New Format

A Holy Romance

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. (Prov.13:12)

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

A Holy Romance

The first thing that happens is that someone catches your eye.
why? Because he has character qualities that you admire.

The bible says that man was made in the image of God. Just as the moon reflects the sun, man reflects the glory of God.

God is the Source and Author all of the qualities we are drawn to in a person, and much, much more.
God shows His glory and goodness and power in what He has made, and this is to stir a desire in you to want to know Him.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:2

You are attracted to the one you admire and yet wonder if there is any chance he would find you attractive, and desirable in return. Every woman wants to be noticed and admired and desired.

When the one you have been admiring comes looking for you, and pursuing you, it is the most wonderful, joyful experience. Someone wants you, is desperate for you, is willing to risk everything to be with you. When they just can't go on without you and they pursue you, this is the deepest desire of your heart, to be loved like that.

God so desired and loved you, that He WAS willing to risk everything. Not only RISK everything, but to GIVE everything. He gave His ONE and only treasure, His Son. The amazing difference is that He sent Jesus to you, when you were His enemy, when you wanted nothing to do with God. God was out to win your heart. He gave His best, He gave His all, to romance you and woo you to respond to His perfect love.

Jesus also, desparately pursues you. He must find you, He searches for you until He finds you. He knocks on the door of your heart with His most treasured possesion to give you, His relationship with His Father, His very Life.

No matter what the cost, He must win your heart. He desires you so much He is willing to literally go through hell to rescue you and win your heart to be His bride for all eternity.

He follows you, He finds out where you live and He goes there, no matter how far it is, how dark it is, or corrupted and decayed. He must find you and rescue you.

He knocks at the door of your heart. You see Him there with love beaming in His eyes and deep desire burning in His heart to be with you. You wonder, "how did He find me?"You realize He is seeing you as you really are and you are afraid. You havent done your hair or makeup, the house is a mess, part of you wants to run away in fear He will be turned off by what He sees.

You look shyly and fearfully into His eyes again, and you see that He doesnt notice all of those things. He is looking right through all the outward things about you and He sees and loves you for who you are in your heart. He is able to see the beauty hidden beneath all the fitlh. You are puzzled by this. You are so used to offering what is on the outside and hiding what is on the inside. You are stirred, and a hunger to respond grows within you.

You also hesitate in opening the door, because the cost is great. In letting Him in, you risk losing everything you have now. If you are seen with Him, people will talk about you, they will turn on you and reject you, they wont understand your love.

You look back at our life as it is now. It is empty and you are weary of living on scraps of human love and approval. It is so shallow, so dry and barren. You look into His eyes and see His passion and it draws you to Him.You cant refuse, you must follow your heart and go to Him.

You are trembling and fearful of what will happen as you let go of everything and go to Him. He reaches out to you and gathers you into His embrace. At that moment you are cleansed from all your shortcomings and failures and imperfections. All consuming joy floods your entire being as your receive total acceptance, unconditional and free. You are enveloped in perfect Love! Your soul overflows in the form of tears that come as a cleansing flood, and bring healing, freedom and relief to your once weary soul.

This is the love you have been searching for in all of the wrong places, wrong people! It is so sweet, so delicious! Yet there is a bittersweetness to it as well. For in embracing Him, you die to all that you have known before Him.

You feel a little unsure of what that means, and yet you feel so secure in His arms, that it doesn't matter. You know that in His love you have all that you will ever need, and He will take care of you. He will never leave you. You know you can face anything, as long as He is with you, holding your hand, never letting go of you.

The two of you discuss with excitement your future together. He tells you all about His Father's house, where He is going to go and build a beautiful mansion for you. You talk of how wonderful it will be on the day of your wedding, the great feast you will have, the guests you will invite to the celebration of your love.With much passion and longing you look forward to the consumation of your love, when you will become one, and will be lost in each other, consumed and overcome in perfect unity.

There is a glow and joy in both of your eyes as you talk about all of this. Yet there is a painful anticipation and longing there. It is because you must wait until the date arrives. He tells you He has to go to the Father to prepare everything for that day. He tells you that He wont leave you alone. He gives you His very Spirit to be with you and IN YOU. Perfect trust in His perfect Love enables you to open your heart to receive His Holy Spirit. He explains that His Spirit will become within you a fountain of water and you will never be dry or barren again.

________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, `Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." (John 4:10)

She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? (John 4:11)

"Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of (regular) water will thirst again; (John 4:13)

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." (John 4:14)



________________________________________________________________________

So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (John 20:21)

And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)

_________________________________________________________________________

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

________________________________________________________________________

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

________________________________________________________________________

who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:15)

________________________________________________________________________

He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." (Acts 19:2)

**********************************************************************************************************************************

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1

"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:3)

______________________________________________________________________

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; (John 14:16)

that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (John 14:17)

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18)

"After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. (John 14:19)

"In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (John 14:20)

"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (John 14:21)

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" (John 14:22)

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. (John 14:23)

"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. (John 14:24)

"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. (John 14:25)

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (John 14:26)

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27)

"You heard that I said to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (John 14:28)

"Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. (John 14:29)