Intimacy in relationships leading to divine destiny

I-Intense relationship
N- Nurturing relationship
T- Trusting relationship
I- Inter-dependant
M- Marriage
A- Amorous (passionate)
C- Close (face 2 face)
Y- Yearning (never satisfied)

David gives Solomon instruction in 1Chron. 28:9 he tells him to know the God of his father. The word “know” is “Yada” in Hebrew and it is the same word that is used in Gen. 4:1 when it speaks of Adam having an intimate relationship with Eve so that Cain was conceived. This speaks of knowing God in an intimate way… but there is no carnal agenda.

Christ is the head the church is the body…I like to think that the leaders in the corporate body are the neck…the part that joins the head and the rest of the body. The neck is a very short distance between the head and the body but a necessary part which make sure that the two are connected. If we as leaders are going to play the role of the neck in the union of Christ and his church then we are the first to have intimacy with Christ…which means we set the pace for the rest of the body…
When we consider the relationship we want to have with God we must look at our natural circumstance to find some key elements that will help us unlock the intimacy that we must have with God.
God is Spirit but He has given us human terms to understand Him. God does not have hands and feet etc. but he is described in this way so that we can get a better understanding of who He is. In the same way when we think of “intimacy” we have to think in human terms which must lead us to understand the Spiritual dimension.

In an earthly intimate relationship one looses oneself to the point of having no consideration for time or space… When a young man is courting a young lady they can spend 4 hours on the phone and it would feel like 4 seconds.
In our relationship with Christ, if done right, it will bring us to the place of where we are “caught up in the rapture of love” as Anita Baker would put it and we will step out of time and into God which is Eternity…hence the relationship with Christ leads to eternal life which is life outside of time.
In 1 Thess. 4 The language suggests that being “caught up” was an erotic term according to (Apostle William Hinn) [quoting from the Arabic bible] that meant that the passion was so intense that the two people in the moment of passion would lose themselves in each other and become one. It was that oneness that Christ desires for us to have with him. He had this with the father {John 17} and now he wants us to make the choice of becoming one with him in that fashion. In John 17:3 Jesus says that “eternal life is knowing God” this the same connotation being implied that we become one with God.
Intimacy is between two of the same kind. People say opposites attract…this is not true…when you meet someone, the first thing that you want to know is how much they are like you. Then when you discover common ground and you build the relationship. The only thing that should be opposite is the gender…God never made Adam and Steve He created Adam and Eve.
So God is looking for the one like him… and when he finds that “corporate one” He wants to be in an intimate relationship with that “one”. We are the one like him because we are in his image and likeness. We have become like him…in the fall the serpent told Eve if you eat of the tree of knowledge you shall be like God…Gen. 3:4 he was not lying!!!! For once!!!!!!
So we need to develop an intimate relationship and there some principals or points to consider when we engage this topic of INTIMACY

Intense– the relationship of the Shulamite and her Beloved was very intense.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7
6. Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame.
7. Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love; All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised.
The New Living Translation say: Song of Sol. 8:7
7. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.

Love is so intense that nothing can put it out. The Shulamite was willing to go through anything because of the intimacy with her Beloved…Jesus in John 17 felt the same way. Jesus asked the father to give the glory that he had to the ones he loves…

Nurturing:
Jn. 17:15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one
The heart of Christ is to see His children protected…

Jn. 17: 2-4…as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

Christ puts eternal life into the equation so that we will be sustained…in Him; nurtured in Him for eternity. Also he prays for us…that we will preserved by the word or message of the Apostles and we will be protected John 17:20-21

Trust:
1Sam. 22:3 The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.
Ps. 7:1 O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me;
We need to be able to trust God and in turn he must be able to trust us. This is mutual trust. The Church is His church and we must not “fornicate” with it. We must stop building our hopes on the congregation and the tithe…but rather on Him, when the people see that they will not be addicted to leadership.

Inter- dependent:
1Tim 1:8…according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

God placed the confidence on Paul to carry the message of the Kingdom. In the same way we have the great responsibility of caring for Christ’s sons in the earth. This is God giving us a chance to do something he can do without our help…but because He is a just God and he wants intimacy so He is willing to trust us with this.

Marriage: This is a marriage relationship. The language of scripture in many place suggest God is talking to His bride. In Genesis God created the man and women and the first command to them was intimacy Gen 1:28…by being intimate they would be fruitful and multiple…
Matt. 22 the kingdom is described as a marriage feast for the son of the King.
Rev. 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.

Amorous {Passionate}
This means passionate, loving, romantic. Intimacy can never be intimacy without passion. Christ was so passionate about us that he died willingly. He was so passionate that he never allowed the disciples to even try to talk him out of what he wanted to do Mark 8:31-33.
The Shulamite says:
Song of Sol. 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For your love is better than wine.
Passion drives people to do crazy things but it only seems crazy to other people. To the one filled with passion it is normal. When we function from the position in Christ we are operating with His mindset and to Him miracles are normal. He does not marvel at them. We marvel because we are not operating from Him. Christ is so passionate about us that he gave all Spiritual blessing in heavenly places Eph. 1:3 everything we need he has already given. The dowry has been paid in full and there is nothing more we need but Him…he is the sum total of all that we will ever need.

Close {face to face}
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This has to be a face to face encounter. We need to be like the cherubim’s that cover the mercy seat… face to face, hand to hand, feet to feet, eye to eye

Yearning {insatiable}
When you in an intimate relationship you can never get enough of the one you love. There is an insatiable desire and longing that cannot be explained in words. Distance means nothing. Money means nothing. Time means nothing.
Song 5:4 My beloved put his hand By the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for him.
Ps. 42:1-2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Ps. 63:1 my soul longs for you….
PPs. 84:2