The Walk is a daily writing to inspire you in your own personal intimacy with Abba.

Listen, my radiant one—if you ever lose sight of me, just follow in my footsteps where I lead my lovers. (Song of Songs 1:8)

The Wilderness Place 2/2/24 The Wilderness Place 2/2/24

You Were Made For His Eyes

(4 minutes)

Completely shocked by Jesus' answer, he turned and walked away very sad, for he was extremely rich. (Mark 10:22)

"This young man had an opportunity to have the adventure of a lifetime, but he was unwilling to let go of the very thing that garnered him applause, wealth, and influence." - Pastor Tim

Religion was the sophisticated trap that assisted this man in living disconnected from the heart of God. Can you see how dangerous this sophisticated trap is to the intimacy we're supposed to share with Jesus? It distracts us with to-do lists, serving, ministries, causes, callings, wealth, status, and numbers. All the while Jesus is simply an addition, a side dish, to the life we're creating. And when asked to sit down and simply love Jesus, we feel like we're being robbed of our entire identity. Pastor Tim said it like this on Sunday:

"We fall in love with forms, systems, and methods instead of the heart of God, instead of the face of Jesus. We make it about everything else instead of Him. Because we've been caught in a sophisticated trap. It's decorated like Jesus, like Christianity, but it's not Jesus and it's not Christianity."

Have we found our identity in something other than Abba's love for us?

Is there something that would make us walk away from Jesus if He asked us to give it up?

When Jesus comes to put His finger on the area that we're unwilling to give up, it's an invitation, not condemnation. Remember, Jesus had a fixed gaze and was filled with tender love as He spoke to the rich, young ruler. The invitation is to let go of the false identity that is robbing us of the real thing so we can step into our original identity, our beloved identity.

There's an amazing thing that happens when we let this false identity go. We discover what we were really made for - His eyes. We were made to be lovers of His presence. And when Jesus becomes our one and only priority, everything else that we need is added to our lives.

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

He wants your heart - your whole heart, like any lover would. He wants to be your One and Only.

Are you ready to let go of that false identity and step into who you really are? It will be the adventure of a lifetime. He's coming after everything that hinders love. It's not just bad things - it's good things that we still put before Him. He's coming after those too, because they are getting in the way of the love He wants to share with His bride.

Hear the Bridegroom's words today: "Beloved Bride, you are not what you do. You are not what you have. You are not what others say about you. You are mine and only mine! Can you sit down and simply fall in love with me? I would never ask you to do anything I'm not willing to do myself. I gave up everything for you. You mean that much to me. Come away with Me, and discover what you were made for - born for. Gaze into My eyes until you see what I see."

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Worship: "Tend" by Upperroom

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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

The Wilderness Place 2/1/24 The Wilderness Place 2/1/24

Everything That Hinders Love

(5 minutes)

As Jesus started on his way, a man came running up to him. Kneeling down in front of him, he cried out, "Good Teacher, what one thing am I required to do to gain eternal life?" Jesus responded, "Why do you call me good? Only God is truly good. You already know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give a false testimony, do not cheat, and honor your father and mother.'" The man said to Jesus, "Teacher, I have carefully obeyed these laws since my youth." Jesus fixed his gaze upon the man, with tender love, and said to him, "Yet there is still one thing in you lacking. Go, sell all that you have and give the money to the poor. Then all of your treasure will be in heaven. After you've done this, come back and walk with me." Completely shocked by Jesus' answer, he turned and walked away very sad, for he was extremely rich. (Mark 10:17-22)

The rich, young ruler is a product of what religion told him to do. On Sunday, Pastor Tim said, "Religion is real good at cleaning the outside of the cup, but it has no power to clean the inside of the cup." Religion had not prepared this rich, young ruler to encounter the presence of God in a way that would produce intimacy and honor in his heart. Religion only produced regret as he walked away from the very presence of God, in the flesh.

Jesus, getting to the heart of the matter, asks this rich, young ruler to go and sell all that he owned and give the money away to the poor. Why does Jesus ask him to do this? Because He needs the money? No! He doesn't even want the money. He wants the heart of this rich, young ruler and Jesus knew exactly what he was prioritizing over intimacy with Him. He was absolutely shocked to hear Jesus ask this. Why? Could it be that the accomplishments that religion pointed at as successful in his life, the faithful law-keeping that he probably believed was the root of his wealth and status, were really just things that were getting in the way of him having a real relationship with Yahweh? The things that religion propped up his entire life, Jesus is suddenly asking him to remove. What would your response be?

Pastor Tim said this on Sunday: "Imagine your whole life, religion told you that your identity is in your influence, in your money, and how you keep the commandments. Completely shocked by Jesus' answer, he turned and walked away sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus just put His finger on the one thing that he was unwilling to walk away from."

For years at The Wilderness Place, we've heard that "Yahweh is coming after everything that hinders love." This is what we are talking about. This is Jesus coming after something that was hindering intimacy. Just like the rich, young ruler, it will likely be things, people, ideas, and opinions (even some really great things like ministries and causes) that we are putting before Him. Things that we may not even be aware of before He comes with tender love to address it. He knows exactly what we prioritize above Him and His tender love and compassion will not rest until those things are removed. His love is a consuming fire. He is jealous for His own.

Let's take an honest question into our conversation with Yahweh today.

Abba, is there something in my life that, if you asked me to give it away, would cause me to walk away from Your presence shocked and sad?

Abba, would you come and take me by the hand? Would you lead me out of everything that hinders our love affair, that hinders our intimacy? I've gotten close enough to you to know that you are good. You are perfect love. You are pure, radiant light with not one trace of darkness in You at all. I can trust Your goodness to lead me out. I want my heart to be fully convinced, until You are my One and Only. We say, "Yes, and I do!"

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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!

The Wilderness Place 1/31/24 The Wilderness Place 1/31/24

The Outside of The Cup

(5 minutes)

Religion can only wash the outside of the cup.

The rich, young ruler asks Jesus what the one thing is that he's required to do to gain eternal life. So Jesus lists the commandments that religion was most familiar with: do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give a false testimony, do not cheat, and honor your father and mother. Notice that all of these commandments are external. They all deal with the outside of a person. And the rich, young ruler managed to carefully obey these commandments since his youth. He didn't have a problem with cleaning the outside of the cup. Religion gave him a to-do list, and with a little self-effort he was able to clean up his external life, the life that people could see.

But Jesus fixes his gaze upon the man, with tender love and compassion, and says to him, "Yet there is still one thing IN YOU lacking." Religion can clean the outside of our lives, but what about the inside? What about the heart? The sophisticated trap of religion is that we could clean the outside of the cup so well that we are convinced that the whole thing is clean, failing to realize that, although religion could fix some external behaviors, it never produces in us a heart that loves God more than anything else. It adds Jesus to our own ideas, dreams, and life plans, but it never allows Jesus to become the ONE THING. That's the trap. It's the illusion of true love. This is what Pastor Tim describes as the "delusional thinking" that religion produces in us. The trap is so sophisticated that we can't even see it.

The one thing that religion can't touch is the one thing that Abba is after - your heart.

Listen to God's word to Samuel as he enters Jesse's home, looking for the next king of Israel. Samuel is tempted to look at the outside of the cup, but Yahweh reminds him of what's most important.

But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

Religion only looks at the outward appearance. Yahweh looks at the heart.

Jesus fixes his gaze upon us, with tender love and compassion, and asks us about our hearts, not about how well we can check off the to-do list of American Christianity. The rich, young ruler was everything that the church would want in a member, but there was one thing in him that was lacking, and that one thing kept him from face-to-face fellowship with Jesus. He was probably celebrated, even envied, when he went to the synagogue later that week - but what about his heart?

As we take the walk with Abba today, let's go beyond external behaviors and to-do lists. Let's open our hearts up, as wide as possible, in His presence. And let's allow His love and goodness to usher us out of every lie we've ever believed about Him and about ourselves. It's His goodness that leads us out of the sophisticated trap of religion and into perfect love. Don't forget... His gaze is fixed on you today, with tender love and compassion. Take His hand, go on the walk with Him, and let Him produce in you what religion never could - a heart of intimacy and honor that values His presence more than anything else in the world.

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Worship: "I'm A Lover Of Your Presence" by Bryan & Katie Torwalt

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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

The Wilderness Place 1/30/24 The Wilderness Place 1/30/24

Caught In A Sophisticated Trap

(4 minutes)

Pastor Tim has said this often, "No one sets out in the morning to become a Pharisee." None of us leave the house in the morning hoping that we will become an expert pretender. We don't intend on getting caught up in delusional thinking. We all start with pure motives.

This rich, young ruler is just the same. He loved God. At the beginning of this story, we catch him running to Jesus. He's not casually strolling. He's running with purpose towards Jesus. He displays a heart of honor as he kneels down in front of Jesus. And the scripture says that he "cries out." This man is passionate about God. He's passionate about the things of the Kingdom.

As the man goes on, he reveals that he's been carefully obeying the Old Testament laws since his youth. He's been in church his whole life! We're not dealing with a horrible person. We're dealing with someone that American Christianity would prop up as the ideal church member. He's rich. He's young. He's successful. He's faithful. He was probably a prize possession to his local synagogue, just like he would be in the local church today. I can hear the pastor commenting on this young man in the weekly staff meeting, "We can use him! What a blessing!"

Why is this important? Why is it important to see that this man loved God? That he wasn't a horrible person?

Because if we write this young man off too quickly, we'll fail to see ourselves in this story. This rich, young ruler is a lot like us. So many of us have been the prize possession of the church at some point. We were the ideal church member. American Christianity took us in because they saw so much potential in us. We loved Jesus and we were faithful, so the church took an opportunity to use us to serve "the vision." We started off with pure motives, wanting to learn more about God. We never set our sights on becoming a religious Pharisee.

We had what every kid has when they're growing up: immature sincerity.

But instead of falling into the hands of a spiritual father who could lead us into intimacy with Jesus, we fell into something else.

Pastor Tim said it best this past Sunday. We were "caught in a sophisticated trap."

Let's not rush through the story. Let's stop here and let Abba talk to us about this part of the journey. Can you see yourself in the life of the rich, young ruler? Can you see the pure heart that you started with? Can you see in your own story where it shifted from immature sincerity to being abnormally used in the sophisticated trap of American Christianity?

If you haven't listened already, please go back and watch the message from this past Sunday. Pastor Tim goes into his own story of being the rich, young ruler. This message is resonating in the hearts of our family because we can see ourselves in the story.

Abba, give us ears to hear.

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Worship: "Real Thing" 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!

The Wilderness Place 1/29/24 The Wilderness Place 1/29/24

No Darkness, Not One Trace

(4 minutes)

This is the life-giving message we heard him share and it's still ringing in our ears. We now repeat his words to you: God is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in him. (1 John 1:5)

This year at The Wilderness Place we're letting this verse go deep in us. Like Pastor Tim said this past Sunday: "Every decision you make, every thought you have, everything you decide to do, and everything you decide not to do hinges on this verse."

At first, it sounds like you're hearing something obvious. It strikes you like someone is simply telling you that "water is wet." Of course, God is light. Yes, I know that He is good!

I know that it's easy to believe when everything is going well. But do we believe it when life gets hard? Do we believe it when we have to walk through something difficult? Do we believe it when we run into an inconvenience?

It's when we walk through the difficult things that this truth gets tested in us. When hard things arise in life, do we still believe that Abba is pure, radiant light or do we begin blaming Him and questioning His goodness?

When something negative happens in your life, do you secretly believe that it's judgment from God concerning your bad behavior? Do you anxiously begin to trace the bad things that happen back to a past failure?

Listen... Abba doesn't treat His beloved sons and daughters this way.

Do you know of any parent who would give his hungry child, who asked for food, a plate of rocks instead? Or when asked for a piece of fish, what parent would offer his child a snake instead? If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what's best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him? (Matthew 7:9-11)

It's like Jesus is asking us, "When will you stop making Abba out to be some cruel, vindictive parent who is always ready and waiting to punish His children?" It's quite the opposite. John the Beloved tells us that Abba is trying to dispel every ounce of fear you have of punishment. He's trying to drive far from your heart, so you can fully enjoy His presence and perfect love.

Our blaming and questioning of Abba is simply a lack of trust in His goodness. This is why we are staying with the words of 1 John 1:5. We need this truth to go deep, so even when negative things happen in our life, we are still sure and fully convinced of Abba's goodness. We need to sit with it until there's no more blaming, no more questioning, and no more suspicion left in us concerning His nature. Until our heart can say in the face of every circumstance, "Abba is pure light. And there is not even one trace of darkness to be found in Him."

As we take the walk with Abba today, let's allow Him to come and convince us of this truth. He wants the transformation to happen in the light of His presence. He wants to convince us of His nature in a face-to-face encounter. Spending time with Him in intimacy will change how we see Him. And as we begin seeing Him rightly, it will change how we see everything else.

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Worship: "When I Lock Eyes With You" by Harvest & John Thurlow

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 Wilderness Place 1/26/24 The Wilderness Place 1/26/24

The Obsession of My Life

(5 minutes)

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus had to pass through Jericho. There lived a very wealthy man named Zacchaeus, who supervised all the tax collectors. He was very eager to see Jesus and kept trying to get a look at him through the massive crowd. Since Zacchaeus was a short man and couldn't see over the heads of the people, he ran on ahead of everyone and climbed up a blossoming fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed by. When Jesus got to that place, he looked up into the tree and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry on down, for I must stay at your house today!" So he scurried down the tree and found himself face-to-face with Jesus. As Jesus left to go with Zacchaeus, many in the crowd complained, "Look at this! Of all the people to have dinner with, he's going to eat in the house of a crook." Zacchaeus was amazed over his gracious visit to his home and joyously welcomed Jesus. Zacchaeus stood in front of the Lord and said, "Half of all that I own I will give to the poor. And Lord, if I have cheated anyone, I promise to pay them back four times as much as I stole." (Luke 19:1-8)

This week we've been looking at the story of the rich, young ruler and the story of Zacchaeus. Both of them were wealthy men. Both of them ran with eagerness to see Jesus. But we see a very different heart posture in the two of them. As we read the end of each story, we can see the heart posture rise to the surface.

Zacchaeus allowed his obsession with Jesus to reorder everything in his life. Zacchaeus doesn't just want to visit Jesus where He is; Zacchaeus is overjoyed to bring Jesus into his own home. Zacchaeus allows the grace of God to come in and change his priorities. Pastor Tim mentioned this on Sunday: "Our obsession with Jesus teaches our priorities how to act." When Jesus is enthroned as King in our hearts, He brings order to our lives and our priorities. Our obsession will always dictate our priorities. The question for us here is this: who is calling the shots? What or who is our obsession? And how is that obsession prioritizing our lives? Our obsession tells us what to focus on and what is most important to us. The obsession of the rich, young ruler is clearly seen in the end...and so is Zacchaeus'.

Yesterday we saw what church history tells us about the end of the rich, young ruler's life. He eventually became an old, broke slave. But have you ever heard the rest of the story for Zacchaeus? Some church fathers believed that Matthias, the 13th disciple called after Judas' departure to be a part of the Twelve, was actually Zacchaeus. Some stories tell us that Zacchaeus went on to become the first bishop in Caesarea. Zacchaeus' face-to-face encounter with Jesus changed everything. It redirected his entire life and established him as a Kingdom man who brought transformation to a very important city.

Zacchaeus' name means "pure" and "innocent." This was the heart posture he brought with him as he ran to Jesus. This was the heart posture that allowed him to climb up into devotion and intimacy with Jesus and have his life completely transformed. One man is defined by his wealth, his age, and his social status. But Zacchaeus is defined by Abba's declaration over him: pure and innocent. Zacchaeus was radically defined by his beloved identity. What he lacked in stature and social recognition, he more than made up for in being known as one beloved of the Father. This is what happens when we allow Abba's grace to come in and deal with the darkness that we have concerning the goodness of God. When we see the Father rightly, we see ourselves rightly. And nothing else matters!

Will you allow Jesus to come into your home and become the obsession of your life? Will you allow Him to lavish you with His goodness and grace to the point where your priorities are changed? Will you let Him be the Bridegroom King that brings order to every part of your life? Can you hear Abba's voice calling out to you, "Pure and innocent one, hurry into My presence today, for I desire to be with you? Will you let me make your home My dwelling place so we can live together in uninterrupted, unbroken companionship?"

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Worship: "Never Going Back" by United Pursuit

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 Wilderness Place 1/25/24 The Wilderness Place 1/25/24

The Old, Broke Slave

(5 minutes)

It is clear that the rich, young ruler found his identity in his wealth and status. When asked to leave it behind and come follow the Son of God, he simply could not let it go because losing it would be losing himself. This is why we must be radically defined, only as those beloved of the Father. Because this is the only thing that can't be taken away from us.

What happens when we put our identity in something other than Abba's love for us? Some of us have already seen this happen in our lives. You put your identity into your work ethic, and then you lose your job. You put your identity in your social status, and then you lose your dream house. Pastor Tim shared his personal testimony this past Tuesday of the season that his identity was in his sports career, and then he suffered an injury that ruined any chance at playing professional football. You put your identity in being a good father or mother, and then your relationship with your children becomes distant and strained. What happens when you put your identity in something only to have it stripped away? You crash. You lose hope. Like the rich, young ruler you are "completely shocked" and you walk away sad.

This is what Abba is coming after in our lives. These areas where we find our identity in things other than Him. Why? Because He doesn't ever want us to lose our identity, and as long as we're finding it in these other things we're susceptible to hurt, pain, and a fear that He doesn't want us living in. Imagine watching your own child become so attached to something that it becomes their life, the air they breathe, their reason for getting up in the morning. And imagine what you would feel if you had to witness them losing that thing. Abba's burning love for us is what motivates Him to come after these areas in our lives. If our identity is in Him and how He feels about us, we never lose our identity ever again. Things may come and go, but this always remains the same - Abba and His love for us.

Church history tells us about the unfortunate end to the rich, young ruler’s life. Forty years after his encounter with Jesus, when Rome destroyed Jerusalem, the rich, young ruler ended up being the broke, old slave. He lost his riches to the Roman empire. He was no longer a young man. And his position and status fell to the bottom rung of the social ladder. The thing he found his identity in and walked away from Jesus in order to keep, he ended up losing anyway.

I want to believe that Abba met him in that moment because He has a way of waiting us out. He's patient with us. And sometimes it takes losing what you thought you wanted to truly see what you can't live without.

This reminds me of some song lyrics:

"Cause there's no shame
in looking like a fool
When I give You what I can't keep
To take a hold of You"

Jesus' offensive words to the rich, young ruler were an invitation. "Son, will you give up what you can't keep, to take a hold of Me?" Jesus was opening a door for this young man to experience a deeper level of trust and intimacy, and an identity that he would never have to lose. He's offering the same thing to us. It's an invitation to step into something greater, a higher dimension, an unbroken fellowship with Yahweh.

Are we willing to give up what we can't keep to take a hold of Him?

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Worship: "Head to the Heart" by United Pursuit

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 Wilderness Place 1/24/24 The Wilderness Place 1/24/24

Abba’s Priority Is Intimacy

(5 minutes)

Why would Jesus pinpoint this one thing in the rich, young ruler?

Remember what Pastor Tim said about this on Sunday: "God's judgments are aimed at everything that hinders intimacy with you and Him. His priority is not comfort. His priority is intimacy."

Jesus goes straight to the heart of the issue with this man because He desires a deeper relationship with him. It's the same with us. Jesus, moved by tender love, is coming after everything that is getting in the way of our intimacy with Him. Sometimes we are not even aware of these things, but as we keep walking with Abba, He addresses them and gives us grace to enter into a new level of trust and intimacy in our relationship with Him. That's exactly what these moments are...opportunities to go deeper in our relationship with Him.

The rich, young ruler loved God. He would not have run towards Jesus and asked this kind of question had he not loved God. He was concerned about the wrong things because he still had a broken image of the Father, but there was still a love for God. What happened in this moment was the rich, young ruler had the veil pulled back on something that rivaled and was competing with his love for God. There's a quote I remember that deals with this very thing: "We give up things we love for things we love even more." The rich, young ruler walks away sad because he has just been shown by Abba's grace that there was something ruining the vineyard of his love for God. There was another love competing for first place. A love that was such a strong contender to his love for God that it caused him to question everything.

Are we convinced of Abba's goodness to the degree that we could ask Him a really honest, vulnerable question today?

Abba, what in my life, if You asked me to give it up, would cause me to walk away sad?

Abba, is there another love in my life that is competing for first place with You?

Remember, Abba's priority is intimacy. Abba's priority is that your sole source of comfort would be Him, and nothing else. He doesn't want your identity in the hands of anything else. Because He knows that your identity is not safe in the hands of anything else. So His judgments are aimed at everything that is hindering your deep love for and trust in Him.

Where do these lesser loves fall away? How do they get dealt with? In the light of His presence. Our abiding and remaining in the light that surrounds Him is the thing that will deal most effectively with the dark thinking that still remains in us.

This is the life-giving message we heard him share and it's still ringing in our ears. We now repeat his words to you: God is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in him. If we claim that we share life with him, but keep walking in the realm of darkness, we're fooling ourselves and not living the truth. But if we keep living in the pure light that surrounds him, we share unbroken fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, continually cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

As we take the walk with Abba today, we are saying "Yes!" to living in the pure light that surrounds Him. And it's that light, the radiant light of His presence, that will deal with the lesser loves that still remain in our heart. And know that if Abba chooses to expose that thing in our hearts, it's His open invitation to walk in a deeper measure of intimacy with Him. He would never expose something and not give you all the grace and permission you need to exit that way of life, so you can enter into the abundant life that He has for you. You can trust Him!

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Worship: "First Love" by Josh Baldwin

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 Wilderness Place 1/23/24 The Wilderness Place 1/23/24

A Man Named “Pure”

(4 minutes)

How we approach the King determines what changes in us.

Yesterday, we saw a picture of a rich, young ruler trapped in religion. Everything seemed right on the outside. By the world's standards (and the church's) he was considered successful. His physical posture even seemed right as he ran to Jesus and knelt before Him to ask his question. We learned through their conversation that this wealthy, young man carefully obeyed the law. This man's life would likely cause others to marvel and think to themselves, "This guy has God's favor all over him. He really loves God."

But as we continued to read the story, we saw something entirely different unfold. The thing that religion produced in this man was fear. He was successful and carefully obeyed the law, yet he was afraid of eternal punishment and had absolutely no assurance in his spirit of God's love for him. When fear rules your life, you do everything you can to protect yourself. And the rich, young ruler's encounter with Jesus, from beginning to end, was flowing from a place of self-protection and self-love.

Pastor Tim highlighted another story on Sunday that you may be familiar with, but throw away the old lens that you've used to read this story in the past. Ask the Spirit to give you new eyes as you read it again. It's the story of another wealthy man named Zacchaeus, which means "pure."

We have another wealthy man, eager to see Jesus, running in the same way that the rich, young ruler ran. What's different about Zacchaeus' encounter?

I believe the true meaning of Zacchaeus' name gives us a good picture. His heart was pure in his pursuit of Jesus. He wasn't being fueled by fear of punishment, and he had more reason to fear than the rich, young ruler did because this man's wealth was established on the backs of the people in his town. He was the man in charge of all the tax collectors. He had way more reason to fear punishment and be afraid, but his heart was pure. Pastor Tim noted on Sunday that the blossoming fig tree is a symbol of devotion and intimacy. Zacchaeus' heart wasn't stooping down in shame... it was climbing high in devotion and intimacy, just wanting to catch a glimpse of the Son of God. Zacchaeus was after a face-to-face encounter with Jesus, and that is exactly what he got.

There's so much more to say, but for now, let's hold these two stories in our hearts and listen to what Abba is wanting to say to us. How are we approaching the King? This matters. The posture of our hearts as we encounter Jesus determines so much of the outcome. After reading these two stories, it seems like the posture of our hearts will determine whether we walk away sad from Jesus' presence or amazed over His grace. It's the same Jesus in both stories. But it's two different hearts.

Abba, as we climb high in devotion and intimacy, would you speak to us about the posture of our hearts?

We want a pure heart, restored to innonence, that doesn't fear You but is fully convinced that You are pure light, having no trace of darkness at all. We want to enjoy this face-to-face union with You and be utterly amazed at the grace You pour out on us until it fills us to overflowing with joy. Religion walks away sad from Your presence, but You have lured us out of religion, into perfect love. In this wilderness place, we're learning to be loved by You. Abba, take us by the hand, and let's descend even deeper today into Your goodness!

What bliss you experience when your heart is pure! For then your eyes will open to see more and more of God. (Matthew 5:8)

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Worship: "I Lose My Ability" by Jonathan David & 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!

The Wilderness Place 1/22/24 The Wilderness Place 1/22/24

The Posture of the Heart

(7 minutes)

"How you approach the King determines what changes in you."

This phrase carried so much weight at the end of our gathering at The Wilderness Place yesterday. Pastor Tim paralleled two familiar stories to show us how our heart posture in our relationship with Jesus matters. It's a sobering question, but one that's worth asking: how am I approaching the King? What is my heart posture like in my own encounters with Abba? As we meditate on these scriptures and thoughts from Sunday, can we be vulnerable and open with Him? Can we be honest about where we are, so He can usher us by His goodness into where we were always meant to be?

The first story that we looked at was that of the rich, young ruler.

As Jesus started on his way, a man came running up to him. Kneeling down in front of him, he cried out, "Good Teacher, what one thing am I required to do to gain eternal life?" (Mark 10:17)

Our first glimpse of this young, wealthy man seems promising. Unlike others who were casually following from a distance, we see him running towards Jesus. His physical posture was one of humility as he kneeled down in front of Jesus, but listen to what comes next. The rich, young ruler cried out, "Good Teacher, what one thing am I...required...to do to gain eternal life?" There is so much in this question that reveals the heart posture of this man, and the heart posture of so many people who are caught up in religious thinking. The first problem is in his perspective of Jesus and this is the first thing that Jesus speaks to.

Jesus responded, "Why do you call me good? Only God is truly good." (Mark 10:18)

Do you see me as a teacher, or do you see me as God? This is a huge question that must be settled in the heart. Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, "If all I am to you is a teacher, then I'll give you a teacher-answer to your question. But if you see Me as God, then I'll give you a God-answer to your question." God gives us the "right of way" in these conversations. He allows us to have our own beliefs and will, and then He responds to us in the place where we are. So Jesus gives the rich, young ruler the teacher-answer to his question.

"You already know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give a false testimony, do not cheat, and honor your father and mother.'" (Mark 10:19)

But this checklist was already one that the young ruler was familiar with. He had already mastered these items, and still, his heart needed assurance of where he would spend eternity. Because checklists do not have the power to give us confident assurance and hope. Religion only has one message: "Try harder." And that is precisely what the rich, young ruler is here to do. His only goal in this encounter with Jesus is to figure out what else he must do to get the favorable outcome that he desires for his life.

The man said to Jesus, "Teacher, I have carefully obeyed these laws since my youth." (Mark 10:20)

The teacher-answer did not suffice. The unsettled soul of this young man was searching for something new he could check off the list, hoping that it would be the final piece of the puzzle. But the puzzle that religion sells you is never complete. So he tells Jesus that he has already carefully obeyed these laws since he was born. Jesus, what else do you have for me? Then Jesus gives him the God-answer that pierces through the religious facade, straight to the heart of the man.

Jesus fixed his gaze upon the man, with tender love, and said to him, "Yet there is still one thing in you lacking. Go, sell all that you have and give the money to the poor. Then all of your treasure will be in heaven. After you've done this, come back and walk with me." (Mark 10:21)

We need to recognize the sophisticated trap of religion in the life of this rich, young ruler. His physical posture of running towards Jesus and humbly kneeling at his feet seemed right. His careful obedience to the law, all wonderful things, seemed right. He did all of that and still lacked one thing: a heart that valued Jesus more than money. And it's the tender love and kindness of Jesus to put His finger on this thing - the thing that was hindering this man's intimacy with the King.

How did the rich, young ruler respond? When Jesus puts His finger on the thing that was hindering this man's relationship with the Son of God, how did he react? It's in these moments where the heart posture rises to the top and is exposed in us.

Completely shocked by Jesus' answer, he turned and walked away very sad, for he was extremely rich. (Mark 10:22)

This wealthy landowner was finally introduced to the thing he loved most in the world...and it wasn't Jesus. Until this moment, religion made promises to him that never soothed his soul. He lived the majority of his life up to this point believing that he loved God, but all he really loved was himself. This is why Pastor Tim references religion and American Christianity as the most sophisticated trap. Because it convinces you that you love God when the reality is...you only love what God can do for you. God is so much more than a "get out of hell free" card. He desires so much more than that. He's after a fiery love affair - a covenant marriage - a Bride who wants to be made like Him through union with Him. He's after uninterrupted, unbroken companionship. The ones who are not ready for this unconditional, others-centered, self-sacrificing love will always turn back and settle in the land of religion. It bears the appearance of something real but lacks the fruit and restful trust of an authentic relationship with Jesus.

These moments where Jesus puts His finger on something that's getting in the way of our union with Him are beautiful opportunities. These moments where He offends our mind to reveal our heart are significant crossroads in our relationship with Him. They can lead us into an authentic, real relationship with Abba if we let them.

But it requires honesty.

Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, "You can know the right answers and not know Jesus. You can say the right answers and still not know Jesus. You can build kingdoms and campuses and garner numbers but still not know Jesus."

It all comes down to the heart posture. Is the heart open or closed? Is the heart willing to lay down self, to grab hold of the truth? Is the heart willing to walk away from opinions, theories, and ideas in order to have a real, authentic relationship with Jesus?

Abba is looking at the heart. He's gazing into the deepest parts of us with tender love and He desires to have the most intimate, unbroken fellowship with His beloved sons and daughters.

As we take the walk with Him today, let's open up about our heart posture. Let's be honest with Abba about where we are. We won't be met with wrath and punishment but with perfect love. It's only His goodness that can lead us out and change how we think. But if never allow ourselves to get close to Him in intimacy, what chance do we have of encountering Abba's goodness?

O taste and see that Yahweh is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8)

Abba is extending a personal invitation to you today. Come taste and see for yourself that He is good! He is pure light, and there is no trace of darkness in Him at all. King David is assuring us that Yahweh is a safe place to hide!

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Worship: "You Walk With Me" by Housefires

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 Wilderness Place 1/19/24 The Wilderness Place 1/19/24

The Fruit of Becoming Beloved

(5 minutes)

Beloved children, our love can't be an abstract theory we only talk about, but a way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds. We know that the truth lives within us because we demonstrate love in action, which will reassure our hearts in his presence. (1 John 3:18-19)

There is a beautiful fruit that is produced in a person when they begin to trust Abba's point of view concerning themselves. Abba's love tenderizes their heart and they begin to lower their guard and lay their weapons down.

As you embrace that Abba is pure light, with no trace of darkness in Him at all, then you stop being concerned with protecting yourself. And not protecting yourself frees you to love other people the way Abba has loved you. As His love begins to nourish your heart, you become more open to giving and receiving love from the people that He has planted in your life. This is what begins to happen when beloved identity goes from being merely words to becoming a way of life.

Listen to John the Beloved's words in 1 John 3:16-17, translated in The Mirror Translation:

Love is known in its other-centeredness; just as Jesus laid down his life for us to free his love within us for others. The indwelling love of God compels one to live sensitively aware of people around us, and not to exclude those in need.

Hear those words again: Jesus laid down his life for us to FREE HIS LOVE WITHIN US for others. As we encounter the goodness of Abba in the secret place of His love, that intimate place that we share together, we will begin to overflow with what we're beholding in Him, and that will eventually begin to splash all over the people we come in contact with on a daily basis. This agape love - this unconditional, self-sacrificing, other-centered love - is meant to be the differentiator in the lives of Kingdom men and women. The thing that sets them apart as being exclusively His, because only He is capable of loving in that way.

Are you seeing this Kingdom fruit being produced in your life? Is the declaration of your beloved identity causing you to love others with the love that has been lavished on you?

I appreciate how John the Beloved approaches this conversation: Beloved children, our love can't be an abstract theory we only talk about. It's his way of saying, "Don't be fooled into believing that a new vocabulary is the pinnacle of this Kingdom transformation." It must go deeper than words. It must affect the way we live life. The Mirror Translation puts it like this: "My darling children, let's not deceive ourselves by paying lip service to love while we can truly live the dynamic of love in our practical daily doing."

Abba, we long for this truth to go so deep that it transforms our heart for the people that you've planted in our lives. It's clear to us now that we know Your heart that You've always wanted a loving family - a house full of beloved sons and daughters who see You and themselves correctly. You are fixing our broken perspective of You and ourselves and others, and it's finally freeing us to give and receive love the way You designed us to. Abba, we lay down the weapons that we've used to protect ourselves. We lower our guards. Give us tender hearts that can connect with others the way You've connected with us. Let the tender affections we've received from You in intimacy, teach us how to love the Kingdom family we're joined to. More than words...more than good ideas, let this love we've found in You become our way of life as we walk with others.

Those who are loved by God, let his love continually pour from you to one another, because God is love. Everyone who loves is fathered by God and experiences an intimate knowledge of him. The one who doesn't love has yet to know God, for God is love. The light of God's love shined within us when he sent his matchless Son into the world so that we might live through him. This is love: He loved us long before we loved him. It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins. Delightfully loved ones, if he loved us with such tremendous love, then "loving one another" should be our way of life! (1 John 4:7-11)

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Worship: "Made for More" by Josh Baldwin

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 Wilderness Place 1/18/24 The Wilderness Place 1/18/24

Exclusively From Abba’s Point Of View

(5 minutes)

As we are letting Abba's declaration of our beloved identity go down deep into our hearts, I wanted to come back to the verse that we've been focusing on the last few weeks. One of the most valuable scriptures we have. Years after Jesus ascended to the Father and the church was being established in the earth, John the Beloved writes this letter and opens it with these words, the life-giving message of Yeshua that was still ringing in his ears, causing him to overflow with joy. God is radiant light, the purest light of all, and in Him there exists no trace of darkness at all.

I love the words that the author of The Mirror Translation adds in his footnotes concerning this verse. "Without exception, God's gifts are only good; its perfection cannot be flawed." Without exception, Abba is nothing but good and does nothing but good. His goodness cannot be flawed. There is no shifting shadow in the light that surrounds Him. There is no trace of darkness; nor any hint of a hidden agenda. We have to believe this! Not believing this will keep us from growing in intimacy with Yahweh. If we are suspicious of darkness in Him, be it just a trace, we will withhold ourselves and not get as close to Him as we're designed to be - face to face. Remember... uninterrupted, unbroken companionship. This is what Abba wants for us.

If we claim that we share life with him, but keep walking in the realm of darkness, we're fooling ourselves and not living the truth. But if we keep living in the pure light that surrounds him, we share unbroken fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, continually cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7)

What does it mean to live in the pure light that surrounds Him? John the Beloved is not talking about behavior; he's talking about our perspective. How we see Abba and how we see ourselves will determine how we behave. The author of The Mirror Translation puts it like this: "To walk in the light as he is in the light means to see your life and everything that concerns you, exclusively from your Father's point of view." Do you see your life and everything that concerns you exclusively from Abba's point of view? Do you filter everything that happens in your life through the Father's goodness? I know you and I see SOME things through the Father's goodness, but do we see ALL things that happen in our life filtered through His goodness?

In Romans 8:28, the Apostle Paul says, "So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for good, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose." Abba is nothing but good and does nothing but good. Are we convinced that He's weaving every detail of our lives into something good? Every detail? This is what it means to see your life and everything that concerns you, exclusively from your Father's point of view. You don't get to think anything about yourself or your life that Abba isn't thinking.

As intimacy with Yahweh becomes a priority in our lives, we will begin to grow in our union and unbroken fellowship with Him. And that union will change how we see everything. His perspective will become our perspective. His thoughts will become our thoughts. His heart will become our heart. We will come into complete alignment with Abba's way of seeing. We will begin seeing all things, every detail of our lives, filtered through His goodness. We will find ourselves basking in the radiant, pure light that surrounds Him. Our perspective will be washed of that old, religious paradigm that painted the Father with darkness, and we will be living immersed in the truth - He is good, and we are beloved.

As you get close to Him in intimacy today, begin asking Him for new eyes to see as He sees.

Abba, we want to see You rightly - in the radiant light that surrounds You. Abba, we want to see ourselves rightly - as beloved sons and daughters of God. Abba, we want to be fully convinced that every detail of our lives is being filtered through Your goodness. Let our old, darkened perspective be washed away by Your love.

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Worship: "Surrounded (Fight My Battles)" by UPPERROOM

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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

The Wilderness Place 1/17/24 The Wilderness Place 1/17/24

Nothing To Prove

(4 minutes)

One day, Jesus came to be baptized along with all the others. As he was consumed with the spirit of prayer, the heavenly realm ripped open above him and the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove and landed on him. Then God's audible voice was heard, saying, "My Son, you are my beloved one. Through you I am fulfilled." (Luke 3:21-22)

Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was being led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had finished, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." (Luke 4:1-3)

How important is it to be fully convinced that you are beloved of the Father? So important that when the enemy shows up to tempt Jesus, the first attack he launches is against Jesus' identity as Beloved Son. This was the same attack he launched against Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Don't be mistaken, the enemy is out for your identity. If he can get you to doubt Yahweh's goodness and your own beloved identity, the hard work is done. Remember Pastor Tim's words from Sunday: "Every decision you make is about these two things: what you believe about God and what you believe about yourself."

The enemy comes to Jesus while He's in a vulnerable state and questions His belovedness. "If you are who you say you are, prove it!" These same accusing words come to us when we're vulnerable, too. It's in the midst of the struggle, the difficult moments, that the enemy comes to attack your identity. Honestly, we don't even need his help most times because we become our own accuser and question ourselves before he even has a chance. "If I am really beloved, why am I struggling with this? If I am really beloved, why is this happening to me?" The temptation is always to leave our place of restful trust in Abba's goodness and start striving to prove that we are who we say we are.

Pastor Tim had some truthful words to share about striving to prove ourselves. He said, "When we strive to prove that we are beloved sons and daughters, we don't really believe that we are beloved sons and daughters. You and me feeling like we have to prove ourselves speaks to us that beloved identity hasn't gone as deep as it needs to go." When you are fully convinced of Yahweh's goodness and your own beloved identity, you will lose every inclination to prove yourself. The fully convinced, beloved son and daughter has no need for striving, earning, and proving anymore. They have been kicked out of the camp to make room for peace, joy, and the uninterrupted, unbroken companionship that we're enjoying with Abba.

What areas are you still trying to prove that you are a beloved son or daughter? Can you see that proving and measuring yourself is actually partnering with unbelief concerning your beloved identity? Abba is calling you to be seated, to rest in what HE says. Being seated is simply believing Abba's words alone. Abba's words concerning you are the only validation you need. The fact that He has said it, settles it in you.

Abba, let my beloved identity go deep in me today. Let nothing move me from being seated in what You have spoken over me. When the enemy or my own accusing thoughts come to tempt me to prove and measure myself, let me find confident rest in Your words. Abba, You are nothing but good and Your words are enough for me!

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Worship: "Promises" 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!

The Wilderness Place 1/16/24 The Wilderness Place 1/16/24

Baptized In Beloved Identity

(5 minutes)

How important is it to be fully convinced that you are beloved of the Father?

Before Jesus performs any miracles, before He heals anyone, before He resurrects anyone from the dead, the Father is peeling back the heavens so everyone can hear His heart loud and clear. One of only two times that we hear the audible voice of the Father in the New Testament and He is saying, "This is my dearly beloved Son, in whom I take the greatest delight!" Another translation interprets these words, "You are my much-loved Son who makes my heart glad!" Abba is declaring His unconditional love and pleasure for the Son. Of all the things that Abba could say... of all the things that He could talk about... this is what He chooses to say.

Immediately after Jesus is baptized in beloved identity, the Spirit leads Him even deeper into the wilderness. And in His most vulnerable moment, the enemy comes and tempts Jesus saying, "If You are the Son of God..."

It seems that the devil left something out.

Pastor Tim has said this before, "The enemy is fine with you believing that you are a son of God, but he does not want you to believe that you are beloved."

The enemy fails to mention Jesus' state of beloved-ness in the Father's eyes. He leaves it off completely. He then tempts Jesus to prove His sonship and anything you feel the need to prove, you are not fully convinced of in the beginning. In the same wilderness where the Israelites struggled to be seated in Yahweh's goodness, and confronted by the same serpent that deceived Adam and Eve about their divine identity in God, Jesus finds victory simply by believing Abba's words over anyone else's. This is the victory that's possible when you hear Abba's voice for yourself, thundering through the heavenly realm and into your ears, "You are my beloved son, my beloved daughter, in whom I find the greatest delight. You make my heart happy!"

Pastor Tim made this statement on Sunday: "Every decision you make is about these two things: what you believe about God and what you believe about yourself." The bedrock of Jesus' victory in the wilderness, the very foundation of His faith in those moments, hinged on what He believed about Abba, and what He believed about Himself. It's the same with us. Our response in our most vulnerable moment will be shaped by what we believe about Abba, and what we believe about ourselves. Trials have a strange way of revealing what has been brewing in our inner world all along. Storms cause our true beliefs to come to the surface. Head-knowledge, intellect, and a new vocabulary will not sustain you in these vulnerable moments, but Abba's voice will. He has hidden these treasured words in the light that surrounds Him, waiting for us to come to the secret place, called intimacy, to hear them for ourselves.

Have you been baptized in beloved identity? Have you been immersed in that which is flowing down from Abba's heart? Are you seated in Yahweh's goodness and your belovedness in His eyes? Have you heard Abba's declaration of love for yourself? This moment marked Jesus. And when we are baptized in our beloved identity, it will mark us, too.

Come and discover what the enemy and the lie of religion never wanted you to know: that you are His beloved, and before you ever lifted a finger... He found His greatest delight in you. You don't have to strive for it. You can cease all of your efforts to earn it. And you don't need to prove it to anyone. Only one thing is asked of you: will you believe it? Will you be fully convinced, like Jesus was, that Abba is pure light, and there's not even a trace of darkness in Him? Will you be fully convinced that Abba loves you with the same nature and measure of love that He has for Jesus?

Come and be baptized, beloved.

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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 Wilderness Place 1/15/24 The Wilderness Place 1/15/24

Uninterrupted, Unbroken Companionship

(4 minutes)

From the moment of his baptism, Jesus overflowed (was fully infused) with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 4:1)

At the start of this week, let's fix our eyes on Abba's heart for us. He's showing up every single day to walk with us.

Pastor Tim showed us this past Sunday that Jesus "overflowing with the Holy Spirit" means that He was experiencing uninterrupted, unbroken companionship with Abba. Abba was accompanying Him wherever He went.

Today, Abba's heart is to be with you in every moment. He wants you to experience the same uninterrupted, unbroken companionship that Jesus did. Nothing less! He wants to accompany you and walk hand-in-hand with you wherever you go. Unlimited access to an intimate relationship with Yahweh.

To walk in this depth of presence, we must see Him as good, pure light, and we must see ourselves as His beloved. These two things, if not seen rightly, will keep us walking at a distance instead of walking hand-in-hand with Him. Seeing Him as perfectly good and seeing ourselves as Beloved of the Father will allow us to enjoy the face-to-face relationship that we were designed to share with Him.

This is what Abba is inviting you into today. Abba wants you to constantly be living in the light that surrounds Him. Can you imagine walking this closely with Abba? Can you imagine having a continual conversation with Him throughout the day? Can you imagine His presence being woven into every moment, no matter how small?

Two questions that you must ask yourself and answer honestly:

Do you believe He really wants to be this close to you? This question reveals how you see Him. We have to settle this question in our hearts. Is He good… to me?

Do you believe that you are worthy enough to experience this measure of His presence? This question reveals how you see yourself. This question is about your identity. Am I really beloved?

It's okay to not feel 100% settled in these things. This is exactly what the walk is for. These are the things that He wants to talk about today as we host His presence. Bring your heart, fully open, into the light that surrounds Him. Be vulnerable with Him about where you are. And allow His love to wash you, to nourish you, to revive you in these areas. His voice speaking tenderly to your heart can change everything. One moment with Him in intimacy can change everything. All He needs from you is your willingness to be open with Him.

Your future is full of uninterrupted, unbroken, unlimited companionship with Abba, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. He has lured you into the wilderness to produce this in you. The work has already begun! And Abba is always faithful to finish the work that He has started.

I pray with great faith for you, because I'm fully convinced that the One who began this gracious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ! (Philippians 1:6)

You're predestined to look just like Jesus, having the exact same face-to-face relationship that He has with Abba. This is the work that He has started in you! And until Jesus is unveiled in you, He is faithful to continue the process of maturing His beloved sons and daughters.

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Worship: "Open Space" by Housefires

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 Wilderness Place 1/12/24 The Wilderness Place 1/12/24

The Evidence of the Kingdom

(7 minutes)

What is the evidence that appears in our life when we start seeing Abba as pure light, with no trace of darkness in Him?

Yes, we stop protecting ourselves and can start living in the freedom that Abba has for us. But even more, we will be freed to love others like Abba loves us. The evidence of the Kingdom will always appear in relationships because the Kingdom is relational.

Let's dive back into Abraham's story. We've already seen Abraham protecting himself and operating out of a place of fear. Now, let's pay attention to Abraham's next trial and see if His perspective of Yahweh has changed.

Then Abram took his wife and all that he owned, and left Egypt. They returned to the southern desert region, and Lot went with them. Now Abram had become very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. And he journeyed on from place to place as far as the hill country region of Bethel. He returned to the place between Bethel and Ai where he had pitched his tent at the beginning. This was the place he had first built an altar to pray and worship Yahweh. Now Lot, who accompanied Abram, was also rich and had accumulated flocks, herds, family, and servants. Arguments erupted between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen because the land could not support both living together, for their animals and possessions were too numerous. At that time, Canaanites and Perizzites were also in the land. So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not quarrel with each other, or between our herdsmen, since we are relatives. Look at the vast land that is in front of you! Let's settle in different regions. If you choose the land on the left, then I'll go right, and if you want land on the right, then I'll go left." (Genesis 13:1-9)

So Lot chose to settle in the Jordan Valley, which was fertile and well-watered. It looked beautiful, like the garden of Yahweh, or like Egypt. He departed toward the east, and the family split up and separated from each other. (Genesis 13:11-12)

After Lot separated from him, Yahweh spoke to Abram, "Lift up your eyes and look around you to the north, the south, the east, and the west. As far as you can see in every direction is the land that I will give to you forever--to you and your seed. I will multiply them until they are as numerous as the specks of dust on the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could also be counted. Now, get up and walk through the land--its length and its breadth. All the land you walk upon will be my gift to you!" (Genesis 13:14-17)

Abraham is put in another situation where his future is hanging in the balance. He could easily let fear whisper to him and fall into the same trap of protecting his own heart. But Abraham responds in a completely different way in this tussle with Lot. This is evidence that Abraham is seeing Yahweh as pure light. He has built some history with Yahweh and when this conflict arises between him and Lot, he doesn't choose to protect his own heart. He chooses to protect Lot's heart and allows him to choose first where he would like to settle with his family. Abraham has clearly gotten closer to Abba in intimacy because he is not responding from fear but from the peace of the Kingdom. He is trusting Yahweh fully in this moment, knowing that no matter where he ends up Yahweh will be with him and for him. Perfect love is casting out all fear in Abraham's heart, freeing him to love Lot the way Abba has loved him.

Are you beginning to see evidence of the Kingdom in your life? That evidence is flowing from your seeing Abba as pure light!

Remember the scripture we read from 1 John 4:

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 4:18)

But what does John the Beloved say after this verse, as he tells us the byproduct of encountering God's love for us?

Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us. (1 John 4:19)

John is referring to the Kingdom evidence that appears in our life when we begin to live in the pure light that surrounds Abba. When we encounter the perfect love of Abba, we will be freed to love and honor others. It will be our grateful response, the overflow of having encountered His goodness and our own beloved identity. We will be able to give away to others what we have learned to receive from Abba: love's perfection.

As this Kingdom evidence begins to appear in our lives and we are finally freed to be our authentic selves, we will also begin to walk in a greater measure of trust. This trust in Yahweh will lead us into things that we can't even ask, think, or imagine right now. Infinitely more than our greatest request. Our most unbelievable dreams. Our wildest imagination! He will outdo them all. (Ephesians 3:20)

Once Lot leaves, Yahweh comes to Abram and says, "Look around in every direction! Everything your eyes can see, I'm giving to you and your seed. I am going to multiply all that you are and all that you have." Remember these words from last Sunday: "You are one decision, one moment away, from believing that Abba is good, from possessing it all."

It all begins here.

Do you believe that Abba is pure light? That there's no shadow side to Him at all?

Will you allow His love to wash over you and cast out all fear?

Can you open up your heart and let Him convince you that He is good and that you are beloved?

Beloved, let Him!

The entire cosmos is waiting for you to believe the life-giving message that Jesus came to share with you. Abba is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in Him. Come and live in the light that surrounds Him. Come and share this unbroken fellowship with Yahweh. You can trust Him. He is safe. He is for you. And He's not going anywhere.

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Worship: "Let It Happen" by United Pursuit

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 Wilderness Place 1/11/24 The Wilderness Place 1/11/24

Goodbye, Fear!

(8 minutes)

What happens when you begin to see Yahweh as pure light, not having even a trace of darkness in Him?

You stop protecting yourself.

You see, as long as you are suspicious of God, questioning if you're safe in His presence, you will always have your guard up. You'll always be looking over your shoulder. You'll constantly feel the need to protect yourself. This is the darkness that we still believe is in the Father. There is a part of Him that we still see as the punisher. He's the distant, angry dad that religion taught us about. He can't stand sin and can't even look at you when you fall down or make a mess. When you make a mistake, He unleashes His furious wrath upon us that could take the form of a flat tire, an unexpected expense, a hurricane, or a health issue. We really believe that the Father punishes us like this. When something bad happens in our life we anxiously begin to trace it back to some failure on our part that God just can't look over anymore. He tolerated the first and second offense, but grace ran out after that and the third strike means, "You're out!" Let's be honest, how many of us still think that there's a thread of this harsh, uncaring, vengeful nature left in God? This is the "darkness" that John the Beloved is referring to. We still think there's darkness in Him. And what does this belief, even if it's just a small measure or trace amount, produce in us? Fear of punishment. And fear doesn't produce freedom, it produces bondage. It produces sons and daughters that are constantly trying to protect themselves from God. And this drives us out of Abba's presence and further into the hands of religion. Religion is just our best attempt at keeping an angry God in a good mood.

As Abraham walked with Yahweh, there were still moments in his journey when he was desperately trying to protect himself. He was still operating from a place of fear. Let's revisit the story that Pastor Tim walked us through this past Sunday. Not one of Abraham's finest moments, but Abba still showed up.

At that time, a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to travel down to Egypt and live there as a foreigner. When he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "Look, I'm worried because I know that you are a beautiful, gorgeous woman. When the Egyptian men take one look at you, they will say, 'She is his wife.' Then they will kill me in order to have you. Just tell them you are my sister so that they will treat me well for your sake and spare my life." When Abram entered Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai's stunning beauty. When Pharaoh's dignitaries spotted her, they went to Pharaoh and raved about her beauty. Then they took Sarai into the palace and made her part of Pharaoh's harem. Because she pleased Pharaoh, Abram got along very well in Egypt and received royal treatment: he was given sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, camels, and male and female slaves. But Yahweh struck Pharaoh and his household with terrible diseases because he had taken Abram's wife, Sarai. So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, "How could you do this to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? And why did you lie to me by saying, 'She's my sister,' so that I took her as my wife? Now, here's your wife back; take her and begone!" Then Pharaoh gave strict orders to his men to escort them out of Egypt along with everything they had. (Genesis 12:10-20)

A famine, a hardship, strikes the land where Abraham lived, and his faith was tested. And the truth of the matter is this: when storms roll in, whatever is in us comes out. Because of this famine we see a seed of fear, worry, and anxiety come out of Abraham's heart that he may have not even known was there. He allows fear to take the seat of authority and he chooses to protect himself, over his own wife. An Egyptian Pharaoh ends up having more integrity in this story than Abraham.

Why is it so important to see Yahweh as pure light with no trace of darkness?

Pastor Tim gave us the answer to that question when he said, "We don't even realize that the majority of our choices are being made from anxiety, not the peace of the Kingdom. We make choices based on our fears, instead of His goodness. And it all boils down to, 'We don't trust you, Abba.'"

If we don't see Abba as 100% good, we will end up letting fear call all the shots in our life.

Listen to the words of John the Beloved:

And just a couple of verses earlier, John the Beloved declares that "God is love!" Abba continually exists, being love. And when Abba comes close to us, He's not carrying a rod of judgment, wrath, and retribution. Abba, who is love, desires to drive our fear of punishment far from our hearts. And it is only when we allow ourselves to get close to Him in the secret place, in intimacy, that we begin to see Him rightly, as pure light, having no trace of darkness at all. Perfect love casts out all of our fear, suspicion, and anxiety. Our walls of protection are leveled by His goodness. We stop living in the realm of darkness, the place of fear, and begin living in the pure light that surrounds Him. We lose our broken perspective and we begin to see as He sees. This is the place Abba wants us to call home: unbroken fellowship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Any area where fear is still the loudest voice is an area where we are still suspicious of Abba's goodness. It may be hard to face, but fear is evidence that we are still not seeing Abba's love clearly. Or as John says it, "Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love's perfection." But Abba is committed to showing up every single day to convince us of the truth. He will not stop until we see as He sees.

As we take the walk with Abba today, get close to Him and bask in the pure light that surrounds Him. Intimacy with Him is the only thing that will open us up. Vulnerability and tenderness are direct results of getting close to Abba. The consuming fire of His love will melt the hard, calloused parts of our heart like fire melts ice. We just have to get close enough. Fear has been lying to you...Abba can be trusted. He is pure light, and you won't be able to find even a trace of darkness in Him.

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Worship: "I Lose My Ability" by Jonathan David & 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!

The Wilderness Place 1/10/24 The Wilderness Place 1/10/24

Leaving It All Behind

(5 minutes)

Yahweh is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in him.

We're on a journey with God. He's escorting us out of what we've believed about Him in the past, the beliefs we inherited from a religious lens, and He's ushering us into a place where He can speak tenderly to our hearts and show us who He really is and who we really are. This is how we begin to see Him as pure light. Abba shows up suddenly and says, "Come and see for yourself!"

The first step is always letting go of what we think we already know so we can discover the truth.

This was the first step for Abraham.

Now Yahweh said to Abram: "Leave it all behind---your native land, your people, your father's household, and go to the land that I will show you. Follow me, and I will make you into a great nation. I will exceedingly bless and prosper you, and I will make you famous, so that you will be a tremendous source of blessing for others. I will bless all who bless you and curse all who curse you. And through you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3)

Yahweh calls us out so we can encounter Him face-to-face. He asks us to leave it all behind so we can discover the real God and the real us. We have to leave behind our own will, and our own ideas and opinions about God, in order to find the authentic, true image - the real thing. Are we willing to let go of everything we've learned, to the very foundation, so Abba can rebuild our thoughts and beliefs on what is true? We must remember that Abraham was around 75 years old when Yahweh called him out and don't forget that he had no crutches or constructs at all. In the footnotes of The Passion Translation, Dr. Simmons says, "Abram had no burning bush to inspire him, no tablets of stone to guide him, and no ark of the covenant as a centerpiece of worship. Neither did Abram have a Temple to worship in, a Bible to read, nor a priest to counsel him. Nor did Abram have a pastor to pray for him, nor a prophet to prophesy to him. But Abram had a divine encounter." At 75 years of age, Abraham had a lot to relearn. He had a lot to let go of. But his story tells us that it can be done and that Abba values the tearing down of the old wineskin so we can inherit a better way.

Abba doesn't want us to rely on someone else's intimacy with Him. He wants us to hear His voice and know His heart for ourselves. This is why Abba calls Abram out and it's why He calls us out... to establish this face-to-face, intimate relationship with us. Will we say, "Yes, and I do," to Yahweh's invitation?

So Abram obeyed Yahweh and left; and Lot went with him. (Genesis 12:4)

Here is Abraham's first act of faith. He says yes to Yahweh's invitation. He believes and trusts what Yahweh says. Abraham lets go of life as he knew it. Where others would be asking God some follow-up questions, Abraham steps out of what was familiar (75 years of familiar) and steps into the unknown to walk with Yahweh.

How do we respond when Yahweh shows up and invites us to follow Him? How do we respond when Abba says, "Leave it all behind?" Does our heart respond with a resounding "Yes," because we know that He is pure light and there's not even a trace of darkness in Him? Or is there still a part of us that questions if He is truly good?

Abba has lured us into this wilderness to convince us that He is pure light. His judgment is coming against every suspicion and question that still lingers in our heart concerning His goodness - every mindset, opinion, and idea we have that is hindering our love. Are you committed to this journey of discovering the real Yahweh and the real you? Can you step into the unknown and follow Abba to the land that He will show you?

There is a moment in Song of Songs where the Shulamite Bride, like Abraham, surrenders to taking the journey with the Bridegroom King. She's done resisting the love of the King, and despite some dark perspectives that still remain, she makes this declaration:

I've made up my mind.
Until the darkness disappears and the dawn has fully come,
in spite of shadows and fears,
I will go to the mountaintop with you--
the mountain of suffering love
and the hill of burning incense.
Yes, I will be your bride.
(Song of Songs 4:6)

Abba, until there's no trace of darkness left in my perspective and the pure light that surrounds You has pierced every shadow and fear, I will follow You wherever You go. Yes, I will be Your bride.

Carry this declaration into your walk with Abba today and let His perfect love cast out all the shadows and fears that still remain. Until the darkness disappears and the dawn has fully come.

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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!

The Wilderness Place 1/9/24 The Wilderness Place 1/9/24

The Gap Between What We Know and What We Do

(6 minutes)

Yahweh is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in him.

Pastor Tim mentioned on Sunday that this statement strikes us as obvious. He might as well have said, "Water is wet." When we hear that Yahweh is pure light and there's not even a trace of darkness in him, we nod our heads in agreement as if to say, "Of course He is! Tell me something I didn't already know!" Oh, if living by faith in Abba was only as easy as "knowing" something we would all be in good shape. Here's the question we have to ask ourselves when we hear something we think we already know: How many things do I know to be true, but don't live out in my own life? Ah, there we are. So we can't stop at, "Is this true?" We must wade deeper into the water and ask ourselves the question of all questions: Do I believe this in my own heart? And if I do, where is the witness in my own life?

The beliefs we allow to permeate our hearts will always show up in our lives. Wisdom has told us that as a person thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). It's one thing to "know" something is true. It's a completely different thing to "believe" something with the heart. When you believe something in your heart, your life will naturally sync itself with that belief. Your language will begin to change, and soon after that your actions will change, too.

The only way we close the gap between knowing true things and actually allowing those things to affect our lives is to let these truths go deep in us, all the way to the heart. The journey from head to heart is one that must be walked out with Yahweh. His showing up to walk with us today is His being committed to bridging this gap in us, no matter how long it takes. It's Abba saying, "I will show up every day to convince you even more that I am good and you are loved. I am invested in every step you take, until you become the real, authentic you. Come and walk with Me.”

So as we read this scripture again, let something rise up in you that says, "Abba, simply knowing that this is true is not enough. I don't want to just nod my head in agreement. I want my life to be a witness that this truth has captured me. Let it pierce the deepest parts of me until my heart is fully convinced."

We're going to meditate on the life of Abraham, in his pre-ham era when he was only, Abram. Abraham is going to show us how our life changes when we begin to believe Yahweh on the heart level. This is such an incredible testimony for us because Abraham had no church, no law, no religious construct or crutch to help him know God. This is a raw, honest account of a man encountering the presence of Yahweh and being changed by his encounter. And Abraham isn't changed by his rule-keeping, his striving, or his knowledge of scripture. Listen to Paul's words to get a glimpse into how Abram was transformed into Abraham.

Let me use Abraham as an example. It is clear that humanly speaking, he was the founder of Judaism. What was his experience of being made right with God? Was it by his good works of keeping the law? No. For if it was by the things he did, he would have something to boast about, but no one boasts before God. Listen to what the Scriptures say: Because Abraham believed God's words, his faith transferred God's righteousness into his account. (Romans 4:1-3)

Pastor Tim drew our attention to the fact that it wasn't Abraham believing IN God that transformed him, it was Abraham believing God's words. The devil believes IN God but does not believe what He says. It's not just "knowing" about God, it's believing what God says and allowing that to affect our lives. Abraham didn't settle for "knowing about" or "believing in" Yahweh. He went further and said, "I'm going to wholeheartedly believe what Yahweh says and let it change how I live my life."

There are areas of our lives where we still see a gap between what we know and what we do, and we often wonder and question ourselves about that gap. "I know that is true...why am I still doing this?" We wonder why no amount of striving or discipline has helped us to be transformed into who we know Abba has called us to be. We're going to see Yahweh's heart for us as we stand under these truths this week, but I will say this... that gap in us has everything to do with our believing that Yahweh is pure light and that there's not even a trace of darkness in Him. We're going to walk with Abraham and see how it shifted in him, a man that Yahweh lured out into the wilderness.

Here's the beautiful and exciting thing you must remember: no one enters the wilderness with Yahweh and stays the same. They are always transformed into a lover of His presence, a Bride that’s fit for a King.

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Worship: "Head to the Heart" by United Pursuit

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 Wilderness Place 1/8/24 The Wilderness Place 1/8/24

The Most Valuable Scripture You’ll Ever Hear

(6 minutes)

We saw him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon him and heard him speak. Our hands actually touched him, the one who was from the beginning, the Living Expression of God. The Life-Giver was made visible and we have seen him. We testify to this truth: the eternal Life-Giver lived face-to-face with the Father and has now dawned upon us. So we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard about this Life-Giver so that we may share and enjoy this life together. For truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Anointed One.

We are writing these things to you because we want to release to you our fullness of joy.

This is the life-giving message we heard him share and it's still ringing in our ears. We now repeat his words to you: God is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in him. (1 John 1:1-5)

"This is the most valuable scripture you will ever hear in your life." This is a huge statement that was made by Pastor Tim at the opening of the message yesterday and if you were at the gathering in person or if you listened via livestream, you know now why he said it.

Most historians believe that John the Beloved penned this letter 50-60 years after the resurrection of Jesus. Why is that important? He's the last of the original twelve apostles left on the planet and the opening lines of this letter reflect what John the Beloved would have deemed the most important news he could share with the church that was already being established on the earth. Of all the things that he could mention and talk about, he chose this. Listen to that statement again. Of ALL the things that he could mention or talk about, he chose this.

Why?

Why is this considered by John the Beloved to be the life-giving message that is of supreme value? Why are these words, of all the things he learned from Yeshua, the ones that are still ringing in his ears? Why?

We're going to descend into this very question this week. We're going to dive deep into these words. Yahweh is pure light. We will never find even a trace of darkness in him.

Pastor Tim gave the short answer to this question at the beginning of the message and it's one we must be convinced of before we go any further.

It's the goodness of Yahweh that leads us to metanoia, the changing of our minds. True repentance begins with an introduction to the goodness of God. (Romans 2:4)

John the Beloved is basically saying that the greatest news he ever heard Jesus share was that Yahweh is totally and completely good, not having any dark side or suspicious shadow in His nature at all. Pure light with not even a trace of darkness. John is inviting us to descend into the goodness of Yahweh because only this will bring transformation to how we think. And according to John at the beginning of his letter, this is what will release us into the fullness of joy.

Do we really believe that Yahweh is pure light, not even possessing a trace of darkness in Him?

Do we really believe that Yahweh is totally and completely good?

Or do we still have some suspicions about His nature?

When the storm rolls in or when we go through difficult things, are we still convinced that He is good and that He calls us "beloved sons and daughters," or do we start believing that maybe it was Him who brought this thing upon us? That it must be His wrath coming to collect on that last bad decision we made?

Abba lures us into the wilderness to purge us of every thought that still paints Him in darkness. He lures us into the wilderness to finally convince us that He is not the angry, retributive Master, but the love-stricken Husband who adores and delights Himself in our presence. He will not have His children walking around unsure about how He feels towards them.

Abba is pure light. You'll never be able to find even a trace of darkness in Him. The only way we discover this for ourselves is through intimacy. We must get close enough to see for ourselves.

I love that John the Beloved starts his letter with these words: We saw him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon him and heard him speak. Our hands actually touched him, the one who was from the beginning, the Living Expression of God.

John's intimacy with Jesus allowed him to see and hear something that the majority of people could not see or hear. Intimacy allowed John to access the most valuable truth that was wrapped up in Jesus. The Father is nothing like you thought He was. He is pure light, perfectly good in every way. You can search Him from every angle, inside and out, over and over again, and still not find even a trace of darkness in Him.

Abba wants to put His goodness on display in your life today. And that goodness will change how you think about everything. Will you get close enough in intimacy to see for yourself?

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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 Walk is a daily writing to inspire you in your own personal intimacy with Abba.

Listen, my radiant one—if you ever lose sight of me, just follow in my footsteps where I lead my lovers. (Song of Songs 1:8)

208 Pass RoadGulfport, MS 39507

208 Pass Road
Gulfport, MS 39507