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| Dear Fellow Saint, I write these daily verse studies out of my going through the Bible in search of what our Father, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit mean of an INTIMATE LOVE WITH ME? I was reading last summer, Song of Solomon, and thought about hurrying through it! I am 67, and this book did not mean to much to me as being God's Word on intimate love of mostly newly wed experiences. We have been married 40 years. But, our Lord said to me, "That is my love for you!" I said immediately, "NO!" "We (Lord and I) are fighters together, I am your servant, warrior, defender of the Word, sacrificial lover through service and spiritual combat, and proclaimer of the Gospel - took many hits in life overseas in the spiritual battles and demoniac oppression! I am not emotionally involved with you Jesus like the Song of Solomon!" "We are warriors together to reach the Marines with the Gospel and disciple your young Christian, Marine warriors for battle!" "I don't want that emotional relationship with you!" "I trained my kids to be warriors for you, Lord!" Then our Lord Jesus continued to point out He is my groom, and I am His bride! He wants an intimate, loving, relationship and communion with me! I realized I did not even have a true intimate relationship with my wife, Wilma. We were servants together, functioned to get the will and calling of our Lord Jesus done in our mission and family! I came to realize, I did not even know what an intimate relationship was, outside of sex? MERCY! (Service, sacrifice, and spiritual battles drove my life!) Therefore, I began to search the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, now in Deuteronomy, in the discovery of what our Lord means in having a Song of Solomon, intimate love for me, and I loving Him, intimately? I weep now because this is what I needed all my life from my Lord, family, friends, and workplace! I missed it for 66 years, even being a Christian, I did not know Christ Jesus loved me INTIMATELY! I am finding since last summer that our Lord Jesus loves us intimately through being to us: A Faithful Covenant keeping Lord, affirming me, leading, protecting, providing, yes - discipling me in my unfaithfulness to our Covenant love together, purposeful and maturing love, always with future blessings in His promises to me, and most importantly, He abides right next to me always! I needed affirmation all my life, and never came to the true source of affirmation, our Lord and His Word. I functioned with the Word as being doctrinal, needing to be APPLIED in my life, obedience and servant attitude, keeping faithful to my calling and mission in life, and willing to live sacrificially through all challenges and hurts for the sake of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. "Keep in the battle, II Timothy 4: 7" But, I missed the intimate heart need of a loving relationship with Jesus! Now, at 67 years old, I am seeking and going through the Bible in search of what our Lord Jesus means by our having a Song of Solomon, intimate, abiding love in His presence with Him alone! Like salvation, it has to be a heart, experience, and loving relationship! It is more that a head Bible knowledge trip, being doctrinally sound, and always getting love out of serving our Lord - day in and out! The greatness of this also, is I am finding out how I need to be intimate, our Lord's way, with Wilma my wife. I never knew what intimacy was in marriage, other than sex? MERCY! So, fellow saint, this is the essence of what is happening in my joy and burden to share with all the "Intimate love of our Lord Jesus for us, all who are born again!" May they not wait till age 67 to discover our Lord desires an INTIMATE, AFFIRMING, PROVIDING, COVENANT KEEPING LOVE RELATIONSHIP with them! Amen? AMEN! Keep abiding in the intimate love of our Lord Jesus, Ralph & Wilma Porter |
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