The Bride of Christ, the bride that has made herself ready will abide forever with God and be blessed to see and dwell among the riches of God’s glorious kingdom and the splendor of His excellent majesty. As you seek intimacy with Jesus be aware that he wants a bride who is holy, undefiled and set apart for his purposes. We should all be undergoing beauty preparations as we make ourselves ready for him.

How do we really enter into personal relationship with Christ? That phrase “personal relation- ship with Christ” has been used so often...it’s become part of church jargon...a phrase that church folk use freely but they don’t really grasp it’s true meaning.

We can look to scripture for examples of people that entered into personal relationship with Christ to get some insight into what it really means to get personal with Him. The Apostle John is a good example. We see John as the disciple who was seen with his head lain on Jesus breast:

It must have involved some risk. Even in that day it probably wasn’t a common sight to see a man laying his head on the chest or bosom of another. John must have put himself into a very tenuous position, risking the ridicule of others, but it obviously didn’t matter to him – he willingly gave up his worldly self esteem to be one with the Master. This is exactly what we are called

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to do as Christians - to take up our cross and follow Jesus, to put ourselves in a position to be at odds with what the world sees as acceptable behavior to share intimacy with Christ. Are you a risk taker? Would you be seen in public with your head on Jesus’ breast? Are you willing to let the world know to whom you belong? Is there any doubt in anybody’s mind that you are a child of the King?

It’s place of intimacy and trust. Can you imagine laying your head on the breast of a stranger? It’s something you can only do with someone you know well. It’s a place of vulnerability...the fact that you are “laying” suggest that at least for the moment you have put down your guard. John must have felt a great sense of peace and comfort, being one with the Savior. Do you trust Jesus? Do you know what it’s like to be in that intimate place with Him?

I can imagine that as John lay there with his head on Jesus’ breast that he could feel and hear the master’s heart beat. As we get closer to Jesus we begin to know his heart, His sense-of compassion -what makes Him tick, His disposition - His inner most thoughts and feelings, what pleases Him and what doesn’t. In John 14:23 it say’s” if a person really loves Me he will keep My word (obey my teachings) and my father will love Him and We will come and make our home with him.” Do you know the master’s heart and what pleases Him? Have you been spending time in the word because you want to know His heart?

If you picture in your minds eye the disciple John laying there you can see his head rising and falling with the masters every breath - He must have felt the power of the Holy Spirit which worked so powerfully in Jesus. The was the Sprit that impregnated His mother Mary ...the Spirit that descended onto Jesus at His Baptism...the spirit that enabled Jesus to turn water into wine and to heal the sick and open blinded eyes. John must have felt the power within our Lord as he lay there. It’s the same power that caused the woman with the issue of blood to be healed after she crawled through the crowd and just touched the hem of the master’s garment. It’s that same Spirit that Jesus breathed on the Disciples after his resurrection saying to them “receive the Holy Spirit.” Have you been close enough to Jesus to feel his breath, to experience the power of the Holy Spirit?

Finally as John lay there with his head on the breast of the master, feeling his heart beat, his head rising and falling with the Masters every breath...he probably began to smell like Him...began to take on the master’s fragrance. It’s hard being so close to anyone with out taking on some of his or her characteristics.

Jesus is like the Rose of Sharon a rose whose pungent aroma permeates the atmosphere as the breath; the wind of the Holy Spirit takes His aroma to the nations. John must have smelled just like Jesus and people who came into contact with John must have had some idea after being with Him just what it was like to be with Jesus. They smelled Jesus’ fragrance on John. John had taken on a Christ likeness that was only possible because of His intimacy with Him; do you smell like Christ? Have you been so intimate with Him that when people see you they are seeing Jesus through you?

Intimacy with Christ, it doesn’t take a lot, it only takes willingness on your part as a believer to get to know Him. Even if you are not quite sure how to go about it, God knows your heart. In my search for intimacy with Christ over the years, I’ve often felt myself stumbling and not sure what to do, but the desire was there. It was a desire I often prayed for…”God Increase my desire for you and draw me closer.” He answered my prayer in ways I could not have imagined.

He can and wants to do the same thing for you.

Written by The Church Online