The Budding Vineyard

“Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flower’s whispers, “There is change in the air.” Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now, is the time to arise and come away with me. For you are my dove, hidden in the split-open rock. It was I who took you and hid you up high in the secret stairway of the sky. Let me see your radiant face and hear your sweet voice. How beautiful your eyes of worship and lovely your voice in prayer. You must catch the troubling foxes, those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship. For they raid our budding vineyard of love to ruin what I’ve planted within you. Will you catch them and remove them for me? We will do it together.” Song of Songs 2

In order for this new day to break forth we must take the seeds of truth Jesus is speaking to us about who we are and plant them in the ground. We all know enough about plants to know when you put seeds in soil you can’t just forget about them. You must be intentional in watering the seeds. How do you practically apply this to what Jesus is speaking to you? You bring them back to Him in conversation. Ask Him questions. Worship Him. Pouring your heart out in worship to Him for who He is brings answers to our questions.

As you continue to water the seeds of the Kingdom you will begin to see these budding vines break forth. Seed, time and harvest is an important part of who we are at The Wilderness Place. Yahweh birthed our logo from this concept. The seed is the acorn. In this acorn is many, many oak trees. We heard the voice of Yahweh say plant yourself here in this land at 208 Pass Rd. Put the acorn in the ground and water it. As a family here at TWP, we have watered and been intentional about caring for His words of life to us. We are beginning to see the seedling of baby oaks rising up out of the ground. We are getting stronger in His presence and by His voice. Our trees are Oaks of Righteousness, each person (family) who has planted themselves here are those Oaks planted by Yahweh’s design. One of the words Yahweh gave us in the beginning is from Isaiah 61:4, “they will be known as Mighty Oaks of Righteousness, planted by Yahweh as a living display of his glory. They will restore ruins from long ago and rebuild what was long devastated. They will renew ruined cities and desolations of past generations.”

We are already beginning to see the promises of ruins and desolations of the past be restored in our area. It is truly remarkable what Jesus is doing in our community.

Each mighty oak planted becomes the shade of abundance and refreshment for the next generation to play in. The acorn seed you planted grows to produce more acorns (our children) and they will only know beloved identity from the very beginning because it’s all they’ve seen from us. They will continue to produce Oaks of Righteousness for thousands of generations. This is the reward of His suffering. A world restored and redeemed by beloved sons and daughters who are planted by His design. This is why understanding you are His beloved is so important.

Can you not discern? It’s a new day for the budding to break forth. He is letting us know in this passage we are His beloved and He is ours so we can face anything when we are walking in our true identity. There will be troubling foxes, but we will face them with Jesus.

Beloved, go forth today in who you are. Immensely loved by the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. Dance your way through the day and spring forth life for those around you.

How You See Yourself Matters

When was the last time you stepped into a hostile situation, and you had nothing to prove? Life brings storms and tough circumstances. How you respond to these situations you encounter proves what you believe about yourself.

Imagine your life without triggers. How people act or what they say can no longer cause a reaction from you. As a beloved son or daughter, you don’t have to fight for yourself. You’re not fighting to have a position or be seen in certain circles. You are happier serving others in the background. You are not worried about failing because even if you do, it doesn’t change who you are. Your identity is beloved! Jesus NEVER gives you the inheritance of a sinner saved by grace. Your inheritance is one whom Jesus dearly loves, and He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We are beloved with resurrection power.

Pastor Tim reminds us of the heart of Jesus for us today, in these very moments of our lives.

“Jesus loves you enough not to leave you in a condition where you just confess you believe something. He wants to heal your heart, so you actually believe what He says about you. Peter found out at the end of Jesus's life that confess with your mouth and believe with your heart is the entrance door, but it doesn't give you the power to be one who remains. It does not give you the anointing to reach down and heal. It does not give you the ability to carry the Kingdom with you wherever you go. You can't reproduce what you are not carrying.

It is time for you to believe you deserve to be in the room, in the very presence of the King of Kings, the Anointed One. As a matter of fact, He is beckoning you to come be with Him. He is ready to reveal who you really are. You are His beloved. You are the one who Jesus dearly loves. Nothing you have done or will do changes His love for you. The beauty of the Circle Dance is the continuous love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit spinning and pulling us into the intimate love with them where we never stop dancing. This passage of the Song of Songs below is an exchange between us and Jesus, the Shepherd. Hear yourself saying these words today, and hear the words of Jesus over you.

“Listen! I hear my lover’s voice. I know it’s him coming to me—leaping with joy over mountains, skipping in love over the hills that separate us, to come to me. Let me describe him: he is graceful as a gazelle, swift as a wild stag. Now he comes closer, even to the places where I hide. He gazes into my soul, peering through the portal as he blossoms within my heart.

The Shepherd: The one I love calls to me: 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. The rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land, filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth.” Song of Songs 2

Jesus, we are here ready to see ourselves as You see us. We are ready to be who you designed us to be. We are ready to give you the reward of your suffering. Thank you for always drawing us closer to your heart and into the dance of a lifetime.

Honesty Opens the Door

We can learn by others’ stories. Which is why testimony is important. The stories in the Bible are testimonies for us to learn from. Let’s go through Peter’s story leading up to why he was walking with John to the temple in Acts 3. If you don’t know this Peter is 30 and John is 17 at the time they were walking to the temple. It is odd for that age group to be “hanging out” together.

We’ll start in Matthew where we read last week about Jesus asking His disciples who they say He is. Peter was the first disciple to confess who Jesus really is - the Christ, the Anointed One. Jesus made it plain to Peter and all of the other disciples that Peter heard the voice of the Father for himself. He was the first disciple to do this. Oh, I am sure he was so proud of himself knowing Peter’s personality. A bit later they find themselves in the upper room getting ready to have their last supper together when Jesus - the Christ - Anointed One begins to wash the disciples’ feet. Peter was bold in telling Jesus you will not wash my feet. He even rebuked Jesus to his face when Jesus told them he would be arrested and killed. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to Jesus. He was even so bold to say; I will give my life, so you don’t have to. Fast forward to the garden with Jesus when the soldiers came to arrest Him Peter pulls out his sword to cut a man’s ear off. He was ready to fight for Jesus.

On the other side of Jesus’ arrest Peter denies even knowing Him three different times. How after all these bold declarations and getting the revelation right from the mouth of Yahweh could you crumble so easily in the face of adversity? Peter was devastated at his actions but still could not find the strength and courage to be at the cross in support of Jesus in his hardest time. Peter thought all was lost. He even went back to fishing. But I believe this is when the questions started in his mind. The honesty in his own heart. He began to realize all the way on the other side of the resurrection there was one who remained. This one made it all the way from his calling to the foot of the cross. I am sure Peter was thinking why did he not run and hide like the rest of us men? He’s a boy. Why was he not afraid for his life. What does he have that I do not?

We must find ourselves in a place where when we see someone who has something we don’t have - we draw closer to them. We should never get jealous or pull away in disappointment or anger. In order to become like someone, we must get closer to them. Don’t we want to love like Jesus, do what Jesus says we can do, wouldn’t we all want to reach out and pull someone from a wheelchair and see them walk?

Peter became brave enough to acknowledge he didn’t have what John the beloved had. He realized confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart is not enough to see change and to be that change. Family, we cannot stop at confession. We have been learning the Kingdom starts with honesty. If we can’t be honest with ourselves and Jesus, we will not be able to do what He says we can.

Peter realizes the only way he could have what John the beloved had was to be with him to see how he walked this life out. This is why Peter chose to walk with John to the temple. This is why you see a 30-year-old man walking with the 17-year-old. He needed to inherit what John was carrying. Think about this…just by Peter walking with Beloved identity HE was the one who reached out his hand to the crippled man to pull him up. I imagine in the past when he went to the temple without John he walked past the crippled man because he knew he didn’t have what the man needed. It was only when walking with beloved could he move in resurrection power.

Spend some time today with Jesus being honest about where you are. He is not afraid of what you will say. Truth is He already knows; the honesty is for us to open ourselves up to the grace needed to walk in beloved identity.

Where are you in your walk but more importantly where do you want to go?

Faith Without Works

When you hear someone say, “you have the same power in you that raised Jesus from the dead,” what is your first thought? Or do you think about it? It is time for us to stop just saying stuff we have heard in church and even read in our bibles, yet we are not living out.

The time has come for you to be convinced you carry resurrection power. Sunday Pastor Tim took us deeper into the message of Peter and John going up into the temple in Acts 3. They encountered the crippled man and instead of giving him money they offered him what they carried. Resurrection power!

Was Peter and John more qualified than you and me? No, they just believed what Jesus said about them. He took care of their resume just like He has taken care of ours. Peter and John used the phrase we all use - In Jesus name yet, Peter walked in what he said by holding out his right hand and pulling the crippled man up to his feet. The scripture says suddenly power surged into the crippled man’s feet and ankles.

Our actions prove what we believe. You ever heard, “actions speak louder than words?” It is true. We like words of faith, but our words of faith are meaningless without our walk of faith. In James 2:17 it says, “So then faith that doesn’t involve action is phony.” It is fruitless.

“Nothing you say will override what you believe in your heart.” Pastor Tim

You must believe you are His beloved. We cannot move into what Yahweh is calling us to display in the earth by just repeating I am beloved. We must believe it. In the story of Peter and John something fascinating is happening behind the scenes. If you will grab hold it will change your life, family, legacy and Gulfport MS. Pastor Tim made an excellent point Sunday if you are going to church to hear another message or reading another walk to just read it- You are wasting your time. He (Pastor Tim) tells us truth because that is what a father in the house does. He loves each one of you and desires to see the fruit that Jesus died for to begin to pop up in your life. This is more that another sermon or devotional.

Stop believing what you see and start believing what Jesus is whispering to your heart. You are my beloved and you carry the same resurrection power that I do. Walk in it!

“I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling —that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm!” Ephesians 1:18-19

The One Whom Jesus Loves

This week as we have walked with Abba, we have discussed the invitation from Jesus to see Him rightly. He has reminded us of the power and authority we have in Him but all of what we have read hinges on one thing. How we see ourselves. John the beloved teaches us the importance of laying down our own identity. The identity we have built in our minds or an identity that someone else gave us. When we try to live our lives from this place, we find ourselves fighting for positions Jesus never intended us to have. If you find you easily get offended at others it is a sign you are not seeing yourself right. Let’s look at the example of John.

“Then Jesus was moved deeply in his spirit. Looking at his disciples, he announced, “I tell you the truth—one of you is about to betray me.” Eyeing each other, his disciples puzzled over which one of them could do such a thing. The disciple that Jesus dearly loved was at the right of him at the table and was leaning his head on Jesus. Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. Then the dearly loved disciple leaned into Jesus’ chest and whispered, “Master, who is it?” John 13

This moment is right after Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet and they were all sitting around the table about to eat their last meal together. The disciples did not know this would be their last meal. I bet John had an idea of something happening. He was too close and aware of Jesus not to know something was about to take place. Jesus was moved in His heart with tenderness at the thought of his friends’ betrayal. He tells the disciples one of them will betray Him, and they are all puzzled. They are looking around at each other and even asking Him, “Is it I, Jesus?” But there is one, who is sitting at the right hand of Jesus leaning his head on Him. He’s not part of this eyeing. John dismisses himself from this argument and discussion altogether.

How could he sit there with everyone else and not be a part of the argument? Or feel like he didn’t need to defend himself? I will tell you how. John laid down his identity and the desire for position. He did not care or worry about what people thought or said about him. He walked in the identity Jesus gave him. The One Whom Jesus Loves!

We can see in his position next to Jesus. He’s leaning his head on Jesus. You better believe others can see it too. Peter, the strong, determined one gestures to John the tender one to ask Jesus who it is. You know what John does? He leans even more into Jesus. Closer into His chest; closer to His heart. Jesus gives us the position of beloved, but we decide how we lean into it. Just like with John as you lean into the heart of Jesus and stay at His right hand of honor you will hear His whisper of truth and revelation for your life and those around you.

It is time for us to dismiss ourselves from the fight of proving our value and worth to others. We have been given a new identity. You are beloved, the one whom Jesus loves. You are His favorite. He chooses you every time. Even when you make a mistake, or respond wrong to someone, He loves you and always has the place of honor open to you to sit and lean into His heart.

Yes, it is important to see Jesus rightly, but it is also very important to see yourself as He does.

His Love & Care

“Now Jesus was fully aware that the Father had placed all things under his control, for he had come from God and was about to go back to be with him. So, he got up from the meal and took off his outer robe and took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ dirty feet and dry them with his towel. But when Jesus got to Simon Peter, he objected and said, “I can’t let you wash my dirty feet—you’re my Lord!” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand yet the meaning of what I’m doing, but soon it will be clear to you.” Peter looked at Jesus and said, “You’ll never wash my dirty feet—never!”

“But Peter, if you don’t allow me to wash your feet,” Jesus responded, “then you will not be able to share life with me.” John 13:3-9

Step into this passage. Imagine yourself as one of the disciples. You have seen this beautiful man for three and half years do many miracles. You have seen blind eyes opened, deaf ears hear, the lame walk, actual limbs being restored, and the deliverance of so many. Most recently you witnessed sitting at a table Mary breaking her alabaster jar to pour out the most expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Breathe in deep and let yourself take in the fragrance that is likely to still be lingering in the air around Jesus. You’re all sitting around the table just before your meal and you see Jesus, this beautiful Messiah, the King stand up. He is taking his robe off and wrapping a towel around his waist but why? This is something a servant would do. He begins to pour water into the basin. Jesus, Anointed One, what are you doing? You should be sitting at the head of the table as we listen to you share parables.

Jesus astounds the disciples as He begins to wash their feet one at a time. No one is saying anything. One by one He removes their sandals and washes their dirty feet. Then dries them with His towel. The fragrance they must have smelled as He was in front of them. The fragrance of an Anointed King bowing down before them, cleansing their feet.

When Jesus gets to Peter, he refuses to let Him wash his feet. Jesus, you are my Lord. How could I ever allow you to wash my feet. As a matter of fact, you’ll never wash my feet - EVER! Even after Jesus tells him you don’t understand now what I am doing but you will, Peter is like absolutely not. You will not wash my dirty feet. I imagine Peter tucking them under the chair to hide them. Nope, you can’t see them or touch them, Lord.

Isn’t this like us to hide the parts of us that we see as dirty. Maybe just not something you want to show Jesus right out front, right? Maybe you’re saying, “Jesus, I have walked the paths that made my feet dirty. It is by my own doing, how could I let you even look at them much less touch and wash. Why would you want to?”

Jesus tells Peter, if you don’t allow me to wash your feet you will not be able to share life with me. According to the footnotes in The Passion Translation by Jesus removing their sandals and washing their feet, He was showing them that he was granting them a new inheritance- his own. The sandal is often used in covenant of inheritance in the Hebrew culture. Every defilement would be removed so they could place the sole of their feet upon the new covenant inheritance.

Jesus is giving us a beautiful display of tenderness and humility, yet the truth is we can no longer hide our dirty feet from Him. I hear Him saying in tenderness and mercy to us today - Let me cleanse your feet so you can walk in my power and authority to take the ground I have given you as an inheritance. You can’t go to the places I have for you if you are hiding what is going on inside your heart and head.

Yesterday, we talked about writing down who Jesus is to us. Today, allow Him to wash your feet as He continues to reveal Himself to you. The water He pours from His hand over you brings healing and restoration. In return, He will reveal who you are in Him.

Who Do You Display?

“But you—who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked. Simon Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God!” Jesus replied, “You are favored and privileged Simeon, son of Jonah! For you didn’t discover this on your own, but my Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you. I give you the name Peter, a stone. And this rock will be the bedrock foundation on which I will build my church—my legislative assembly, and the power of death will not be able to overpower it! I will give you the keys of heaven’s kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in heaven.” Matthew 16

Peter was mouthy, quick to anger, ready to fight and overconfident in himself at times but something about his love for Jesus caused him to receive a whisper from Abba. Jesus asked them all a question. Who do you say I am?

Up to this point Jesus had never told them exactly who He was. So why would He ask this question? This was an opportunity for the disciples to examine their own thoughts and the posture of their heart about who He was to them. Jesus was pointing out; it doesn’t really matter what they say. It matters how you see Me. He is asking us the same question today.

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? I want to encourage you to sit with Jesus for a moment. Maybe get a pen and paper or the notes in your phone and write down who He is to you right now. Ask Him if you are missing an aspect of who He wants to be to you. Be honest with Him and open your heart up to hear His whisper to you.

Jesus is the Anointed One, understanding the significance of us being able to have an intimate relationship with the Anointed One should be enough to make us run around the room and flood the altars with our worship.

What has happened that we’ve lost our passion for such a Beautiful King?

In verse 18, Jesus refers to the church as “my legislative assembly.” The Greek word for church is ekklesia and it means legislative assembly or selected ones. Ekklesia is actually not a religious term. It is a governmental term. This is what they would use in classical Greek when people were summoned to govern the affairs of the city. What is Jesus telling us here? He has summoned us, His beloved ones to govern the matters of our city from the foundation of ones who belong to the Anointed One. He has given us authority to display His power to those around us.

If we are not seeing the fruit of this authority in our lives and those around us, then we must ask ourselves the question- What do I believe about Jesus?

“You know what you believe by what you do” Pastor Tim

Jesus gives us a description of what we shall see and do when we are living out this truth.

The power of death will not be able to overpower it! I will give you the keys of heaven’s kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in heaven.

What can you do different that will cause others to see the power and authority of Jesus when they see you?

The Beautiful Gate

“One afternoon Peter and John went to the temple for the three o’clock prayer. As they came to the entrance called the Beautiful Gate, they were captured by the sight of a man crippled from birth being carried and placed at the entrance to the temple. He was often brought there to beg for money from those going into worship. When he noticed Peter and John going into the temple, he begged them for money. Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!” Peter held out his right hand to the crippled man. As he pulled the man to his feet, suddenly power surged into his crippled feet and ankles. The man jumped up, stood there for a moment stunned, and then began to walk around! As he went into the temple courts with Peter and John, he leapt for joy and shouted praises to God.” Acts 3:1-6

There is so much we can learn from this passage. First, it points out Peter and John are walking together to the temple. Interesting enough this is Peter and John. These two were so different in their character and personality but both are necessary for the advancement of the Kingdom of Yahweh. Peter is strong, outspoken, gifted and talented. He always has something to say. John the beloved, the one whom Jesus loved. He is tender. He doesn’t have anything to prove because He knows who he is to Jesus.

Now let’s go deeper in the “Beautiful Gate.” This gate points to Jesus. He is the entrance into the sheepfold of Yahweh. Furthermore, according to The Passion Translation footnotes, this points to Ezekiel’s temple. His temple described a river flowing out from the Threshold through the gateway of the temple. The river was first measured to be ankle deep. The crippled man at the temple entrance where Peter and John were entering was lame in his ankles.

The crippled man was brought to the gate often when people (believers) were coming to pray so he could ask for money. Think about this. In order for him to continue to show up this means some of the believers were just handing him money with no real solution to his problem. Let’s see how Peter and John responded to his situation.

Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!”

What? Look at us! As this man looked into their eyes, he saw something he had not seen before. The blazing fiery eyes of Jesus. Peter and John were full of faith because they understood what they carried on the inside of their being. They knew the power of the Holy Spirit flowed from them just like the river flowed out of Ezekiel’s temple gate. This river brought healing power and authority wherever they went. We, beloved sons and daughters must come to the same revelation - we have the river of the Holy Spirit that wants to flow out of us to bring healing to ourselves and others.

Then Peter held out his “right hand” and pulled the man up. The right hand in scripture represents honor, power and authority. Peter and John could have given this man money like all the other believers, and he would have stayed the same the rest of his life. They honored what Jesus had accomplished by His death and resurrection. They displayed the power and authority Jesus gave them by sending the Holy Spirit to them. They understood the assignment. It wasn’t to show up on Sunday morning, read our bibles, sing our songs and nothing ever really changes. Nope, we don’t need power to do that.

You are the beautiful gate on earth today. This revelation should make us want to run around singing and dancing. We too can reach out our right hand of honor, power and authority to others and bring transformation. How will you begin to walk in this truth today?

Jesus’ Invitation

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Yet he was the one who carried our sicknesses and endured the torment of our sufferings. Isaiah 53:4

Our instant healing flowed from his wounding. 1 Peter 2:24

In the beginning of our service yesterday, Pastor Tim made a comment, “healing is a gift from Jesus.” We cannot continue to pass over these truths as if it does not apply to us today. We (the church) have become too comfortable with diagnoses as opposed to enjoying the physical gift from Jesus.

If someone gave you the most valuable gift on earth, how would you handle it? Let’s go a little further. Imagine a treasure chest full of the rarest, most precious gems given to you, yet you never open it. You just have it on the side table to look at it. Maybe you peek in once a week, but you never apply it to your life. Nothing ever changes yet you have everything in the treasure box to not only change you but generations. This sounds absurd, doesn’t it? But we do it every day with the gift Jesus gave us.

Jesus gave His life and body for our healing. The Greek word for healing is “iaomai” it refers to physical healing and is used as a medical term to describe curing the physical body. This healing includes body, soul, and emotions. This is fulfilled in two ways: the healing ministry of Jesus and by the blood of Jesus’ wounds.

Pastor Tim has been teaching us for a while how we have to step into the scriptures. What does this look like practically? We can’t ignore physical situations that occur in our body. It must be addressed by coming into agreement with what Jesus says as opposed to what doctors say. Divine health has been made available by Jesus, but we have a part in seeing it come to pass on earth, in our families and our own bodies. Jesus says in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

We start with faith in believing this divine healing is available. And it is for us today. We then ask the Holy Spirit what can I do to see this physical healing take place in my body? You may need to change certain habits in your day to day. What you eat, how you eat, and physical activity liking walking is incredible for your body and your spirit. In pursuit of an intimate with relationship with Jesus, we must remember intimacy requires two people, so we have a part in this healing process.

We must seek the Holy Spirit for wisdom in how we each walk this out in our own lives but my challenge to you is don’t just accept a diagnosis for yourself or a loved one. Step into the truth of what Jesus made available with His own body. Open the treasure chest of His gifts for you and your family.

This isn’t just physical healing. It is healing for our soul as well. Almost every one of us has encountered some sort of pain in our past that has hurt us. This pain could be from childhood or very recent, but Jesus is inviting you to bring it to Him. Allow His gift of healing to pour over you like oil to heal the wounds of your heart. There is scientific proof a wounded heart can affect your physical body.

As lovers of Jesus, we are in pursuit of the real thing in our walk with Him. We want what He says we can have. Divine health for us, our family members and everyone we know who is suffering with sickness, disease and emotional pain. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit today to teach you how to pray, how to walk in this authority you have been given on earth and watch your heart come alive.

If you would like someone to come into agreement with you, please send us your prayer request.

The Condition of the Heart

“John the baptizer was sent to the Wilderness. Why? Yahweh needed to empty John of all the garbage religion had put in him. I'm going to tell you something. You can't add what I'm saying to the religious things you learned in Sunday school. You're going to have to let God empty you of the skubala (Greek for rubbish or waste) and start again with the truth. That is Jesus, the truth of His word has to be the Rosetta Stone in which we base our entire lives because don't you know that even a little lie in your heart can permeate your entire belief system. Don't you know a little religion will make you think you're headed in the right direction, but it leads to death, and we decorate it in the name of Jesus.” Pastor Tim

Don’t you know that when you allow even a little lie into your heart, it can permeate your entire belief system? Galatians 5:9

When making bread you first start by adding small, tiny particles of yeast to warm water. The yeast dissolves into the water. Once you add the remaining ingredients the yeast particles can no longer be seen but the effects of it is always evident afterwards. The same is true for our lives when we believe lies.

This doesn’t just pertain to religious things. This is any lie you believe about yourself or someone else. What you believe about yourself will permeate your entire life and trickle down to your children. A little lie - a tiny particle of a lie will steal from you. It causes you to believe something with your whole heart that Jesus declares isn’t true.

Pastor Tim is a walker. He walks constantly with the Lord to hear His heart for you and those around him. Last Sunday the Lord prompted him to take a walk which is rare for Sundays. During this walk Jesus shows him some things concerning us, his children at The Wilderness Place.

As he walked Jesus gave him a picture. He said this is the heart of my people. They are living on a narrow path. 4 inches, dirty and hard. This path fools you to believe that you are standing on the best that Abba has for you. We stay on this path because it's the path of least resistance. If we aren’t careful, we will travel the same path our parents traveled. We’ll pass down the same poverty. This isn’t just talking about money. It can be a poverty mindset, poverty in our health. When Jesus said this is the condition of my people's hearts, He's talking about the scripture in the Bible concerning seed being sown from the kingdom. Everything in the Kingdom starts with seed but so does weeds, thistles and thorns.

Seeds are the voice of Jesus. They're given to you anytime you turn your heart openly to Him. The seeds of the Kingdom will not compete with the seeds of other voices in your life. We've been in a trap that says this is the best Jesus has for us. Obviously, not every part of the little 4inch path is bad. Some of it's good but we are designed to have the entire field. Designed to produce fruit others can eat from. Your field should sustain the people around you. We have to ask Jesus what our heart looks like. Are you a tree of life to other people? The authority, power, blessings and abilities Jesus gave us is not to maintain a “good life” where we go to work, go home, we didn’t do any wrong and start all over again tomorrow.

Jesus desires for us to overwhelm this field with the seeds of the Kingdom. When He gives us seeds, we must water them and nurture them until they produce what He intended.

These fields represent answers to health problems, marriages, children and grandchildren, finances and our intimate relationship with Jesus. When we look at the condition of our fields we have to take one day at a time. Ask the Holy Spirit where to start. Do not get overwhelmed by all the things that may need to be changed. Allow Him to walk with you through the field of your heart and begin to deal with the thorns, thistles and weeds.

His grace is abundant when we face hard things but like I tell our children; you can do hard things. He doesn’t just deal with the top of the weeds but removes the root of the lies that have produced our overgrown fields. You must remember the importance of being honest with yourself and then Him. When this begins to happen, your life will never be the same.

“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

A close replica of the image Jesus gave to Pastor Tim concerning the hearts of His people.

The Appointments

“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after those miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:28

If we are serious about life and life more abundant, it has to start with order. Let’s look at what Paul says about the order of the church and why it is important. He makes it clear in 1 Corinthians that Yahweh has made some appointments in the church. He gives us a clear picture of how this is to be established in His Bride.

First apostles. What is an apostle? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is a person who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief. Apostle is from the Greek word apostolos, and it means one sent on a mission. An apostle is one who has a father’s heart to see change. When we think of our children or the next generation, we desire nothing more than to see them be successful and happy. We want them to have a life full of the promises of Yahweh, right? That is an apostle. He desires to see the bride have what has been promised to her. We can look at how Jesus did this with those who followed Him. Jesus not only had His twelve apostles, but He sent out 70 in pairs of two to bring change for the Kingdom. You can read this story in Luke 10.

Second prophets. A prophet according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight. Prophets are held to a strict standard, their prophesies are expected to honor Yahweh, not themselves, always be in line with scripture, what they speak should come to pass, help people change, and NEVER contradict that Jesus is the Son of God.

Third teachers (evangelists). This is defined in the dictionary as a person who evangelizes. In other words, to preach the gospel.

The Body of Christ has shied away from these positions because of those who have abused them in American Christianity over the years. Like Pastor Tim mentioned Sunday, a real apostle will not call himself an apostle. We’ve seen the abuse of these incredibly honorable callings and because of it we’ve also seen damage to the Bride.

We have to learn truth in order to recover what Jesus came to teach us. Some say these are not important any longer, but I dare say they are. If Jesus taught us about them, they are still very relevant for us today. Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Why is it important to have these in order according to the scripture? Paul points out to us what follows when there is order in the church. We will see miracles, healings, and people helping one another.

In Ephesians 4 Paul gives us a clear picture of the outcome this is to bring.

“And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness into the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one into a perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed into the abundance of Christ. And then our immaturity will end! And we will not be easily shaken by trouble, nor led astray by novel teachings or by the false doctrines of deceivers who teach clever lies. But instead, we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into him, the anointed Head of his body, the church. For his “body” has been formed in his image and is closely joined together and constantly connected as one. And every member has been given divine gifts to contribute to the growth of all; and as these gifts operate effectively throughout the whole body, we are built up and made perfect in love.”

This is the goal. One body. One mind. Gripped with One Passion. We will see the change Jesus made available.

Order and Oil

We have been taught when we want to know Yahweh’s heart concerning a matter we go in the scripture to where it was first mentioned. This is called the principal of first mentions. Sunday Pastor Tim talked about order and the oil of the Holy Spirit.

In the scripture the first mention of oil being poured out is Genesis 28 and don’t you know it is not a coincident this is the story of the ladder.

“Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel. Gen 28:11-21

The ladder is important to us. It represents intimacy with Jesus, honoring Jesus and allowing Him to order our lives according to His desire. Jacob calls the place where he poured the oil out Bethel. This means the house of Yahweh. We are the house of Yahweh and must get our house in order to receive the oil of the Holy Spirit.

“What happens if something is out of order? The oil that flows from Jesus that is designed to go down to you and me, down to the hem of our garments is affected. There's no oil when things are out of order. Jesus and the Holy Spirit is going to produce oil continuously. Remember the ladder? Intimacy, honor and order but what happens when religion doesn't establish the order based on scripture? They establish it based on their own hearts, their own desires.” Pastor Tim

We must present our hearts with long held beliefs to the Holy Spirit and surrender to the truth He wants to reveal. As we finish out this week in The Walk, we will discuss the order the scriptures demand and what we can see and have when this order is established.

If you missed Sunday’s message you may watch it here.

Jesus, The Rescuer

We are endeavoring to restore the original purpose of the church. This purpose is to image forth the power and love of Jesus. It is to glorify Him in every way. We are passionate about teaching what this looks like but in order to do that we must start by being honest about our past church beliefs. More and more we are hearing stories of what the church and religion has done to people. Religion has been the greatest violator of people’s hearts.

“Religion makes you feel like you can’t say anything about the church. Let me tell you something about Jesus. He talked sweetly to demon possessed men. You can see this in the story of the man Jesus intentionally went to see across the Sea of Galilee in Mark 5. Jesus talks sweetly to adulterous women and those who followed Him around, but He speaks strongly against the religious people. He did not come to start a religion but burn it to the ground. Jesus is concerned with one thing. Your heart and His connecting in unity.” Pastor Tim

Pastor Tim says it all the time, what we are unwilling to confront in our own lives will be magnified in our children. We are demanding different for our children and the next thousand generations. We refuse to continue to pass down something that does not reflect Jesus. Let’s visit Acts 9 to see how serious Jesus is in rescuing us from the religious system. Saul before he became Paul was the #1 most fervent person for Yahweh. He was born in the city of Tarsus, in a large Jewish colony in that region. He was raised in Jerusalem and tutored by the Jewish rabbi Gamaliel. Saul was considered one of the most brilliant Jewish Pharisees of his day. He was zealous for the things of Yahweh and defending what he thought was right. So, when followers of The Way came on the scene after Jesus’ resurrection the religious sector saw them as delusional. Saul went to the high priest to seek authorization to kill or imprison those he saw as following the false Messiah. He and all the religious men couldn’t even recognize the Messiah, Yahweh in the flesh as He stood before them and definitely was not going to stand for the followers to continue to spread The Truth. As Saul set out to accomplish his mission, he was met with a brilliant light that exploded around him and suddenly was thrown to the ground and heard, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “I am Jesus, the Victorious, the one you are persecuting.” Wow, the grace and mercy of Jesus is truly incredible. He could have destroyed Saul but instead He sees who he really is. Just like He does with us. He sees who we are created to be not who religion tells us we are.

Saul was blind and instructed to go to Damascus and wait. In those three days, Jesus spoke to Ananias and tells him to go at once to the street called Abundance to find Saul and lay hands on him to restore his sight. In the footnotes of The Passion Translation of Acts 9, it says “the conversion of Saul the legalist into Paul the grace preacher has a significant lesson for us. We can be amazingly wrong while thinking we are doing right. The Holy Spirit awakens our hearts to feast on Christ, our righteousness. Religion has a deadening effect on our hearts. Like Saul, we have to fall off of our “high horse” and bite the dust before our blinded eyes can see.”

One of the hardest things to do is to be honest with what we have believed and what it has produced in our lives and the lives of our family. Some of us gave many, many years to the system of American Christianity and we’ve seen it produce destruction of marriages, children, ministries and even our personal lives have suffered. Our hearts have been violated. This is NOT what Jesus came to give us. He came so we can have life and life more abundant.

When Jesus rescues Saul, he doesn’t send him back to those he had great influence with. In our mind we think go tell them where they are wrong, but the Holy Spirit knows what must take place when He begins to talk to us about the truth of the Kingdom of Yahweh. We cannot mix the Kingdom with religion. It does not work. We must allow the Holy Spirit to call us out to the wilderness to pour out all the garbage religion poured in.

“My zeal and passion for the doctrines of Judaism distinguished me among my people, for I was far more advanced in my religious instruction than others my age. But then God called me by his grace and chose me from my birth to be his. He was pleased to unveil his Son in me so that I would proclaim him to the peoples of the world. After I had this encounter, I kept it a secret for some time, sharing it with no one. And I had no desire to run to Jerusalem and try to impress those who had become apostles before me. Instead, I withdrew into the Arabian Desert.” Galatians 1:14-15

Saul knew he had to allow Jesus to reveal who he was created to be from birth, a beloved son who would proclaim the true Messiah to the world. Is Jesus calling you to the wilderness to reveal your true identity in Jesus?

Regardless of the accomplishments you’ve achieved in American Christianity’s system, if you are feeling the drawing of the Holy Spirit just say, “yes and I do.” Our yes has more to do with our children and future generations than our own personal destiny. We are supposed to be different in the world. A light that displays the glory of Jesus.

“Yet all of the accomplishments that I once took credit for, I’ve now forsaken them and I regard it all as nothing compared to the delight of experiencing Jesus Christ as my Lord! To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It’s all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness.

My passion is to be consumed with him and not cling to my own “righteousness” based in keeping the written Law. My only “righteousness” will be his, based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ—the very righteousness that comes from God. And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me.” Philippians 3

Seek First

“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.” Matthew 6:33

We often hear or read familiar scriptures like this and tend to glaze over what this really means. How do we practically and actively live out His words? Let’s start with “so above all,” this means first. The absolute first thing we do in each day is turn our heart to Him. In the morning when you wake up regardless of what is on the schedule for the day- You can say to Jesus, Good morning. Thank you for this this day. What do you want to show me about today? He has to be the absolute first thing our hearts engage with, not the news, social media or emails.

Define constantly: without variation, deviation or change. Always. Some other words you could use is consistent, nonstop, perpetual, uninterrupted.

Always seek Yahweh’s kingdom in every situation. What is His kingdom? In Romans 14, Paul describes the kingdom of Yahweh as the realm of the Holy Spirit. As a lover of Jesus, we enter into a tangible relationship with the Holy Spirit. This relationship causes us to prioritize the things of Jesus. What does this look like? Actively pursuing Him in prayer. Let’s change how we think of prayer when you hear the word. Prayer is a conversation with Jesus. When you are in a conversation the dialogue is a back and forth. This means there is a time for us to listen. Prayer is not always making request. These conversations can be ongoing throughout the day. When you are constantly seeking His kingdom, you will hear Him talk to you about a concern you brought to Him. Let me share a small testimony.

Early Sunday morning, 3 am, I woke up with some concerns on my heart. I turned to Him the concerns and expressed my heart in those matters. When I got up a couple of hours later, I had a text from someone I rarely talk to with this scripture. Philippians 4:6 have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your request before God. Then during the message from Pastor Tim on Sunday, the Holy Spirit gave me a firm word regarding a couple of my concerns. He gave me tangible actions to deal with the concerns. Yahweh never stops speaking to us if we are listening.

How else can we prioritize seeking His kingdom? We meditate on the scriptures, His written word. Jesus tells us we are to meditate day and night on what the scriptures say. This means not just reading through them to check off the box. Take your time in a few scriptures. Ask Him questions about them. Holy Spirit, what does this mean? How can I actively apply this to my life? The other ways we prioritize Him is by putting His desires and His values at the forefront of every decision we make. We learn His desires and values by mediating on His written word and listening for His spoken word.

What is the fruit of seeking His kingdom and righteousness first? We have peace and joy in our lives. No matter what struggle or storm is happening you can have peace and joy when you are seeking Him first.

This life can be demanding. It vies for our time, our thoughts, our energy and action. We have to work because we have houses, cars and groceries to pay for, but we cannot allow ourselves to be consumed with these demands. We have family and friends we want to see healed and free from hardships. No matter what you are hoping for and wanting to see happen in your life it is on the other side of “seek first the Kingdom of Yahweh and His righteousness.”

Make Him priority and bring glory to Him in everything you do. He promises if you do this everything else will be added. All those things you need and desire He will give them to you in abundance but FIRST - Jesus!

The Trap that Seems Right

“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.” Revelation 2:1-4

Jesus tells John the beloved to write a letter to the church of Ephesus. Timothy is the pastor of this church and a disciple of Paul. Jesus’ mother and Mary Magdelene attend this church. Church history tells us this congregation was 50,000 plus people. Why would Jesus need to have a third party write a letter to tell them where they are missing the mark? Did Timothy not know? They were doing church well, really well. Jesus tells them, you are working hard and persevering, you aren’t tolerating evil, you can recognize those who claim to be Jesus followers but are not, and you are bravely enduring trials and persecutions. Their persecutions usually end in death. Jesus even acknowledges they haven’t been discouraged. So, Jesus, what is the problem?

He says, “I have this against you: you have abandoned the passionate love you had for me at the beginning.”

In other words, you have abandoned your first love. In the footnotes of TPT bible, the Greek word for “first” means foremost, best, paramount, supreme, crowning, number one. Jesus is referring to exclusive love that has first place in our hearts above all else.

How does this happen? How do we lose sight of our first love? Every person who finds himself/herself at the altar of surrender for the first time is there because we have come to realize our need for Him. The initial encounter sparks a love affair between us and Jesus. What happens next will determine the outcome of our lives. Unfortunately, American Christianity is mishandling the babies in Christ. These babies come with trauma, brokenness, wounds, dysfunctions, and insecurities. Instead of having a father, mother and family to care for them they have found themselves in a system that seems right. The first thing the church does is put them to work. They begin to serve (for Jesus) in some way. The more faithful you are to serve the faster you move up the leadership ladder. The faster you move up the ladder the more you must hide the problematic areas you came in with. Why are the church’s teaching people to dress up and mask what is really going on behind the scenes? It’s a trap, especially if you have a gift of singing, playing an instrument, or teaching in any way. It is unfortunate the degree leadership will overlook discrepancies in a person’s life if they have a gift that can be “used.” It is why you see so many leaders fall because the weight of carrying all the things you are hiding becomes too much. Proverbs 14:12 says, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

How come the church cannot help people to deal with the baggage they bring in? Why must they hide it? Because the LAMPSTAND has been removed. Jesus is the LAMPSTAND. If Jesus is not there in the midst of the people there is no presence, no power and the authority to confront matters is not available.

“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 2:5-7

We have learned the real meaning of repent. It is metanoia, change the way you think, another word’s you must receive the mind of Christ. Think like Jesus. Repent is not turn from your wrong behaviors while saying I’m sorry.

Change how you think about your relationship with Jesus. He doesn’t care about you checking the boxes of attendance to church, reading your bible, witnessing to someone, or giving your money, if He is not the center of your life. He cares about your heart. Do you LOVE HIM? All of those components are important, but it has to be the fruit of a life centered on Jesus.

Jesus is saying to us today. Listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying to you. The one who overcomes He will give you access to feast on the fruit of the Tree of Life that is found in the paradise of God.

How do we overcome? We do the love we did at first. Maybe you are thinking I don’t know what that is because I was caught in the trap of service early on. It doesn’t happen instantly but over time of you turning your heart to Jesus and saying, “I want to love you.” He sees your heart and He wants your honesty. He swoops in with grace to walk with you as you learn to love Him and learn how to be loved by Him.

It is vitally important to find a kingdom family with a father who cares about you. A family will overlook your talents and gifts to see you become who Jesus died for. The beloved whom He loves. It is so refreshing to know at The Wilderness Place our family has a father who doesn’t care if you can sing, play an instrument or teach - he cares about your life. He desires to see you be the best husband/father and the best wife/mother. He cares about you loving Jesus. Period. We are learning a strong infrastructure starts with individuals having an intimate relationship with Jesus. As we grow in this relationship of loving Jesus, we know we have a Kingdom family who truly cares about us and our families. Let us hear the Spirit today say “Come, sit with Me as we feast.”

You need to know you are not alone in this walk. There is a family who is planted in beloved identity on Pass Rd in Gulfport waiting to walk with you through trials and tribulations as we learn to love Him intimately.

Our family is endeavoring to become free from all traps and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!

Promise with a Contingence

“But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done.” John 15:7

“But if you live in life union with me and if my words live powerfully within you then you can ask whatever you desire, and it will be done. That's a promise with a contingence. We love the verses that tell us that we can be the head and not the tail, but we never talk about what it cost. We love the verses that say wherever the soles of your feet touch it will be given to you, but you don't know what Joshua did to get that promise. He spent day and night at the feet of Jesus. He was consumed with one thing. One passion.” Pastor Tim

In Exodus 33:11 it says Yahweh spoke to Moses and Moses returned to the camp. He had a message for the people. “But his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.” Joshua was obsessed with the presence of Yahweh.

Joshua spent forty years in the wilderness with Moses. He was a faithful assistant to him. I imagine he saw some things happen he may not have agreed with, but he never let it move him from what was vital to his life and the life of his people, the Israelites. Don’t you know Jesus watches how we handle situations we see or hear that we don’t necessarily agree with. Our resolve must be like Joshua. Faithful, devoted, and passionate about one thing. The presence of Yahweh.

“And after Moses, Yahweh’s servant, died, Yahweh spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ faithful assistant, and said, “My servant Moses is dead. Now get up! Prepare to cross the Jordan River, you and all the people. Lead them into the land that I am giving to the Israelites. Every part of the land where you march, I will give you, as I promised Moses. Your borders will extend from the southern desert to the northern mountains of Lebanon, and from the great river Euphrates in the east, to the Mediterranean in the west—including all the land of the Hittites. Joshua, no one will be able to defeat you for the rest of your life! I will be with you as I was with Moses, and I will never fail nor abandon you. You must be strong and brave. You will lead the people to acquire and apportion the land that I promised their ancestors I would give them. You must remain very strong and courageous! Be faithful to obey all the teaching that my servant Moses commanded you to follow. Do not deviate from him to the right or to the left, so that you will have overwhelming success in everything you undertake. Recite this scroll of the law constantly. Contemplate it day and night and be careful to follow every word it contains; then you will enjoy incredible prosperity and success. I repeat, be strong and brave! Do not yield to fear nor be discouraged, for I am Yahweh your God, and I will be with you wherever you go!” Joshua 1:1-9

What can we learn from Joshua? To be faithful where Jesus has us and be passionate about the Presence of Jesus. We cannot expect Abba to give us all the promises we read about if we are unwilling to be faithful to what He has given us. We have a family, both personal and kingdom, to be faithful to lead in the things of the Kingdom. We have future generations to see established in the promises of Yahweh. We have cities to see changed. Our Country to be established in the Kingdom of Yahweh. It is all possible because Jesus said it is! We have a part, and it starts with our personal union with Jesus.

The above underline text says, contemplate it (His words both written and spoken) day and night and be careful to follow every word it contains. THEN you will enjoy the incredible prosperity and success. Do not yield to fear or be discouraged! Be BRAVE and STRONG! He is with you!

The Vinedresser

“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. So, you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.” John 15

Yahweh’s heart is for every one of us to increase, not just maintain. When you think of gardening whether it be a vegetable garden or a flower garden you know the intentionality it takes for it to increase in what it produces. You can’t put plants in place and never do anything with it again. No, you must water, weed, prune and then you enjoy the fruit. The garden is ever increasing as you tend it. Our lives are no different. We see in John 15; Jesus is giving us the blueprint to a fruitful life with Him. Jesus refers to Himself as the sprouting vine. Sprouting is the natural process where plants produce new leaves and/or buds. There is never a winter season with Jesus.

The Father is the farmer who tends the vine. If you have ever read how farmers actually tend their crops you can see the heart of a farmer. The farmer isn’t walking through his crop of fruit trees thinking if these trees aren’t producing get rid of them. No, he is invested in caring for them. He is very meticulous in the detail of the plant. Where does it need the most attention? This is our heavenly Father. He is the one who tends the vine of your heart. He sees your struggling fruitless branches and comes to help by propping you up. This propping isn’t grabbing a stick to get you off the ground. Oh no, it is pulling you closer to His heart to hold you, to care for you.

But we sometimes don’t know His heart, or we care too much of what others think so we hide. We try to hide our fruitless lives, or we pretend we have fruit so others can’t see the truth of our struggles. Yahweh is not here to discard you because you are struggling. He is here to care for the broken branches in your life. He does this by pruning. When a tree has a broken limb, the farmer prunes the branch by removing it which promotes healing.

This is where you come in. You must invite Him into the weak, broken areas of your life so He can prop it up or cut it back to instigate the healing process. Jesus says, “the words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you.” His words always come with questions. This starts the conversation that leads to restoration. We have a part in this garden. Jesus tells us - “YOU must remain in life-union.” He is not the weak link in our increase. Each one of us has a responsibility to maintain a hot heart for the Lord. What are you doing to increase your passion for Him?

What about fasting so your hunger for Him is increased? What about taking a walk to talk to Him? Getting up early before your day starts to put Him first? Talking to Him throughout the day is a great way to stay connected to His heart. We must connect to Him in an intimate way every day. Our passion for Jesus should be ever increasing. Not just for what He has done for us. That can’t even be measured. Our passion should increase because of who HE is!

He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Magnificent in every way, Most Beautiful, Creator of All things and yet so intimately involved in our lives. He deserves for our hearts and lives to be fully alive for Him. Open the door and invite Him in to be the Vine dresser of your life.

Who Is Jesus to You?

“Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me.” Revelation 3

Have you ever had someone come to your door knocking but you hid so they wouldn’t know you were home? I think it is safe to say we have all done this at some point but why? We don’t really want to talk to someone we don’t know.

It is crazy to think we have done this same thing to Jesus. He has knocked on the door of our heart, but we hid. We didn’t open the door because we don’t really know Him. We know about Him through stories in the Bible and what others have taught us. Oftentimes what others say about Him is a deluded version of the truth because they often don’t know Him either. In our kingdom family at The Wilderness Place we are endeavoring to be honest with ourselves about where we are in our walk with Jesus. If we are honest about this, we would raise our hand to say, yes, I have hidden from His knock because I wasn’t sure what He would say or reveal about me. We do this when we don’t know His heart for us.

Yesterday we talked about grace and mercy. We must move in the direction of an intimate relationship with Jesus so we can know His heart for us. Otherwise, we continue to hide who we really are from Him, ourselves and the world around us. Here’s the thing. He already knows us. His heart is to reveal to us who we truly are in Him but in order to this we must first face the mask we have always worn. Remember grace? It is poured out when we open the door and invite Him in.

This is where we realign our hearts to His. His love casts out all fear. You do not have to be afraid of what will be revealed. His banner over you is love.

This is what the banner of love looks like…

When you’ve given up on yourself - He never does.

When you lose your way - He is your guide.

When you can’t walk through the difficult trial - He carries you.

When you fall down in disappointment - He picks you up.

If you feel your heart is hardened because of life - His mercy is the healing oil to soften the calluses.

Just open the door. Maybe you’re thinking I have opened the door, but I can’t hear Him or feel His presence.

This is where faith comes in. Your part is to believe Jesus when He says I will not abandon you. I will be by your side. Your part is to sit with Him at the table of love and feast on His written word until you hear His spoken word.

May the wind of Heaven blow across your life today as you stand under the banner of His love.

Grace and Mercy

“But Lord, your nurturing love is tender and gentle. You are slow to get angry yet so swift to show your faithful love. You are full of abounding grace and truth.” Psalms 86:15 TPT

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalms 86 NKJV

At The Wilderness Place you will hear us pray a lot concerning grace and mercy. These words are so powerful, yet we can hear them and not fully grasp the value of their meaning. Let’s discover the truth behind these words and how important they are for us.

Let’s start with mercy. The Hebrew word is Hesed which means “steadfast love.” This steadfast love is unwavering, loyal, and true. Mercy combines love and faithful loyalty. Pastor Tim reminded us yesterday Abba does not do abandonment. His mercy towards us is a firm foundation. He NEVER moves away from us. Even when we walk away and deny His love, Jesus is steadfast in His mercy towards us.

The Greek word for mercy is eleos. This word is derived from the word olive oil. Olive oil was used to treat wounds. Mercy is the comforting love of Jesus that sooths and heals our broken hearts. Picture Him pouring His mercy like oil over your broken heart.

The Hebrew for grace is khen and it can be described as delightful or favorable. An example I read referenced the story of Esther. She is going to approach the king of Persia to ask that she and her people are spared from death. What she did was a request for khen and because the king delighted in her and favored her the request was granted. Jesus gives us the gift of delight and favor. He looks at you throughout each day and night with such delight.

Grace in the Greek is charis which means favor, freely given, always leaning toward. I love this description of Jesus always leaning towards us. Most of us have heard it’s meaning as unmerited favor, but it is so much more than favor. It is compassion for every circumstance. He orchestrates things in our lives to bless us and show His love for us. He walks us through trials with such grace. Some of us have faced very painful and hard things but it was His grace that walked us through it.

“So now we draw near freely and boldly to where grace is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.” Hebrews 4

Draw near to Him today and receive the beautiful gifts of grace and mercy for your family, your children, for your vision to see your life like He sees it, and for your hearing of His voice in each moment of the day.

Abba, we come boldly to the fountain of grace and mercy today. We stand under the flow of your healing oil has it pours over our hearts that have been broken by various circumstances. We let you love us like you want to. Kissing us and holding us just like the amazing Father you are. Teach us to soak in these words and know no matter what lies ahead we are wrapped in grace and mercy. Just like a butterfly who comes out of her cocoon we will emerge from the brokenness into the joy filled, radiant one who will be set on a hill to see our communities changed. We freely give what we have freely received.

Don’t Miss Out on the Miracles

“On the first day of the week, as the Sabbath was ending, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jacob, and Salome made their way to the tomb. It was very early in the morning as the first streaks of light were beginning to be seen in the sky. They had purchased aromatic embalming spices so that they might anoint his body. And they had been asking one another, “Who can roll away the heavy stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they arrived, they discovered that the very large stone was already rolled away!” Mark 16

Jesus had been arrested, beaten and crucified then buried in a tomb. To those who had followed Him for three years this was a hopeless situation. Devastating to say the least. The eleven disciples were nowhere to be found. They were hiding out of fear for their lives, and they let hopelessness take over. But there were three women who refused to let hopelessness rob them. These are beautiful examples of steps taken in a seemingly hopeless situation. These women are still investing in the Kingdom, even at the lowest point of when Jesus has died. They refused to let disappointment dictate their lives. They did what they knew to do. Serve Him. What steps could they possibly take in this moment? They knew Jesus’ body had not been anointed for burial due to Him being buried right before the Sabbath so they made a plan for what they could do.

They get up early (I can do that). They go to the store and spend money to buy spices (I could do that). All while knowing there was a large stone in front of the tomb, they would not be able to move. They refused to let something that seemed impossible up ahead stop them from doing what they could. Truth is, Mary Magdelene had seen too much to let what she was currently seeing determine her next steps. Jesus had done some miraculous things in her own life for her to sit around hiding. They started their day out focused on one thing. Caring for Jesus. Worshipping Jesus. Serving Jesus. Loving Jesus. Doing every possible thing they could for JESUS! It wasn’t about them or the impossible they would face up ahead. It was about Him. When they arrived at the tomb the impossible had already been done. The stone was rolled away.

If you continue to make the impossible all about you nothing will ever change. Not only will you remain the same, but you will pass down to your legacy the very thing you struggle with. Our appetites not only affect us, but they feed our children. Would you intentionally give your children poison? Absolutely not but it is essentially what we are doing when we refuse to take even the baby steps Jesus is asking us to take. The best part is when we choose to make it about Him and let Him order these baby steps there is so much grace with each step.

What are you hungry for? More of the same or a life fully alive, overflowing over on our children? We and our children are designed to see the world changed into the image of Heaven. If Heaven on Earth was not possible Jesus would not have declared it. We have a part in this Heaven on Earth.

This scripture says when they looked up the stone was rolled away. Now let’s think about something, if you stay home because there's too many obstacles on the way you’re going to miss the miracles. How many have we missed because we never take a step. One little step, Abba is not asking you to do the whole thing he's asking you to do one simple thing. What's one simple thing you can do to open the door for the impossible?

This week we have been talking about allowing the Holy Spirit to order our lives. The first thing that must take place is allowing Him to restore hope by speaking into the areas of your life you have had buried because of disappointment. Yield to His Lordship.

Holy Spirit, with hands lifted I yield to You. There are areas in my life I avoid looking at or talking about because I feel so helpless in seeing it changed. I took my eyes off of You, the one who offers grace and mercy to help me every step of the way. I made it about me and others. I am ready to face it all by making my life about You. As I learn to love you, serve you, care for you, honor you, be intimate with you- the areas of hopelessness disappear, and I can see Your light burning in the distance as we walk together until I become the burning light for others. Thank you for your truth that continues to speak to me.