Are You Ready for Elevation?

This week our walk with Jesus and each other as been about intimacy, honor and order. The deeper we go in surrendering to the love of Jesus the closer we walk with Him. When you think of a ladder, the idea of using one is to bring you to an elevated position. It is peculiar when we go deeper in surrendered intimacy with Jesus, honor in every area and allow Him to order our lives we are elevated to a higher dimension in our hearts and minds. As this happens fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives. We then are true lights and His image to those around us.

He’s luring us to go deeper and higher than ever before but, in this process, we must let Him confront some things in our lives. He’s so patient, tender and kind. He allows us to go as fast as we want or as slow depending on how transparent we are with Him. Pastor Tim said something on Tuesday night at Linger House. That is our midweek service. He said, “the areas we struggle the most in we get more grace, and He gets more glory, but we avoid them.” Where we are weak, He is strong. These are the areas he wants to confront gently, and in love full of grace. He is a safe place.

Another safe place is family, which is why it has been designed by Abba Himself. We are surrendering to the culture He wants to build in the wilderness, and we are seeing fathers and mothers with tender hearts commit to raising their children in Kingdom family. By committing to raise our children in this environment of Beloved identity with family it ensures they will never know the damage from a religious system. They will only know His love and care for every area in their lives. Our family is about ONE THING- the beautiful face of Yeshua! As we focus on the exchange of Him loving us and us loving Him it permeates the culture, and our families flourish together in the Kingdom.

This is a picture of Him building a family that is prepared to deal with desolation and ruined cities. Can you imagine the generations to follow? On Earth as it is in Heaven!

Kingdom Family

Kingdom culture is being established at The Wilderness Place, and it is a beautiful place to be. What does kingdom culture look like? It starts with a large family gathering around the Kings table for a meal on Sundays and Tuesdays. Each person brings something special to our time together including the children in the room. In a family we gather around fathers and mothers. This is very different from gathering around pastors, teachers or doctrines.

Let’s take a peek into the story of Esther again. In chapter two of Esther, we get a description of a Jewish man who adopted his cousin after her parents died. When you think about his scenario you realize Esther may not have had a choice in him adopting her, but she did a have a choice in submitting her heart to his guidance and leadership. Since she chose to honor him as her father this opened up tremendous blessings in her life. Oftentimes, Abba puts us in family that isn’t blood, and it becomes the greatest gift of all. Sometime after Mordecai adopts Esther there is a decree by the King, so he brings her to the kingdom. When he brought her to the kingdom, he gave her special instructions on how to conduct herself. He also instructed her to not reveal the origin of her family. Esther had great favor with Hegai who, is the King’s eunuch. He knows all about the King. Everything he likes and desires. Hegai represents the Holy Spirit. Hegai moved Esther into a special place, gave her special food from the Kings table, and ordered beauty treatments for her daily. Esther spends a year soaking in oil and perfume. The Holy Spirit was making her tender to the things of the King. At the end of her soaking, she only wanted to please the King. What makes your heart happy? What do you like? Because her heart was for the King only, she received the crown. She gained so much favor and blessings with the King that is literally changed the world around her. We all know the story of Esther and how she saved her people. This part of the story is talked about a lot in the church. You are saved for such a time as this, but no one really digs into how she got to this place.

She got here by choosing to surrender to a father. Kingdom culture starts with surrendering to a father in the kingdom family. We must choose to plant ourselves in a family. We don’t always like what a father says but if we honor his guidance and leadership, it brings blessings to our lives. I am sure Esther probably did not agree with keeping her family origin a secret, but she submitted to his guidance. Her honor brought incredible blessings to her life. These blessings are not monetary. They are the healing of the heart and wholeness to your soul. The physical healing of your body. The restoration of families.

We are seeing a beautiful family emerge out of the wilderness with a father who has a heart for the King. A father who always points his family to Jesus. It is truly incredible what the Holy Spirit is doing in Mississippi through The Wilderness Place. We are so thankful for Pastor Tim, our Spiritual father who is leading us to establish the ways of the Kingdom. We are thankful for the family who has planted themselves here and is honoring his leadership and guidance. It is changing us and everything about our families. Kingdom culture is family choosing each other in the good moments but most importantly in the hard ones. We are walking through parenting together, growing in our tenderness to the Holy Spirit together, encouraging each other in our marriages, we have walked through the death of family together, sickness and it is changing us not only inside the four walls of the church but most importantly to the world around us.

Family, we are coming alive in the wilderness. Thank you for your honor and commitment to establish this culture in Gulfport and Mississippi. The last shall be first.

If you are reading this and find yourself thinking I don’t have a family or a spiritual father to guide me. We invite you to the table. You are always welcome to our home. There’s always room for more. You’ll find love, grace and mercy. The tenderness of Jesus is always in the air.

What Fruit Do You Display?

Let’s start today with a quote from Pastor Tim on Sunday.

“Let me ask you a question. Have you ever seen a group of people standing around an apple tree arguing over whether or not it's an apple tree? No, why? Because it has apples. We have to convince people we love Jesus because they can't see it. This is revelation knowledge. This has to become more than a message we hear. It has to become something that shows up in our life.” Pastor Tim

Yesterday we talked about what Jesus says we are save for and that is to see transformation in ourselves but also the world around us. Therefore, it is necessary for us to examine the fruit in our lives. I love the illustration Pastor Tim gave about the apple tree. No one questions an apple tree because the fruit clearly displays its identity. Do you ever wonder why we have friends or relatives that refuse to surrender to Jesus? Could it be because of the fruit they see on our “tree of life”?

Jesus gives us a clear picture in Luke 6 pertaining to fruit. “You’ll never find choice fruit hanging on a bad, unhealthy tree. And rotten fruit doesn’t hang on a good, healthy tree. Every tree will be revealed by the quality of fruit that it produces. You will never pick figs or grapes from thorn trees. People are known in this same way. Out of the virtue stored in their hearts, good and upright people will produce good fruit. Likewise, out of the evil hidden in their hearts, evil ones will produce what is evil. For the overflow of what has been stored in your heart will be seen by your fruit and will be heard in your words. “What good does it do for you to say I am your Lord and Master if you don’t put into practice what I teach you? Let me describe the one who truly follows me and does what I say: He is like a man who chooses the right place to build a house and then lays a deep and secure foundation. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it continues to stand strong and unshaken through the tempest, for he built it wisely on the right foundation. But the one who has heard my teaching and does not obey it is like a man who builds a house without laying any foundation at all. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it will immediately collapse and become a total loss. Which of these two builders will you be?

Jesus gives us a choice concerning the kind of fruit we offer the world around us. We know the fruit of the Spirit that is produced in us is divine LOVE in all its varied expressions: joy, peace, patience, kindness, virtue, faith, gentleness, and strength of spirit. (See Galatians 5:22 TPT) We can’t have two kinds of fruit and be an effective tree of life to those around us.

Kingdom culture looks like you laying down your opinions and appetites to do your will and be led by His voice. Let’s sit for a moment. Turn your heart to the Holy Spirit. Ask Him how he wants your day to look. Write in a journal what He shows you for today.

Healing is a Process- Don’t Give Up!

“So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4

The condition of our hearts matter. Our hearts are like a rudder on a boat. It directs us wherever we go. If your heart is broken, cracked, wounded or afraid from past experiences you will view everything and everyone in life from that perspective. Unfortunately, there are many, many children of Yahweh who still live from a broken perspective. In Luke 4, we see Jesus stepping up to the front of the synagogue to read the Scriptures as He was handed Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

For so long we have focused on what Jesus came to save us from, but He wants us to know what we are saved for. The first step after Jesus says I am here to preach the gospel - the Good News to those who are poor in spirit is to heal your heart. The healing of the heart is priority because we cannot be free until our hearts are healed. It takes time to heal a heart but as we talked about yesterday you must surrender every area of your heart to the oil of the Spirit. There’s an exchange Jesus wants to make with us. His beauty for our ashes. Ashes are the negative thoughts you have about yourself, doubts and disappointments you have from others, behaviors and appetites you are frustrated with. The beauty of the Lord is peace, love, acceptance of who you are in Him, fascination with His eyes. He gives you joy in place of sadness and depression. You no longer have to walk around with heaviness. He gives the freedom to praise Him openly and without restraint.

This is a process. It does not happen overnight but a consistent turning your heart to Him daily will bring you to the place of what you are saved for. In Isaiah 61: 4 it says we are Mighty Oaks of Righteousness planted by Yahweh as a living display of His glory. We will restore ruins from long ago and rebuild what was long devastated. We will renew ruined cities and desolations of past generations. We have been saved to see restoration of many, many generations. The task is not too great. Each one of us must allow Him to heal us to wholeness and our hearts will come alive in Him. This changes things around us one person at a time.

If you don’t feel a fire blazing inside of you for Jesus, you only feel weighed down, sad, tired and unhappy with you this is an invitation to ask Him where you need to make the exchange. Sit with Him and let him love you. Receive His love. It purifies our hearts and brings the impurities to the top to be removed. He is not disappointed in you. He is jealous for you to be who He sees deep inside your heart.

The Ladder

At The Wilderness Place we have foundational truths we are building our Kingdom Culture on and one of those is the Ladder. The Holy Spirit is always teaching us deeper meanings as we walk with Him.

Where did the concept of this ladder come from? In Genesis 28, it says “He (Jacob) encountered a certain place (Bethel, a holy place) at sunset and camped there for the night. He took a stone from there, made it his pillow, and lay down to sleep. He had a dream of a stairway securely fixed on the earth and reaching into heaven. And there were messengers of God ascending and descending on the stairway.”

Let’s first talk about the stone. Why would anyone use a stone as a pillow? The stone is believed to be one of the altar stones that Abraham used when he built the memorial at the place of Bethel. Abraham was Jacob’s grandfather. We know Jesus is the Cornerstone. It is He who we build our lives on. Could it be that Jacob lying his head on this stone represents us resting our head on Jesus. Our head represents our thoughts and dreams. When we rest on Jesus, He opens heaven to reveal fresh revelation and His vision for our lives. By Jacon using this stone as a pillow it opened him up to Yahweh’s plan for him.

In this dream the ladder represents Jesus. He is the only way we have access to the Spiritual realm. We have the absolute honor as beloved sons and beloved daughters to have access to the heavenlies by way of Jesus. On our ladder of Jesus, we see three very important aspects. Intimacy, Honor and Order. In order for the ladder to work properly you need all three aspects. If either side is missing or the rungs are missing the ladder is useless. I love the explanation in the Passion Translation. “Each step is a progressive revelation of Yahweh’s purpose for our lives found in Jesus.”

What is intimacy with Jesus? It goes beyond just knowing about Him. Intimacy involves being vulnerable. In order to be vulnerable, you must have trust in the person. Trust can be really hard if we have been hurt or rejected in the past. It is ok to be honest with Jesus. Honesty opens us up for healing of the wounds we’ve experienced. If you have a hard time trusting Him because of past hurts, you can tell Him. He doesn’t get angry with us when we expose our hearts and thoughts to Him. Intimacy is surrender. We must surrender to His love and allow Him to heal our brokenness by way of His kisses. Intimacy happens when we are constantly talking to Him throughout the day. This past week in Kingdom Academy we were teaching the children that Jesus wants them to know Him as well as He knows them. He knows the intricate parts of who we are. We can know him by communication all day long. Prayer isn’t a few minutes in the morning while you read a devotional or your prayer closet. It is an ongoing conversation with Jesus all day.

Honor: This is a tough one because we have so many opinions about EVERYTHING! Pastor Tim shared with us Sunday about how the Lord asked him to surrender his entitlement to respond. Meaning he doesn’t have to have an opinion about everything. I’ve told my children for years you cannot learn if you’re not listening. We don’t listen if we’re always talking. We can cut ourselves off from what Jesus wants to do in our lives by dishonor. In Mark 6, Jesus tells us He could not do any miracles in His hometown because of dishonor. We have to be mindful of our words when speaking to people or about people. All people. This doesn’t mean we agree with everything but our maturity in Christ will lead us to His feet to share our thoughts with Him. We must bring everything that springs up in our hearts to Him. None of us want to dishonor intentionally but our walk with Jesus is not based on intentions. We answer for every word. So, let’s use our words to honor Jesus and others.

Order in our lives begins to take place when we are intimate with Jesus and walk in honor in every area. What does order look like? The order of our lives can be displayed by how we respond. When we allow Him to order our lives it can look like the wives submitting to their husbands. This is not a popular opinion in the world, but we are going to redeem this word. Submission and order in the home is a foundational truth that must be recovered. If you are a wife whose husband doesn’t serve the Lord, you still submit and honor to their leading. The scripture tells us wives as we honor and submit to our husbands they will be won to the Lord. It is all done from a place of love not duty. If you are a mother raising your children, you submit to Jesus as you husband. Ladies let your children see you in humble surrender. It teaches them from the beginning to trust Jesus. What they see and feel in the home is peace, rest and order. Husbands have a great responsibility to lead their families. As they learn to honor the Lord and others order takes place. We must remember as a family this is about the future generations.

Order is also displayed by how we give. You can always know where a person’s heart is by where they spend their money. Intimacy and honor open your heart to the leading of Jesus in how to manage your finances and where He wants you to give. You cannot out give the Lord. Obedience to His ordering of things opens us up to a multitude of goodness. As we are walking in intimacy, honor and order we are like full glasses of water spilling out His love and goodness wherever we go. This is the reward of Jesus’ suffering, His beloved ones displaying His nature to those around them.

Restoration of All Things

It is so interesting we have been on the subject of love this week leading up to Valentines. I did not realize this until yesterday. Abba really does want to rescue everything from an inferior meaning. We will do a recap of where we walked this week and what the Holy Spirit has been speaking to us. As we know it is important to value every seed.

Ephesians 4 tells us, IF we have really experienced Jesus and heard His truth, it will be seen in our lives. We are called to be transformed into His image right now. A true, tangible expression of Jesus to those around us. How do we do this? By hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. Allowing Him to speak into areas of our lives that do not quite look like Him. Remember, this is not about dos and don’ts it is about growing in our intimacy with Jesus.

This week we walked in the story of John the Baptizer. A man who had a prophesy about him in the Old Testament, and one whose birth was a miraculous story. John grew up in a household of significant priestly family. He and his parents all being filled with the Holy Spirit. John loved Abba and knew he had a special calling on his life. He did exactly what he was supposed to do, until he didn’t. John lost track of who he was designed to be because he let success cloud his judgement. When he baptized Jesus and heard the voice of Abba come from heaven, he should have made the pivot to follow Jesus. Instead, he continued to do his own thing even though Jesus asked him not to do what he was planning. This is why it is important for us to seek the voice of the Holy Spirit for our lives, so we are walking the path Abba has for us. When we choose our own way, it leads to death. It may not be physical death, but it is spiritual death. Our soul suffers and so will those around us. We must be willing to lay down anything he is asking of us. Faith is not needed when we choose our own way. It is required to follow after Him, but it is the absolute most rewarding. Has He asked you to lay something down this week?

Even in ministry where we think, “but I am doing this all for Jesus,” we are reminded He has to be our first priority. We walked through Revelations this week and looked into the letter John the Beloved wrote to the church of Ephesus about where their heart was. It was not on Jesus. It was on their ministry. Jesus is not interested in anything we are doing if He is not priority. Why? He knows what happens to us when we put him on the back burner. Have you ever witnessed a couple who were married for twenty plus years, raised a family and looked so successful to end up getting a divorce after the children were out of the house? How does this happen? They forgot how it all started. With the two of them. If you don’t make your relationship with your spouse a priority the rest will fail. How much more do we need to make our relationship with Jesus a priority. He has to be our first love. Every morning you wake up choose Him. Let Him be the first one you talk to and gaze upon. As we learn to walk out our intimate union with Him our relationship grows stronger and stronger.

As this happens, the beautiful agape love we experience with Jesus will extend to those around us. This is how we make the world a better place by how we love others. When we love others with agape love not expecting anything in return it extends grace and mercy for their hearts to soften to the Holy Spirit. When we love unconditionally it causes people to ask, “what is different about them?” They will see the real Jesus in us and feel the real love of a Father. This is what will change the world.

Aren’t you thankful for the truths we are hearing and the transformation we are seeing in our lives? I cannot express the excitement in our hearts for what is happening in this family. It is only the beginning of what He has planned for 208 Pass Rd and our cities and the state of Mississippi. We are here to rescue the meaning of love, fathers and family.

He is just getting started! Let’s tell Him thank you for what He has done and will do through our union and love.

Agape Love

“So, I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you. For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.” John 13 

Jesus, the Anointed One, the High Priest, Savior of the Cosmos gives very clear instructions here about how we should carry on in the earth after his resurrection. Love each other just as I have loved you. How did Jesus love?

Agape. What does this word mean? This is a Greek word meaning brotherly love or charity. It is the highest form of love there is because of its characteristics. Agape love is selfless. Meaning you choose to love someone without expecting anything in return. Agape love is unconditional. It is not based on contractual love. Unconditional is absolute without question. Agape love is sacrificial. You make sacrifices for others to show your concern and care. Agape love is pure. There is no boasting, envy or pride in your heart. Agape love is patient. You extend grace and mercy to others even when it is not returned. Agape love is forgiving. You don’t hold grudges, and you give people the benefit of the doubt.

How do we extend this agape love to others like Jesus extended it to us? The beginning of this circle of perfect agape love starts with allowing Abba to love us with this highest form of love and us returning this same love back to Him. We love Him not for what He can do for us but because of WHO HE IS. There are eyes of fire coming alive in our Kingdom family because we are learning to be loved by Him, and we are loving Him for who He is. From this circle of perfect love, we extend this beautiful agape love to others. We all have people in our lives we know need to have a relationship with Jesus but preaching to them and pointing out their faults will not usher them into His presence. This can only be done by the way we love them. Pastor Tim mentioned Sunday about the reward of Jesus’ suffering. How we love others gives Jesus His due reward for all He did for us.

I will end this Walk with a passage we are all very familiar with so please take some real time to let the Holy Spirit speak to you as you read this passage. How are we loving others? Are we displaying the TRUE MESSIAH, OUR BEAUTIFUL JESUS? Agape Love.

“Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. Love never stops loving. 1 Corinthians 13

Who Is Your First Love?

Yesterday we looked into the life of John the Baptizer. How he went from fulfilling the prophesy on his life to losing his life because he refused to lay down a ministry that was no longer needed. He lost sight of Jesus. Today, we are looking at the book of Revelation concerning the church of Ephesus. Let’s lay some facts out about this church. The church of Ephesus was established by Paul 15 to 20 years after the Resurrection of Jesus. He spent a great deal of time there preaching and building the church. He had a significant impact on the community. Ephesus had a history of strong pagan culture, but Paul built a strong foundation of truth and understanding. He set the groundwork for unity in faith among the family of Ephesus and encouraged them to mature in their understanding of Jesus. Later on, he established Timothy has the Pastor. We know Jesus’ mother, Mary attended the church. John the Beloved, Priscilla, Aquilla and Apollos all attended the church of Ephesus. This church grew to be very large as they established the truth of Jesus in the heart of the city. It became well established.

But we have a letter from John the Beloved to the church of Ephesus that came as a warning.

“Write the following to the messenger of the congregation in Ephesus. For these are the words of the one who holds the seven stars firmly in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know all that you’ve done for me—you have worked hard and persevered. I know that you don’t tolerate evil. You have tested those who claimed to be apostles and proved they are not, for they were imposters. I also know how you have bravely endured trials and persecutions because of my name, yet you have not become discouraged. But I have this against you: you have abandoned the passionate love you had for me at the beginning. Think about how far you have fallen! Repent and do the works of love you did at first. I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place of influence if you do not repent. Although, to your credit, you despise the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also despise. The one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying now to all the churches. To the one who overcomes I will give access to feast on the fruit of the Tree of Life that is found in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2

Jesus instructs John to write this letter to the church of Ephesus as a warning. We must understand something about Jesus. His warnings (judgements) are always aimed at that which hinders our intimacy with Him. He is never angry with us. His heart is always for restoration. He sees the church is doing well at leading in the area of ministry. They are persevering, working hard, they recognize false teaching, they are not tolerating evil, and Jesus even says you despise the practices of Nicolaitans, this can be translated in Aramaic as the performing of rituals, which he also despises. But there is one problem with this church. They have left their love for Jesus. Did they stop loving Jesus? Absolutely not! But they are no longer making it about one thing. His presence, His face, His voice. Jesus is telling them I have no choice but to remove my Presence (the lampstand) from you if you do not repent. If you do not change the way you think. How we think directs every step we take in life. He is not doing it as a punishment. This is a principal of the Kingdom. If we leave Jesus behind to do our own thing, we will not have His tangible presence guiding us. It is true, He never leaves us and, in His goodness, will always try to lure us back on the path He has for us, but WE MUST CHOOSE HIM! He even says, “the one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying.” Our heart must be open to His voice to hear Him.

Where have you left Him to do your own thing? This is the invitation to come back into intimate union with Jesus. Our choice is not always to intentionally leave Jesus behind. We often times are so focused on life in generally we fail to open our heart to listen to the Spirit. Or maybe it is more about how you see yourself that is keeping you from really leaning into His voice. He is so good and faithful to never give up on us. It is us who have to choose to never give up on His glorious plan for us.

Who Governs You?

“It was at this time that John the Baptizer began to preach in the desert of Judah. His message was this: “Heaven’s kingdom is about to appear—so you’d better keep turning away from evil and turn back to God!” Isaiah was referring to John when he prophesied: A thunderous voice! One will be crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare yourself for the Lord’s coming and level a straight path inside your hearts for him.” Matthew 3

Who is John the Baptizer? He was the son of a Jewish Priest named Zechariah. He served in the temple as part of the Abijah order. King David organized the priests into 24 divisions and Abijah was the head of the priestly families. So, Zechariah was at the top of the temple priests. John’s mother was Elizabeth who was also from a family of priest. She was a descendant of Aaron. There was a prophesy given to Zechariah concerning his son. While serving in the Holy of Holies in the temple, which was a once in a lifetime opportunity because there were thousands of priests, so they were in the temple once in their lifetime to burn incense. The angel of the Lord, Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. He says in Luke 1, “His birth will bring you much joy and gladness. Many will rejoice because of him, and he will be one of the great ones in the sight of God. He will drink no wine or strong drink, but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even while still in his mother’s womb. And he will persuade many in Israel to convert and turn back to the Lord their God. He will go before the Lord as a forerunner, with the same power and anointing as Elijah the prophet. He will be instrumental in turning the hearts of the fathers in tenderness back to their children and the hearts of the disobedient back to the wisdom of their righteous fathers. And he will prepare a united people who are ready for the Lord’s appearing.” When John was born this is what his father said of him, “And to you I prophesy, my little son, you will be known as the prophet of the Most High. You will be a forerunner, going before the face of Lord Yahweh, to prepare hearts to embrace his ways. You will preach to his people the revelation of salvation, the cancellation of all our sins, to bring us back to God. The splendor-light of heaven’s glorious sunrise is about to break upon us in holy visitation, all because the merciful heart of our God is so very tender. The word from heaven will come to us with dazzling light to shine upon those who live in darkness, near death’s dark shadow. And he will illuminate the path that leads to the way of peace.”

At the end of Luke chapter 1 we are told John grew up and was strengthened by the Holy Spirit and grew in His love for Yahweh. John was raised by two parents who were filled with the Holy Spirit. We get this information about Elizabeth when she encountered Mary and both Elizabeth and John (in the womb) were filled with the Holy Spirit and Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit right before he prophesied concerning his son. Then we are told John chose to live in the lonely wilderness until his time of ministry.

Why is this important? We see the perfect plan of Yahweh in John’s life to set the stage for Jesus. What an incredible opportunity to prepare the way for the Messiah. In Matthew 3, John is beginning to share the message, “repent and return to Yahweh for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” He is baptizing people in the Jordan as they repent. His ministry grows to the point he now has disciples. He was a bold, in your face prophet who told people just how it was and what they should do moving forward. John understood the truth of the coming Messiah. Everything he said in the wilderness was right. Matthew 3, “But when he waded into the water, John resisted him, saying, “Why are you doing this? I’m the one who needs to be baptized by you, and yet you come to be baptized by me?” Jesus replied, “It is only right to do all that God requires.” Then John baptized Jesus. And as Jesus rose up out of the water, the heavenly realm opened up over him and he saw the Holy Spirit descend out of the heavens and rest upon him in the form of a dove. Then suddenly the voice of the Father shouted from the sky, saying, “This is my Son—the Beloved! My greatest delight is in him.”

Everyone hears the voice of Abba coming from heaven making a declaration of who Jesus is. At this very moment, what should John have done? He had 40 days while Jesus was in the wilderness to let his disciples know we will follow Jesus the Messiah from this moment on. As we wait for him to emerge from the wilderness let’s pack up all our things and let everyone know He is the One we follow now. He did not do any of that. Instead, he continued on with HIS ministry. He continued to baptize people and tell them to repent. As time went on and Jesus’ crowd grew larger and larger John realized his ministry was getting smaller. Even at this point, he could have chosen to follow Jesus, but he didn’t. We all know the story. John eventually goes to the streets to tell people about their sins and make a big deal to the point he ends up in prison. While in prison he sends two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he was the one they were waiting for or do we look for another.

How do you understand and know the truth about Jesus yet lose the path to Jesus? Here is a troubling thought. Someone (us) can confess, believe in our heart, preach the right thing and still lead people away from Jesus. This is why it is so important to have a father lead you and why it is important to tether yourself to a family. John the Baptizer wasn’t tethered to anyone, and he refused to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. He lost his life in such a horrible way because he let too much distance come between him and Jesus.

When we find Jesus, we must surrender to His Lordship. We must be willing to walk away from things that have brought us success if and when He asks us to. Abba is a good Father and wherever He leads is so much better than what He is asking us to walk away from. It is so important to tether yourself to a kingdom family and a father who loves you. This journey in Kingdom lifestyle has never been meant to do alone.

I encourage you to read the book of Luke and put yourself in the story. Ask the Holy Spirit where you have refused to lay something down to follow Jesus. He is our identity. We can’t find it anywhere else.

Embodied in Jesus

“If you have really experienced the Anointed One, and heard his truth, it will be seen in your life; for we know that the ultimate reality is embodied in Jesus! And he has taught you to let go of the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self-life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions. Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you. And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in his perfect righteousness, and you now belong to him in the realm of true holiness.” Ephesians 4

Embodied means to be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to. Other words you can use here is give human form or shape to, manifest, represent, or express. Why am I giving you the meaning of embodied? In Ephesians it says IF you have experienced Jesus and heard (this word in Hebrew means to obey) his truth it will be seen in your life. The ultimate reality is embodied in Jesus. This means when we encounter Jesus, we must value this encounter to such a degree that we become the human form/shape of who He is in the earth. This is the moment we pause, Selah to reflect on our daily lives. Do we represent Jesus to those around us? Have we manifest the person of Jesus to our families?

This reflection is about allowing the Holy Spirit to shine his light or put his finger on a certain area of our lives and speak into it. We should never feel discouraged or embarrassed about an area we still need help in. Our response must be “thank you” for pointing this out so I can manifest you even more. Every encounter or experience with Jesus must prompt us to a greater degree of intimacy.

The teaching of Jesus has taught us to let go of the old way of thinking. The ancient man is no longer once you enter into union with Jesus. He is only allowed to stick around if you allow him/her to remain. No one intentionally allows the old nature to remain so how does it? For too long we have been taught to focus on the behaviors of sinful and deceitful desires but that is not the problem. The behavior itself is not the problem. I love the way Pastor Tim shared it on Sunday.

“Our entire existence we have gone after the fruit; we never get to the root of it. We talk about how you dress, what you do and don't do, what you say, where you go, what you listen to, what you drink, the day you go to church, we talk about all of this nonsense, but we never get to the root of the problem. Sinful and deceitful desires come from one place. This is why Jesus didn't come and say stop sinning stop having deceitful desires. He said change the way you think. Sinful and deceitful desires spring from delusions.”

Now is the time to be made new. Now is the time to be transformed. How? By the way you think about Abba and yourself. We must stop focusing on a person’s behavior to include ourselves and focus on the heart of Abba for each one of us. Even when you don’t express Jesus to your family or coworkers it does not disqualify you from your union with Jesus. We must stop focusing on the dos and don’ts and focus on His love, His voice, His face. As we go deeper in union with Jesus and embrace this new life with him, the areas we need to stop will change without us focusing on them. The root is this: we are re-created in His perfect righteousness and belong to him in the realm of true holiness. Nothing changes this truth.

A beautiful testimony from yesterday. I spoke to someone who had been ill last week. She said, I kept saying, “I am your beloved daughter.” This is the fruit of an experience with Jesus that has changed how this person thinks and because of it she is made well. We will all go through hard things. Sickness, even the death of loved ones, heartache, loss of jobs, financial struggles but we must continue to stand in who we are. We are the righteousness of Jesus!

He’s Better Than We Thought

Let’s do a recap of this week’s Walk because we want to value what Abba is speaking to us. We’ll begin with the thought of abandonment. In dark moments of life, when pain and suffering seem unbearable, it's easy to wonder if why Abba has turned His back on us. This idea that Abba abandons us in our time of need is one of the most damaging theological misconceptions in American Christianity. But what if everything we thought we knew about Abba's abandonment was wrong?

There is a great misunderstanding of Abba’s nature and His relationship with Jesus on the cross. For so long, many have taught that when Jesus took on the sins of the world, Abba turned away from Him. The interpretation of Jesus’ words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" has led countless believers to fear abandonment from Abba in their troubling moments.

But let's take a closer look at what Jesus actually said and did leading up to the crucifixion. In John 16, Jesus tells his disciples that though they will scatter and leave him alone, "Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me." This declaration of Abba's faithfulness comes right before Jesus faces his greatest trial.

How then do we reconcile this with Jesus’ words on the cross? Pastor Tim shares with us on Sunday that Jesus was quoting Psalm 22, a psalm of David that begins in anguish but ends in victory and praise. Rather than a literal statement of abandonment, Jesus was identifying with our deepest suffering while still trusting in Abba's faithfulness.

The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:19 - "Abba was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself." Even in that moment of apparent abandonment, the Father was present in the Son, working to restore all of creation to Himself. The idea that Abba turns away from sin is a misinterpretation; He cannot look on sin favorably, but His very nature is to draw near to those struggling in love.

This truth transforms how we view Abba and ourselves. If the Father never abandoned Jesus, even in His darkest hour, how much more will He remain with us through our dark hours? The name Emmanuel - "God with us" - is not just a phrase we say at Christmas time but the very essence of who Abba is and how He relates to us.

Abba entering into our misconceptions to correct them really comes through in Jesus. For three and a half years, Jesus walked among us, showing us the true nature of the Father. Every healing, every act of forgiveness, every moment of compassion was a revelation of Abba's heart. When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus' response was clear: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."

The truth of this is incredible. It means that in our lowest moments, when we feel most alone and abandoned, He is there. It means that our mistakes and failures don't drive Him away but draw Him closer in love and grace. It means that the voice whispering "Abba has left you" is a lie, no matter how convincing it may seem.

This understanding of Abba's nature changes everything. It transforms how we approach prayer, how we view suffering, and how we relate to others. If He never abandons us, we can face our darkest fears with confidence. If He’s always working to reconcile and restore, we can trust Him even when we don't understand our circumstances.

In a world full of broken families and absent fathers, we are called to the steadfast love of our Abba. Just as He never turns His back on us, we are to remain faithful in our commitments, to love unconditionally, and to pursue reconciliation even when it's difficult.

The book of Malachi ends with a powerful prophecy: that Yahweh would "turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers." This restoration of relationships is at the core of His redemptive work. It starts with us understanding and embracing the His heart towards us and then extending that same love to others.

This understanding of Abba's nature invites us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. It calls us to lay aside our fears of abandonment and rejection, and to run into the open arms of a Father who is always there, always loving, always working for our good.

So the next time you feel alone, remember: the Abba who was present with Jesus on the cross is present with you now. The One who entered into human history to correct our misconceptions is still at work, revealing His true nature to those who seek Him. And the Abba who promises to never leave or forsake us is inviting you into a deeper encounter of His unfailing love.

Abba’s Reconciliation

“Who has truly believed our revelation? To whom will Yahweh reveal his mighty arm? He sprouted up like a tender plant before the Lord, like a root in parched soil. He possessed no distinguishing beauty or outward splendor to catch our attention—nothing special in his appearance to make us desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of deep sorrows who was no stranger to suffering and grief. We hid our faces from him in disgust and considered him a nobody, not worthy of respect. Yet he was the one who carried our sicknesses and endured the torment of our sufferings. We viewed him as one who was being punished for something he himself had done, as one who was struck down by God and brought low. But it was because of our rebellious deeds that he was pierced and because of our sins that he was crushed. He endured the punishment that made us completely whole, and in his wounding, we found our healing. Like wayward sheep, we have all wandered astray. Each of us has turned from God’s paths and chosen our own way; even so, Yahweh laid the guilt of our every sin upon him. He was oppressed and harshly mistreated; still he humbly submitted, refusing to defend himself. He was led like a gentle lamb to be slaughtered. Like a silent sheep before his shearers, he didn’t even open his mouth. By coercion and with a perversion of justice he was taken away. And who could have imagined his future? He was cut down in the prime of life; for the rebellion of his own people, he was struck down in their place. They gave him a grave among criminals, but he ended up instead in a rich man’s tomb, although he had done no violence nor spoken deceitfully.

Even though it pleased Yahweh to crush him with grief, he will be restored to favor. After his soul becomes a guilt-offering, he will gaze upon his many offspring and prolong his days. And through him, Yahweh’s deepest desires will be fully accomplished. After the great anguish of his soul, he will see light and be fully satisfied. By knowing him, the righteous one, my servant will make many to be righteous, because he, their sin-bearer, carried away their sins. So I, Yahweh, will assign him a portion among a great multitude, and he will triumph and divide the spoils of victory with his mighty ones — all because he poured out his life-blood to death. He was counted among the worst of sinners, yet he carried sin’s burden for many and intercedes for those who are rebels.” Isaiah 53

Isaiah's prophecy points to Jesus, more than 700 hundred years before the Cross. Interestingly enough it is written in past tense like it had already happened. Before the foundation of the cosmos, Abba already knew what He would need to do to restore us to himself. In this passage we see Jesus endured punishment that made us completely whole, and, in His wounding, we found healing. This isn’t just about our sins being forgiven. It is a restoration of our whole being. Mind, body and soul can be completely whole.

When Jesus cried out on the Cross feeling forsaken, He was addressing the feelings David had in Psalm 22 when He felt forsaken by Yahweh. He was also doing it for us when we are feeling the same way. Abba never turned His back on Jesus when He was on the Cross. How do we know? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, Abba was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. “That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

He could not have forsaken Jesus and been in Him at the same time. It was Abba himself in Jesus reconciling us back to our original design the Father gave us. The circle dance doesn’t miss one aspect of us being made complete. Jesus did this for when we are feeling alone, forsaken, hurt, wounded, or sick. We must remember what He has done for us. He walks with us through it all and offers us restoration.

When you face trials, remember that Abba is not distant but intimately involved in your suffering. Let this truth comfort and strengthen you in difficult times. Imagine Him with you. Yesterday in our Kingdom Academy co-op one of our students shared with us after our worship and rest time that he felt Jesus next to him and he laid his head in Jesus’ lap. May we be like little children who can see ourselves lying in His lap.

A Broken Perspective

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:1-5

This week in the Walk we have been diving into changing how we see Abba. Today we are looking at the words Jesus spoke in John 17. For many, many years we have been taught in American Christianity the purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to fix a mistake Adam and Eve made in the garden. When they ate the apple from the tree, they made God mad because they brought sin into the world. So, the father became angry and wanted to kill everyone on earth. He had to send His son to die on the cross to forgive us of our sins so He could even look at us, then when we die, we can have eternal life in heaven. Jesus had to become our defense attorney. This is what we have been taught, and it is wrong. I’ll tell my age here. Anyone remember the gong show? When people performed badly they would hit the gong to make them stop. I feel like we need to hit the gong to stop the nonsense of this thought about Jesus and the Father.

Let’s look at why Jesus says he actually came. He came to glory the Father, the only true God and Jesus Christ, the Anointed One. Jesus says I have glorified you. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. At this point, obviously Jesus has not been to the Cross. If His purpose was to die on the Cross, why would He spend 33 years on earth? The Father could have sent Him as a grown man like He did Adam. Why is Jesus saying I have finished the work I was sent to do if he has not been to the Cross? His purpose was to reveal the true nature of Abba. He had to fix the broken perspective people had of the Father. His entire walk with the disciples was to fix how they seen the Father. Even walking with Jesus daily Philip missed it. He tells Jesus before you leave just show us the Father. Jesus says to Philip if you’ve seen Me, you have seen the Father. Let me quote John 14:9, Jesus replied, “Philip, I’ve been with you all this time and you still don’t know who I am? How could you ask me to show you the Father, for anyone who has looked at me has seen the Father.”

We must dismantle everything we have thought about Abba we don’t see in Jesus. If Jesus is good, sweet, patient and tender- Abba is too. He is not angry. All the wars in the Old Testament killing babies, owning slaves, laws created by Moses like an eye for eye was not the Father’s heart. We must study the words of Jesus to see the Father. As you study you must invite the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of the words. We must see Abba right.

In this passage Jesus tells us what eternal life is- to know the Father and Jesus Christ. This word know is the same know Mary meant when she said how can it be when I have not known a man. This word know is the Greek word ginosko. The meanings are experiential knowledge knowing something through experience, sensory perception knowing something through senses, relational knowledge knowing someone intimately (very closely). This knowing Abba and Jesus is an intimacy so close it produces life on the inside of you.

Jesus came to reveal the Father. He came to restore the broken perspective people had of Abba. Today, we must see this right so we can recover the real purpose of eternal life. It is to KNOW Abba and Jesus intimately.

Let’s end today with this thought: when you look into the tender eyes of Jesus you are looking into the eyes of Abba. Holy Spirit, reveal this truth to us so we may help fix the broken perspective of you in others.

You Are not Forsaken

Yesterday we talked about the importance of fathers. Unfortunately, some homes do not have fathers and that is not always the choice of the mother. This is why we must understand that Abba does not do abandonment. WHATSOEVER! If we are honest, it is hard to see him in this light when we have been abandoned by our father or the father of our children. This is why it is so important to let Him love you and reveal His heart for you and your children.

Yahweh is omnipresence - He is everywhere, always. Pastor Tim emphasized that Abba never abandons us, even in our darkest moments. Most of us who grew up in or around church have been told Yahweh cannot look on sin and when Jesus died on the cross Abba turned his back on him. He was carrying the weight of all past, present and future sins therefore the Father could not look at him. When we think of this idea of Abba turning his back on Jesus in his most needful time what does this do to how we see Abba?

We automatically think if he did it to Jesus, he will abandon me in my darkest hour. Especially if our dark hour is a result of a choice we made. Have you ever heard, “they made their bed now they must lay in it?” That communicates you are on your own. You must deal with your consequences. Now consequences are real, and we do have to walk through them, but we do not have to do it alone.

Think about a time when you felt alone or forsaken. Now, consider the truth that Abba was with you through it all. How does this change your perspective on those experiences? Today, practice awareness of Abba's presence in every moment, whether joyful or challenging. Remember, you are never truly alone.

For the Pure and Shining One - King David’s poetic song - Psalm 139

“Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and you know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins. You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. You have laid your hand on me! This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible! Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength. Where could I go from your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from your face? If I go up to heaven, you’re there! If I go down to the realm of the dead, you’re there too! If I fly with wings into the shining dawn, you’re there! If I fly into the radiant sunset, you’re there waiting! Wherever I go, your hand will guide me; your strength will empower me. It’s impossible to disappear from you or to ask the darkness to hide me, for your presence is everywhere, bringing light into my night. There is no such thing as darkness with you. The night, to you, is as bright as the day; there’s no difference between the two. You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place; carefully, skillfully you shaped me from nothing to something. You saw who you created me to be before I became me!

Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book. Every single moment you are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought! O God, your desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore! When I awake each morning, you’re still with me. O God, come and slay these bloodthirsty, murderous men! For I cry out, “Depart from me, you wicked ones!” See how they blaspheme your sacred name and lift up themselves against you, but all in vain! Lord, can’t you see how I despise those who despise you For I grieve when I see them rise up against you. I have nothing but complete hatred and disgust for them. Your enemies shall be my enemies! God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way—the path that brings me back to you.”

This psalm is such a beautiful picture of His presence in our lives. From the very beginning He is there. All the way to the patterns of wrong thinking. David is declaring his hatred for those who oppose Abba, but even then, the Spirit reveals to David’s heart this isn’t the way of the Father. He really does meet us where we are and brings us back to the path he has for us.

The Importance of a Father

“And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4

This was the last statement made in the Old Testament. Yahweh did not speak again for four hundred years. Why would he let this be the last thing? Are there no other important aspects that should have been said? No! Fathers are vital for our future. There are two aspects here. First, we have the fathers in the natural. Having a father in the home is so important for children. A father leads and has advice for the children that only he can offer. There is safety in a father’s instructions. We have lost sight of the dynamics of the home due to the culture delusion. You have women leading the home controlling every aspect of the family. It is out of order. This causes the fathers to either leave or shrink back to a place of no input in the home. I dare say this is the curse. A curse brings destruction and when a family is out of order there will always be destruction of some sort. Usually, it is to the family itself. Pastor Tim shared from Esther 2 which shows us the importance of Mordica in Esther’s life. He led her to the kingdom; he gave her instructions on how she should be inside the kingdom, and he never left. He was always there to make sure she was ok.

Another aspect of fathers is in the body of Christ. Every child of Yahweh is perfectly ok with titles such as preacher or pastor. It is the role of a father in the house that people question. Why? We have lost sight of the role of fathers. We at the Wilderness Place are incredibly thankful and honored to have a father in our house. Pastor Tim may be called Pastor, but he is a father to this family. A father will care about every aspect of the family. He prays for each person by name. He loves. He leads and gives biblical advice. He’s honest. He wants everyone to be successful. Most people with the title pastor or preacher are only about one thing: their agenda to grow churches. A father is about leading a family in the ways of the Kingdom. This is why it is important for the fathers to turn their hearts to the son and daughters and for the sons and daughters to turn their hearts back to the fathers. It removes the curse and we live under the favor and blessing of the Kingdom.

Unfortunately, we have lost sight of the role of fathers, and we believe it is because we have not seen the Heavenly father correctly. This week we will dive deep in recovering the love of Yahweh so we can see Him right. When we see him right as our Abba, we will see everything else right.

The Day of Destiny

Let’s do a recap of this week’s Walk. It's time to embrace a transformative truth: Yahweh's perfect love has the power to cast out all fear and change how we see ourselves and Him.

At the heart of our spiritual journey lies a profound invitation - to let Jesus smother us with His kisses. This isn't just poetic language; it's a call to experience the depth of His affection for us. The Song of Solomon actually reveals Jesus’ passionate love language for each of us.

Let’s read this beautiful passage:

"Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out. For now is the time, my beautiful one. The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended, and the season of hiding is over and gone."

These words paint a picture of a God who eagerly pursues us, longing to bring us out of hiding and into a new season of intimacy with Him. He sees us as beautiful and longs for us to see ourselves through His eyes.

But here's the challenge - many of us struggle to fully receive this love. We're like Queen Vashti in the book of Esther, who refused the king's invitation to come before him. She had become so comfortable in her own routines that she missed out on a deeper connection with the king. How often do we do the same with Jesus? We get comfortable in our religious routines, doing "church" well, but missing the heart of intimacy with our Creator.

The apostle John gives us a profound insight: "We love Him because He first loved us." This isn't just about our initial salvation experience. It's an ongoing pattern for our entire spiritual journey. Our fervor for Jesus, our passion for His kingdom, flows from continually letting Him love us first. We can't manufacture genuine love for Him through our own efforts. It's only by receiving His love that we're empowered to love Him back with the same intensity.

This truth challenges our tendency to strive in our relationship with Him. We often think we need to clean ourselves up or perform better to earn His affection. But Yahweh's love doesn't operate that way. Remember the story of the woman caught in adultery? Jesus didn't condemn her. Instead, He said, "I don't condemn you. Now go and sin no more." The order is significant. Freedom from condemnation comes first, then transformation follows.

Yahweh's perfect love is designed to deal with every area of fear in our lives. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of intimacy - all of these can be overcome as we let His love penetrate our hearts. The Song of Solomon speaks of "catching the little foxes" that can spoil the vineyard of our relationship with God. These "foxes" represent anything that hinders us from fully receiving and responding to His love.

As we embrace Yahweh's love, we begin to see ourselves differently. No longer defined by our past mistakes or current struggles, we start to see ourselves as He sees us - radiant, beautiful, and deeply loved. This shift in perspective changes everything. We approach life with new confidence, not based on our own abilities, but on the unshakeable love of our Heavenly Father.

This journey of love isn't just about feeling good. It's about transformation. When we truly encounter His love, it should change the way we think. An encounter without changed perspective is a wasted opportunity. Jesus is inviting us into a deeper relationship, one that goes beyond surface-level experiences to reshape our very identities.

The incredible thing about His love is that it's not based on our performance. It's an inheritance, freely given because we are His beloved children. Just as we don't expect our children to earn our love, He doesn't require us to earn His. He delights in lavishing His affection on us, often in unexpected ways.

Consider the imagery of new wine and new wineskins. Jesus wants to pour out fresh experiences of His love, but sometimes our hearts have become rigid, like old wineskins. The good news is that He doesn't discard us. Instead, He applies the oil of His Spirit and the fire of His presence to make us tender and pliable again, ready to receive all He has for us.

As we step into this new season of experiencing His love, we're invited to dream again. To imagine the impossible. To see ourselves, our relationships, and our world through the lens of His transforming love. It's time to let go of shame, regret, and condemnation. It's time to open our hearts fully to the One who loves us with an everlasting love.

Let's make a conscious choice to let Jesus smother us with His kisses. Let's tune our ears to hear Him speak words of affirmation over us. Let's allow His perfect love to cast out every fear that has held us back. As we do, we'll find ourselves loving Him more passionately and walking in greater freedom and purpose.

Remember, you are deeply loved. You are beautiful in His eyes. Your voice is precious to Him. As you embrace these truths, watch how it transforms your relationship with Jesus and empowers you to love others more fully.

Will you accept the invitation to go deeper? Will you let perfect love have its complete work in your heart? The choice is yours, and a new day of destiny is dawning. Step into it with confidence, knowing you are perfectly loved by a perfect God.

Inheritance

“So, I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.” Ephesians 3

Yahweh is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Ephesians reminds us of the vast dimensions of Christ's love and the power at work within us. An inheritance is something you don’t have to work for, it is given out of love. Pastor Tim shared a couple of stories concerning our local family of where they have received unexpected blessings; inheritances they were not expecting. (I encourage you to watch the message to hear the stories. Beautiful.) Do you know where we go wrong sometimes? We think we have to strive for the inheritance. In striving, we move from a place of love. We forget why we do what we do. Our intimate relationship with Jesus is about a love affair. All love affairs are designed to grow deeper and deeper with multiplication as the fruit. This love is not about works and effort to earn a ticket out of hell. Do not be deceived by western theology this is not about fighting a war to win a battle. Jesus has already done that. This is about the altar of love and the inheritance we receive from being His bride.

In Ephesians, it tells us about part of this inheritance. Unlimited riches of His glory and favor, supernatural strength that carries divine might and explosive power. Are we approaching each day with the understanding we have divine might and explosive power? Probably not. We must remember our inheritance. That is not all. When we walk in constant faith, the life of Jesus is released deep in our hearts, and we can find rest in His love. This becomes the source of our lives. Oh, but that is not all! When we are rooted in His love, we are empowered to discover the great magnitude of His astonishing love in ALL its dimensions. Ephesians describes his love as deeply intimate, far-reaching, enduring, inclusive, endless, beyond measurement, transcends our understanding, and extravagant. Then Paul reminds us to NEVER DOUBT Yahweh’s mighty power to accomplish all of this in our lives. It is hard not to doubt if you have not been perfected in His love. Did you see the description of His love? Let Him convince you right now this love is for YOU!

What are some unexpected blessings or "inheritances" you've received from Yahweh? How has He surprised you with His goodness? Challenge yourself to dream bigger and pray bolder, knowing that He delights in giving good gifts to His children. Ask the Holy Spirit to expand your capacity to receive His love and to use your imagination to envision His kingdom coming in your life, in your family, your marriage, your children, your community. Remember, with Jesus, there's always more - more love, more grace, more possibility than we can fathom.

Process of Renewal

“I will graciously give you a new, tender heart and put a new, willing spirit inside you. I will remove your hard heart of stone and give you an obedient, responsive heart instead. I will put my Holy Spirit in you to empower you to keep my laws and to live by them. You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36

Yahweh promises to give us a new heart and put a new spirit within us. This renewal is not about our effort, but about allowing His love to transform us from the inside out. Think about areas in your life that feel hardened or resistant to change. This is the part where we sit in the circle of perfect love to allow the glorious light of Jesus to shine on these areas of resistance and hard-heartedness.

Invite the Holy Spirit to soften these areas with His love, like new wine in a new wineskin. Are there old patterns of thinking or believing that need to be renewed? In Luke 5, Jesus says, “And who pours new wine into an old wineskin? If someone did, the old wineskin would burst, and the new wine would be lost. New wine must always be poured into new wineskins.” Have you ever watched how wineskin is made new? They don’t throw out the old wineskin. Just like Jesus doesn’t get rid of us. In order to make a new wineskin the old one must be cleansed first. After cleaning, the wineskin is then put in oil to be soaked for several days. After the soaking the wineskin is then stretched, kneaded and worked to evenly distribute the oil throughout the material.

This is truly a picture of us, beloved sons and beloved daughters going through the process of renewal. We are first cleansed by the righteousness of Jesus. Then he leads us to soak in the oil of the Holy Spirit to soften those hard and resistant places. Once soft we are then stretched, kneaded and worked on through life circumstances but if we see this process correctly the new wine, we will hold can change families, cities and nations for the glory of Yahweh.

Will you surrender to the process of renewal? Ask Him to fill you afresh with His Spirit. He is ready to give you a new, tender heart and a willing spirit that continually flows with new wine.

Read Ezekiel 36 again. This is a promise of Yahweh. His goodness extended to us.

His Goodness

“If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.” The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.” The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.” Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.” The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” Exodus 33

Moses asked to see Yahweh's glory, and Yahweh responded by showing His goodness. Often, we seek dramatic spiritual encounters, but His presence is most powerfully revealed in His goodness towards us. A lot of people who are looking for big encounter moments leave those encounters unchanged. We see in the scripture thousands of people who encountered Jesus, yet nothing changed in their lives. It is living moment by moment aware of Him and His goodness that changes us, transforms our families.

What does His goodness look like? It is all around us. We can see and feel Him in every moment with every step, but we have to be looking for Him. His goodness is His spoken word to us. If you are not hearing Him speak to you ask for ears to hear. The Holy Spirit is always speaking but we must be leaned in and listening. His goodness is in His written words. The scriptures are full of the promises of Yahweh. We must feast on His promises and keep them before us. A couple of my favorite promises I pray over my family are Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.” and Isaiah 26:3, “Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with you; They confidently trust in you.”

His goodness is answered prayers, blessings, and provisions. Yahweh’s goodness represents everything He is, everything He has and everything He desires for us to enjoy.

The word goodness in Hebrew means, “good in the widest sense.” So, we can say his goodness is extreme.

Let’s take some time to reflect on moments in your life where you've experienced the goodness of Yahweh. How has He been faithful, even in difficult times?

Today, practice being aware of His presence in the ordinary moments of your day. Look for His goodness in nature, in kind gestures from others, in moments of peace or joy, even in difficult moments. Remember, there are no "non-sacred" moments because Emmanuel - God with us - is always present.

Loyal Love

“Higher than the highest heavens—that’s how high your tender mercy extends! Greater than the grandeur of heaven above is the greatness of your loyal love, towering over all who fear you and bow down before you! Farther than from a sunrise to a sunset—that’s how far you’ve removed our guilt from us. The same way a loving father feels toward his children—that’s but a sample of your tender feelings toward us, your beloved children, who live in awe of you. You know all about us, inside and out. You are mindful that we’re made from dust.” Psalms 103

We have been walking with Abba for a while now letting His love for us go deeper and deeper into our hearts. We need understanding of just how incredible His love actually is. Most of us keep track of our failures and what He is not doing in our lives more than what He has already done and continues to do. Our first thought when we mess up is not usually Him running to us to help us up but us turning away from His loving care. Oh, but there is change in the air of our Kingdom family. We are beginning to see our hearts respond by turning to Him not away from His loving arms. Psalm 103 is such a beautiful reminder of just how great the love of Jesus really is.

Higher than the highest heavens- think about that. There is no boundary in heaven. It goes on for eternity so his tender mercy goes beyond anything we can imagine. What is mercy? Tenderness, leniency, and forgiveness. It is when Abba withholds punishment for our sins. Mercy is part of His nature and cannot be earned. Sin is missing the mark. It is coming into agreement with something opposite of who He says we are. Sin is not always about a behavior problem. Behavior starts with how we think first.

His loyal love is greater than the grandeur of heaven. Grandeur is very large, special, powerful, and beautiful. That is his love over all who fear him and bow before him. Fear is a word we have been discussing in the last week. This is not the same meaning. The fear of the Lord is to honor him above all else. It means to love what he loves. It means you make every decision based on what He wants you to do. To fear the Lord will cause you to adore and worship Him in every moment. It does NOT mean to be scared of Him. On the contrary, it brings confidence, wisdom, protection, satisfaction and a greater love for Him.

He is the best Dada, which is why we call him Abba. He loves his beloved children greater than anything we can imagine. The last part of this scripture says, he knows all about us, inside and out. He is mindful we are made from dust. What does this mean? In the Hebrew the word yatsar can be translated “frame” or “to be in distress” or “to be frustrated.” Abba knows all about our frustrations and distress. He remembers He formed us from dust and is sympathetic to our difficulties. So, when you feel like He doesn’t care about what is happening or it’s your problem to figure out- those thoughts are not true. He cares deeply for you.

His love, mercy and kindness are always cascading over us and lifting us up to reign with Him in the heavenly places. Walk in confidence today of His love and mercy over you. Remember, whatever is flowing over you flows to those around you. Let’s choose to stand under the fountain of grace, mercy and His love!