Beauty For Ashes

Written by Jarred Rushing

(6 minutes)

The mighty Spirit of Lord Yahweh is wrapped around me
because Yahweh has anointed me,|
as a messenger to preach good news to the poor.
He sent me to heal the wounds of the brokenhearted,
to tell captives, "You are free,"
and to tell prisoners, "Be free from your darkness."
I am sent to announce a new season of Yahweh's grace
and a time of God's recompense on his enemies,
to comfort all who are in sorrow,
to strengthen those crushed by despair who mourn in Zion--
to give them a beautiful bouquet in the place of ashes
the oil of bliss instead of tears,
and the mantle of joyous praise
instead of the spirit of heaviness.
(Isaiah 61:1-3)

One day while vacationing in the Smoky Mountains, our family was pulling out on to a stretch of road, heading to our destination, and as we turned on the busy highway we noticed a road crew picking up trash in the median. It happened to be group of people doing some community service. What caught our eye was the bright orange vests that they were wearing. I noticed some writing on the back of one particular vest and as I focused my eye I could clearly make out its message. In big, bold, black letters it read, "I AM A DRUNK DRIVER." As we continued driving on the mountain road, I couldn't shake how disturbed I was at what I had just witnessed. I turned to those in the car and struck up a conversation about the vests and how that is exactly what religion did to us. 

Religion wants you to be most acquainted with your ashes, your brokenness. Religion doesn't just want you to be acquainted with it, it really wants you to be defined by it. Years and years under the influence of religion leaves us in a place where we find the bulk of our identity wrapped up in the sin that we can't get out of our lives. We wear these ashes like badges of honor, or should I say badges of shame. The ashes are everything we don't like about ourselves and feel powerless to change. It leads us into deep despair and hopelessness.

A very important truth that we heard this past weekend is that hope and hopelessness can't dwell together. You can have one or the other, but you can't possess both at the same time. Modern science echoes this truth in their discovering that you can't be anxious and grateful at the same time. We can only hold one or the other. We can't carry hope and hopelessness simultaneously. Jesus has come to make a trade with us. He has a beautiful, garland headdress that He wants to place on our head in exchange for the ashes that we've been wearing. Beauty for ashes. 

This beautiful headdress or crown symbolizes so much. This headdress is one that would have been placed on the head of a new bride, so it symbolizes our marriage and union with Yahweh, especially in the realm of our thinking. The headdress is also a symbol of authority, power, righteousness and a sound mind. It is very much the beautiful mind of Christ that He wants to adorn us with. He wants us to lay down how we've been thinking about ourselves, and in light of His perfect love He wants us to embrace this crown of beauty, that is His wonderful thoughts toward us. 

So many of us are carrying hopelessness in certain areas of our lives. There are areas in our life right now that we don't believe will ever change. We have partnered with the belief that "this is how it's always going to be." I will always struggle with this. This will always be a problem. We've even whispered in our most desperate moments that only death will solve it. Our comfort has come in believing that when we die it will all be better. We ran to religion for help and then we discovered that they had no answers at all, just bright orange vests that exacerbated and intensified the problem. I really need you to see the part that religion played in this, because we had a measure of hope before we got entangled with religion. It promised healing, but only delivered shame. Now we find ourselves on this side of the road carrying more shame and guilt because, not only did we have a problem but now, we've discovered we're powerless to change it. We've tried everything and there's nothing left to do. 

This is the moment that Abba has been waiting for. The presence of ashes implies that everything has been burned down and nothing remains. These are the areas that His love is coming after. He binds up the brokenhearted. 

"Going through the motions doesn't please You, a flawless performance is nothing to You. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice." (Psalm 51:17 MSG)

"He heals the wounds of every shattered heart." (Psalm 147:3)

He has sent Jesus to you, specifically, to heal the wounds of your broken heart. He has come to announce good news to you, that you are already free from your darkness. We are walking in a new season of Yahweh's grace and He's coming after all His enemies: sorrow, despair, ashes, tears, and the spirit of heaviness. He will not allow them to dominate and control your life. There is more in store for you.

Abba loves you. Abba is on your side. He is coming after you. And He is relentless.

As you walk with Him today, allow His love to flow into those areas of hopelessness. You can identify them because they are the areas that you have come to believe will never change. As Solomon writes in his Song of Songs, "Let him smother you with kisses--his Spirit-kiss divine." Let Abba love you, even the parts of you that you don't love about yourself. His perfect love will cast out all of your fear, and before you know it, you will have His hope in these areas. Stop gazing at the problems and start gazing at the One you are married to.

That bright orange vest doesn't fit you, but His beautiful crown does.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Sound Mind" by Melissa Helser

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Gaze Upon Him

Written by Jarred Rushing

(4 minutes)

Gaze upon him, join your life to his, and joy will come.
Your faces will glisten with glory.
You'll never wear that shame-face again.
(Psalm 34:5)

It's a new week, full of new opportunities to walk with Abba. 

And we must re-invest our hearts again in this relational journey with Him. 

Intimacy only happens when both parties open themselves up completely to one another. Abba is always willing to engage His heart with ours, but we are easily distracted by the cares of life, large and small. So it's necessary as we start this week to make a conscious decision to choose Yahweh.

We must choose His love. This is done through intentional acts of intimacy, honor, and obedience to His voice. And like Pastor Tim mentioned in Sunday's gathering, the suddenly's will show up on the backs of many days strung together. After many days of intentional engagement with Yahweh we will see something happen "suddenly," and we will think to ourselves, "Where did that come from? How did that happen?" It may have felt sudden to us but it is simply us reaping what we have sown through intentional acts of intimacy, honor, and obedience to Yahweh's voice. 

As we begin this week, we must choose His love. We must throw our whole heart into the truth that we'll never be more loved than we are right now. Abba isn't waiting on our perfect behavior and He isn't withholding His love because of our past mistakes (or the future ones that He is already aware of). The full force of the Father's love is flowing towards us right now. We simply lack awareness. Choosing His love is choosing to be aware.

Henry Nouwen, a Dutch priest and professor, puts it like this:

"You must believe in the yes that comes back when you ask, 'Do you love me?' You must choose this yes even though you do not experience it. You feel overwhelmed by distractions, fantasies, the disturbing desire to throw yourself into the world of pleasure. But you know already that you will not find there an answer to your deepest question. Nor does the answer lie in rehashing old events, or in guilt or shame. All of that makes you dissipate yourself and leave the rock on which your house is built. You have to trust the place that is solid, the place where you can say yes to God's love even when you do not feel it... Keep saying, 'God loves me, and God's love is enough.' You have to choose the solid place over and over again and return to it after every failure. "

Only Abba's love provides the answers to our deepest questions. 

And only gazing at Him and joining our life in union to His will provide the joy and rest our soul longs for. As we gaze upon the face of perfect love, our shame-face will fade away and we will begin to glisten with the glory, the very presence, of God. 

Find a moment today to be overwhelmed by Yahweh's love. He's waiting for you.

And He shows up every day to take the walk. There are beautiful moments ahead of us this week. Abba has mapped out the most amazing adventure for those who would lock their eyes with His. 

Abba, I choose today to fix my gaze on You. I leave the life of striving behind and I trust the solid place of Your perfect love. Like Ruth, I will rest here as You take care of everything on my behalf. I let go of the hurried pace of life and I surrender to the joy of resting in You. I am so excited to take a walk with You this week, to be led into the most amazing adventure of my life, right by Your side. You love me with a perfect love, and Your love is more than enough. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Jireh" by Elevation Worship & Maverick City

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

The Unknown Kinsman-Redeemer

Written by Jarred Rushing

(6 minutes)

Then Boaz invited ten men of the city council and said, "Please, sit down here with us." After they were seated, Boaz turned to the kinsman-redeemer and said, "Sir, Naomi has returned from the country of Moab, and she's selling the piece of property that belonged to our relative Elimelech. So I thought you ought to know about it. Buy it if you want. We can make it official in the presence of those here and in the presence of the elders of our people.  As the kinsman-redeemer, you have the first right of refusal. Redeem it if you choose to, but if not, tell me so I will know, as I am next in line." The man replied, "I'll redeem it."

Then Boaz added, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead. Therefore, it will be your responsibility to father a child in order to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance." At this, the kinsman-redeemer balked and said, "In that case, I'm not able to redeem it for myself without risking my own inheritance. Take my purchase option of redemption yourself, for I can't do it."  (Ruth 4:2-6)

Here we meet the nameless, faceless, could-have-been kinsman-redeemer who turned down his opportunity at becoming part of the lineage of Jesus. He was all-in when it was about gaining more property to enhance his portfolio, but when the commitment of marriage and producing offspring was brought into the picture, he suddenly recants his previous position and relinquishes his right to redeem his own family to Boaz. He goes down in history as the man with no name who couldn't afford to connect himself relationally because of what it would cost him personally. 

You can probably already see the lines that this scripture is drawing in the sand. We have in this story another example of one man who values personal destiny and another man who values generational legacy. We need to make some notes about this in our heart. 

Only that which is produced through generational legacy is noteworthy. Scripture doesn't even grace us with the name of the man who was first in line at being kinsman-redeemer to Naomi and Ruth. We have names peppered throughout the scriptures. Names of evil, sinister kings. Names of people who we know nothing else about other than their name - like most of the names in 1 Chronicles. We have names everywhere of all kinds of people. But we know nothing about this man other than the decision he made to protect his own life in lieu of being connected to something greater. He chose convenience over covenant. 

Only that which is produced through generational legacy is noteworthy. 

Ruth the Moabite (not the Jew) has her own book in the Jewish scriptures. Why is her story so noteworthy, so significant? I believe what makes Ruth's story remarkable is also what makes the unknown kinsman-redeemer's story so disgraceful.

What we have in Ruth is an unwavering commitment to honor the family that she was planted in and what we have in the unknown kinsman-redeemer is an unwavering commitment to honor self. Ruth elevated the people around her. Ruth held in high esteem the family that Yahweh planted her in. Ruth saw generational legacy, the value of an ever-expanding family, as the most important thing she could give her life to. The unknown kinsman-redeemer elevated himself. He held in high esteem his own life and was only willing to invite what was convenient and comfortable into it. The commitment of being married to something and having to produce offspring that would not benefit his own bottom-line was terrifying to him. And then there's Ruth, sowing her life as seed in the ground and seeking with her whole heart to be married to someone and to produce offspring that would literally change the world. 

Ruth has her story echoed for generations and generations, nestled inside the Jewish scriptures, her life becoming the soil that would produce kings, King David and the King of Kings, Yeshua the Christ. And it wasn't just her metaphorical field that produced those kings, it was her actual field, too. What field do you think King David played in as a young boy? What field do you think he became a shepherd in? The field where he learned to worship Yahweh? And what field do you think the shepherds were in that night when an angel army lit up the sky with praise, announcing the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem? 

Ruth has a legacy that saved the world.

The unknown kinsman-redeemer has... no name.

We are endeavoring to become Kingdom fathers and mothers at The Wilderness Place. We want to be like Ruth and Boaz, selling all we have (personal destiny) to purchase a field and the treasure that lies within (generational legacy). We see the value in the field and the treasure, just like Jesus did. Jesus redeemed both, the people and the land. And when Kingdom men and women commit their hearts to seeing a Kingdom family produced, they will redeem both as well. 

As you take a walk with Abba today, first be filled with gratitude for Jesus, your Kinsman-Redeemer, and then ask Abba how the legacy of Ruth and Boaz applies to your life. "Abba, where am I in this story?" Open yourself up and allow His love to wash every part of your heart. Whatever His love reveals, His love is also coming to heal. 

How can I, as a Beloved Son and Daughter of Yahweh, engage my heart and my life in redeeming the field and the treasure in that field? Abba, I'm willing to be seed in the ground. Plant me!

Abba, show me how I can invest my life today in honoring the Kingdom family that you've planted me in. Take me from occasional gleaner to committed deed-holder. Take me from personal destiny to generational legacy. I want to co-labor with you in seeing the land and the people redeemed for Your glory, until Your glory covers the earth like the waters cover the sea, until the kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Found" by Amanda Cook

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

That’s Not What I Wanted To Hear

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

The Hebrew term ga'al means "kinsman-redeemer." This was a legal function in Israel's tradition that was put into place to protect childless widows. A close male relative was empowered to "redeem" the widow through covenant marriage. The kinsman redeemer had two responsibilities: 1) buy back the land so the widow would not lose her inheritance and 2) provide her with offspring that would become an heir to the family's legacy. 

As Ruth encounters Boaz on the threshing floor she does all that Naomi instructed her to do and implores Boaz to become her kinsman-redeemer. 

Before we move on, remember that Ruth has honored Naomi by leaving everything she was familiar with and tethering herself to her widowed mother-in-law. She ventures into a new land where she knows nothing and she submits to the wisdom that Yahweh has placed inside of Naomi. She starts, like most of us do, by gleaning in someone else's field. She's occasionally consuming the leftovers just to survive. She experiences favor in Boaz's field and he takes notice of her. Naomi instructs Ruth to stop gleaning in the field and pursue covenant marriage with Boaz, their kinsman-redeemer. Ruth does everything she is told, perfectly. She arrives at the moment where she makes her plea before the feet of Boaz. And what does she hear?

"It's true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but you have a closer kinsman-redeemer than I." (Ruth 3:12)

What do you do when your intimacy, honor and submission to spiritual authority isn't met with promotion but a time of waiting? How do you feel when you've invested all of your heart into something only to hear that you must wait a little longer? This is exactly what Ruth hears from Boaz.

"It's true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but you have a closer kinsman-redeemer than I. Stay here tonight, and I will protect you. In the morning, we'll see if he's willing to redeem you. If he does, good; let him. But if he refuses to redeem you, then I promise, as surely as Yahweh lives, I will. Sleep here until morning." (Ruth 3:12-13)

There is a level of rest that Abba is calling us into that isn't subject to the seasons around us. We're inheriting a level of trust that is not moved by how life is playing out. To those who wish to remain in control, rest and waiting is a curse. To those who are seeking to come under the power and authority of someone else, rest and waiting is a privilege. Coming under the wings of Yahweh's presence means we have been given the grace to rest and wait on Him to provide everything we need. 

As Ruth was about to leave, Boaz said to her, "Here, bring me the cloak you're wearing and hold it open." As she held it open, Boaz poured six measures [around 50 pounds] of barley into it. He then helped place it on her head to carry, and she went back to Bethlehem. When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, "How did it go, my dear daughter? How did Boaz receive you?" Ruth told Naomi everything that he did for her. She added, "Boaz gave me all this barley, saying, 'You must not go home empty-handed without a gift for your mother in law.'" Naomi answered, "My daughter, wait here until you see what happens. Boaz will not rest until he has finished doing what he promised he would do today." (Ruth 3:15-18)

Notice how Boaz lavishes Ruth with an extravagant gift, in her waiting. Abba is doing the same for all of us. He's pouring out extravagant gifts in your time of waiting. These gifts are down-payments on the promise the He's already made concerning your life. He does not leave us empty-handed. Hear the wisdom of Naomi in your own life today: "My son, my daughter, wait here until you see what happens. Yahweh will not rest until He has finished doing what He promised He would do today."

And remember, rest and waiting in the Kingdom are not passive. They are invitations to become entwined with Yahweh's perspective. The Hebrew word for wait is "qavah" and it literally means to be intertwined, to bind together by twisting, like braids of hair. To wait on the Lord is a time for our perspective to become one with His. We are being invited to come into a greater place of union with Him. 

As you take a walk with Abba today, allow His love to change your perspective about times of rest and waiting. Let His love reassure you that your only responsibility in this relationship is to keep your eyes on Him and wait until you see what happens. Rest is the most valuable asset in our covenant marriage with Yahweh. It is our distinct privilege and honor to be at rest in every season, relying not on our own performance and ability to make things happen but trusting the Bridegroom to provide and finish what He promised He would do. There is no striving in this relationship with Yahweh.

Don't allow hopelessness to have influence in your heart. Your intimacy, honor and yielded heart before the Lord are not going unnoticed. Rest is the gift He gives to the Bride. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Wait On You" by Elevation Worship & Maverick City

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

You Need A Bath

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

Ruth's submission and obedience to spiritual authority empowered her to step into one of the biggest moments of her life. If you want to know the significance of coming under spiritual authority, it's right here in Ruth's story. Instead of recoiling and running back to her old life and everything she was familiar with, Ruth tethered herself and came under the protective covering of Naomi. And that one decision changed the trajectory of Ruth's life. It put her on the path to encounter her kinsman-redeemer. 

Look at this interaction between Ruth and Naomi. Notice the permission Naomi has been given to speak into Ruth's life and notice how Ruth responds to the voice of spiritual authority.

One day, Naomi said to Ruth: “I want to see you marry so that you’ll be happy and secure. Now listen, a man named Boaz is our relative. You worked with his servant girls in his fields. This evening, he’ll be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Now, take a bath and put on some nice perfume. Dress in your best clothes and go to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you’re there until he’s had plenty to eat and drink. Watch closely to see where he lies down. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” Ruth answered, “I’ll do everything you’ve told me.” (Ruth 3:1-5)

This past Sunday, Pastor Tim asked a really important question that we should not let go unanswered. Who has permission to tell you that you stink?

Who has permission to tell you the truth without it resulting in disconnection, but obedience?

Have you given anyone the authority to speak into your life this way?

Who has permission to tell you that you stink, where your only response to them would be, "I'll do everything you've told me?"

As we think about the answer to this question we may be tempted to put the responsibility on someone else or that there have been no worthy prospects who have taken the job, but that is not where the burden lies when it comes to connecting to spiritual authority. 

This is the interesting thing about spiritual authority: it cannot have influence where it has not been received and honored.

We have to give someone permission to do this in our life. 

It is not the job of spiritual authority to exercise control through power, force or manipulation. True spiritual authority would never attempt to have influence where they are not welcome. They must be given permission in our hearts and we must be the ones who come under their protective covering. 

There is a quote I've held onto for the past couple of years because it carries so much truth about authority in our lives. 

"The power to parent does not come from the fact that you have that responsibility, the strength and the wisdom--the power to parent comes from the desire of the child to belong to you."

This has everything to do with our being connected to spiritual authority. This truth applies to our coming under authority in our homes, in our churches, and in our nation. Yahweh is the one who places people in authority, but we do not experience the benefits or the blessings of that authority until we submit ourselves, or come under their protective covering. The power lies in our ability to come under.

Naomi was already carrying something special inside of her, but Ruth did not experience the benefits or the blessings of that gift until she tethered herself to Naomi and came under her wings. 

Ruth's desire to belong and stay connected to Naomi is what allowed Naomi to speak with authority in Ruth's life.

And because Ruth was submitted to spiritual authority, she had access to all the wisdom Yahweh had placed in Naomi. This wisdom called Ruth out of gleaning in the field, told her to take a bath, and sent her to have the most amazing encounter of her life with Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer.

Who has permission to tell you that you stink?

As you take a walk with Abba today, ask Him, "Abba, who has permission to speak into my life the way Naomi spoke into Ruth's?" 

"Where is the spiritual authority that you've planted in my life that is waiting on my permission?"

It takes a heart of honor and humility to hand someone this authority. And because we've seen authority abused and mishandled it has made some of us hesitant and extremely cautious. This is a part of our wilderness walk with Abba where He redefines everything. We have to let Him redefine the way we see this. Too many of us hold a theology that has been shaped by what hasn't worked. Abba wants to give you a new wineskin that is tender, flexible and able to hold everything that He wants to pour into your life. Coming under protective covering and spiritual authority inside of a loving family will be one of the most valuable things that we ever allow.

And we must allow it. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "We Make Space" by Melissa Helser

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

My Gleaning Days Are Over

Written by Jarred Rushing

(6 minutes)

I want you to reflect on a powerful statement that was made this past Sunday in our gathering. 

“Abba doesn’t want you just gleaning in someone else’s field, He wants you to be a deed-holder in that field. But this is going to cost you intentionality.”

Now read it again, slowly, and really take it in. 

I believe the Kingdom family at The Wilderness Place is catching this phrase. I believe it is taking root in our hearts. We are waking up to what Abba really desires for us and for our families and for our city. Pastor Tim’s statement from Sunday was absolutely correct: “American Christianity taught us to be gleaners.” American Christianity sold us on this “hassle-free guarantee” version of church that wouldn’t cost us too much outside of showing up and consuming information. What it was missing the entire time was what Abba truly intended for the church gathering to be…a Kingdom family planted in beloved identity, sowing itself as seed for generations to come, and being transformed into the image of Christ by beholding Him day and night, again and again, living to host His presence in every place. 

Abba isn’t settling for gleaners. He wants to pull us in, plant us, and make us deed-holders in this field. He did not design us to be consumers of information; He designed us to be radiators of His glory. He has designed us to be image-bearers of His presence on the earth. We were made for so much more than religion originally offered us. 

But…

This is going to cost you intentionality. 

This is why religion never mentioned anything more than “coming to church.” Because pitching covenant marriage to people who are not in love is a hard sell. In the same way that marriage requires intentionality to be successful, so does our covenant marriage with Jesus. It’s much deeper than a quick business transaction or signing up for a program at church. This is going to cost you intentionality in the areas of intimacy, honor and order - the stuff that makes great marriages. 

I want you to read the scripture from Ruth, chapter 3, again with the lens of going from gleaner to deed-holder. Notice the intentionality that is injected into the story once Ruth commits to going after covenant marriage, instead of remaining an occasional consumer. 

One day, Naomi said to Ruth: “I want to see you marry so that you’ll be happy and secure. Now listen, a man named Boaz is our relative. You worked with his servant girls in his fields. This evening, he’ll be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Now, take a bath and put on some nice perfume. Dress in your best clothes and go to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you’re there until he’s had plenty to eat and drink. Watch closely to see where he lies down. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” Ruth answered, “I’ll do everything you’ve told me.” That evening, Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all her mother-in-law had told her to do. After his evening meal, Boaz was in a good mood. He went to lie down at the far end of the grain pile and fell fast asleep. Ruth quietly tiptoed over to him, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Around midnight, Boaz was startled, and he awoke. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet. “Who are you?” Boaz asked. “I am Ruth, your servant girl,” she answered. “Spread the corner of your garment over me because you are a close relative by marriage, one who is my kinsman-redeemer.” Boaz said: “Dear woman, may Yah-weh bless you, for this act of kindness you are showing me exceeds the kindness you have shown to Naomi. You didn’t search for a young man to marry, either rich or poor. My daughter, don’t worry. I promise to do everything you ask, because everyone knows you’re a brave woman of noble character.” (Ruth 3:1-11)

Do you see the transformation from occasional consumer to covenant marriage? Do you see the intentionality of Ruth when it became less about gleaning and more about being in a covenant relationship with Boaz? Do you notice Ruth embracing order by submitting to Boaz and asking for his covering in her life? 

There was a time when we were all  just gleaning in someone else’s field. Consuming the scraps of someone else’s anointing. Relying on the crumbs that were falling off of someone else’s relationship with the Lord. That may have been where we started, but that is certainly not where Abba intends for us to finish. He’s calling us out of the place of occasional gleaner (consumer) and into the place of covenant marriage.

And it will cost us our intentionality.

Intentional times in intimacy.

Intentional acts in honor.

Intentional obedience in order. 

And the most beautiful part of this entire thing is our being covered by the presence of Yahweh. We’ll be resting under the wing of Yahweh’s faithfulness. We’ll no longer be striving in the field. We’ll be resting in His grace. We’ve given up gleaning to be “a company of lovers resting at His feet.” Just like the scripture in Hosea 2:14-16 declares, we’ll no longer call Him “Master,” but we will call Him, “Husband.” And that is because we have laid down the identity of servant and slave, and have inherited our beloved identity as Bride.

Do you hear Abba calling you out of the fields and into the family?

Do you feel Him luring you out of the place of occasional consumer and into the deeper, richer relationship of covenant marriage? 

You’re about to go from gleaning in the field to owning the field along with the Bridegroom, Jesus. The only requirement for marriage is love. Love plants itself and will not be moved. Love commits its life and tethers itself to the beloved. Love demands intentionality. Love finds joy in sowing seeds of intimacy, honor and order. 

As you take a walk with Abba today, let Him hear your voice and your heart’s desire to be tethered to Him in covenant marriage. Find His feet today and lay down there. As you worship, whisper to Him that you want to be covered by His presence. Like Naomi said to Ruth, “He will tell you what to do.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Most Beautiful / So In Love" by Maverick City Music 

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Yielded Hearts

Written by Jarred Rushing

(4 minutes)

All of us have areas in our life right now that we want to see transformed and changed. We know that Jesus died to give us a not-normal life. He died to give us an abundant life. The reward of His suffering would be for each one of us to be living fully alive in the overflowing abundance of His presence. An abundant life flowing from our union with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet, there are areas where we are not seeing the transformation that our heart longs for. 

I want to bring you back to a scripture we read last week that is still so significant as we approach Yahweh today. 

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want." (John 5:39-40)

Could it be that we are not seeing the abundant life of Jesus in those areas because we are still holding on to something else? Do you remember what kept the Pharisees from embracing the Truth that was standing right in front of them? Their own theological opinions. What they thought about God kept them from embracing God in their midst. We must endeavor today to surrender these theological opinions to the Truth, who is Jesus. As we come to Him, we must come with a yielded heart. A heart that is ready to trust, to believe, and to obey whatever Abba says. 

What would happen if, instead of holding so tightly to our own thoughts about a matter, we asked Abba to come violate our opinions and expose us to the Truth? What if we boldly asked Abba to offend our minds to reveal our hearts? That is actually what Abba is trying to do every time we are offended. He's trying to uncover an area that isn't healed yet. He's trying to uncover an area of our heart where we are still clinging to an opinion instead of embracing the Truth. The crazy thing about the Pharisees, the religious spirit, is that they chose their own opinions over the abundant life they said they wanted.

You would think that an encounter with Jesus is all we should need in order to change our minds and embrace His love. But that's not the reality. The reality is that people have come face to face with the Christ, and decided that they loved their own ideas more than they loved Him. 

Pastor Tim made several statements on Sunday that I believe need to be at the center of our walk with Abba today:

Our starting point always has to be, "Abba, what is your heart concerning this matter?" and Jesus, does my life look how You died for it to look?

We need to make a bold, courageous move today in our walk with Abba. We need to locate those areas in our life right now that we are desperately wanting to see transformed and changed, and we need to take those matters to the Father and ask:

Abba, what is YOUR heart concerning this matter?

Does this look how You died for it to look?

Am I embracing the Truth in this area of my life, or am I still holding on to my own thoughts, opinions and ideas?

Abba, what would it look like for me to embrace the Truth in this area of my life?

Abba, show me what abundant life looks like in this matter?

Believe me, Yahweh died to speak to You about these things.

He's always more ready than we are willing.

Just this morning in my short, six minute drive to the office I asked Him about His heart concerning a matter and He revealed to me the source of my opinions and beliefs that were actually flowing from an unhealed part of my heart. I let go of my own ideas and I embraced the Truth.

When we come to Him with a yielded heart that is fully surrendered, that is committed to hearing His voice and believing every word He says, that is holding every opinion loosely, we are positioning ourselves to experience real metanoia, real transformation and change at the heart-level. We are positioning ourselves to see the ideas of Heaven penetrate the earth. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Only yielded hearts inherit the flow of Heaven's resources. 

I am so excited for a new week to walk with Abba, to hear His voice for myself. But before we wade into deeper waters, let's take a moment and allow His love to tenderize our hearts. Let's allow the love of the Father to wash over us and soften our hearts, preparing them to receive all that He has for us today and this week. There are words that Abba wants to release over us this week that will only take root in hearts that are open and yielded, ready to receive the seed. 

Abba, come and prepare our hearts.

Make them ready to embrace the presence of Jesus over our own opinions.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Have My Heart" by Maverick City Music

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Honor’s Uncommon Reward

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

There is a common theme in scripture when it comes to honor. The reward is always overflowing. I guess we could refer to it as honor's uncommon reward, because it is always more than enough. Honor's reward isn't exactly fair; it always seeks to give more than it has received. 

We can see honor's uncommon reward in the story of Ruth and Boaz.

At mealtime, Boaz said to her, "Come here and eat with us. Here is bread, and wine to dip it in." Ruth immediately sat down with the workers. Boaz handed her some roasted grain, and she ate all she wanted until she was satisfied - she even had some left over. (Ruth 2:14)

After she had returned to gather grain, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and don't disgrace her. Pull out from the bundles some handfuls of grain and drop them on purpose for her to gather, and don't bother her." (Ruth 2:15-16)

Can you see honor's uncommon reward? Can you see the overflow? Can you see the excessive-ness of what comes back to those who honor? Boaz is orchestrating all of this. He is intentional about seeing Ruth reap more than what she has sown in honor. 

There's a New Testament scripture that has the perfect way of describing this over-the-top response to honor. 

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10)

Outdo one another in showing honor.

This is exactly what makes the reward of honor so uncommon, because it seems like honor is always trying to one-up the previous act of honor. Like it can't be outdone, or outshined. I believe Jesus calls us to outdo one another in showing honor, because He outdoes us in showing honor. 

As we honor Yahweh, consistently over time, we begin to inherit a reward that outperforms and completely surpasses what we initially invested. Honor doesn't just attract a fair reward, it attracts an extravagant reward. The reward for our compounding acts of honor is always over-the-top, overflowing, and more than enough. We could say it like this: every time we sit down to dine with honor, we'll always be bringing home some left-overs. You always get more than you pay for. It's completely unfair in every way. 

Jesus, our heavenly Boaz, is a first-hand witness to every one of our small, consistent acts of honor. Just like Boaz, He notices us. He invites us to the table to dine with Him, to eat until we are completely satisfied, and to bring home all the left-overs to share with others. He ensures that we will be provided for in the most uncommon, extravagant ways. He instructs His harvesters to intentionally go out of their way to drop handfuls of grain in our path. And He safeguards us as we enjoy His provision.

This is the uncommon reward of our honor. 

(Sidenote: It may be uncomfortable for some of us to receive from Jesus in this way. You may even be prone to turning down the blessings that Abba is trying to bring into your life. In some ways we still feel undeserving. If that's you, let Jesus convince you today that you are absolutely worthy to receive from His heart and from His hand.)

Here's one last picture of how honor is measured in our lives. 

After Jesus shared a parable about honoring the revelation-light that you receive from Him, he said, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." (Mark 4:24-25)

Do you see the uncommon reward of honor? By your standard of measurement it will be measured back to you, and MORE will be given to you. Honor's reward always starts at the baseline of the honor we have already shown, and then it proceeds to outshine it in every way. 

And you can also see the path of dishonor in Jesus' words. That whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. If life flows through honor, then death flows through dishonor. Whatever we dishonor in life eventually fades away into nothing. 

As we begin our walk with Abba today and even as we prepare our hearts for our family gathering on Sunday, let's be intentional about sowing seeds of honor. Remember, we have all been given tools that we can use to honor Yahweh and others -our time, our talents, our treasure, our thought-life, and the words on our tongue. We can use all of these to invest in acts of honor. Ask Abba to highlight all the ways you can honor Him today. Taking the time to read this daily writing was an act of honor. You may not have even noticed it, but Jesus did. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Fill My Cup" by Kingdom Culture Worship

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

It Just So Happened

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

We cannot overstate the value of honor in the Kingdom. Remember, honor is the currency of the Kingdom of God. 

One day Ruth woke up and had an inspired thought to go and gather some grain from the edges of the fields. Ruth would have been aware that Israel had a longstanding commandment to take care of the poor by intentionally leaving behind some grain while they were reaping. So she voiced her idea and Naomi, her mother-in-law, said, "Go, my daughter." So she went.

I want to draw your attention to the words that the writer uses to describe Ruth's encounter. Listen to this:

"It just so happened that she found herself working at the edges of a field belonging to Boaz of the family of Elimelech." (Ruth 2:3)

It just so happened. As it turned out. The literal reading of this phrase is, "her chance chanced upon."

Ruth wakes up in the morning, has an inspired thought to glean some grain, and she just so happened to find herself in the field of Boaz later that day. And in the next verse we read that "at that moment, Boaz came from Bethlehem to survey his harvest." What are the odds! 

Everything lined up perfectly. Ruth and Boaz, in the same field, on the same day. One has to think, "how does this happen?"

Hold that thought and let's continue the story. While Boaz is speaking to his harvesters, he notices Ruth and proceeds to ask them "to whom does that woman belong?" The harvesters tell him everything they know: she's a foreigner who came back with Naomi, she asked them for permission to gather grain, and except for one short break she had been on her feet working the field since that morning.

Boaz approaches Ruth and says, "Listen, my daughter, don't leave this field to glean somewhere else. Stay here in my field and follow the young women who work for me. Watch my harvesters to see into which fields they go to cut grain, and follow them. When you're thirsty, go and drink from the water jugs that the young men have filled. I've warned the young men not to bother you."

I can only imagine the thoughts running through Ruth's head. "Wow! Why are you saying this to me? What did I do to deserve this kind of recognition? This is so sudden! How did this happen?" In a state of shock, she does allow one of her many questions to escape her mind.

Astounded, Ruth bowed low with her face to the ground, and said to him, “I’m a foreigner. Why have you been so kind and taken notice of me?” Boaz answered, “I’ve heard all about what you’ve done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I know your story—how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people and a culture that must seem strange to you. May Yahweh reward you for your sacrifices, and because of what you’ve done, may you have a full and rich reward from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to find shelter!” (Ruth 2:10-12)

Boaz answers Ruth with many words, but only one response: honor. 

"Ruth, your honor ushered you into this field and into my line of sight. What seems sudden to you isn't sudden at all. Your intentional acts of honor compounded over time and delivered you to this moment."

Let's allow Abba to use this story to drive the revelation of honor even deeper into our hearts. I think there is still a part of us that sees miracle-moments like this as happenstance. It's the luck of the draw. An outcome of chance. A mystery that can't be explained and certainly one that can't be controlled. When something extraordinary happens in your life, how do you look at it? How do you see it?

What if it's not happenstance at all? What if it's honor?

If honor is the currency of the Kingdom of God, then maybe the Kingdom-outcomes in our life have everything to do with how well we honor. What if your next encounter with Yahweh was proportionate to the degree that you honored Him?

Yikes! Could it be? 

Let me rephrase the question in a way that won't make your stomach turn. What if your next encounter with your husband or wife was proportionate to the degree that you honored them? What if your next encounter with your parents or your boss was proportionate to the degree that you honored them?

You see, the Kingdom of God is a relational kingdom, so it is fueled by the same thing that fuels every relationship in your life. We must move away from relationships of happenstance and move towards relationships of honor. There is no room for happenstance in relationships. You don't drift into marital bliss or great friendships, you honor yourself there. The path to every blessed relationship is paved by compounded acts of honor. 

Our relationship with God is no different. Your next encounter with Yahweh has everything to do with honor. 

As you take the walk with Abba today, I want you to do something different. I want you to think of the last time you experienced something extraordinary. The last time you experienced His presence in a powerful way. The last time you were unusually and unexpectedly blessed beyond measure. It may not be something others would consider a big deal, but it may have meant the world to you. I want you to remember that experience, let your heart be filled with gratitude all over again, and as you walk with Abba I want you to ask Him the same thing that Ruth asked Boaz: "Why have you been so kind and taken notice of me?" Then I want you to listen to Abba's response. You may be surprised when, instead of chalking it up to happenstance, He begins to highlight your personal acts of honor that led up to that experience. Also, don't be surprised when your acts of honor seem small in comparison to the reward you encountered, because that's the goodness of God. He's just that way. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Miracle of the Mind" by Amanda Cook

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Your Leaves Are Changing

Written by Jarred Rushing

(6 minutes)

Me and my family are vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains this week. I've heard so many stories of how beautiful the landscape is when the leaves are changing colors, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw yesterday. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The bright red, orange and yellow leaves were painted along the mountainside. Leaves were floating everywhere, gently falling to the ground. I turned to my wife at one point and said, "I feel like I'm in a movie." It was surreal. 

As my head was hitting the pillow last night I started to rehearse the day with Abba, and He whispered a special word to me. 

He said, "Isn't it funny that the most beautiful scenery you've ever witnessed is caused by things falling away? The changing of the leaves and their falling away is beautiful to you; the changing of your thoughts and the old ones falling away is beautiful to Me."

I caught a glimpse of Abba's heart in that moment and I immediately felt His delight over our Kingdom family at The Wilderness Place. We're undergoing a great transition, a changing of the leaves, where old mindsets and beliefs are beginning to fall away and drift to the ground. Our hearts are committed to relearning what we thought we already knew. And this change that is happening in us is incredibly beautiful to the Father. 

I want to call our attention to the fact that old mindsets and beliefs falling away can be a difficult and uncomfortable change. Just like the trees in these mountains, what has clothed us and brought us a sense of safety and protection for all these years is thinning out and falling away. And this transition can leave us feeling naked at times. Vulnerable. But would you believe me when I say that you are safer now than you've ever been? As uncomfortable as it is to leave our theological opinions behind, we are being stripped of the old so we can inherit something brand new. 

I found it so interesting that in the sea of changing colors there are some trees, the fir trees, that are showing no signs of change at all. We were teaching the kids as we drove up the mountainside that these fir trees are evergreen, they are not affected at all by the changing seasons. While the others are undergoing significant changes, these trees remain the same. 

I want you to know that this is the brand new thing that we're inheriting. Abba is setting us up to become evergreen. As beloved identity and the revelation of His love permeate the deepest parts of our heart and our minds begin to change, we're becoming Oaks of Righteousness, planted by Living Water.

What delight comes to the one who follows God's ways!
He won't walk in step with the wicked,
nor share the sinner's way,
nor be found sitting in the scorner's seat.
His pleasure and passion is remaining true
to the Word of "I Am,"
meditating day and night in the true revelation of light.
He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree
planted by God's design,
deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,
bearing fruit in every season of his life. 
He is never dry, never fainting,
ever blessed, ever prosperous.
(Psalm 1:1-3)

Evergreen.

And even though we are in a time of transition, where old things are falling away and the new has not yet fully come, I need you to know something about our Father: He delights in us in every moment. This moment that we are in right now, where we are walking hand in hand together as we relearn everything we thought we already knew about Him, is just as valuable and precious to Him as any other moment. He is a proud Father and He's watching in awe as our leaves are changing and falling away. 

Pastor Tim introduced us to the story of Ruth this past Sunday, and I want you to look again at this profound moment between Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, as Ruth pledges her life to being planted by her mother-in-law's side. 

"When they heard Naomi's words, Orpah and Ruth wailed and sobbed again. Then Orpah embraced and kissed her mother-in-law goodbye and went back home, but Ruth clung tightly to Naomi and refused to let go of her. Naomi said, 'Ruth, listen. Your sister-in-law is going back to Moab to her people and to her gods. Now go with her.' But tearfully, Ruth insisted, 'Please don't ask me again to leave you! I want to go with you and stay with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will now be my people, and your God will now be my God. Wherever you die, I will die there, too; that's where your people will bury me - next to you. Nothing but death itself will separate me from you, so help me God!'" (Ruth 1:14-17)

I want you to see that Ruth had the chance to leave and go back to her own people and "her own gods." I think this is significant, because Abba is just as good as Naomi is in that He is unwilling to chain us and drag us into our inheritance. You have the choice to turn around and go back. And some people do. Some people walk away because change and transition is hard. Leaving behind old mindsets and beliefs is hard. Can you imagine the risk that Ruth took in devoting her life to Naomi? At best, the future was unknown. But tethering yourself, a widow, to your older mother-in-law, who is also a widow, was not exactly Ruth "climbing the ladder" of success. It was more like Ruth volunteering to struggle. 

Change and transition is hard. Letting our old theological opinions fall to the ground and wither away is hard. Being vulnerable and open to relearning something you thought you already knew, is hard. Just ask Orpah, the other daughter-in-law. She couldn't do it. 

Do you know what else Orpah couldn't do? 

She couldn't see the face of her kinsman redeemer, like Ruth. Her decision to turn around and go back meant that she was never able to inherit the abundant life that was waiting on her. 

But Ruth was different. Ruth refused to go back to her old way of thinking. She let go of the old and tethered herself to something uncertain, for a season. She locked arms with something that required her to walk by faith, and not by sight. She decided not to rely on what she already knew, but to commit herself to walking with her new family into an unfamiliar land where she had no past knowledge or points of reference. And Abba used her yielded heart to usher her right in to the field of her kinsman redeemer, Boaz. 

I hear Abba's voice speaking the same thing over us that He was probably speaking over Ruth:

"It may not look like it, but you are safer now than you've ever been before. Don't resist My embrace. Allow me to carry you into the place of promise. Trust me, my child."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Learning To Be Loved By You" by Melissa Helser

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Relearning Everything

Written by Jarred Rushing

(6 minutes)

A common theme on our wilderness walks with Abba is relearning.

There are things we learned about Him and things we learned about ourselves under the system of religion and as we begin to surrender those theological opinions to Yahweh, He begins to teach us His truth, not rooted in fear but in a revelation of His love. I think relearning is great way to understand the word repentance. We're allowing our minds to be changed on our wilderness walks with Abba. We're asking Him questions about our deepest, most long-held beliefs and allowing His love to reshape those beliefs. By surrendering our theological opinions to Yahweh we're allowing Him to renew our minds. We're stepping more fully into the mind of Christ. 

Let me speak honestly about my own journey of relearning and how I first approached these wilderness walks with Abba. As I began to encounter the revelation of His love and my own beloved identity, I knew that there were going to be plenty of things I needed to relearn. I knew that everything that I learned under the influence of religion needed to be brought to the table so Abba could show me what was worth keeping and what needed to be thrown away. There was absolutely nothing I was going to withhold from this process. I even put my own salvation experience on the line. I told Abba that we needed to go back all the way to the beginning because I didn't want anything in our relationship to be rooted in fear. I remember feeling hesitant to even ask Him about it because I wasn't sure what answer I would receive. I had a fleeting thought of "what will I tell people if I've been pastoring a church since 2016, but I wasn't really saved until 2021?" I swept that thought to the side and asked Abba anyway. He brought me all the way to the beginning and spoke so tenderly to me about what was real and what wasn't. He showed me that in the very beginning religion convinced me of things that were not true and that I made decisions to follow Him out of fear, but then He transported me to several significant moments in my history with Him and He pointed them out and said, "This was the moment you fell in love with Me. This was the real thing."  I completely agreed with Him. I remember crying and thanking Him for showing me and giving me the assurance I needed. That was a beautiful walk with Abba.

This is what we mean when we talk about laying down our theological opinions. This is what we mean when we talk about taking a walk with Abba and letting His love transform the way we think. This is what we mean when we sing songs that exclaim, "Come in like a fire, come in like a flood, I don't care what it looks like, I'm so in love." It's developing a heart that values knowing what Abba thinks, over what we think we already know. Even when it comes to my most cherished, foundational beliefs like my own salvation experience, I would rather know the truth that flows from His love than trust my own opinion that could have originated in fear. 

What else in my theological wardrobe was inherited from the spirit of religion, sown in fear?

If it were me, I would put everything on the table. I would bring it all to Him. I wouldn't hold anything back. If you learned it while you were under the influence of religion, then I would put it on the table. No matter how precious your memories are of when you received it or how many years you have been believing it, I would still take it to Abba. 

This journey of relearning from the mouth of Yahweh is going to be one of the most important things you'll experience in your entire life. And you'll be in excellent company. There is a whole host of people who were called out of the system of religion, into the wilderness, to relearn everything they thought they already knew about God. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, King David, John the Baptizer, the Apostle Paul, and even Jesus the Anointed One. They all found themselves in the wilderness at some point. And they were all transformed by the power of Abba's love. When they emerged from the wilderness, they were no longer moved by fear and unbelief. They had an unwavering commitment to the King and they moved in His power and authority. 

This is the glorious hope. Abba's plan is not to rapture us away, but for His glory, His very presence, to cover the earth like the waters cover the sea. The entire cosmos is groaning, standing on tip toe, eagerly awaiting the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. There is a bride being transformed in the wilderness and when she emerges the world will finally see Yahweh's love on display. 

Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak to her heart. Then I will give her her vineyards from there and the valley of trouble as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth. As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. "And it will be in that day," declares Yahweh, "That you will call Me, Husband, and will no longer call Me, Master." (Hosea 2:14-16)

As you take the walk with Abba today, I challenge you to bring everything to Him. Let His perfect love cast out every opinion or belief that finds its origin in fear. Ask Him to tenderize your heart, making it flexible and able to relearn. Whisper this prayer to Him: "Yahweh, I yield my heart to You as we take this wilderness walk today. I let go of every belief and opinion I learned while I was a slave. I open my heart to Yours. Yahweh, let the revelation of Your love transform me into a Bride, with no stain, spot or wrinkle. I want to see you rightly."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "When I Lock Eyes With You" by Maverick City Music & UPPERROOM 

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Theology Matters

Written by Jarred Rushing

(6 minutes)

"You are busy analyzing the Scriptures, frantically poring over them in hopes of gaining eternal life. Everything you read points to me, yet you still refuse to come to me so I can give you the life you're looking for - eternal life! (John 5:39-40)

As Pastor Tim started the message on Sunday he said two words that are so important to our walk with Abba today.

"Theology matters."

Our theology matters. Our theology is our personal thoughts and beliefs about the nature and character of God.  In John 5:39-40, Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders and He makes a very bold statement about these men who have spent their entire lives devoted to studying the Scriptures. He basically tells them that they are unwilling to abandon their own theological opinions, that they developed with the Scriptures in hand, in order to find the abundant life which can only be found in the incarnate Word of God, Yeshua the Christ. 

Listen to the same verse in The Message: 

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want." (John 5:39-40)

So here's a question for you:
What do you think is standing in the way of the religious leaders getting the life they say they want? 

Is the Bible standing in the way? No, the Bible can't be the problem. Jesus clearly tells us in this verse that all the Scriptures, every one of those Old Testament stories that they have studied, are really about Him. Is Jesus standing in the way? No, Jesus is spending most of His time in this chapter trying to reveal Himself to these religious leaders.

So if the Bible isn't standing in the way and Jesus isn't standing in the way, then why are these religious leaders unable to grab hold of the life THEY SAY THAT THEY WANT?

Yep, you guessed it. Their theology was standing in the way. They had long-held thoughts and opinions about the nature and character of Yahweh and Jesus did not line up with any of those personal beliefs, and instead of abandoning their opinions they forfeited THE LIFE THEY SAID THEY WANTED by not embracing Jesus, the Word of God. This is why our theology matters. Because at the end of the day, if our theology has us at the center instead of Christ we will end up with a big bag of opinions, but not the Truth. 

We need a Christocentric theology. A theology that embraces Jesus as everything that God has to say about Himself. I love how Bill Johnson says it: "Jesus is perfect theology."  We should be reading every verse of the Bible through the lens of Jesus and under the influence of the Holy Spirit. After reading the above verses I would venture to say that it is actually dangerous to read the Scriptures without a Christ-centered lens because in all of their reading and studying of the Bible, these religious leaders completely missed it...they missed Him. Their study of the Scriptures only supported their own personal way of seeing things. Their pursuit of spiritual insight only bolstered their own personal opinions. And because their theology wasn't surrendered to God, they missed Him when He was standing right in front of them. 

Our theology matters. Our theology could be the thing standing in the way of us encountering the real thing. 

This is one of the first things that happens as you begin your wilderness walk with Abba. He redefines everything. He starts talking to you about those long-held opinions you've had about Him. He begins to tear down and uproot everything you learned about Him while you were under the influence of religion. Yes, even some of those long-held beliefs that you picked up in that evangelical, American Christian church that you grew up in. I'm not going to lie - most of that stuff will end up being tossed out. And here's why Abba cares so deeply about uprooting these beliefs: because He wants everything you know about Him and about yourself to be rooted in the revelation of His love. If we're being honest with ourselves, most of what we were taught in the system of religion was not rooted in His love, but rooted in our fear of punishment. 

Listen to what John the Beloved has to say about how our theology should be shaped:

"Those who give thanks that Jesus is the Son of God live in God, and God lives in them. We have come into an intimate experience with God's love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them. By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love's perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love's perfection." (1 John 4:15-18)

What is Abba doing in us out here in The Wilderness Place? He's driving the fear of punishment far from our hearts! He wants everything we know about Him and about ourselves to be forged in the fires of His consuming love. His desire is that we would have an intimate experience with His love today, and that all of our opinions and our theology would become an overflow of that intimate encounter. 

Jesus is Abba's living letter to us about Himself. Wrapped up in Jesus is everything that Abba thinks about us, and everything that is true about Himself. To come into an intimate encounter with God today is to come into an intimate encounter with Yeshua the Christ. 

As we walk with Abba in the wilderness, we are losing our religion to be loved like a child. We're surrendering all of our opinions that are rooted in fear and we are letting love perfect us in every way, until it finds its full expression in us. We are discovering that we are actually image-bearers. And as we gaze into the eyes of Jesus, we are starting to see that we look way more like Him than we did before. He's making all things new. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Wonder" by Amanda Cook

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

It Will Not Cost Me Nothing

Written by Jarred Rushing

(6 minutes)

David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”

“Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”

But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor. David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. Then the Lord spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath. 
(1 Chronicles 21:22-27)

In 1 Chronicles 21, King David is incited to dishonor and distrust Yahweh by taking a census of all the fighting men of Israel. David goes against the wise counsel of Joab who tried to convince the King that Yahweh would never want them to count the people. Joab understood something very important: Yahweh would never instruct you to take your eyes off of Him and direct your gaze to your own resources. Joab knew that the number of fighting men had no bearing at all on whether they would win or lose a war against their enemies. In the Kingdom of God, math is much different. In the Kingdom of God, one man can put one thousand to flight, and two can put ten thousand to flight. It has nothing to do with how many people you have on your team. It has everything to do with the intimacy and honor that you have with Yahweh. David, of all people, should have remembered this because he was the one that saw a whole Philistine army defeated by one shepherd boy and a slingshot. He had personal testimonies of Yahweh's favor and extravagant grace.

But, like we've heard at The Wilderness Place, storms have a way of giving us amnesia. When your back is up against the wall it's hard to remember your own history with God. And in this moment, David forgot. He went against the wisdom of Joab, and he numbered the fighting men of Israel. This act of dishonor was about to limit the amount of God's presence that Israel had been enjoying up until that point. Because of David's dishonor, an entire nation was about to feel the effects of Yahweh's protection being removed. 

When David's eyes were opened to his distrust of Yahweh, he did the only thing he knew to do. He repented and asked for mercy. 

There is a moment in the story where David is given the opportunity to repair the relationship with God and reverse the curse that had come upon the nation of Israel. If dishonor is what ruined the relationship, honor is the only thing that could repair it. So David went to the place where he was instructed to go to build an altar to Yahweh. In this interaction with the owner of the threshing floor, we see a beautiful picture of honor. With a heart overflowing with honor, Araunah has no regard for his own property, resources or livestock. Araunah hears that King David has a need and he withholds nothing. Araunah literally says, "I will give everything." This is a heart established in honor. 

And then we have the response of King David, who had every right to take this gift and move forward with building his altar to God. But King David was also a man after God's heart and when offered this gift from Araunah, David responds with a heart of honor. 

But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” (1 Chronicles 21:24)

When I think about honor, I think about this phrase: "It will not cost me nothing."

Honor in the heart of Araunah says, "I will give everything." 
Honor in the heart of King David says, "It will not cost me nothing."

And because of the honor in the hearts of these two men, a nation is spared.

Honor, in all of our relationships, is simply us saying that the blessing of this person in my life will not cost me nothing. As we stir up gratitude in our hearts for the people that Abba has planted in our life and as we begin to see the greatness of God in each one of them, we will begin to honor them appropriately.

Araunah saw the kingship inside of David, and he responded with honor. Do we see the kingship and queenship inside of people? There was more than enough failure in David's history, even recent history, for Araunah to come to a different conclusion concerning the man. But Araunah chose to see something underneath all of that. 

King David saw the value in what Araunah was offering to him, and he responded with honor. There are people in our lives right now that are giving us precious gifts that are becoming the foundation of our own personal altars with God. Are we honoring them and their gifts appropriately? 

Honor reversed a curse over a whole nation. I hope we're all convinced by now that honor is playing a huge part in our lives. 

We haven't even heard the most awesome part of this story! This threshing floor. This place where honor reversed the curse. This plot of land where we see honor on display in the hearts of two men. Look at what ends up happening there...

So Solomon began to build the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David, his father. The Temple was built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the site that David had selected. (2 Chronicles 3:1)

That's right. The next generation builds the house of God where the previous generation laid a foundation of honor. 

In the same way that it's hard for us to remember our history with Abba in difficult times, it's hard to see just how significant our displays of honor will be for the generations coming after us. The honor we pour out today could be laying a foundation for the next generation's encounter with Yahweh.

This is such an adventure! We should be having the time of our lives. What robs us of joy is the same thing that stole David's affection early in the story. We get distracted by our resources, what we have and what we don't have. And dishonor lands us in a place where we no longer enjoy or get life out of our relationship with God. But what dishonor stole from us, honor can restore. 

One act of honor today can change the trajectory of our lives, and the lives of those coming after us. 

As you take the walk with Abba today, let His love and His heart of honor nourish your life. We love because He first loved us. And we will honor because He has first honored us. Jesus is God's heart of honor on display towards us. Jesus is Abba saying, "I will give everything." Jesus is Abba saying, "It will not cost me nothing." We do not need to muster our own honor today, we simply need to let Abba's honor flow through us. Let Him show you the way!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Fill My Cup" by Kingdom Culture Worship

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

How We Respond…Matters

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

"Then the King will turn to those on his right and say, 'You have a special place in my Father's heart. Come and experience the full inheritance of the kingdom realm that has been destined for you from before the foundation of the world! For when you saw me hungry, you fed me. When you found me thirsty, you gave me drink. When I had no place to stay, you invited me in, and when I was poorly clothed, you covered me. When I was sick, you tenderly cared for me, and when I was in prison you visited me.' Then the godly will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and give you food and something to drink? When did we see you with no place to stay and invite you in? When did we see you poorly clothed and cover you? When did we see you sick and tenderly care for you, or in prison and visit you?'

And the King will answer them, 'Don't you know? When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.'" (Matthew 25:34-40)

I want us to remember the quote from Bill Johnson that we read yesterday:

"A culture of honor is celebrating who a person is, without stumbling over who they're not."

I would encourage you to go read the entire story found in Matthew 25, starting in verse 31. It is a sobering story. I don't believe it's in Abba's heart to threaten punishment (ever), rather this story is meant to show us the connection between honoring Jesus and honoring the people that have been planted in our life. If there's one thing we must understand about honor, it's this: we cannot say we honor God, if we cannot honor people. There's a seed of Yahweh that's been embedded in every single person. This story in Matthew 25 tells us that it's not just a seed, but a full-grown Christ who dwells within them, so much so that when we honor them we have honored Him. That's a big deal. 

Take a few moments to meditate on what this actually means. 

My honoring the people that Abba has planted in my life is directly tied to my honoring Him. Think about who this might include in your life. 

• Your spouse. 

• Your children.

• Your mother and father.

• Your brothers and sisters.

• Your spiritual authority, your pastors.

• Your Kingdom family, your church-family. 

• Your close friends.

• Your co-workers.

• Even the complete strangers that Abba brings across your path today.

Hidden in each one of them is the King of Glory. 
And however we honor them will be how we honor Him.
How we speak to them is how we speak to Him.
How we treat them is how we treat Him.
How we serve them is how we serve Him.
How we love them is how we love Him.

The Pharisees fell into one of the traps of religion, that many of us fall into occasionally. They started to believe that they could treat God one way while treating people in a completely different way. They started to believe that God was to be honored no matter what, but people had to earn it. Pharisees had no time for sick people. Sick people could only come back to the temple once they were well. People with financial needs were seen by religion as inconveniences. Children were seen as nuisances because they had nothing of value to bring to the table. Elderly mothers and fathers were left destitute as religious sons and daughters "pledged their money to God" instead of honoring their own parents. That’s why Jesus confronts the Pharisees and corrects their definition of honor:

“Frauds and hypocrites! Isaiah described you perfectly when he said: These people honor me only with their words, for their hearts are so very distant from me. They pretend to worship me, but their worship is nothing more than the empty traditions of men.” (Matthew 15:7-9)

People that pursue personal destiny over generational legacy can only help people who can help them back. They can only honor people who can return the favor.

Jesus comes along in Matthew 25 and corrects our delusional way of thinking. 

And the King will answer them, 'Don't you know? When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.'" (Matthew 25:40)

I think we shy away from passages like these because we don't want to accept the fact that how we respond to the presence of God actually matters. But it does. We don't shy away from this reality in our home. How my children respond to me...matters. No, it doesn't have a bearing on my love for them. They have my love for all eternity. It has a bearing on how much of my presence they are willing to enjoy. And I know for a fact, nothing opens up the floodgates of a father's heart like honor. Honor in the heart of my kids stops me in my tracks. I can only imagine what it does in Abba's heart when He sees it in me. 

How we respond to the presence of God matters. Whether we honor Him or dishonor Him...matters. Dishonor will keep us from experiencing and enjoying the depths of His presence. There are riches in the glory of His presence that we can forfeit based on our level of honor. 

I keep hearing this phrase in my spirit as I meditate on honor: "Nazareth was supposed to experience so much more than a few sick people being healed." There's so much more on the other side of our honor.

As you take the walk with Abba today, I believe He will give you opportunities to honor Him by giving you opportunities to honor other people. As you begin this day ask Abba for a greater sensitivity, a greater awareness, of His presence inside the people that He's planted in your life. As you hear His whisper today, don't withhold your honor. Abba has given you time, talents, treasures and the words on your tongue to invest in the honor of other people, which is ultimately the honor of Him. 

Don't you know? When you honor them, you honor Him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Pure" by Abbie Gamboa and Upperroom

Honor: You can honor what Abba is doing at The Wilderness Place by giving online.

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

What Makes Honor Hard

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you." Exodus 20:12

I have to start by honoring Abba and what He is doing in our Kingdom family at The Wilderness Place. The last two gatherings we have had at Linger House on Tuesday nights have been amazing. We are beginning to catch a glimpse of what Yahweh is building at 208 Pass Road in Gulfport, Mississippi, and it so good. 

Pastor Tim shared a word with the family last night that I feel is important for us to pull into our walk with Abba today. It is keeping with the conversation on honor and it can almost be seen as the first step towards honor. 

We learned yesterday that honor is easy. It's easy to grasp. It's easy to see the principle of honor at work in our lives. From gardening to marriages, to our relationship with Abba, the principle of honor is in play. It's the undercurrent that is moving and directing all of the relational waters in our life. And if we're honest with ourselves, deep down, we know it's extremely easy to honor what we have fallen in love with. Need an example? Okay. Did you have to go out and buy a book on honor when you fell in love with your spouse? Or when you had your first child? (Or seventh child, for some of us.) I didn't think so. Honor flowed naturally, because you were passionate and falling deeply in love with someone. Honor comes easy to lovers.

The thing that makes honor hard is familiarity. This is why we have an easier time honoring people we don't know above those that we're most familiar with. Honoring a total stranger at the gas station becomes easier than honoring your husband or your wife in your own home. One of the side effects of intimacy, getting close to someone, is that you come to know everything about that person. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Their strengths and their weaknesses. This is where honor begins to be tested. And this is where familiarity has the potential to stir up dishonor in our hearts. 

Last night, Pastor Tim shared this revelation about honor - we will never honor what we are ungrateful for. We will never be able to honor appropriately that which we are not incredibly thankful for. Gratitude goes before honor. 

Bill Johnson, the Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, says this when he talks about honor: "A culture of honor is celebrating who a person is, without stumbling over who they're not."

I need you to go back and read that quote again, really slow.

This is where the rubber meets the road.

Are we able to honor the people and the places that Abba has planted in our lives even though they have areas of perceived failure and lack? Areas of weakness? Areas of immaturity, needing growth?

You see, honor isn't about finding the perfect person who is deserving of praise. Honor is about choosing to focus on the greatness of God in every person. Yahweh would never tell us to honor our fathers and mothers if He thought that they had to be the perfect parents in order for us to do so. No, Abba is saying, "Can you celebrate and be thankful for who they are, instead of stumbling over who they're not?"

Honor doesn't deny problems or issues, it just doesn't allow them to dictate the level of love that gets poured out on a person. 

Above all, constantly echo God's intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Abba is asking us to do the same thing He has chosen to do in His heart when He relates to us. I am extremely grateful that Abba celebrates who I am, instead of stumbling over who I'm not.

Honor is all about what we will choose to focus on. We will become more familiar with what makes a person common, or will we stay most fascinated with what makes a person incredible. One path leads to ungratefulness, followed by dishonor. The other leads to overwhelming gratitude which overflows into honor. 

Will we continue to eat from the Tree of Life - the "I Am" Tree? Or will we stumble over the supposed "lack" in our own lives and the lives of others and eat from the "I-Am-Not Tree?"

As we take the walk with Abba today, let's ask Him to show us the greatness in every person in our lives, the greatness in everything He's intentionally planted in our lives, and the greatness He's placed in us. And let the overflow of gratitude splash all over anyone who gets close to us!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Million Little Miracles" by Elevation Worship & Maverick City feat. Joe L. Barnes

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Honor Is Easy

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

After Sunday's service Pastor Tim and I were talking and a phrase came out in our conversation that has really stuck with me. This was the phrase: "Honor is easy." Honor is absolutely a foreign subject for American Christianity, but it's not foreign to us. The principle of honor is woven into the fabric of our everyday life. Today, I want to give you my most elementary understanding of honor. This is how I think about it. 

When I think about intimacy and honor, I think about gardening. We use some of this language at The Wilderness Place. We've even sung songs that draw the parallel between a garden and our own hearts. "I am my Beloved's and He is mine, so come into Your garden and take delight in me, take delight in me." When you read the Song of Songs, Solomon frequently uses the language of a garden to describe our inner world and what the Bridegroom is doing in us. 

"Awake, O north wind!
Awake O south wind!
Breathe on my garden with your Spirit-Wind.
Stir up the sweet spice of your life within me.
Spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden.
Hold nothing back until I release your fragrance.
Come walk with me as you walked with Adam in your paradise garden.
Come taste the fruits of your life in me."
(Song of Songs 4:16)

Gardening requires intimacy.

Intimacy happens when we are completely open -"into-me-see." When I am open to the idea of planting a garden and the ground is open to being cultivated, we have seen a picture of intimacy. Intimacy requires two things being completely open to one another. Intimacy requires vulnerability, honesty, trust, and it almost always involves risk, or should I say...faith. If any one of the two parties is withholding a part of themselves, you don't have the fullest measure of intimacy. Intimacy in marriage requires two open hearts. Intimacy with Abba requires two open hearts. Intimacy in gardening requires two open hearts - my heart being open to engage with the ground, and the ground being open to engaging with me. And just like marriage and our relationship with Abba, intimacy always carries the potential for a seed to be planted in the right soil and begin to grow. 

So where does honor fit in?

This is the moment you should begin to see honor as something that is easy to understand, because this next statement should strike a chord in all of our hearts, especially those of us who have tried to do any type of gardening in the past. 

Everyone wants to plant a garden (intimacy), few people want to commit to seeing that garden actually grow (honor).

Do you see it now? Do you see the connection between intimacy and honor?

I've heard people say the same thing about marriage. 
"Anyone can get married (intimacy), few people can stay married (honor).” 

I've heard people use this same language about men.
”Any man can be a father (intimacy), but it takes someone special to be a dad (honor).”

This is why Abba is building intimacy and honor in the wilderness. Because if our intimate encounters with Him are not followed by honor, we will forfeit all the fruit that could have been produced by the encounter. Nazareth was supposed to experience so much more than a few sick people being healed, but they couldn't honor the seed that was planted in their own town.

You see...honor keeps watering the seed that intimacy planted.
Say it with me, "Honor KEEPS WATERING." 

This was a hard pill for me to swallow, but I recently discovered that there's a reason why all my plants keep dying. It's because I fail to honor them the way they deserve to be honored. 

One thing is for sure: if we want to continue to reap the blessings of any relationship in our life, we must honor it. 

This is why intimacy and honor must travel together. Honor should always be riding the heels of our intimate encounters with Abba. 

I'll draw one last parallel because I really want us to see what's at stake.

I want you to stop for a moment and think about the institutions that exist in our world today that thrive off of giving people an intimate encounter without any sense of responsibility, commitment or follow-through on the back end. I can think of two right off the bat, and they both start with the letter "p" and end with the letter "n."

So maybe we can define spiritual prostitution as our being intimate with a God we never intend to honor.

It's sad, but that's how religion taught us to relate to our First Love. Stimulation, without procreation. As long as we walked away from that church service feeling good, everything was okay. But we weren’t okay. We were empty. We had nothing growing on the inside of us.

Abba is luring people into the wilderness so they can be transformed into real lovers. In the wilderness we're becoming the Bride of Christ who is marked by both intimacy AND honor. We see this picture in Hosea 2:14-23, and we're told that after Yahweh marries this Bride in the wilderness, He sends her out into the world and the world sees her and responds with this exclamation, "God plants!"

And just like that, we're back to gardening.

As you walk with Abba today, let His love nourish your heart and encourage you in the ways you can begin to honor every intimate encounter you have with Him and His body.

Letting His love wash over us is the key.

Honor is easy for those who are forever falling in love.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Where I Belong" by Upperroom

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Getting Honor In Your Mouth

Written by Jarred Rushing

(4 minutes)

You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.  (Matthew 12:34)

"For what has been stored up in your hearts will be heard in the overflow of your words!" The Passion Translation

In a heated discussion with the Pharisees, Jesus releases this truth about the words we speak - that they flow from our heart. 

Yesterday, as Pastor Tim was closing the service I was listening to the Holy Spirit speak to me about the message of honor that we had just heard. This time He posed an interesting question to me that He was inviting me to search out. This was the question: "Jarred, is honor really in your heart if it's not in your mouth?" 

Is honor really in your heart if it's not in your mouth?

The question was interesting because up until that point I would have considered myself an honorable person. I can look back over my life and point at specific moments of honoring the Lord, honoring spiritual authority, honoring my family, etc., with my time, talents and treasures. But I've never really lumped in "words" with that list...until now. 

You see, Abba has given us things that we can spend in life, however we want to. When these things come to us it's our choice as to how we use them. We can spend them on ourselves or on others, for gain or for loss, with wisdom or foolishly. It's really up to us.

He's given us time. This is our calendar, our schedule. All the hours in our day. 

He's given us talents. These are our unique giftings and abilities. Sometimes these turn into careers, but other times they remain hobbies. It's things that we are exceptionally good at. I would also put our unique, spiritual gifts into this category. 

He's given us treasures. These are our resources, our assets. It's our finances, our investments, our property and our belongings. 

And we're going to start including at the top of this list, our words. Our words are a gift that Abba has given us and we've learned our whole life that there is power in our words. Our declarations carry authority and influence. And we can't stop there because Jesus has told us that if something is truly established in our heart, the overflow of that truth will begin to pour out of our mouth. 

As we are seeking to be a people of honor, we need to see that Abba has given us a handful of things that are actually tools we can use to honor Him and the people that He's planted in our life: our time, our talents, our treasure....and our tongue (I figured we should stick with the t's).

After the service yesterday, I really felt that Abba was calling us to focus on a specific area of honor this week. We need to get honor in our mouth.

Honor needs to become our shared language. 
Honor needs to become our native tongue. 

We will know that honor is being established in our hearts when it is flowing from our mouths.

Listen for whispers from Abba today as He leads you to honor people He’s planted in your life. 

As we start this new week, full of new opportunities to walk with Abba, let's make these declarations and get honor in our mouth:

I am a vessel of honor. 

I honor Abba and all that He's planted in my life with my time, talents, treasure and my tongue. 

Honor is being established in my heart and honor is overflowing from my mouth.

Honoring Abba with my words is effortless for me. 

Honoring my spouse and my children with my words is effortless for me

Honoring spiritual authority with my words is effortless for me. 

Honoring my Kingdom family with my words is effortless for me. 

Honoring my boss, my co-workers, my clients and/or my employees is effortless for me. 

Abba is using my honor to bring Heaven to Earth in every conversation. 

As I walk with Abba, He teaches me how to honor.  

Honor starts in the heart. 
And overflows through the mouth. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Tend" by Upperroom

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Extravagant Honor

Written by Jarred Rushing

(4 minutes)

Six days before the Passover began, Jesus went back to Bethany, the town where he raised Lazarus from the dead. They had prepared a supper for Jesus. Martha served, and Lazarus and Mary were among those at the table. Mary picked up an alabaster jar filled with nearly a liter of extremely rare and costly perfume--the purest extract of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet. Then she wiped them dry with her long hair. And the fragrance of the costly oil filled the house. But Judas the locksmith, Simon's son, the betrayer, spoke up and said, "What a waste! We could have sold this perfume for a fortune and given the money to the poor!" (In fact, Judas had no heart for the poor. He only said this because he way a thief and in charge of the money case. He would steal money whenever he wanted from the funds given to support Jesus' ministry.)  John 12:1-6

Extravagant honor will always expose where dishonor is hiding in the room.

Mary of Bethany was famous for how she honored Jesus. Anytime He was in the room, she was pulling up the closest seat and leaning in to every word He was speaking. She would abandon worthless tasks and mediocre conversations if it meant being close to the heart of Yeshua. Remember the time she was sitting at the feet of Jesus, lingering in His presence, and Martha, her sister, became enraged. Mary's honor has a strange way of exposing where dishonor is hiding in the room. And again in the scripture above we see Mary leveling up her honor, going beyond just spending time in Jesus' presence, as she begins to pour out her precious, costly resources on his feet and gently wipes them with her own hair. It doesn't take Judas long before he declares what dishonor always says when it sees extravagant honor flowing in someone else's direction: "What a waste!"

Dishonor always acts casually towards what honor sees as costly. 

You need to know this as you pursue a heart of honor, because your extravagant expressions of honor will likely expose where dishonor is hiding in the room. As soon as you start to pour out your precious resources, dishonor will get offended and question your choices. Dishonor never understands why someone would spend their time, talents and treasure on someone or something other then themselves. There is a reason for that. Dishonor is always hiding in the heart that is pursuing personal destiny. Always.

When you begin to honor what Abba has anointed, there is a chance that friends, family, and co-workers will not understand. And that's okay.

There is something else you need to know.

Whenever dishonor starts to question you and mock you over your extravagant displays of affection, don't defend yourself. You just keep your eyes on the One who is most valuable. Consider Mary's life for a moment. In both scenarios where Mary is honoring the presence of Jesus, when she was sitting by His side as Martha groaned and as she poured oil on His feet as Judas mocked, notice that Mary doesn't have to give an answer to any of her accusers. In both scenarios, Jesus speaks to them on her behalf. I'm not even sure that she lifted her head in their direction because she was so enamored by the presence of Yahweh in her midst. No matter what noise dishonor is making, honor always keeps its eyes on what is most valuable.  Let Jesus quiet the voice of dishonor on your behalf.

One more thing worth mentioning before we wrap up: never quiet the first-love fire inside of you because there are wet blankets in the room. I'm only bringing this up because I've seen it happen in my own life. There have been moments where I have let the dishonor in someone else keep me from pouring out the full measure of honor I knew someone or something was worthy of. In a moment where I should have protected the heart of the one deserving of honor, I protected my own heart instead. If you want to know how Peter felt after denying Christ three times, just give this a try. I'm so thankful that Abba's perfect love redeemed and restored my heart of honor.

Take this question with you as you walk with Abba:
Abba, where can I pour out my extravagant honor today?

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "Wouldn't It Be Like You" by Bryan & Katie Torwalt

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

Life Flows Through Honor

Written by Jarred Rushing

(7 minutes)

Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?” But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. Then Elijah cried out to the Lord , “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?” And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord , “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!” Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.” (1 Kings 17:17-24)

After Jesus finished giving revelation to the people on the hillside, he went on to Capernaum. A Roman military captain there had a beloved servant whom he valued highly, and who was sick to the point of death. When the captain heard that Jesus was in the city, he sent some respected Jewish elders to plead with him to come and heal his dying servant. So they came to Jesus and told him, “The Roman captain is a wonderful man. If anyone deserves a visit from you, it is him. Won’t you please come to his home and heal his servant? For he loves the Jewish people, and he even built our meeting hall for us.” Jesus started off with them, but on his way there, friends of the captain stopped him and delivered this message: “Master, don’t bother to come to me in person, for I am not good enough for you to enter my home. I’m not worthy enough to even come out to meet one like you. But if you would just speak the word of healing from right where you are, I know that my servant will be healed. I am an ordinary man. Yet I understand the power of authority, and I see that authority operating through you. I have soldiers under me who obey everything I command. I also have authorities over me whom I likewise obey. So Master, just speak the word and healing will flow.” Jesus marveled at this. He turned around and said to the crowd who had followed him, “Listen, everyone! Never have I found among the people of God a man like this who believes so strongly in me.” Jesus then spoke the healing word from a distance. When the man’s friends returned to the home, they found the servant completely healed and doing fine. (Luke 7:1-10) 

Honor isn't just the Kingdom-currency that unlocks provision in our own lifetime, honor ultimately creates an atmosphere where the next generation can be revived and resurrected. 

We have to see everything in the light of generational legacy, not personal destiny. Our honor is less about ourselves, and more about the path it creates for the next generation. 

Life flows through honor.

In the story of the widow, we see a pathway of honor that creates an atmosphere for her son to be resurrected. It started with her honoring Elijah with what she thought was the last of her resources. And in the above scripture we can see Elijah taking the young boy upstairs (in the widow's house) to the room where he, Elijah, was staying. So the widow didn't stop with a bread cake. Honor is always leveling up. Honor started with a bread cake, but then honor took the next step and made room for spiritual authority to be a perpetual part of her house. And when an even greater need arose in the widow's life, honor had already prepared a place where the prophet could go and revive her dead son. Life flows through honor. 

We can see the same pathway of honor in the life of the Roman military captain. We see a glimpse of this honor as we read about his unusual relationship to his sick servant. The Passion Translation tells us that the Roman captain had a "beloved servant whom he valued highly." The literal translation of that phrase is "a servant to whom he was honorable." This is not the kind of behavior that we traditionally see in Roman militants. This man was honoring his servant long before he comes on the scene with Jesus. We can also see his pathway of honor in his relationship with the Jewish community. We don't just have a Roman militant honoring a servant which is strange, we also have Jews honoring a ROMAN CAPTAIN which is even stranger. But it's because this Roman captain had been honoring the Jewish community long before this point. The Jews are pleading with Jesus to help a ROMAN because "he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue." This story is steeped with honor, built upon honor, built upon honor. And when a great need arose in the Roman captain's life, honor had already paved the way for Jesus to send a healing word to heal a young servant. Life flows through honor. 

Let me ask you a raw, revealing question that I personally feel as I read these stories: if today's miracle was going to be based on yesterday's honor, how would I fare? Do I have a history of honor that could foster an atmosphere where the next generation could be healed and revived? 

Honor is what opened the door for Elijah to raise that widow woman's son from the dead. Honor is what paved the way for that Roman captain's beloved servant to be healed solely on a word from Yeshua's mouth.

We have to move past personal destiny in order to get to this place of honor. Can we consistently honor when it's not benefiting our personal advancement? Can we honor in moments that we know won't deliver an immediate return? Can we honor without any guarantee that it will benefit us at all, if it means that it might benefit the next generation in their most desperate time of need?

Honor isn't just the Kingdom-currency that unlocks provision in our own lifetime, honor ultimately creates an atmosphere where the next generation can be revived and resurrected. 

As you take a walk with Abba today, let His love convince you of what honor can do in your life. Let His love wash away the residue of personal destiny. Let His love establish a heart of honor in you that will be used to usher His life-giving presence into dead sons and daughters. That's really all He needs... a vessel of honor that He can flow through.

Declare this today:
If life flows through honor, then life flows through me, because I am a vessel of honor.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "You Restore Everything" by Rick Pino & Abbie Gamboa

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!

The Currency of the Kingdom

Written by Jarred Rushing

(7 minutes)

Then the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and remain there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you." So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink." So she went to get it, and he called to her and said, "Please get me a piece of bread in your hand." But she said, "As Yahweh your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the face of the earth.'" So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. (1 Kings 17:8-15)

Honor is the currency of the Kingdom. 

In our culture we grow up learning that in order to ensure that there's more resources for us in the future we'll have to protect and hold on to whatever comes into our life today. Don't give valuable stuff away. Stuff you don't want? Clothes you don't wear? Money you don't need? That's fair game. You can donate that stuff until your heart's content, but whatever you do...don't give away bread that you and your household need to survive. It's safe to say that our culture's motto is "take care of yourself, first."

But I have some news for you that you may or may not like to hear: the culture of the Kingdom is the exact opposite. 

Honor is the currency of the Kingdom.
Honor is the gateway to more.

And the definition of honor is this: placing high respect, great esteem, and the most significant value on something outside of yourself. The very nature of honor is to admire something else more than you admire yourself. Honor is what we express when we find something of great value outside of our own existence. Honor is what we felt when we first fell in love with our spouse. We were completely enamored. Up until that point we thought that we were the most important people on the planet, but then we fell in love (intimacy) and honor began to flow. Honor is the currency of the Kingdom, because the Kingdom isn't transactional - it's relational. It's the same in marriage - if you desire more from your spouse the answer is not giving them more money (that's prostitution). The answer is giving more honor. There is nothing that reignites a marriage like increased honor. And so it goes in the Kingdom.

Here is another way I've heard this explained: The Principle of Honor states that "accurately acknowledging who people are will position us to give them what they deserve and to receive the gift of who they are in our lives." 

So, are you concerned about running out and not having enough? Are you concerned about resources drying up? Is there an area that you've been hoping and praying for increase and abundance? The answer is honor.

The world says, "If you give it away, you won't have anything left for you." The Kingdom says, "If you want more, don't hold on to what you have."

If honor is the currency of the Kingdom of God, then dishonor is the quickest way to go bankrupt. 

When Jesus arrived in his hometown of Nazareth, he began teaching the people in the synagogue. Everyone was dazed, overwhelmed with astonishment over the depth of revelation they were hearing. They said to one another, "Where did this man get such great wisdom and miraculous powers? Isn't he just the craftsman's son? Isn't his mother named Mary, and his four brothers Jacob, Joseph, Simon, and Judah? And don't his sisters all live here in Nazareth? From where then did he get all this revelation and power?" And the people became offended and began to turn against him. Jesus said, "There's only one place a prophet isn't honored--his own hometown!" And their unbelief kept him from doing many mighty miracles in Nazareth. (Matthew 13:54-58)

Dishonor kept Jesus from doing many mighty miracles in Nazareth. Dishonor KEPT JESUS from doing many mighty miracles in Nazareth. If honor is the currency of the Kingdom, then dishonor is the quickest way to go bankrupt. 

Remember, Abba redefines everything out here in the wilderness. These daily walks with Abba are so important because we need Him to come and teach us how it's meant to be. The wilderness journey, I'm discovering, is about the willingness to relearn. We've spent many years perfecting our craft when it comes to dishonor and putting ourselves first. I'm an only-child, so I got what most would consider a world-class education in this field. So what we need today is for Abba to come take a walk with us and teach us about honor. 

Here's what I know just by meditating on the two stories above: the quickest way to run out of what I have is to dishonor the presence of Yahweh in the spiritual authority that Yahweh Himself has sent to my city to ensure that my flour never runs out and that my oil never goes empty. To dishonor the one Yahweh sends is to forfeit all miracles, provision, and revelation that Yahweh is actually trying to bring into my life. All because I could not honor. 

How we treat spiritual authority has everything to do with how we treat Abba. According to John the Beloved, to not love people is to not love God. According to Elijah and Jesus above, to dishonor spiritual authority is to dishonor God. We see the fruit of honor in the life of the widow. We see the fruit of dishonor in Nazareth.

Tomorrow, we'll see something even more profound: that life flows through honor. 

Some questions to pull into your walk with Abba today:
Abba, can you show me what honor looks like?
Abba, teach me how to honor the people that You have brought into my life?
Abba, teach me how to honor the spiritual authority that You have brought into my life?
Abba, would you establish me and my family as a household of honor in the earth?

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "The Story I'll Tell" by Maverick City Music 

Honor:  Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!