I was sitting in at work late on Friday night (17 Aug 12) and chatting with one of my work colleagues about friendship and who you can have friendships with, i.e. can men have friendships with women who they are not married to? and he was listening – I was asking his honest opinion about these things as he’s from a younger generation than I am (I feel so old saying that :-)) – anyway I found it coming out of my mouth that to be understood, accepted and trusted by a friend even if that friend is a woman who you are not married to and have no sexual relationship with is better than having sex with someone who you are married to but don’t experience understanding, acceptance and trust from…

Sexual intimacy without having understanding, acceptance and trust from the person you’re having sex with is empty…

Even if you can’t be married to someone but can have understanding, acceptance and trust from that person, that is better and more fulfilling than sexual “intimacy” without those “heart” things, i.e. understanding, acceptance and trust…

Maybe this is a “man thing” I don’t know but when I heard myself saying it I knew that it was true and it solidified something for me…

I had a really good talk to my work colleague – it was natural and I felt benefitted and I believe he did too… 🙂

“The icing on the cake” – that’s what my wife has told me sex is…

She has explained that for her its all about our relationship and when she feels this is “good” or “OK” or “flowing” then sex is a natural by-product…

I suppose this is true…

Understanding, Acceptance & Trust…

These things are so foundational for men (I’m not sure if this applies to women as well)…

These are the things which we have from the Lord…

Understanding…

He knows all about us and knows why we do the things we do – He knows what sins of the forefathers are still upon us, He knows exactly where He’s at in His “Sanctification Process” in our lives and knows why we respond the way we do in certain situations or just can’t seem to overcome certain things and even why certain temptations which are so “hard” for others just don’t seem to “touch” us and vica versa…

Acceptance…

He accepts us Unconditionally in the Beloved…

We are Accepted in the Beloved…

Our new selves are who we are…

Our new selves are perfect…

They cannot sin…

We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18 NASB)

He does not view our old selves as us…

We are holy and perfect in His sight…

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10 NIV)

because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:14 NIV)

We are not the objects of His Wrath or of His Hatred…

for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, (Ephesians 5:29 NASB)

Trust…

Love always trusts…

He trusts us because He knows the heart which He gave us – the new heart which He gave us – the new spirit which He gave us – is one with Him…

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17 NASB)

He trusts us because He knows we are pure…

He does not see our old selves as us…

Our old heart which is deceitful above all else is not what He sees…

and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (Ephesians 4:24 NASB)

In this place we are so safe…

If we ever experience this Understanding, Acceptance & Trust of God in a relationship with a brother or sister in the Lord or even in our marriages where there is that additional physical intimacy which can be expressed in that pure marriage relationship then we are truly blessed…

I believe that this is the birthright of this generation…

I honestly do…

I believe that I will experience this in my marriage…

I believe that I will also experience this in my friendships with my brothers and sisters in the Lord…

The physical intimacy in the area of the sexual expression of the Understanding, Acceptance and Trust of the Lord between husband and wife is precious and sacred in the sight of God – that will be experienced by married Christian couples in this generation as the Lord has always intended…

The spiritual intimacy in the area of brother/sister and friendship relationships between brothers and sisters in the Lord will also be experienced in this generation – as the Lord cleans us up from the lusts of the flesh and we are enabled to offer this Understanding, Acceptance & Trust of the Lord to each other in the Lord we will find that we truly do love each other without any sexual overtones or urges or “out of control” “moments” and this I believe is what is spoken of by Jesus in John 17 for, I believe, this generation…

that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:21 NASB)

This is what, I believe, we have instore for us in this generation…

The youth of today are much more open about their feelings – I believe the Lord will use this to create the unity He desires in those who are His – the “taboos” of our older generations – which have not been placed there by the Lord – will be removed in this generation…

Things will be spoken of which have not been spoken of in other generations – there will be an openness which has not been present in prior generations…

This is our birthright…

There will be openness and there will be healing…

There will be deliverance and in the Church we will see this Understanding, Acceptance & Trust of the Lord begin to spread among brothers and sisters until we experience “life from the dead” together in unity amongst the Church in terms of a mass “falling off” of the infirmities and “sin bondages” which have kept us in chains and bondage and only operating at a fraction of our God-given capacity to bring Glory to His Name in this generation…

O Lord, release the Anointing of Intimacy and Openness among all Your Children alive and breathing on planet earth at this point in time…

Break the bondages – break the false intimacy of sin – establish the True Intimacy of the Spirit amongst every brother and sister and friend in the Lord in every place all over the world…

You are God – You are Glorious – You are One – and You are making us One…

We submit to You Lord – make us One in this generation to speak with One Voice to Glorify Your Name in all the earth..

Make us One Lord – all over the earth make us One and let the world see the common call of Oneness and Intimacy with You and with each other where each becomes an extension of the other here on earth and we each become an extension of You upon the earth to Glorify Your Name in all the earth…

So let it be…

Thank You Jesus…

Understanding, Acceptance & Trust…

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12b NASB)

Establish this amongst us – Your Children – Your Precious Saints – Your Precious Offspring who You have covered with Your Very Own Blood – in all the earth…

Thank You Jesus…

Thank You Father…

Thank You Holy Spirit…

Thank You Lord (You are One, make us One in You)…

Thank You Jesus – Your Sacrifice is Complete – for all people for all time – O let us be among those who enter in to Your Rest and receive You as our Saviour and King – to You belongs Eternal Praise…

I bow down and worship You, King Jesus, in my heart right now – You are Worthy, Exalt the Name of Jesus Father, Lord Holy Spirit Exalt the Name of Jesus in all the earth…

He is Worthy, His Name is to be praised…

He is Exalted Above All Else…

Holy…

Let the Blood be Magnified throughout the entire earth…

The Blood of Jesus – the Blood of the Holy, Spotless Lamb of God, born of the virgin Mary, conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit and God Incarnate, Always God, Never not God and now by the Grace of God always Man for all Eternity showing the position which we have in the Heart of God – those of us who believe – and our position and our acceptance for all eternity into the Heaven of God to be accepted before Him in the Blood of Jesus…

We worship You Lord…

You are Great…

And Highly Lifted Up…

Glorify Your Name in all the earth…