Obsessed

Here's the story...

Obsessed: To have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic

If you haven't read Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love", go buy a copy today and read it cover to cover. I can promise you it'll be worth the 15 bucks and the few hours of reading. One of my favorite chapters is "profile of the obsessed" and I would like to share it's main message with you. In this chapter, Chan describes what it looks like to be deeply, passionately, head-over-heals in love with Jesus. I hope this is as convicting to you as it was to me!

People who are obsessed with Jesus...

1. Give freely and openly, without censure. They love those who hate them and who can never love them back.

2. Care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress

3. Live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another

4. Are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. They will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth.

5.  Know that you can never be "humble enough," and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known.

6. Do not consider service a burden. They take joy in loving God by loving His people.

7. Are  known as givers, not takers

8. Think about heaven frequently and orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them.

9. Are characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being

10. Do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures before God. He is their safe place, where they can be at peace.

11. Have an intimate relationship with Him and are nourished by God's Word throughout the day

12. Are more concerned with their character than comfort. They know that true joy doesn't depend on circumstances but is a gift that must be chosen.

13. Know that the best thing they can do is be faithful to their Savior in every aspect of their lives

My notes...
Need I say more?!

The Word...
Here is some scripture to support the points above:

• Luke 6:35-36 - "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." 
• Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first his kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well."
• 1 Timothy 6:18 - "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." 
• John 3:30 - "He must become greater, I must become less."
• Matthew 25:40 - "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'" 
• Deut. 15:10 - "Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."
• Colossians 3:1-2 - "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." 
• Mark 12:30 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" 
• Psalm 32:7 - "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah" 
• Psalm 1:2 - "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" 
• Phil. 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Your turn...
Pick one of the 13 points above that you struggle with the most. Do a scripture study on it, pray that God will provide you with guidance, and then (the hard part...) change what you've been doing. Let's start being obsessed with Jesus, and let our actions testify to it!

Breathtaking

So here's the story...
For the past few weeks, I have been doing an incredible Beth Moore bible study on the book of Daniel. This week's session has been particularly awe-inspiring and I want so desperately to share it with you. I am praying even as I write this that the Spirit touches your heart with this scripture as much as He has mine! The passage is found in Daniel chapter 10 and focuses on verses 5 through 9. To briefly orient you, Daniel experiences a powerful vision in which he encounters the pre-incarnate Jesus (according to most scholars). Really try to visualize what Daniel saw and pay close attention to his reaction. And prepare to be amazed!

"I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze and his voice like the sound of a multitude. I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground."

My notes...
What an incredible picture of God's infinite strength and indescribable beauty juxtaposed with the humility of man! Daniel, regarded as one of the greatest men in biblical history, was left literally breathless, stunned, weak, helpless, and face-down at the very sight of His Savior. That's right, we serve a God who can bring even the strongest of men to their faces with just His presence! There is so much that can be gleaned from this scripture and I encourage you to take some time to meditate on it yourself, but I want to briefly share with you something the Lord revealed to me this week.
Because we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), we can learn something about how to best worship Him through the way we ourselves like to be shown love. As women, I think we can all closely identify with the deep desire to feel, and be told, that we are beautiful. And if we are just a mere reflection of God's nature (2 Cor. 3:18), how much more must He desire to be worshipped for His beauty. And beautiful He is indeed! Just take a look at Daniel's encounter: Jesus is stunning, glorious, and magnificent beyond words. He breathed the breath of life into us (Genesis 2:7), and He takes our breath away simply by unveiling Himself before our eyes! His splendor surrounds us and is especially manifested in His creation, so we are left with no excuse (Romans 1:20). So go ahead, tell Him, "Jesus, You take my breath away! Your beauty is unearthly, your splendor too wonderful for words!" That, beloved, is an act of worship that He deeply desires!

The Word...
Psalm 19:1-4 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Your turn...
This is one of my all time favorite songs; it is worshipping God for His beauty. So go ahead, sing this love song to Him!

"You're Beautiful" by Phil Wickham

Romanced

I am so excited you decided to stop by!

So here's the story...
I want to share with you an expert from the amazing book that inspired the title of my blog. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John and Stasi Elderedge (you may recognize John as the talented author of Wild at Heart) is a reminder of who we as women are in Jesus. Delight in the truth of these words!

"Every song you love, every memory you cherish, every moment that has moved you to holy tears has been given to you from the One who has been pursuing you from your first breath in order to win your heart.  

This romancing is immensely personal. It will be as if it has been scripted for your heart. He knows what takes your breath away, knows what makes your heart beat faster. We have missed many of his notes simply because we shut our hearts down in order to endure the pain of life. Now, in our healing journey as women, we must open our hearts again, and keep them open. Not foolishly, not to anyone and anything. But yes, we must choose to open our hearts again so that we might hear his whispers, receive his kisses" (pg. 116).

My notes...
I will be the first to admit that years of hurt and offense have calloused my heart and dead-bolted its doors. This was an automatic response of self-protection, rooted in the fear of being hurt again. Yes, guarding our hearts is important (Proverbs 4:23) but we should never do this on our own! We must invite the Lord to be our Protector and ask for the discernment of the Spirit to guide us in this process. It is time to hand over the key so that He can begin to gently repair the damage. If any one can be trusted with this most fragile and vulnerable heart, it is the One who created it and knows it completely (Psalm 139). Beloved, He won't hurt you, disappoint you, or leave you. Let's start tearing down the walls of self-protection by making ourselves vulnerable before the Lord. Then we will see that He has been faithfully romancing all along!

The Word...
Here is some scripture to back up the truth that He is our Romancer:

• Jeremiah 31:3 - "I have loved you with an everlasting love."
• Song of Songs 1:15 - "How beautiful you are, my darling."
• Hosea 2:14 - "Therefore i am now going to allure her; i will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her"
• Song of Songs - "You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride"
• Hosea 2:16,19 - "'In that day,' declares the LORD, 'you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master...' I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion."
• Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

Also, if this really hit home for you and you want to dig deeper, let me suggest reading all of Song of Songs (it's not very long) as a love letter written to you from God. Trust me, it's incredible!

Your turn...

Take notice of His displays of splendor in your life today. How is Jesus romancing you? I would love to hear some of your stories!