Get Your Hope Up

(6 minutes)

Then Jesus returned to Jerusalem to observe one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city near the Sheep Gate there is a pool called in Aramaic, The House of Loving Kindness. And this pool is surrounded by five covered porches. Hundreds of sick people were lying there on the porches---the paralyzed, the blind, and the crippled, all of them waiting for their healing. For an angel of God would periodically descend into the pool to stir the waters, and the first one who stepped into the pool after the waters swirled would instantly be healed. 

Now there was a man who had been disabled for thirty-eight years lying among the multitude of the sick. When Jesus saw him lying there, he knew that the man had been crippled for a long time. So Jesus said to him, "Do you truly long to be healed?" (John 5:1-6)

As we are entering the scene of Jesus' next miracle, we are given some specific details about the location. There is a pool situated near the Sheep Gate, where the sacrifices were brought into the temple, and it's called in Aramaic, The House of Loving Kindness. And this pool was enclosed with five covered porches or alcoves that signify the first five books of the Old Testament scriptures containing the Law. We're told that the outcasts of society, the culturally unclean, would lie around this pool all day long waiting for their chance to be healed. They were convinced that an angel would periodically stir the waters and the first one to be immersed in the pool after the waters were stirred would win. Sounds a lot like some of our past church experience, right? A bunch of spiritually sick people showing up to the same place for years and years, drenched in religious law-keeping, believing that their own self-effort will heal them one day if they don't give up and keep trying really hard. Except it's hard to make it into those healing waters when you can't walk or see. For those who can run fast enough, the system actually "works" and they find a measure of success (defined by religion). But for those who can't keep up, all that's left is shame. And the irony is we've called this system The House of Loving Kindness. But this doesn't sound like Abba's way at all. It sounds more cruel than kind. Let's pause and be filled with thankfulness that religion was dead wrong about the Father. The best that religion could give us was a disapproving God who was only kind to those that could keep up. But Abba is nothing like that! 

As we move on in the story Jesus approaches a man who had been waiting at that pool for thirty-eight years. Thirty-eight years of lying around and watching those that were stronger and faster than him get to the miracle water before he could lift a finger. Thirty-eight years in that system of striving and self-effort left him hopeless. His ashes told him that he would never be healed. His ashes told him that no one cared about him. 

Jesus passes a hundred other sick people and approaches this one man who was likely the most hopeless one at the pool and precedes to ask him what appears to be the most insulting question that you could ask someone in that position: "Do you really want to be healed?"

Dr. Simmons, author of The Passion Translation, gives us some insight into this profoundly rude question that Jesus just asked. 

The question could also be read, “'Are you convinced that you are already made whole?' The Greek phrase 'genesthai' is actually not a future tense ('want to be healed') but an aorist middle infinitive that indicates something already accomplished. Jesus is asking the crippled man if he is ready to abandon how he sees himself and now receive the faith for his healing."

Now that changes things a bit, doesn't it? 

Let's descend into this revelation today.

Are you convinced that you are already made whole?

Can you see yourself already healed?

Can you stop letting doubt hijack your imagination and allow your eyes of faith to see something different?

Jesus is coming to us today to awaken the eyes of our imagination to see what Yahweh sees. He's coming to us with the express desire to get our hopes up. He wants our hope to be as high as His. Anything less is an insult to the heart of God. Abba is about to take us on a journey that will be defined by our being full of faith and wildly hopeful. It will not make sense to the people around us because faith and hope stick out like a sore thumb to a culture of doubt and hopelessness. 

What we need today is a lens correction. That is why Jesus poses the question in the first place. He could've easily healed the man without any conversation at all. But Abba's heart is to bring us into the process of healing. He wants us to be participants in the miracle taking place. He wants the seed of every miracle we experience to be germinated first in our heart and in our imagination. He wants us to see it before we see it. That is called hope. It's the miracle first taking place in our mind. 

Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Hope gives faith something to look at.

If faith can't see it, it will likely not obtain it. 

On your walk today, invite Abba to come and correct the way you see. Like the man who was waiting by the pool for thirty-eight years, we need Jesus to come and renew our minds. We have a very active imagination that was given to us by Yahweh but it has been hijacked by our ashes for so many years. This week the Holy Spirit is going to teach us how to dream again. He's going to get our hopes up. Remember, we're releasing our ashes, resting in His love, and receiving our inheritance.

I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling--that is, the wealth of God's glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! (Ephesians 1:18)  

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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!

Already

Written by Jarred Rushing

(4 minutes)

To grant those who mourn in Zion, 
Giving them a headdress instead of ashes,
The oil of rejoicing instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of Yahweh,
that He may show forth His beautiful glory.
Then they will rebuild the ancient waste places;
They will raise up the former desolations;
And they will make new the ruined cities,
The desolations from generation to generation.
(Isaiah 61:3-4)

Ashes: the things I think about myself that Abba does not think about me. It is so fitting that Yahweh would place a crown of beauty on our heads because this is the place that our ashes reside, in our thought-life. To exchange these ashes for a crown of beauty is to give away the ongoing thoughts of fear, shame and condemnation and to inherit Abba's thoughts about us. It is the renewing of the mind. 

Here's a sobering idea: if we had to give away all the negative thoughts we think about ourselves and all the anxious thoughts we have about our own future, what would be left? Would there be any thoughts left if we had to divorce ourselves from all the ashy ones? 

As we venture into a new week of wilderness walks with Abba, I want you to focus on one word: already. 

You already have the mind of Christ. 

You already have an active imagination that can see how Yahweh sees. 

You already have everything you need to be who Abba has created you to be. 

Jesus already bought and paid for the crown of beauty that sits on your head. 

Everything He has is already yours to enjoy. 

Already. 

What we are doing this week is releasing ashes, resting in His love, and receiving our inheritance. This crown of beauty belongs to you. It's something you were always designed to carry. Can you believe that you already possess it?

For Who has ever intimately known the mind of the Lord Yahweh well enough to become his counselor? Christ has, and we possess Christ's perceptions. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

This verse literally says, "But we have the mind of Christ."

This is vital for us to understand, because if we think we're working from a deficit, a place of lack, we will be tempted to strive and earn our way into this new way of thinking and seeing. We're not working from a deficit at all. We lack nothing. We already possess everything we need. Our part is to release the ashes, rest in His love and receive our inheritance by way of the Spirit. 

Can you believe that you already possess the crown of beauty?

Can you believe that you already have the mind of Christ? 

This very well could be your first step in using your imagination and thoughts to think and see like Yahweh, because He believes that you already possess His mind. Can you believe about yourself what Abba already believes about you?

This is the renewing of the mind. We are being trained by the Spirit to think with Abba's mind, see with Abba's eyes, and feel with Abba's heart. And this journey is meant to be enjoyed. Abba treats this like a newborn baby learning to walk or a child learning to ride a bike that they got for Christmas. He is delighting in this process. And as we release the ashes, we'll begin to inherit His feelings of delight and joy in the process, too. Don't worry, He's already woven every mistake and misstep into the story. There's no way you can mess this up. 

Abba, I release the ashes, I rest in Your love, and I receive the inheritance that You have already given to me. I take Your hand today for the walk and I yield my heart to You. I'm following Your footsteps. Smuggle me into the secret place where the loveliness of Your face will change how I see myself. If You are for me, who can be against me? I can no longer be against myself. I can't afford to think thoughts about me that You are not thinking. Abba, I love you and I love to be loved by You. Thank You for placing this crown of beauty on my head.

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Worship: "You Keep On Getting Better" 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!

Hope Is The Witness

Written by Jarred Rushing

(7 minutes)

Jesus is always waiting in the places where our ashes tell us to go and hide. And if we can open up our hearts to be embraced by our Bridegroom King, the great exchange can take place. Beauty for ashes. Joy for mourning. Praise for heaviness. It doesn't require any earning or striving on our part. It only requires an openness to accept, receive, and embrace what Christ is desiring to bring into our life. And it's His love that produces that tenderness of heart. The consuming fire of Yahweh's love melts our defenses. It truly comes down to letting Him do what only He can do. Our part is to rest and be loved.

And what does it look like when this great exchange has taken place? What happens after you receive a crown of beauty in place of ashes? What's different?

Let's look again at Isaiah 61 and John 4 to see the fruit of this great exchange. 

To grant those who mourn in Zion, 
Giving them a headdress instead of ashes,
The oil of rejoicing instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of Yahweh,
that He may show forth His beautiful glory.
Then they will rebuild the ancient waste places;
They will raise up the former desolations;
And they will make new the ruined cities,
The desolations from generation to generation.
(Isaiah 61:3-4)

Let's read this same scripture in The Passion Translation:

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.
Because of this, they will be known as
Mighty Oaks of Righteousness,
planted by Yahweh as a living display of his glory.
They will restore ruins from long ago
and rebuild what was long devastated.
They will renew ruined cities
and desolations of past generations.
(Isaiah 61:3-4)

What does it look like when the great exchange has taken place? 

What will it produce in us once our ashes are traded for beauty?

Hope.

Hope is the witness. 

As long as we're holding onto our ashes we will have a dim, ever-worsening view of the days ahead. But once the great exchange has taken place and our ashes have been removed, we inherit a very different perspective. Our ashes paint the picture that everything is getting worse, that the world is in ruins, and our only hope is to escape this God-forbidden place and people. We've let our ashes define so much in our life. Our hopelessness has formed and shaped so many of our opinions. And hopelessness has definitely shaped some of our theology, especially our theology of the end-times. 

Let me show you how this happened. The man that shaped our end-times perspective the most had a deep-seated belief that "the church was in ruins" and that there was literally no hope left. He was disillusioned by the religious and political spirit inside of the church of his day and couldn't see any redeeming glimmer on the horizon. (Let's note: the leaven of the religious and political spirit inside of the church produce hopelessness in the Bride to this day.) After walking through is his own personal tragedy, he fell into deep despair and in his bedridden state the theology of a raptured church was born. You see, the greatest form of despair is to think that only death will deliver you from the pain you're experiencing. The second greatest form of despair is to think that only a rapture will deliver you from the pain you're experiencing. This is all we can see through the ashes that have dimmed our perspective. But our hearts were not designed to find hope in an escape plan. Our hearts were designed to find hope in the restoration of all things. You can see this in Isaiah 61. When hope sets in you don't see ruins as a witness that we're leaving soon, you see ruins as an invitation for Yahweh to plant you and produce the most glorious makeover the world has ever seen. Look at it again:

Then they will rebuild the ancient waste places;
They will raise up the former desolations;
And they will make new the ruined cities,
The desolations from generation to generation. 
(Isaiah 61:4)

The great exchange changes how you see the future. Our ashes tell us it has to get worse. The crown of beauty we receive from Abba, the very mind of Christ, tells us it has to get better. 

The Samaritan woman made the great exchange. She encountered the perfect love of Yeshua and it removed all fear from her heart. Let's see what the fruit of her encounter was:

The woman said, "This is all so confusing, but I do know that the Anointed One is coming--the true Messiah. And when he comes, he will tell us everything we need to know." [Notice the ashy theology. "When Jesus comes back, it'll all be better."]  

Jesus said to her, "You don't have to wait any longer, the Anointed One is here speaking with you--I am the One you're looking for."

At that moment the disciples returned and were stunned to see Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman. Yet none of them dared to ask him why or what they were discussing. All at once, the woman dropped her water jar and ran off to her village and told everyone, "Come and meet a man at the well who told me everything I've ever done! He could be the Anointed One we've been waiting for." Hearing this, the people came streaming out of the village to go see Jesus. (John 4:27-30)

Beauty for ashes. The great exchange.

What did it produce in the Samaritan woman?

Hope. 

Her ashes had her bound in a place of hopelessness, despair and shame. But when she encountered the perfect love of God and let Jesus embrace her, everything changed. My favorite words in this verse are, "All at once." That's how powerful the great exchange is. All at once, we have hope where there was only hopelessness. All at once, we have a new perspective. This is what real metanoia looks like, real repentance. Abba's love changing our mind. 

Two beautiful things that happened because of the great exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman:

1. She instantly inherited wholeness and freedom. The witness of this lies in her RUNNING to the very people that she was HIDING from moments ago. Other translations add that she specifically went to the men of the town. The very source of her shame became the place she was running to in order to bring the hope and restoration she had just received.

2. She went from having a hopeless view of her future to becoming the instrument of restoring hope to an entire city. Before the great exchange, her posture was that of biding her time. After her ashes were removed, her posture was that of being an active participant in the restoration of all things. 

Hope is the witness of receiving beauty for ashes. Hope is restored to your inner world and then it begins to reform and reshape your perspective of what Abba is doing around you. Shame in you produces the hopelessness of seeing anything change. Christ in you produces the hope of glory!

When you think about the future, what do you see? How do you feel about the future? How do you feel about your future? The answer to these questions may reveal if you've really received beauty for your ashes. 

Remember, you can't hold hope and hopelessness at the same time.

Hopelessness speaks to the presence of ashes.

Hope speaks to the presence of receiving the mind of Christ.

Bring these questions and your honest perspective into your walk with Abba today. And allow His voice to speak into these areas the same way that the Samaritan woman let Him speak into hers. You are safe in His arms! Let His love replace your ashes with beauty. How will you know that it's happened? Hope will be the witness. And that hope won't have you avoiding the ruins, the brokenness in the world, or the things that brought you shame in the past. Hope will have you being attracted to those ruins. Hope will have you running into the areas that brought you shame.

You see, religion tells you to avoid the problems and call yourself "Free indeed!"

Abba's love restores you to such a degree of wholeness and freedom that you can actually carry restoration into the problems religion told you to avoid. Because you carry something different now. You're carrying a beautiful crown of authority and power to reproduce the freedom and wholeness that you have received from the Christ, your Bridegroom King.

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

Honor: Give 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!

He Loves Us, Ashes And All

(5 minutes)

Ashes. 

Our brokenness.  The things we don't like about ourselves that we feel powerless to change.  The things we hide from others. When someone mentions our ashes our face gets flushed, our stomach begins to turn, and our first instinct is to run as far away from that conversation as possible. Our ashes are the only thing we wear that we hope others never see. We do everything we can to avoid situations that might stir up our ashes. Pretty soon our ashes are dictating every move we make. Where we go. What we wear. Where we sit. Who we associate with. What we say and how we say it. Our ashes become our true north in every area of life. 

That's exactly what the Samaritan woman at the well was dealing with the day Jesus embraced her. 

Nobody draws water from the well in the afternoon. It's literally the hottest time of the day. The only reason someone would be going to the well at that time is if their ashes told them to.

I'd like to do something a bit different today. Instead of reading the story, I'd like us to see the story and be immersed in how it felt for this Samaritan woman to have her ashes traded for a beautiful crown. Take a moment and watch this, and then we'll come back together. If you prefer to read the story, you can find it in John 4:5-30. 

Beauty for ashes. Did you feel how Jesus lifted the Samaritan woman's ashes away and gave her a crown of beauty? Jesus literally lifted away her broken perspective of herself and of God, and gave her His very own mind, thoughts, and perspective. With every push away from Him, He embraced her more.  

Ashamed she says, "You picked the wrong person." - the ashes.
And Jesus answers, "I came to Samaria just to meet you. Do you think it's an accident that I'm here in the middle of the day?" - the crown of beauty.

Trembling she says, "I am rejected by others." - the ashes. 
And Jesus answers, "I know, but not by the Messiah." - the crown of beauty. 

This is what an intimate encounter with Yeshua produces. Beauty for ashes.

Wholeness, restored.

Innocence, restored.

Hope, restored. 

I want you to feel this. I want you to feel the exclusive love of Yahweh in this story. And yes, according to the Apostle John, this Samaritan woman was the first person that Jesus revealed Himself to as Messiah. Can you imagine how special that must have been? To feel rejected and unworthy of love and then to encounter the Christ and be the first one He revealed Himself to as Savior of the world. How can I live rejected when Yeshua the Christ has accepted and embraced me in this way? In this one moment, the Samaritan woman at the well experienced metanoia, repentance, her thinking was completely changed. She left her ashes and her water jars at the well, and emerged as a Bride wearing a crown of beauty. 

There is one thing I want us to see when it comes to the Samaritan woman's story:
Jesus was waiting in the place where her ashes told her to go and hide. 

Jesus is waiting in the place where your ashes tell you to go and hide. This is the thing about the Light. He's unwilling to allow even a trace of darkness to exist in our hearts. He's waiting at our well and His greatest desire is to make an exchange with us there: His beauty for our ashes. His thoughts for our thoughts. How He feels about us for how we feel about ourselves. 

It truly is the great exchange. 

We don't deal with ashes by studying ashes. By buying the latest self-improvement book on our ashes. By listening to a podcast about our ashes. By joining a small group about our ashes or by listening to a sermon series all about our ashes. Martin Luther King Jr. was right when he said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." You don't need to dwell upon or analyze your darkness one moment longer. You simply need to introduce it to the Light. It is Light that deals most effectively and effortlessly with removing darkness. 

This can happen as we take a walk with Abba today. This great exchange can happen every time we're in the presence of God. Hope and complete wholeness belong to you. It is the good gift that Abba wants to give you today and everyday. You deserve this. You were never supposed to carry those ashes around. And their voice was never supposed to be the true north in your life. Abba's voice is the only one that should define and direct you. 

Feel Abba's love as you gaze into the eyes of Yeshua and as you embrace what He says about you. It's no accident that He showed up at your well today.

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Worship: "Out Of Hiding" by Steffany Gretzinger & 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!

The Exclusive Love of God

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

Beloved identity is all about discovering how valuable you are to the Father's heart. 

For the longest time I think we've found it easy to believe that God loves the world, but harder to truly believe that He loves us, specifically and personally. Because of the fingerprints of our past and the influence of religion in our life we have an easier time relating to Him as God, Lord and Master, and we have a harder time relating to Him as Abba, Yahweh and Bridegroom King. Do you know that I actually had a hard time calling Him "Abba" at first? It didn't feel natural to relate to Him in that way. The relationship had always been distant and impersonal so "God" and "Lord" were my standard greetings. But as I started learning how valuable I was to Him, the impersonal words started to feel out of place. The depth of relationship required more intimate language. 

When you are lured into the wilderness, you first have to be convinced of your beloved identity. You have to be convinced that Abba is fascinated and totally enamored by you. The scriptures actually tell us that He is jealous. 

"For Yahweh your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:24)

Do you believe that Yahweh, the Creator of all things, would go out of His way just to lock eyes with you?

Do you believe that as Abba looks across the cosmos His heart is drawn to yours?

Do you believe that what He wants more than anything today is to spend time with you?

Do you believe that you are His favorite?

As you exit the system of religion and are lured into the wilderness, this is the first stop you'll be making on your journey. Because Abba doesn't want you to take one more step without knowing how He feels about you. 

We're going to look at a story about Abba's exclusive love. In John 4, Jesus is garnering the attention of the crowds in Judea. His next move is to leave the crowds, because He has plans to meet with one woman by a well. We're going to look at one line in the beginning of this story.

He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria. (John 4:3-4)

I know at first glance it doesn't seem like much, but every word in the scripture is calling us deeper into this love affair with Yahweh. The scripture says "He had to pass through Samaria." Well, that simply isn't true. Like most Jews, He could have taken the long way around Samaria and still ended up in Galilee. You see, Jews hated Samarians. They were seen as unfaithful, compromising, and half-hearted followers of God. They were a stain on the religious culture of the day because they couldn't keep up with the endless demands of the law. Jews would sooner walk 70 miles out of their way than have to engage with a Samaritan. Do you remember the story of the Good Samaritan? Yeah, that story was actually offensive to the Jews because they would never put "good" and "Samaritan" in the same sentence. So Jesus didn't "have to" pass through Samaria out of cultural custom or practice, He had to pass through Samaria out of personal desire to meet with ONE person. 

What others would avoid, Jesus was passionate to encounter. 

Religion taught us that God avoids us. Religion taught us that He would sooner go 70 miles out of His way than to look upon our sinfulness. The very foundation of religion's lie is that we are separated from God, that we need to strive and effort our way back to Him, that we are currently unacceptable but there are 613 laws we can observe to get back on His good side. We've been trained to believe that He's distant. We found some hope when we heard that He lumps us into a whole world that He loves. But what if He cares about us, individually? What if He's not going out of His way to avoid us, but He's going out of His way to encounter us? What if Abba is setting everything up today in order to get as close to you as He possibly can without violating your own will? What if He's trying to put Himself right in your path?

As we walk with Abba today, let's rest in His exclusive love for us. I know it can be uncomfortable to meditate on you being Abba's favorite, but that uncomfortable feeling is not based on the truth, it's based on a lie. It's based on years of religion telling us that humility is thinking less of yourself and that meditating on how valuable you are would produce a prideful heart, and then a fall. That lie has kept us from believing the one thing that would completely change our life, that we've never been more loved than we are right now, in our current condition. No, true humility is not thinking less of yourself. True humility is you coming into agreement with what Abba thinks about you. Knowing that you are valuable will not produce pride, it will produce assurance and confidence in who Abba is and who He's called you to be. Get comfortable with being His favorite. You are valuable, precious, and beautiful beyond compare. 

I invite you to read all of Psalm 139 in The Passion Translation today, but especially these verses:

Every single moment you are thinking of me!
How precious and wonderful to consider
that you cherish me constantly in your every thought!
O God, your desires toward me are more
than the grains of sand on every shore!
When I awake each morning, you're still with me. 
(Psalm 139:17-18)

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Worship: "Pieces" 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!

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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.”

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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."

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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."

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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. 

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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!