Bob S.

I believe that there are three essential questions every living human being wants to find the answer to. #1) Who is God? #2.) How does He see me, and #3.) What in the world does He expect or want of me?

As people we will struggle to learn the answer to these three questions all of our lives. In fact; they are questions that we must find the answers to.

In Gary Chiles book; Crazy in Love, he not only addresses these three questions, he answers them! And he does so in a remarkably clear, concise and delightful fashion.

I believe this book is essential reading not only for the new Christian, to help them in their new walk with the Lord, but also for the older Christian who’s walk with Christ always seems to leave them just a little short of finding the peace and the abundant life that the Lord Jesus promised.

What a great book Gary; Bravo!

Perspective Changes Everything!

As Christians, we never debate about “who” to worship or follow. We don’t wake up in the morning asking ourselves, “Should I follow Buddha or Jesus today?” The answer is already resolved. But have you ever thought about how you worship Jesus?

My life verse (Hosea 2:16) sheds some light on this thought: “In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’” (NIV)

Do you worship and follow Christ from the position of a spouse or a lowly servant? Jesus isn’t looking for good slaves. He wants whole-hearted lovers.

“How” is just as important as “who.” Some of us are stuck in our minds, thinking of ourselves as only servants. Being a servant is a great starting point, but it’s not where we are supposed to stay. If you are married, would you want your spouse to treat you as his or her servant? Or even just as a casual friend? Perspective changes everything!

The Way We Love God

One of the most amazing things I have seen in the past ten to fifteen years is the restoration of the understanding of God as our Father. This restoration has changed lives dramatically. Growing up in church, God was more of a big, old guy who was running the universe – too busy to care about little ole me. As I grew, I became more aware of the fact that God was my heavenly Father. The term “Abba” started to impact me; God was really “Daddy.” This was life-changing to me.

But as I grew even more, the Lord started to show me that there was more to learn about His nature and character – about His affection and love for me. There was more. And this was expressed through Jesus, who is called our Bridegroom – our Husband. That’s radical. (For a better discussion on this progression, please read my book.)

One of the benefits of this realization is that it changes the way we love God. This understanding gives us confidence to draw closer to Him in a more intimate way. Let me illustrate.

How you love a parent is different than how you love a spouse. In a healthy environment, we experience intimacy differently with a spouse than with a parent. Our feelings and emotions are different. You express and reveal things differently. You can abandon yourself more with a lover, and that is what Christ wants – total abandonment!

The marriage bond is not only different, but also stronger than the bond between a parent and a child. Two are to become one (Eph. 5:31-32). But don’t worry: this bond doesn’t take away from the parental bond, but strengthens it. Our Father in heaven is excited for us to know His Son in a deeper and more intimate way.

The challenge is this: Can you go deeper in your worship, prayer time, giving and service as the Bride of Christ?

Lifting God Up Too High?

Can we lift God up too high in our minds and hearts? My answer is “kind of.” Let me explain. Technically, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, so by lifting God up higher, we, in effect, are lifting ourselves up as well. And what feels great about lifting Him up in worship from this position is that we can sense ourselves soaring above our problems.

But what I sense is this: without realizing it, we tend to see God way up high and ourselves way down low. He becomes unreachable. Sometimes when we lift God up “high” in worship, it can be easy to become somewhat disconnected from God. He becomes way too “holy” and supreme (which He is, of course), but we view ourselves as lowly; we are way too sinful and unworthy to interact with Him, forgetting that we are clean and holy through Christ.

Without realizing it, we put God up out of reach, separating ourselves from Him in our minds and hearts, when in reality, He wants to be intimate with us. God wants to be “face to face” with us, like He was with Moses (Exodus 33:11); He wants to be our friend, like He was with Abraham (2 Chron. 20:7).

We need to remember that His goal is always relationship. We were created for love. When we lose sight of this, we lose sight of Him. So please, don’t lift God up too “high”!

Eric F.

As people find themselves on a continual quest to discover what it means to be loved, valued, and accepted, Gary leads them to the ultimate source for all three—the intimate heart of God. Having known Gary for many years, the message of this book is the driving passion in Gary’s life and as you embark on the journey of understanding that you were created for love, you will experience the reality that God has captured your heart and that you have captured His. Enjoy getting to know your “Bridegroom King”. It’s a journey worth taking.

Eric Foust
Pastor, Monroe Alliance Church

David H.

It was a privilege for me to share Crazy in Love with our staff at Youth With A Mission Northwoods. I couldn’t wait ‘til it was published to share it with them. We all enjoyed the nuggets of truth that we gleaned as we read together. Gary’s writing and lifestyle have been an inspiration to me. The chapter titles, “First Things First”, “The Chase is On”, “Will You Marry Me”, “Is God Enough”, “Resting in Love” are each a thought for the day in themselves. They have the potential to realign you with God’s intentions for your life. The way Gary shares about intimacy with Christ makes it something to be grasped rather than just a pie in the sky idea. You will be challenged and magnetized into the heart of God as you read this book.

David Holmbeck
Director, Youth With A Mission Northwoods

Anita B.

When I first heard the message of intimacy, it made my heart burn with desire to learn more.  My spirit soared because I was so touched and powerfully impacted.  It just really clicked.  I felt like a giddy teenager “in love” for the first time.  But I was so excited and hungry for intimacy that it frustrated me to learn that it is a process.  I wanted intimacy so much and I wanted it NOW.  I just couldn’t wait to be “filled.”  I didn’t know how hungry and thirsty I was until I heard the truth about intimacy with Jesus as my Bridegroom.  It seemed too good to be true that God wanted ME.  I had been taught that God loved me, but I had perceived it to be in a way that a parent loves – you love your kid just because it’s your kid.  I thought God loved me because He had to, just because I was His child.  Even believing God had that kind of love was a long time coming to me.  I grew up thinking that He was watching me from a distance, waiting for me to mess up so He could punish me and put me back in my place.  So, to believe that God wanted to be intimate with me was almost unthinkable.  

Learning that I was created for intimacy with Jesus has changed the way I relate to Him, and now I long to be with Him all the time.  My relationship with Him has become very personal and my love for Him grows stronger every day.

Anita Byle

A New Book by Gary Chiles

Did you realize that there is more to your relationship with God than just being his servant or child? Gary Chiles knew that he wanted something more because he was dying of boredom. This created a hunger that fueled a search for meaning, and he came face to face with a side of God that he never knew existed.

In this book, you will discover how to:

• Avoid spiritual boredom
• Change your perception of how God wants to relate to you
• Experience joy, peace and rest through a romance with Christ

Speaking Engagements

Having an intimate walk with Christ is real, life-changing, practical, obtainable — and it’s what we were created for! Gary has a passion to teach on how to make this journey a reality.

Gary is available to speak at your church services, conferences, or retreats. For any questions or further information, please email him at garychiles@gmail.com.

Chapter One: The Heartbeat of God

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, romance is the heartbeat of God. From the beginning of time, we were created by God to be the object of His love and affection. Amazingly, He also created us to have the freedom to love Him back. Without this freedom, it couldn’t be called love. The world was designed to contain this two-way relationship between the Creator and His creation. This joint relationship is a love story – the first of its kind.

Built into the fabric of every love story is the DNA of God. The very spark of creation is in every romantic thought and idea. This is why we can be impacted in such a deep way by these expressions. Here is a life-changing concept: we were not designed for a generic, common, everyday love. Instead we were fashioned for the deepest and most personal love one can experience – that of a marriage.

Have you ever heard a love song that was so amazing and beautiful that it felt, in a strange way, spiritual? Or what about a romantic movie that you didn’t want to end because you were captured by the love between two people that seemed to be perfect. I have, but it felt kind of awkward. I could never put my finger on these uneasy feelings. Especially in my younger years, romance wasn’t a comfortable topic to begin with. Then add God to the mix, and it really seemed confusing. Growing up in church, it was scandalous for secular music and movies to cross paths with God. I had no grid for anything in the “secular world” to be able to reach me spiritually. I felt guilty being moved in my heart by something that wasn’t “Christian”. Nevertheless, I’ve been intrigued for years by the emotional impact love stories have had on my life. Whether it is in movies, books, or songs on the radio, the dream to live “happily ever after” with someone has always captured my heart and attention.

I love “love stories,” especially when the guy gets the girl at the end of the movie and they live “happily ever after.” It feels so right to see this happen. This seems to be the way life is supposed to be: perfect couple = happy life. Even though most people never see it happen around them, they still chase the dream, or at least like to read about it. It took me years to figure out why these perfect movie endings sell so well to the audience. We all know that these “happily ever after” stories are usually too good to be true, but we still want them to happen, somehow, to us.

There is a cry in the human spirit for the perfect ending. We want to love and be loved by someone special; someone with whom we can be ourselves, and someone who fills us up on the inside. We long for the dance of romance. We sometimes find a taste of it in the natural world; but it still seems a little empty and temporary, leaving us longing for something more. Believe it or not, this is a God-designed longing. But it’s not just a longing. It’s a pathway to something better, something truer. The “perfect love” that we see portrayed in the movies is but a picture of God’s perfect love that He wants us to experience with Christ. Jesus is inviting us to live “happily ever after” with Him!

Understanding this design for our lives answered a lot of questions for me and changed my life. This reality changes everything. At times, I have struggled with the meaning of life, trying to figure out why I was created. The pat answers I often heard (for example, to do good works for God) didn’t inspire me much and left a hollow feeling inside. And when I tried to do good works for God, nothing really changed on the inside of me. This fueled a search for meaning. I felt that there had to be more to life. When I started to discover the “romantic” side of God, I began to understand that the reason we were created was to have a deep and intimate relationship and friendship with our Creator. I know that this may sound overdramatic to some, or too simplistic to others, but this is a life-changing truth. He wants to know ME! He wants to be with ME! Go figure. At first this scared me a little. Then it intrigued me. Then it drew me into a journey that has changed me forever.

God did not create the world so that He could watch people struggle on earth, going nowhere but around and around, like a squirrel caught in a cage. What a waste of His beautiful creation that would be! Instead, He created this world for a higher purpose. And it all started in the Garden of Eden.

God’s relational courtship with man began when He created Adam and Eve. God was madly in love with His creation (and still is!). He loved to spend time with Adam and Eve, walking with them “in the cool of the day,” developing a deep and lively friendship with them. This desire in God’s heart has not changed. It is as strong as ever. God did not create robots to serve Him, but humans who have a free choice whether to have a two-way love affair with Him or not. And through the study of the Word, I discovered that He designed the physical marriage to be a picture of the type of intimacy and friendship that He wants to have with us on a daily basis. The whisper of romance that we see and hear in music, books and movies, is an invitation for us to experience something more in life – a romance with Christ.