Extravagant Love

Friday the 29^th of March 2013 what a significant day for a lot of people in the community, as we do for most schools we set aside a day/ time where we come and bring our loaves and fishes for outreach fees, but this one was different this one was more sacrificial well for me anyway. People gave money, surf boards, computers, different things to help each other get to the places God was sending them to be missionaries; it’s just like in Acts when they gave all that they had, no one was in need, because the community was a giving generation. Remembering this reminds me of where we want to go where we want to take this community of Jesus Lovers to a place where God has a resting place where people feel safe and cared for. This is the community I live in one where we are kind to each other, we speak words of life and not death, we treat the different sexes with respect and honour; yes we make mistakes but we ask forgiveness. Oh what a blessing it is to be here. 

Sacrificial love was given like our rights to have something, we gave up our families our right to be married our dreams and things that were self-seeking. And Gods heart rejoiced over our love given back to him, for he is MOST worthy of ALL Praise. Psalm 45 vs. 10-11 says “listen O daughter consider and give ear: forget your people and your father’s house. The King is enthralled by your beauty; honour him for he is your Lord.” We studied this in worship with the Word on Thursday we need to let go of our former ways or own thought patterns, we have been accepted and adopted in to a new family Jesus’ family where there is a new way of living, We get to live in this Kingdom as Sons and Daughters, Princes, and Princesses, we need to learn the new way of the kingdom it is counter cultural to that of this world, where the last will be first and the first will be last, weaknesses can be used to show strength.

 I went forward and shared my heart that which the Lord had asked me to give up ‘my right to marry and my right to fulfil my own dreams without God in them’. I'm believing and growing in my faith that, that  which he has placed in my heart to fulfil will come to pass in HIS timing and by HIS will, and all things will be swept away that are not from him. It says in Zechariah 4:6 “not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord.” After I did this and so many other people got up I felt such peace such freedom to do what God wanted me to do, what that is I don’t rightly know at this stage; but he is revealing to me his mysteries a little at a time. (as much as my character can handle without becoming prideful). I love God so much I will go where he sends me,  do what he asks me to do, speak to whom he wants me to speak too, oh the depths of my heart overflow with love for him. Bring on his Return.

Identity and Kingdom Culture

Orphans vs. Sons of God Sin created the orphan spirit when we chose to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden. So because of the orphan-ness of this world people try to be like God, to take his place in their lives as father, provider, saviour, King, carer, supreme ruler, authority and so much more. “Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” (Phil 2 vs. 6) Yet he was God, but he came to show the way through humility and showing love to the least of these. How much more should we who are made up of many numbers (the church) be like Jesus in his servant hearted way. Even unto death he did ONLY what he saw the father doing and said what his father told him. He showed us what being a Son of God is. Ephesian 1 vs. 4-5 says “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will” So we are made with a DNA that longs for unity, oneness with three parts to it, (our bodies, soul and spirit). So in connection with human beings we are created to be in relationship in three parts male, female and God. Man wasn’t lonely when he was in the garden he was alone which is different because God saw, that he in himself had three parts Father Son and Holy Spirit. Man had masculinity and feminity in him but there was still something missing. So God took from the male a part of the feminine make up and created female in human form. But they were both Adam, it wasn’t until they had both eaten from the apple that anything happened, and Eve wasn’t named until Adam rejected her as the woman and accused her of giving him the fruit. God was always meant to be in the picture of who we are part of our make up because we are created in his image and likeness. He is the author and creator of who we are. He knows our inner most being because created us he knows that you struggle with this or that, he knows you have sickness or get tired easily. He created you to reach out to him for wisdom and understand in how to live life his perfect way. Being given this revelation that we are sons and daughters of God knowing our original design gives fresh understanding and freedom from the lies that we are surrounded by. Coming into the light brings overwhelming love joy and peace, because it’s the truth and it sets you free. We need to keep reminding ourselves and each other of whose we are and what it means to be a son and daughter of God. Read scripture it describes who we are in Christ Jesus.

A culture of Honour and the meaning of a name. I have been pondering and been given revelation from my father in Heaven of the culture of the Kingdom and how we are meant to be “in this world but not of it” (Romans 12vs.2). We can practically apply the culture of the Kingdom by serving and loving others. For me I find the words we speak to be very important because they either bring life or death. That is all we do with our tongue up-lift or encourage or criticize and put down. Thus I am weary of what I say to people. While also wanting to help create an environment, a characteristic in the community I live in where ‘I love you’ is meant as brotherly and sisterly love. Where you are free to say ‘I love you’ and not be scarred that they may think you like them and want to marry them. To shake off the lies attached to God’s words. That religion has made nasty in our mouths. The other day I learnt what my full name meant and it’s surreal to think that when my parents first saw me they prophesied life over me, destiny over me. So my name is Renee—Born again. Elizabeth—God’s promise, I am God’s daughter. Anne- Grace and favour, prayer. Pearce—Rock. Amazing right? I feel these words are becoming fruition as I use the giftings and talents God has placed in me to excel in, and reap (which is my initials) the good harvest.

Ponderings and words of wisdom from the Song of Songs 3/3/13 Renee- re: Mike Bickle The pleasurable knowledge of God’s word gives us language to who He is. Song of Solomon describes the longings of the bride and the groom for each other. It reveals the adoration and depth of character built as one gets to know the other. We find that as we meditate and ponder the true essence of the bridegroom the internal beings of who he is gets caught in our skin; by his perfume; to reveal the true nature of the bride. Verse two of chapter one says “let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is more delightful than wine.” His word comes from his mouth; the declaration of himself is expressed through his word and imparts his love towards the bride. As the Father loves the son so the son loves you. This is described and expressed through his words, which is his adoration of the unity of God, Son and Spirit. We get the joy of experiencing this love because we are the one that it gets imparted too, expressed upon, given too. The revelation of the love of the Father is what our hearts long for, it seeks after it intensely, and nothing can satisfy it but from the love of God. Many people try to find it in the pleasures of this world, the desire to be loved and to give love, the passion to pursue enjoyable things, like laughter, intimacy, new experiences, beauty and so much more. But these are to be done and found through the unity with the Spirit the Son and the Father. The knowledge that it’s not about the individual person but the whole body of Christ has been misrepresented and seen as a possession in this world’s natural culture. The evil one of the world deceives us to believe that we can find pleasure in wickedness outside of the being of Jesus. But it isn’t true for no matter the wine we experience or the senses used to intoxicate us with love. It is the love of God that will last forever and will keep us longing and seeking and hungering after the truth. Even the pleasures of blessings that God gives us through financial wealth, good relationships, and ministry opportunities cannot equal to or quench the desire to be loved and to give love. The superior pleasures of his word are better than the pleasures of this world. We need to acknowledge that the pleasures of the world are pleasurable but there is a force more powerful more satisfying more fulfilling than those pleasures. Intensely experiencing Jesus’ words can be unfolded by praying his word back to him, this is the superior pleasure of his mouth. A circle complete, a moment of true satisfaction, and the taste of the food he gives to us at his banquet table. Just as wine exhilarates the heart in the natural, so the words of God wow and excite us, in our lovesickness for the bridegroom in the spiritual. The longings of his heart to be revealed in us and the longings of our heart to see him come in the natural sense is so intense that lovesickness prevails and keeps us going in this life on the earth. God says I want people who are lovesick for me not be thriving in ministries and neglecting me in the secret place. From the lovesickness of God we give out of affection based obedience not feelings or religion based love. For a lovesick bride will do anything for their bridegroom. The standard of love, the insight and knowledge of how we love is found in the way the trinity love each other. It is revealing God, loving God and revealing it in your spirit. John 15:9, 17:25-26. When there is a cry in your heart to obey that is where God’s grace, his fellowship is given and he can express his enjoyment in us. We need to understand that there is a difference between spiritual immaturity and rebellion, because we are loved by God we are His favourite and he likes us. But when we get disciplined we feel that God doesn’t like us or he’s anger at us. God gives correction because he loves us and wants the best for us it is different from his anger- his anger is towards the rebels his wrath comes upon the rebellion. God likes us he just doesn’t like all that we do and so he disciplines in love. Just as a parent loves the child they discipline the action of the child, and brings correction to the way they do things. Revelation based passion for Christ- it takes the power of God to love God. It takes God to love God and it is in the understanding of the Knowledge of who God is that we are able to love him. Thus the importance to know God and make him known in our lives through the love we give to others. That we ourselves have received from the bridegroom. As we ponder and mediate on the image and perfume of Christ; which is his personality his beauty; we begin to get revelations of who we are as the bride of Christ. It’s the essence of the being of Christ revealed in mankind that emanates the love of God. And the perfume is not the activity in the physical that happens but the feeling and attention that is directed to Christ. It is the internal properties of a flower that creates the perfume that invigorates us to the smell and taste of pleasure, of delight, of enjoyment in the external flower. The smell draws us to the external flower. So it is with Jesus we see and smell, taste and experience his perfume his personality his beauty and are overcome with joy and excitement by his being both the external and internal. Thus the importance that we as humans need to be good reflectors of Christ, to give off the perfume we have experienced of Jesus so that it too will draw others to the nature of Jesus. We are the physical representation of Jesus just as Jesus is the physical representation of the Father. 2 Corinthians 6 talks about how his perfume becomes her perfume as it saturates her life. That as we walk in righteousness, walk out the kingdom culture of being truthful in speech, sincere in love, patient and full of kindness.... we will be pouring out his name the perfume, his being. God has made his name the only name that can be poured out, because it has sweetness to it a sent that attracts us, the father has done this through declaring and making His name praise in the world. As we accept Jesus’ free gift of eternal life and take on his yoke of himself we take his name; just as when you get married the woman takes the name of the husband; so too do we take on his name. As the perfume gets in our spirit it transforms us to the likeness of Jesus. The perfume draws us to it, so too does God draw us to himself, to experience in his chambers and his presence, in the secret place unique and personal memories of deep relationship between the bride and the groom. But sometimes he calls us to run with him to mountains and they can be simultaneous, but in season he calls us to run or he will draw us away to be loved by him and make memories with him, so that in the running we will not turn to the right or the left. The running seasons will make our lovesickness grow deeper more intimate, more real. We renew our minds with the experiences that are found in the secret place and help us know the wisdom of who he is so we will praise and rejoice over him. SOS 1:4 “We rejoice and delight in you, we will praise your love more than wine.”