Faith and Delight

“Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. This testimony of faith is what previous generations were commended for. Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words! He spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen.” Hebrews 11

Faith goes beyond believing that Yeshua died on the cross and then was resurrected just so we will spend eternity in Heaven. He gave it all to see “on earth as it is in heaven”. A complete restoration to the cosmos. Depending on where you are right now in your faith that can be hard to believe in but we know He is faithful to meet us where we are. Sometimes all you can do is come into agreement with what you are hearing concerning His truth. A simple amen ushers in grace to the slightest move towards faith.

Think about the many thousands of people who witnessed the miracles of Yeshua but there were only 120 in an upper room with faith waiting for ten days. Yeshua told them to wait a couple of days, and the promise would come. After a couple of days, they did not walk away from faith. They remained to honor and believed in what He said would happen. Everything regarding the Kingdom comes in seed form. What are you doing with the seed Abba has placed in your hand?

By faith, hold out your hand right now. Imagine the Holy Spirit placing a seed in your hand. He says, “here’s the seed to your breakthrough.” “Here’s the seed to see your whole family restored.” “Here’s the seed to see all of Mississippi go from dead last to first.” “Here’s the seed to see the next generation in Mississippi come alive for Yeshua.” “Here’s the seed for revival in Mississippi.” How will you honor the seed He just placed in your hand? He’s not asking you to do it all. He’s asking for you to move your heart in faith towards Him and believe. James 4 tells us when we draw near to Him, Abba will draw near to us. Are you willing to forsake all you’ve believed for one thing? Just Jesus.

We are created in His image. He gave us the same imagination He has. The One who spoke, and all was created except the garden- He planted seed. Our imagination is designed to see what Abba is ready to birth in us and around us. Imagination is us reimagining a nation. What you say matters. What you come into agreement with matters. In order for us to move in this mighty faith we must delight ourselves in Yeshua.

As you make this a lifestyle of delighting in Him and moving in faith, always be mindful of the seed He is placing in your hand. What seed did He place in your hand today? Will you honor the seed by placing it in the ground and tending it until you see the fruit of your faith in Him.

Responding to His Presence

What you do with the presence of Yeshua matters. It determines the outcome of your life and the answers to your prayers. Think of how many times you experienced the presence of Yeshua. Now think about what you did next. Did you leave the service thinking that was so good. I am so encouraged. Then you moved on with life waiting for the following Sunday. There is no condemnation in these thought provoking questions but if we never slow down to let Him reveal things to us we will miss it. No one wants to miss out on what Abba has for them, but we do it all the time. Let’s look at a story. Mark 6:1-6

“Then He (Yeshua) went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were overwhelmed with astonishment, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.”

At His teaching it says they were overwhelmed with astonishment. Astonished can also mean amazed, stunned, surprised, in awe and wonder. The wisdom and insights He spoke had their hearts captivated in that moment. They longed for more of what He was saying. They couldn’t stop listening with eyes of wonder staring at Him. Then someone in the crowd said, “wait isn’t this Mary’s son? You know, the carpenter. He’s the brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon. Even His sisters are here.” What just happened to change the whole atmosphere? It took one person to get offended and start spreading their offense. Dishonor ran through the crowd.

Because they dishonored the King and His teaching they lost out on miracles. You may say, well they didn’t know at the time He was the Messiah. They dishonored the seed Yahweh sent them. Remember everything from the Kingdom comes in seed form. Every time we experience His presence there is seed being given to us.

This scripture tells us Yeshua could not do any mighty miracles among them because of their unbelief. He only healed a few sick people. I imagine these people were healed because He knew they believed in their heart and was honoring what He was saying. Be careful going with the crowd on matters of opinion. You will miss out on the blessings He has for you.

Honor is a very important aspect of our relationship with Him. I encourage you to ask Him what His definition of honor is. We can think we honor but it’s more than not talking bad about someone. It’s more than following the principals of the Kingdom. Many are successful to a certain point in following principal without honor, but it is dangerous. Remember, John the Beloved had to write a letter to Apostle Timothy? Timothy pastored one of the largest churches in history. Even Yeshua’s mother went to this church. They were so caught up in doing church they left the most important thing. “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

Honor is a way of life, but the first thing that must take place is you falling in love with Yeshua. It is easy to say I love Jesus but never include Him in any aspect of your life other than church service. On earth as it is in Heaven demands a different standard in our lives. We must return to our first love. *The Greek word for first is protos meaning foremost, best, paramount, supreme, crowning, number one. Yeshua is referring to exclusive love that has first place in our hearts above all else. This is a love that will be expressed by our passionate devotion for Yeshua and seen in our relationships with others. (TPT footnotes)

This is an invitation to start today honoring Yeshua and His presence in your everyday life. Ask Him-

What have I done with what you’ve already given me? Then wait for the answer.

Lift the Standard

We have been talking about delight this week. Delight is pursuing the presence of Yeshua. Inclining to His voice. As the Bride of Christ, we must know His voice and His ways. This intimate relationship with Yeshua goes much deeper than Sunday mornings.

In Exodus 19 we see Moses goes up the mountain to get a word for the people. When Yahweh gives him the word, he goes back down to the people to tell them what Yahweh had said. In verse 8 this is what they said, “we will do everything the Lord has commanded.” So, Moses brought the people’s answer back to the Lord. This “Christian life” can no longer be about one person getting a word from the Lord to feed the people on Sunday. They eat but they never digest it. Meaning there is no change in their lives.

Our Kingdom family at The Wilderness Place is lifting the standard. We will be a family who climbs the mountain together to the feet of Yeshua to hear His voice for ourselves. We are thankful Abba has led us to a more excellent way with a spiritual father in Pastor Tim. He leads us on a journey together in pursuit of Yeshua. Teaching us what it looks like to delight in the Lord.

When you read the verse before and after Psalm 37:4 this is what it says:

Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.

We only learn to trust, delight and commit everything to the Lord when we know Him. This knowing is not head knowledge. It is the same know that Mary meant when she told Gabriel, how can this be as I have not ever known a man. This is an intimate know. Be intentional today and every day to turn your heart to Him. Pursue Him. Delight in His presence today.

Delight Yourself in Him

“Find your delight and true pleasure in Yahweh, and he will give you what you desire the most.” Ps 37:4 TPT

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Ps 37:4 NKJV

Delight in Hebrew means, “to bend towards, to be inclined towards, to be pleased with or to desire.” When we delight ourselves in the Lord, we gain great pleasure and satisfaction. Our lives display joy, happiness and excitement. Pastor Tim gave a great illustration Sunday. When you were finding your significant other you were intentional about being together. Every waking moment you were thinking about them, talking to them, making plans for the future. You were inclined towards them and found great delight in being with them.

When we delight ourselves in Yeshua our desires come from a place of union with Him. Our desires are His desires because we are now one, just like when you are married. The two of you are now one and your desires begin to line up with each other. The truth is you cannot trust your desires if they are not birthed from delighting in Yeshua.

Our desires should lead us to His feet. This can be difficult if you have a broken heart. It is hard to be tender in His presence with a broken heart especially if you have buried your brokenness to the point of not even realizing the pain deep in your heart. We can’t truly be who we were created to be with a broken heart. We must allow Him to love us. His love heals. His kisses heal.

Sunday when Pastor Tim was sharing this part of the message the Holy Spirit showed me a Japanese pottery piece with gold. I later looked up why their culture has pottery pieces with gold. It is called Kintsugi. It is their tradition of repairing broken pottery. The concept embraces imperfections. Instead of trying to hide the damage, it highlights the breaks, transforming them into a source of beauty and strength. Kintsugi has a powerful metaphor of life. Even though you have experienced hardship and setbacks, you can find strength and beauty in the process of healing and rebuilding.

This is exactly what the Holy Spirit is inviting us into. Gold in the Bible represents divine presence, holiness, purity and refinement. When we surrender our brokenness, He fills in all the cracks with His love. Divine presence brings healing and restoration. All of what was ugly is made into a beautiful masterpiece.

Abba is whispering to you today. Lean into His words and invitation:

My beloved, come sit with Me. Let Me hold you. I know you are hurting. I know you are disappointed in how it all turned out. I know you struggle with guilt and shame from the choices you’ve made. I don’t care where you’ve been or what you did. I only care about your heart. I just want to love you and hold you. My kisses of tender love will heal you. I know it’s hard, but My grace helps you remain right here in My arms. The longer you stay in My presence the more you want to stay. I love you, Abba

Foundational Truths

You may have seen a post on Facebook this past weekend with these words, “God’s presence is not enough.” Pastor Tim explained Sunday the meaning behind this statement. A lot of people (think about the magnitude of this number) encountered the presence of God and did nothing with it. This is true for all of times past to the present day. How do we change this?

If you do not allow yourself to fall in love with Him, you’ll find you have wasted your time building things that do not last. Storms come regardless. What matters is what you have built your life on. The foundation is the most important aspect of a house. Let’s consider Yeshua’s own words in Matthew 7. “Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.

“But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand. When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away.” We must take His word, the teachings we hear, and His presence into the secret place and allow Him to ask us questions. Allow Him to give us direction concerning our everyday life. Complete surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives will seem odd at first but may we be the people coming out of the wilderness alive with eyes full of fire and passion for one thing. This is what changes the world around you and for generations to come.

Let me leave you with this incredible description of Yeshua describing you, His beloved when you arise from the secret place of your encounters with Him. Song of Songs 8- Who is this one? She arises out of her desert, clinging to her beloved. When I awakened you under the apple tree, as you were feasting upon me, I awakened your innermost being with the travail of birth as you longed for more of me. Fasten me upon your heart as a seal of fire forevermore. This living, consuming flame will seal you as my prisoner of love. My passion is stronger than the chains of death and the grave, all-consuming as the very flashes of fire from the burning heart of God. Place this fierce, unrelenting fire over your entire being. Rivers of pain and persecution will never extinguish this flame. Endless floods will be unable to quench this raging fire that burns within you. Everything will be consumed. It will stop at nothing as you yield everything to this furious fire until it won’t even seem to you like a sacrifice anymore.”

I encourage you to finish reading Song of Songs 8 to hear the Brides response.

He’s Asking a Question

As I was praying in preparation for today’s walk, I kept hearing the Lord ask a question. “What have you done with what you’ve already heard?” I knew He did not want me to write on something different today but to extend the question to you.

In Monday’s devotional we discussed the pursuit of His presence daily and the importance of tethering ourselves to a Kingdom family to walk this out in one accord. One of the statements made was, “There is a difference at The Wilderness Place.” One of those differences is we refuse to be a part of consumerism where we only consume information but never allow it to change who we are. We have a purpose here to see the Goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. On Earth as it is in Heaven! If you are only consuming and never transforming what will your legacy look like?

Caterpillars consume a lot of vegetation but there comes a time when they go away into the secret place to become what they are designed to be. What did you consume this week to take away into the secret place to be transformed?

Perfect Love

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” 1 John 4:18

Abba is love. It is sometimes very difficult to wrap our minds around the magnitude of this love. It is not like earthly love or human love where we’ve seen and experienced hurt or rejection. We often view Abba through the pain we have encountered from someone we loved. Maybe you can’t even call Him Abba yet. He is still known to you as God. Language matters. It reveals the contents of our heart. Luke 6:45, “For the overflow of what has been stored in your heart will be seen by your fruit and will be heard in your words.”

When we encounter the perfect love of Abba it is there to cast out any and all fear we have in our hearts. Fear causes you to be suspicious of Abba and other people. If you are always waiting for something to happen in your health, relationships, finances, or world matters you are living in a measure of fear. This points back to one thing: you have not allowed Him to love you. Did you know you can stop the love of Abba from going deeper into your heart?

The Creator of all things. The most powerful being. This One who speaks, and life is created can be hindered in your life. He gave us free will to choose Him. Even in this we see His love and goodness.

You don’t have to be afraid of anything. Your Abba, your Dada wants to love you perfectly to the degree you have no fear of anything. He is trustworthy in every sense of the word. Let love reach its goal in you starting today. He will meet you where you are. Be honest with Him concerning these areas of fear. Today let’s believe our hearts can be whole again with confident hope. No fear of the future or rejection.

Everything is His

Everything you have is His. Abba gives us the air we breathe. He created us in His very image, weaving together perfectly how we look, sound, and walk. We are wonderfully made by Him. The ground we walk on is His. Everything is held together by Abba. If He stopped holding it all together, we would cease to exist.

We read Sunday the parable in Matthew 25 concerning the three men who received talents. One five, one two and the third one received one. This parable is about money, but this can apply to any gift given to us by Abba. Our life is a gift. The first two men doubled their talents. It doesn’t tell us how long it took other than it says after much time the master returned. These men were obviously faithful and intentional concerning what they had been entrusted with. Like all of us I am sure they encountered difficult situations as they were managing what had been given to them. They remained faithful because they had an understanding of the wealthy man who gave them these talents. He was good and faithful. A rewarder of those who seek to please Him. (Hebrews 11:5)

The third man with one talent buried his and left it. He wasn’t faithful with what he was given. He saw the wealthy man as a slave master who was angry and shrewd. Since he had this idea concerning the wealthy man, he was afraid of Him. He gave zero effort because of fear. What if I mess up? He’ll punish me. How we see Abba matters so much. It will determine what you do with the life He has given you.

Abba’s heart is for us to increase in every area of our lives. In order to increase you have to take risk sometimes. You have to trust His leading. Today, look in the mirror and ask Abba this question. Am I stewarding the life you gave me the way you want?

Maturity says everything I have is His and if He has entrusted me to increase it for His glory then I know even if I mess up, He is there to help me back to the right path. He is not angry- ever! Our life is multi-faceted meaning there are a lot of different responsibilities in our day to day. The Kingdom comes in seed form. Every moment with your spouse is an opportunity for seeds of His goodness to be sown. How are you stewarding your marriage? It doesn’t matter if you have been married one week or eighty years, your marriage is a representation of the Kingdom of Heaven. If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend of young people we are to be faithful with your words to them. He’s given us a great responsibility to care for and see the success of the next generation to go further with the things of the Kingdom than us. Maybe you're not married nor have children. This is a beautiful opportunity to hear His voice concerning your future. How can you honor what He has given you in this season of your life. Regardless of where we are in life and what it looks like we want to be faithful with our lives, gifts, talents, thoughts and opportunities.

He has much to say to us each day, but we must be faithful with the little He’s given us in order to hear all of what He wants to say in moments. Will you be intentional today in hosting His presence? Your life is really His. I encourage you to honor Him with the gift of life He’s given you. When you see someone show gratitude for gifts they received, it makes your heart so happy. How much more can we make Abba happy with our expression of thankfulness today?

His Glory is Goodness

“And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” Exodus 33

In pursuit of His presence Moses also knew there was something else needed. He asked Yahweh to show him His glory. How did Yahweh respond? “I will make My goodness pass before you.” So we have Abba telling us today My glory is My goodness. This truth is such a treasure.

So what is the goodness of Yahweh? His benevolence which is His kindness, mercy and generosity. His virtue. What does virtue mean? A habitual and firm disposition to do good. Let’s look at some scriptures that describe His goodness.

Psalm 145:9 - Yahweh, everyone sees your goodness, for your tender love is blended into everything you do.

Psalm 104:13- From your kindness you send the rain to water the mountains from the upper rooms of your palace. Your goodness brings forth fruit for all to enjoy.

Acts 14 - Yet he has never left himself without clear evidence of his goodness. For he blesses us with rain from heaven and seasons of fruitful harvests, and he nourishes us with food to meet our needs. He satisfies our lives, and euphoria fills our hearts. (This food is both spiritual and natural)

1 Corinthians 13:13 - There are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love - yet love surpasses them all.

“Faith and hope both spring from love, which makes love the greatest virtue of all. Faith and hope are temporary, but love is eternal.” Brian Simmons- The Passion Translation

Paul gives us the characteristics of Abba’s love in this chapter of Corinthians. Love is patient, it is kind (always), He is generous in every circumstance, humble, His love never allows Him to be rude, He will never manipulate you with fear, shame or condemnation, He’s not irritable or offended, He always celebrates honesty, He never focuses on your mistakes, and His love is loyal for eternity.

The goodness of Yahweh is so deep we will never fully grasp the entirety of just how incredible His love truly is. As we pursue His presence, we also experience His goodness. We grow from glory to glory which means we go deeper and deeper into His love. Every time we go deeper, we become more like Him in this beautiful love affair with Yeshua. As we become like Him, we will have His same characteristics in our love towards others. What you behold you become. As we behold His patience, kindness, generosity, humility, honesty, and loyal love we become those to others.

Remember we are not alone in this pursuit. We have each other. May faith be stirred in your heart today for that you have not seen. May hope be an anchor for all He says we can have and experience.

In Pursuit of Him

“Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:15-18

His presence has to be a daily pursuit in our lives but not only as individuals. We need each other as a family to pursue the presence of Yahweh. Moses wasn’t seeking the presence just for himself. It was on behalf of all of the people who were in this together. We help each other grow in grace before the Lord.

If I may bring up a difficult season for all the world. In 2020 and the following couple of years we had a pandemic sweep across our nation and the world, which demanded isolation. In this isolation we became so comfortable with streaming church services we lost an important aspect of walking with the Lord. The importance of coming together in once accord. There is a reason why the scripture tells us to not forsake the assembly of others. We are designed to do life together. Jesus did not tell His disciples to each go home and wait for the promise. He told them to go to the upper room together and wait. They prayed together; they fasted together; they did life together.

It is important for you to know this truth. It is dangerous for you to glean from the truths you hear at The Wilderness Place and not make it a priority to be part of the Kingdom family pursuing the Presence of Yahweh on Sundays. Once you know these truths you are responsible for them. Obviously, the Lord understands people have to work, or the children are ill. Things come up but we can no longer take the casualness of pursuing His presence with Kingdom family lightly. Your life matters to other people. He created each one of us to bring an aspect of His goodness to a family. A family is incomplete without every person there. It is important to seek the Lord about where your home is; who is your Kingdom family? Wherever He directs I encourage you to plant yourself there with others in the pursuit of His Presence.

There is a difference at The Wilderness Place. We are in pursuit of His presence. We are not interested in religion. That is a system of entertainment for non-seekers. You cannot add presence to religion. It causes a person to be unstable. James 1:6 says, a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. In pursuit of Him, we desire for all people to be free in His presence. It is there you can become who you are designed to be. We are learning to be open and transparent with each other in our kingdom family. That may seem scary at first but when you know you are in a safe place within a family who are lovers of Jesus is it easier to take the mask off.

Moses tells Yahweh if we do not have your presence there will not be a difference in us than those in the world. We must be people who display the grace and favor of Yahweh so we can draw others to Him. There must be a difference in us as beloved sons and beloved daughters.

We have found grace in His sight, and He will meet each one of us where we are. What is He saying to you today concerning you seeking His presence? Are you committed to seeking Him within a family of beloved ones?

Open up to His questions today. Take the walk with Him.

May He Find Us Faithful

Jesus had the mandate I do nothing I haven’t seen the Father do. (John 5:19) Yesterday we talked about being a good steward. Knowing when and what to say to people about Yeshua is being a good steward. He tells us in Matthew 7:6, “who would hang earrings on a dog’s ear or throw pearls in front of wild pigs? They’ll only trample them under their feet and then turn around and tear you to pieces.” In the footnotes of the Passion Translation, it says the Aramaic word for earrings is most identical to the word holy. Earrings and pearls are symbols of spiritual truths given to us by Yahweh. They give us beautiful ears to hear his voice and impart lovely pearls of wisdom, which are not to be regarded lightly or shared with those who have their hearts closed. The Aramaic for throw is “to instruct” or “to teach.” The value of wisdom is not appreciated by those who have no ears to hear it.

Some people are not ready to hear certain things. We must be like Yeshua- only do what we see Him do and speak. We spent some time in Matthew 15 last week concerning the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus on behalf of her daughter. Yeshua ignores her when she speaks to Him. He cannot allow himself to be moved by His feelings and emotions. We know His heart is to see everyone whole, but His heart is first to do what the Father reveals.

What an incredible example for us. Our heart must be only about what the Father wants in every moment. Yeshua was here to be obedient. Period. The question we must ask ourselves- is my heart to do only what the Father wants? Pastor Tim taught us a while back about being careful not to take a portion of scripture as instructions from the Father to do just so we can say it’s the right thing to do. We must take those scriptures to Him in the secret place and ask if it’s what He want you to do right now?

The truth is we have a hard time doing nothing. A lot of people do so many “works” for the kingdom to find value in themselves instead of letting His love prove us valuable. If you do not feel completely loved by Him, it is not wise to run around and try to minister to others from brokenness. Be a testimony and get healed first. Let your journey of healing and wholeness be the witness to others. Stop running from hard things and let him build His integrity to carry His glory.

“On the other side of moments you are avoiding and running from is the life you’ve been made for.” Pastor Tim.

In His rest is where we find the answers to the problems within and around us. BE at rest in Him. Steward the words He is speaking to you. Not every word needs to be told to others. He may want to see if you will be faithful to just pray over the things He reveals.

May He find us faithful in stewarding His voice and presence every day. Holy Spirit, draw us closer to your heart to hear your truths. In the areas we have our hearts closed off to you we ask for your tender mercy to soften and open our hearts to you. We truly want to be open to you in every way. We choose this day March 14, 2025, to be a day of transformation in our hearts. Thank you for always luring us into the wilderness to be loved by You.

Being a Good Steward

One of the aspects of the kingdom is value. When we value something as important, we are good stewards of it. In order to be a good steward, you must be attentive to that which you are stewarding. Be honest with yourself when I ask you this question. When you first read the word steward did you automatically think money?

If we are honest, we would all say yes. This isn’t a bad thing. We should be good stewards of money, but society has made this word about money. As beloved sons and beloved daughters our first thought has to be - am I being a good steward of my encounters with Yeshua? Every good gift comes from Him. When we are faithful with His voice, His words, His people, His creation we will receive more. When we value these things, we make them a priority in our lives. He has to be the center of every decision we make.

“The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more. If you have not handled the riches of this world with integrity, why should you be trusted with the eternal treasures of the spiritual world?” Luke 16:10-11

We cannot make this word riches just about money. Riches are people. Are you faithful with caring for your family? Are intentional in your conversation with your spouse and children? Establishing a legacy on Yeshua begins with stewarding little conversations every day. What about those people who the Holy Spirit has orchestrated to be in your life? Coworkers, business relationships, people you come in contact with each day. Are you being attentive to the Holy Spirit in every moment to value the purpose of the encounter?

What about your houses, cars, the earth? All of this matters. Are you being a good steward of what He has given you? We want to be people of integrity that can handle the weight of His glory, but we must first sow faithfulness.

One of my favorite quotes from Pastor Tim on Sunday was “it is easier to do than be.” What does this mean? We can read a devotional today about being faithful and good stewards of what He has given us and get to work trying to be a good steward. Being faithful and a good steward is built on the foundation of intimacy, honor and order. Being established as beloved through intimacy and honor is the foundation. Then He begins to order your steps. Being one with Him is where the faithfulness is established.

Remember those who are faithful with little are entrusted to more. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be faithful with His voice today. Steward every step, every conversation, every opportunity to reveal His love and care to those around you.

There is Tension in the Air

“I am convinced that any suffering we endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within us.” Romans 8:18

This word glory in the Greek is doxa which can also mean radiant beauty, splendor, or perfection. Every trial and suffering we endure is meant to unveil within us the radiant beauty, splendor and perfection of Yeshua. When others see you and I, do they see Yeshua?

We often think suffering and trials come from tragic moments in our lives, but these moments of suffering can happen in everyday life. What happens when we encounter rude customers or a co-worker that is hard to deal with? This moment of tension reveals one of two things: Yeshua or you. Yeshua will have revelation knowledge of what is happening in their life that causes the outward behaviors. We too can have revelation knowledge if we choose to see what He sees.

We face trials with our children. This ranges from baby to adults. Who do we display when our children are struggling? Yeshua or ourselves? As a child I did not grow up with parents who displayed the image of Yeshua. My heart’s desire is for our children to see Yeshua when they encounter me. My response isn’t perfect every time but more and more when they see me, they see Yeshua. This is the fruit of valuing my encounters with Him. A couple of days ago one of my children said, “when I was ten you responded to me a lot different than you do now.” It’s been a couple of years since she was ten. That was a kiss from Yeshua to say they see Me in you.

Pastor Tim gave us a great illustration on Sunday when he said, “there is a tension between already and not yet.” You are already like Yeshua but not yet. We grow from glory to glory.

“This moment of tension is going to produce a glory in you that will make more of the Kingdom’s glory available to you. It is increasing your integrity. What you can carry without buckling under pressure.” Pastor Tim

If you continue to read Romans 8 it tells us why glory will continue to be unveiled in us, because the universe is standing on tiptoe yearning to see the unveiling of Yahweh’s beloved sons and beloved daughters. The world around you and I have had to endure futility against its will because of the consequences of humanity not knowing they are made in His image. The universe is “with eager expectations” waiting for freedom from decay to become who it is designed to be.

There is a tension between what we see and what our faith says is possible. As you have opportunities of suffering and trials today let it pull you closer to the heart of Yeshua. Allow Him to reveal what is really happening. The more we allow these moments of tension to be filled with His presence the more we look like Yeshua to those around us.

Aspects of the Kingdom Lifestyle

Yesterday we discussed our hearts desire is to display Yeshua to those around us. It is our heart for on earth as it is in heaven. There is a process to becoming like Yeshua. At The Wilderness Place we call this the Kingdom Lifestyle. The first three aspects of this lifestyle are Encounter, Perspective and Value.

When we encounter Yeshua, this encounter is designed to change our perspective. Every whisper of the Holy Spirit, every book you read, every conversation you have, every situation, every test is an opportunity for us to turn our hearts to Him openly and ask what are you trying to show us?

He wants us to have His perspective regarding every aspect of our daily lives. When we have the perspective of the Kingdom of Yahweh, we can see others like He sees them. We can love like He loves. His perspective is wisdom. Proverbs 4:7-8, “Wisdom is the most valuable commodity - so buy it! Revelation knowledge is what you need- so invest in it. Wisdom will exalt you when you exalt her truth. She will lead you to honor and favor when you live your life by her insights.”

Wisdom and revelation will cost you. The Kingdom lifestyle will cost you. What is most valuable to you? Whatever you value you will get more of. If you value every encounter you have with the Holy Spirit as He reveals Yeshua, you will have more encounters with Him. If you value His perspective, wisdom and knowledge you will get more of those. Like Pastor Tim said Sunday, at one time none of us valued reading the Bible, gathering with our Kingdom family, or worshipping Yeshua. We valued other things but once you get a taste of His goodness nothing else matters. We are like Paul and throw everything from our past on to the garbage heap.

What did Yeshua value? He valued His time alone with His Abba. He valued the face and voice of Abba.

Ask yourself today: Am I being a good steward with my encounters with Him? Am I being a good steward with the perspective He is offering me? Do I value my time with Him? Do I value His words?

One Passion

Our hearts as beloved sons and beloved daughters desire one thing. Our one thing is intimacy with Jesus. Intimacy is not a one-time event then you move on to the next step. It is a moment by moment each day loving Him and being loved by Him. This produces life and life more abundant on earth as it is in heaven.

In order to have a beautiful, lasting marriage you must be intentional about your relationship with your spouse. It is the same as with our relationship with Jesus. When you value something, you take care of it. The fruit of our intimacy with Jesus shows up in our daily lives for others to see. We like to call it public displays of affection. What does this look like for others to see the results of our secret place with Jesus? Every step we take, every word we speak, every response we have should display Jesus.

This can seem impossible when we look at our daily lives and think, well in this moment I did not respond to my husband correctly or I didn’t really listen to what my wife had to say. I yelled at my children. I fussed at the person driving slow in the left lane. I was impatient in the grocery store. Truth is we cannot reveal the real Yeshua to the world without the help of the Holy Spirit, but with Him all things are possible.

As the Holy Spirit reveals Yeshua to us, we must remember He is the exact image of the Father. It is so important for us to understand and know the real image of the Father. How do we know this to be true? Let’s look at John 14. “Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too. And from now on you will realize that you have seen him and experienced him.” Philip spoke up, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be all that we need!” 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. Don’t you believe that the Father is living in me and that I am living in the Father? Even my words are not my own but come from my Father, for he lives in me and performs his miracles of power through me. Believe that I live as one with my Father and that my Father lives as one with me”

Yeshua goes on to say: “I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! When Yeshua goes to be with the Father He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. He gives us the grace to do everything He asks of us. One of those asks is to display Yeshua to those who do not know Him.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “I want you to pattern your lives after me, just as I pattern mine after Christ.” What was Paul’s pattern? We find this in Philippians 3.

“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. I will be one with him in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Only then will I be able to experience complete oneness with him in his resurrection from the realm of death.

I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own. I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion.

My beloved friends, imitate my walk with God and follow all those who walk according to the way of life we modeled before you.”

This victory-prize is to be the image of Yeshua who displays the image of our Abba on earth just as they are displayed in heaven. We must be gripped with this one passion just as Paul was.

The Path to SOZO

This week we’ve walked through some challenging scriptures that ultimately keep bringing us back to the feet of Jesus. We see a Canaanite woman who refused to be offended by the words of Jesus because she wasn’t there for herself but for her daughter. Our willingness to stay tethered to Jesus and those He’s designed us to do life with changes generations. We will hear things that are offensive but if we remain it will make an incredible impact on our children, our children’s children and so on.

What are you feeding on? We talked about Jesus being the Bread of Life. When we eat His body and drink His blood it brings life, power, and virtue to not only our spiritual bodies but also our physical bodies. It matters what you consume in what you look at, listen to and put in your body. Remember we want to be a Tree of Life those around us. A tree of life provides fruit when someone is hungry for truth and revelation, but it also provides shade for rest. Let’s be a people of rest and substance.

We discussed the ten lepers. All forgiven of their sins. Nine went on to do what they have always done. Church, work and fellowship hiding the real issue which is in their hearts. Isn’t that what church has taught us? Hide issues, the family secrets, grab your mask on the way out the door and you stay broken your whole life and pass it down to the next generation. Oh, but there was one who said I will not be like the others. He ran back to the one who had forgiven him shouting and praising. He fell at the feet of Jesus. He was not only forgiven but he was SOZO. Completely restored and made whole in every way. What do you think happened to his children and family? I can imagine they came alive in ways they never knew possible. I’ll take running to His feet and throwing all dignity to the wind to be whole and to see the next generation free.

At His feet is where we find the person He designed us to be. The person who brings heaven to earth. The person who leads the next generation in grace, intimacy, honor and order. Oh, yes, His feet come with a warning. He will ask questions and talk to you about those hidden areas you want to avoid. This is the part of being tethered to Him no matter what. We put our seed in the ground at His feet. The seed must die in the ground before it can come to new life. You are safe with Him. His love and care for our hearts is beyond comprehension.

I encourage you to reach out to someone you trust and share with them what Jesus has revealed to you this week through the walk. This is why He puts us in Kingdom family so we can walk through life together.

It’s at His Feet

“So where are the other nine?” Jesus asked. “Weren’t there ten who were healed? They all refused to return to give thanks and give glory to God except you, a foreigner from Samaria?” Then Jesus said to the healed man lying at his feet, “Arise and go. It was your faith that brought you salvation and made you whole.” Luke 17

Jesus knew actually where these men had gone. They followed their heart. It was to be back in church with their family doing all the things the leaders told them was important. Or maybe they were doing whatever they wanted and wore the coat of the synagogue they belonged to. Whatever it was Jesus makes a point to say- “they refused to return and give thanks and glorify Yahweh.”

What else does he point out here? “Weren’t there ten who were healed?” Leprosy represented sin in the scriptures. All ten were forgiven of their sin. Nine of them went out telling everyone they were forgiven but because they refused to return in thanksgiving to glorify Yahweh they missed out on the most important part. It’s dangerous to take bits and pieces of His word to weaponize them for the Gospel and miss the most important part. So many, I was one of them, were forgiven of our sins and immediately went to work telling everyone how great Jesus is at forgiving us. We are out there throwing pearls at swine when Jesus never asked us to do that. Jesus only did what He saw the Father do. We, beloved ones, are to only do what He tells us to do in each moment of the day. We are missing the most important part of this encounter with Jesus when we weaponize His word for war on humanity.

What happens when you return to lay at His feet? When you spend time at His feet thanking Him and glorifying Yahweh? You get SOZOed. Jesus says to the man lying at His feet, “it was your faith that brought you salvation and made you whole.” Jesus cares more for your whole being than just forgiving your sins.

What is SOZO? It is a Greek word meaning to save, deliver, make whole or restore, heal, be whole. Every aspect of your heart and mind is healed. This is available to everyone of us, but it is only found at His feet.

You and I find kindness at His feet which leads us to repentance the changing of how we think. We find His goodness that heals our broken heart. His goodness leads us into a life that represents Him well outside the doors of a building or this devotion. We find rest for those areas of our lives we haven’t quite surrendered to His Lordship. If we are not at rest, we cannot hear His voice concerning the matters of our hearts or life’s trials. There’s a love affair awaiting you and me at His feet that will change everything in our lives and for many generations to come.

But His feet come with a warning. He is going to say some things to you while at His feet you really want to avoid. It is the hard questions and conversations we do not want to have. Jesus goes straight to the heart of the matter. What we must remember is He is a safe place. He represents the best Father anyone could imagine. You are safe in His arms to have those hard conversations. On the other side you find yourself SOZO.

Today sit at His feet. Let Him love you. When I say sit, I understand we can’t all sit down all day at His feet, but you can turn your heart to Him all day and meditate on His love. Let Him ask you questions. This whole, healed you will not be found overnight. It takes every day turning your heart to Him. He wants nothing more than for you to be all He paid for.

Break Out of the Box

“On his way to Jerusalem Jesus passed through the border region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one village, ten men approached him, but they kept their distance, for they were lepers. They shouted to him, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t you have mercy on us and heal us?”

When Jesus stopped to look at them, he spoke these words: “Go to be examined by the Jewish priests.”

They set off, and they were healed while walking along the way. One of them, a Samaritan, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back to find Jesus, shouting out joyous praises and glorifying God. When he found Jesus, he fell down at his feet and thanked him over and over, saying to him, “You are the Messiah.” Luke 17

The passage of Jesus healing the ten lepers has so many truths hidden that we will explore for the rest of the week. Let’s start with the beginning. Jesus is traveling and comes upon ten men who have leprosy. This is a terrible skin disease that causes great harm to your body. People who had this disease were not allowed to be around anyone else. They were considered unclean. They had to be in a community with only people who had leprosy. Think of the loneliness they must feel. How long had it been since they had a hug? Or seen their families. They weren’t able to go to the synagogue to worship Yahweh.

As they approach Jesus, they knew He was the one who could heal them. They identified Him as Mighty Lord, wonderful Master. The Greek word here for Master denotes one with supernatural authority and power. They knew who He was. They shouted, “Have mercy on us and heal us.” This is where you put your thinking cap on. They are standing in front of who they know to be the One with ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER. Jesus responds, “Go be examined by the Jewish priests.” At this moment, they still have leprosy. As they turn to begin walking away doing what Jesus told them to do, they are healed.

One realized I am healed, and I don’t need the priest to tell me who or what I am. I need the Man who I just encountered. He ran back to Jesus singing and shouting praises. He was glorifying Yahweh. This man was a Samaritan. They did not worship Yahweh. When he found Jesus, he fell at His feet thanking Him over and over.

Which one are you? One who seeks the approval of religious leaders to identify you and determine whether or not your good enough to be a part of what they are doing. Or the one who has been radically changed by Jesus and all you want to do is sit at His feet and worship Him

Why would Jesus tell them to go be examined? He knew what they wanted. They wanted to do what they have always done. The nine had a word from the Lord to stand on. He told us to do this. There are a lot of people finding a word to stand on in the scriptures but will not sit at His feet to hear His voice in the matter. We see people doing things “for God” but their marriage is falling apart, their kids don’t want to be around them, their entire life is crumbling but they are standing on a word. Sadly, most will say this is an attack from the enemy, but Jesus never asked you specifically to do it. Be careful wanting His principals more than you want Him.

The motive of the heart matters in every situation. It has to be about the feet of Jesus. We find wisdom and revelation at His feet. Wisdom that will change our families, our neighbors, our city, state and nation. It is absolutely possible to see this transformation from a seated place of rest at His feet.

“So go ahead, everyone, and shout out your praises with joy! Break out of the box and let loose with the most joyous sound of praise!” Psalm 98

The Bread of Life

Let’s set up our scripture reference today. In John 6, we read about Jesus feeding the multitude. This could have been up to 15,000 people when you count the women and children. The crowd was amazed by what He had done. Jesus knew it was not time for Him to be completely revealed as the Messiah, so he slipped away to the mountaintop. In the evening, Jesus walked across the water to the other side. When the crowd realized he wasn’t there they went looking for Him.

How far would you walk to be with Jesus? And why would you take a long journey to be in His presence?

Jesus knew why the crowd followed Him and he called them out in verse 26. “Jesus replied, “Let me make this very clear, you came looking for me because I fed you by a miracle, not because you believe in me. Why would you strive for food that is perishable and not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life, which never spoils? I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most, for God the Father has destined me for this purpose.”

They were there for what they could get for themselves. Jesus came to save that which was lost, which was everything. He didn’t come to just show us miracles. They even said, “show us miracles we can see then we will believe in You.” Oh my, doesn’t the church still do this. We pray for things to happen and when they don’t we turn our focus away from Jesus to make our own bread that only spoils.

Because He knew their hearts He challenged them with this statement. “Jesus replied to them, “Listen to this eternal truth: Unless you eat the body of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have eternal life. Eternal life comes to the one who eats my body and drinks my blood.” (verse 53-54) What does this even mean? The eating and drinking are receiving the life, power, and virtue of all that Jesus is. He is the Tree of Life. They were offended by what Jesus said and walked away. We are finding the better way in the wilderness. Like we learned yesterday, we are choosing to tether ourselves to Jesus and allow Him to challenge our beliefs.

We aren’t showing up to a building for what He can do for us. We are laying down our lives to become the Tree of Life for others. I have a phrase written in my office. “I want my kids to sit in the shade of my covenant with Abba.” My covenant with Him becomes a tree of life for others. When I say my kids, I am not just talking about those we are raising in our home but every child, and young adult I have the honor to stand firm in His image for them to find rest in His love and grace.

Jesus is known as the Kinsman Redeemer. He came to redeem the land back to its original design. As we have studied in the past, we are here on earth to be His image and see Heaven displayed.

Let’s go back to the question at the top. How far will you go to be with Jesus and why? Spend some time with the Holy Spirit and let Him reveal your heart and motives. It is ok wherever you are right now. He wants to love you into a deeper more intimate relationship with Him.

Why Are You Here?

How do we become like Jesus if we really don’t know Him? Most people are introduced to the Gospel of Salvation instead of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of Salvation is the starting point. It is the entry into the Kingdom. As you enter in and begin to walk with Jesus you learn His way of doing things. His way isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. It can actually seem very painful and offensive if you don’t understand Him. He cares way more about your heart than your comfort. Let’s look at a story in Matthew 15.

“Then Jesus left and went north into the non-Jewish region of Lebanon. He encountered there a Canaanite woman who shouted out to him, “Lord, Son of David, show mercy to me! My daughter is horribly afflicted by a demon that torments her.” But Jesus never answered her. So his disciples said to him, “Why do you ignore this woman who is crying out to us?” Jesus said, “I’ve only been sent to the lost sheep of Israel.” But she came and bowed down before him and said, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responded, “It’s not right for a man to take bread from his children and throw it out to the dogs.” “You’re right, Lord,” she replied. “But even puppies get to eat the crumbs that fall from the prince’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Dear woman, your faith is strong! What you desire will be done for you.” And at that very moment, her daughter was instantly set free from demonic torment.

There are a couple of things happening here that Jesus is wanting to point out to us today. First of all, Jesus took his disciples to a non-Jewish region. Jews did not speak to Gentiles because it was considered unclean. When Jesus ignores the woman, the disciples asked him why he was ignoring her. In the Greek this phrase is translated by them asking Him to send her away. They did not want to deal with her, but what they did not know is He was there to deal with their thinking. He was schooling his disciples. For us today, we often try to get through our own trials quickly, but Jesus will allow them to tarry until He schools us in the areas he knows we need. We must learn to take our focus off of our trials and put it on Him. We can only hear His voice when we come into rest and trust with Him at the center. He taught the disciples through this story a different way of seeing the Gentiles. They saw themselves as the Children of Yahweh and the Gentiles as dogs. Jesus reveals to them how He sees all people. How do you see those who do not have the fruit of the Kingdom? Do you want to send them away or be like Jesus and show them the real Kingdom of Yahweh?

Second part of this story is highlighted through the response of the woman when Jesus refers to her as a dog. Did she get offended and leave? No, she didn’t. This reveals her heart for her family. Jesus will often confront situations in our lives by saying things we do not want to hear. In these moments we have a choice. Do I listen to what He is saying to me or am I listening through offense in my heart? Her response reveals faith and fascination of who He is and what He can do for her children. Just think if she walked away offended. Who would pay the price for her offense? Her daughter would pay the price not her.

Your willingness to stay tethered to Jesus even when you hear something offensive shows you are not just here for you. If you come to Jesus just for you and walk out when you don’t like what you hear you’re actually walking out on your children. Let me clarify the term “walk out.” We can actually remain in a Kingdom family showing up every week but still “walk out” in our hearts. Will you remain when you hear something you don’t like for the next generation? He is in the processing of making all things new in us and sometimes that is a painful process, but we are being made into His image, so the next generation has the “right” image of Jesus. We are here for them.