercom that only one person had correctly answered the challenge. This time, the attendant offered a second challenge: name an American Idol winner. The cabin lit up like a pinball machine as 43 passengers scrambled to push their attendant call button. Passengers named various Idol winners.


The attendant announced that he wasn’t going to award drink coupons for that answer, telling the passengers that "naming an Idol winner was not worth a free drink," Shelton recalled. "He concluded his announcement with the question: ‘What’s wrong with our country when out of 150 passengers, only one can name a Medal of Honor recipient, but 43 can name an American Idol winner?’"Later during the flight, Shelton shared with the attendant his own frustration over "the current lack of appreciation of our military heroes."

The attendant asked Shelton if he knew the names of the other four Medal of Honor receipts from the current military operations. Shelton said he was able to name three: Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor and Army Spc. Ross McGinnis. All were killed sacrificing themselves to protect their comrades during enemy attacks.


Murphy, a Navy SEAL, died June 28, 2005, trying to save his team members during Operation Red Wing in Afghanistan. Monsoor, also a SEAL, died in Iraq Sept. 23, 2006, using his body to absorb a grenade blast that likely would have killed two nearby SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers. McGinnis died Dec. 4, 2006, after throwing himself on a hand grenade in Iraq to save four fellow soldiers when insurgents attacked their Humvee.Shelton said he regretted that he had forgotten the name of Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham. Dunham died April 15, 2004, using his body to shield fellow Marines in Iraq from a hand grenade.The flight attendant didn’t hold Shelton’s memory lapse against him. "He gave me all the remaining drink coupons he had in his possession and shook my hand," he said.

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Medal of Honor Recipients since the beginning of the War on Terror.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith
Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy
Marine Corporal Jason L. Dunham
Army Specialist Ross A. McGinnis
Naval Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor.
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God bless these men and women who give their lives for our freedom! Whether you agree with the war or not, please support our troops. They are just doing they're job. George Orwell once said, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." This is very true! Children and spouses are losing loved ones every day, because these people have taken an oath to protect us from all enemies foreign and domestic.


Today, May 16, 2009, is Armed Forces Day in the United States. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all who serve in any branch of our military. Many times they go unnappreciated, and today (as every day should be) is a time to recognize the sacrafice that has been made on our behalf.

Thank You!

Israeli war crimes?

Of course, the way the media portrays Israel's war on Gaza, you might think the Israeli's are purpertrators of the Geneva Convention. The Wall Street Journal on January 10 published an article entitled "Israel is Committing War Crimes” by George Bisharat, who wrote that "Israel's current assault on the Gaza Strip cannot be justified by self-defense. Rather, it involves serious violations of international law, including war crimes."

Just for those of you who are wondering, Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention defines war crimes as follows: "Willful killing, torture, or inhuman treatment, including...willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health,...taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly."

What war crimes have they committed exactly? Bombing houses where they had explicitly given warnings to the residents to evacuate? Maybe we can accuse Israel of war crimes for bombing mosques. Surely that is a blatant war crime, even when that mosque was used to store weapons and supplies used to terrorize Israeli lives, and its only occupents were terrorist themselves. Wait a minute! I know what the liberal media is convicting Israel of. They bombed the UN HQ in Gaza. Again, wait a minute, what they failed to mention was that the bomb hit near its headquarters, and that nothing was actually destroyed (which by the way, had terrorist holding hostages, and firing rockets from the building). In fact soldiers went in on foot, risked their lives, and freed the UN HQ from terrorist. As far as I can tell, Israel did not commit any war crimes, as stated by the Geneva Convention.

Maybe we can accuse Israelis of war crimes for bombing buildings where civilians live. Even though, again, they were warned. Thing is, most Gazan citizens stand behind Hamas. Obviously, because they elected Hamas into power over the rival, Fatah, in 2006. Another important fact to take into consideration, that isn't mentioned by the media (which is leftist in itself, and despises Israel, and will use and abuse any facts to fit their biased agenda), is that these civilians willingly put themselves into harms way. Instead of evacuating or going underground, they became human shields for Hamas militants. They know that by doing this it will create an international uproar against the Israelis, and ultimately help in destroying the "Evil Zionist regim."

The world fails to see this however. We live in a politcaly correct society that contradicts itself. As mentioned before the media is leftist. They hate anything conservative, and of course will do anything to make people see their biased agenda (the conservative media does the same). However, all I ask is that the facts be presented. No conservative or liberal agenda. Fact #1: Hamas has called for the destruction of Israel.
Fact #2: For over 8 years, rockets have been fired into Southern Israel (Sderot, and the Negev), making no distinction between civilians and military personel.
Fact #3: Hamas makes no attempt to hide their desire to destroy Israeli life. Hamas TV (al-Aqsa TV, December 28, 2008) recently showed pictures of Hamas fighters shooting at Israel with skulls dripping with blood in the background. Captions for the program included "Let them Taste Violent Death” and "Send Them Hell, Qassam Missile."

These facts are disturbing. Again I ask, why then is Israel labeled as the Warmongers? It seems to me that most of the warmongering comes from the extreme Islamic party of Hamas (sorry for all the PC people out there, yes I do believe extreme Islam is a problem, and have no problem in calling it how it is. I speak the truth, and will not sugar coat anything.) All Israel has done is tried to protect their civilians, which any sovereign nation has a right to do. They have not tried to colonize or expand to other nations, as other countries have done. They simply want to live peaceably, however, they are prevented in doing so by Islamic radicals.

Here are some more facts for you to chew on (these facts are taken from an excerpt of Rotem Yacobi's article in the Ynet news, titled "Citizen of the Free World.")
"I ask myself the following questions: does the world know that the IDF calls and warns civilians before it strikes their homes, used as Hamas arms caches?
Does the world know that in response to this, Hamas men place women and children on the roofs of buildings, because they know the IDF won't target them? Does the world know that the IDF takes care of humanitarian needs and supplies medicine, food, and medical services to the Palestinians? Does the world know that Hamas men fire from within population centers and turn civilians into human shields?
Does the world know that while we fight for our legitimate right to live in peace and security, Palestinian patients receive dedicated treatment at Israeli hospitals? Did the world hear about the 20 cases where Palestinians exploited their health problems in order to attempt to carry out terror attacks? I ask myself, where was the world more than a year ago, when Hamas men massacred Fatah men and innocent members of their own people?" (end of excerpt)

I ask that the truth be told. While there may have been individual cases of mishaps and mistakes that were made during the Gaza invasion, do not label Israel's decision to go into Gaza to stop the attacks, a war crime. Defense is not a war crime. If you want an example of war crimes, look at Ahmadinejad's Iran, Saddam's Iraq, the genocide in Darfur, or the Sandinista's actions against the citizen's of Nicaragua.

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