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 2/19/24 The Wilderness Place 2/19/24

You Deserve Better!

(5 minutes)

Pastor Tim had two significant words for our Kingdom family on Sunday that we need to hold close and remember.

The first one is this: "Sunday, we are making another shift. We attempted to go into where we are going once before, but we were still too out of order to make the journey. This is going to be an incredible year of healing. The shift is this: a Father is sending us into Healing Waters."

The second word is this: "Some of you are going through things right now, and will go through things this year, that will be hard. And this is the word of the Lord to you in that situation: 'You settled for something that you were never intended to settle for.' You got comfortable with it. You built your life around it. And you tolerated things God never intended for you to tolerate. You went through things, you went through rejection and abuse, that you were never called to go through. And the reason it's coming up now is because God says, 'You deserve better! Your family deserves better! Your kids deserve better!' So when you're in the midst of that you need to look back to this word and stop saying, 'Why is this happening?', and, 'Why is it so hard?', and understand that this is God's goodness, too."

Now, let's go back and allow the words of John the Beloved to go deep in us. Of all the things that John could bring up, he chooses this one truth to highlight and call our attention to:

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 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)

God is pure, radiant light and you will never find even a trace of darkness in him. Why is this message so important?

Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, certain situations arise in our lives that cause a deep question to come to the surface - Why? Why me? Why us? Why is this happening? Why am I struggling so much? I thought I dealt with this. Why is this hurting so bad? Did I do something wrong? I must be wrong!

If we aren't fully convinced that God is pure light, we will think we're being punished for some bad behavior. We'll trace every hard situation in our life back to our failures and what we're going through is God's judgment in our life. Pastor Tim has said this before, "There are people in the hospital right now, on their death bed, and they think it's God punishing them for their bad decisions." This is why John the Beloved brings up this singular truth as the one that needs to be ringing in our ears in the same way that it was ringing in his - because if we're not fully convinced that the Father is good, we'll live our life always looking over our shoulder, expecting punishment from an angry, distant God. When a hard situation arises we'll secretly believe that God is getting us back for something we did, said, or thought. And this is NOT the God that Jesus introduced to the cosmos.

Remember Philip, the disciple, who had been walking with Jesus for years. Philip was okay with Jesus, but he was still leery of the Father.

Philip spoke up, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be all that we need!"

Jesus replied, "Philip, I've been with you all this time and you still don't know who I am? How could you ask me to show you the Father, for anyone who has looked at me has seen the Father." (John 14:8-9)

Even Philip was still dealing with the lie that there might be a trace of darkness left in the Father. Philip grew up with the same distorted, darkened perspective concerning God that some of us grew up with, and Jesus came to destroy this lie and our delusional thinking concerning the nature of the Father. He's nothing but good! He is pure, radiant light and you couldn't find a single thread of darkness in Him if you tried!

We have to believe this no matter what happens in our lives, no matter what we walk through. Abba wants us to know (intimately, not intellectually) His nature so well that nothing could cause us to question it ever again. He wants us to trust Him and His goodness in every situation and circumstance.

Let's soak in these words that Abba is speaking over our Kingdom family. Let's soak in what Abba has to say about us. It's the only thing that matters now! Let's soak in His goodness and allow His love to remove everything that's hindering our ability to pour out the extravagant love that we were designed to pour out. Are you ready to wade out into the healing waters?

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Worship: "Jesus What A Savior" 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 2/16/24 The Wilderness Place 2/16/24

Starved For Affection

(7 minutes)

When Simon saw what was happening, he thought, "This man can't be a true prophet. If he were really a prophet, he would know what kind of sinful woman is touching him." Jesus said, "Simon, I have a word for you."

"Go ahead, Teacher. I want to hear it," he answered.

"It's a story about two men who were deeply in debt. One owed the bank one hundred thousand dollars, and the other only owed ten thousand dollars. When it was obvious that neither of them would be able to repay their debts, the kind banker graciously wrote off the debts and forgave them all that they owed. Tell me, Simon, which of the two debtors would be more thankful? Which one would love the banker the most?"

Simon answered, "I suppose it would be the one with the greater debt forgiven."

"You're right," Jesus agreed. Then he spoke to Simon about the woman still weeping at his feet.

“Don’t you see this woman kneeling here? She is doing for me what you didn’t bother to do. When I entered your home as your guest, you didn’t think about offering me water to wash the dust off my feet. Yet she came into your home and washed my feet with her many tears and then dried my feet with her hair. You didn’t even welcome me into your home with the customary kiss of greeting, but from the moment I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You didn’t take the time to anoint my head with fragrant oil, but she anointed my head and feet with the finest perfume. She has been forgiven of all her many sins. This is why she has shown me such extravagant love. But those who assume they have very little to be forgiven will love me very little.” Then Jesus said to the woman at his feet, “All your sins are forgiven.” All the dinner guests said among themselves, “Who is the one who can even forgive sins?” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith in me has given you life. Now you may leave and walk in the ways of peace.” (Luke 7:39-50)

"Did you know you could invite Jesus into your life just to make it all about you? What you can get from Jesus... what He'll add to your life." (Pastor Tim)

It's clear in the second part of this story, that Simon has invited Jesus into his home only to make it all about himself. Simon quietly begins to judge Jesus and this woman because she has taken the attention off of him. I love Brian Simmons' footnote in The Passion Translation: "Religion focuses on the sinfulness of a person, but faith sees the glory of the one who forgives and heals." Simon can't see the glory of the One who is standing in front of him. Why?

Why can't we see Jesus and honor Him accordingly? Why is it so hard? Pastor Tim answered this question on Sunday and this statement alone is worth sitting under the entire day: "When we're starved for the affection that we're made for, we'll demand to be the center of attention. We are made to be loved by God, and when we're starved for the affection that we are made for, we'll substitute any attention in place of the only thing that our heart truly desires...His affection."

Why can't Simon see Jesus and honor Him the way He deserves to be honored? Because Simon is starved for affection. This is the emptiness that religion produces in us. This is the thing that religion can't satisfy because it is completely incapable of touching the heart. When you're starved for affection, you can't make it about anyone else but yourself. The Son of God can be standing in the same room, and when you're starved for affection your heart is unable to give the intimacy, worship, and honor He deserves because it is starved, famished, and has nothing to pour out onto anyone else. This religious heart can only be nourished by the love of Abba.

There were customary, common acts that Simon did not extend to Jesus as a guest in his home. Because Simon could only see...Simon. But someone else was more than willing to do what Simon didn't bother to do.

The entire time this conversation is happening between Jesus and Simon, the woman continues to kneel at Jesus' feet weeping. It's clear that she did not come casually, to make it all about her. She came to get the affection her heart was made for, from the only One who could actually satisfy her deepest longings. She came to make Jesus the center of attention. And because she engaged in this extravagant worship, she inherited something that no one else in the room did - complete wholeness. See, there were areas in this woman's heart that still needed healing. She had already experienced a full measure of forgiveness in Jesus, but she knew there was still brokenness inside of her - maybe an unwillingness to forgive herself for decisions she had made. But she responded unlike anyone else - with honor and extravagant worship, and that act of worship paved the way for her to hear something from Jesus that her heart needed to hear - "All your sins are forgiven." She needed to hear that ALL of them, even the ones she was unwilling to forgive herself, were forgiven. Now she was completely whole - and could walk away with something she didn't possess before the encounter - peace.

Are we making it all about Jesus, or are we making it all about ourselves? Are we engaging in extravagant worship where our hearts can find what they were made for, or are we having a hard time seeing anything but our own needs and problems?

Pastor Tim wrapped up on Sunday with this thought: "I don't care how far along in maturity you are, there's still aspects of you that you don't like about you when you stare in the mirror. There are still things you wish you would've done differently. There are still things you wish you would've said differently. There are decisions you wish you would've made differently. And they are still chasing you today."

The temptation is to stare at the problems, to stare at the regrets and mistakes, to stare at the issues. But like Pastor Tim said, "When we chase after solutions that make us the center of attention, we cut ourselves off from the ability to be truly set free...it's His affection that heals every insecurity - it's His affection that heals every 'if only it was different' - it's at His feet that heals every decision that you've made that still haunts you day in and day out."

It's extravagant worship at the feet of Jesus that sets you free.

Beloved One, stop staring at yourself and get to His feet with the most expensive, extravagant worship that you can afford. Pour it out on Him! The reality is every one of your sins, bad decisions, past mistakes, and regrets are completely forgiven, but your heart needs to hear His voice say the words it longs to hear. That only happens when you lay aside your self-examination so you can stare at Him, and give Him the honor and worship He deserves. Make it all about Him, and the things you've never been able to shake will begin falling off effortlessly in His presence.

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Worship: "Beautiful Jesus + Jesus Changes Everything" 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 2/15/24 The Wilderness Place 2/15/24

When Extravagant Love Crashes the Party

(5 minutes)

Afterward Simon, a Jewish religious leader, asked Jesus to his home for dinner. Jesus accepted the invitation. When he went to Simon's home, he took his place at the table.

In the neighborhood there was an immoral woman of the streets, known to all to be a prostitute. When she heard that Jesus was at Simon's house, she took an exquisite flask made from alabaster, filled it with the most expensive perfume, went right into the home of the Jewish religious leader, and in front of all the guests, she knelt at the feet of Jesus. Broken and weeping , she covered his feet with the tears that fell from her face. She kept crying and drying his feet with her long hair. Over and over she kissed Jesus' feet. Then, as an act of worship, she opened her flask and anointed his feet with her costly perfume. (Luke 7:36-38)

Just like Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler that we've spent time with over the past two weeks, we're getting another picture in this verse of two people's encounter with Jesus.

Simon, a Jewish religious leader, is so intrigued by Jesus and the words that He is speaking that he invites Him into a more personal space, his own home. He doesn't settle for the occasional sighting in the street but wants more of Jesus so he invites Him back to his house for dinner, and Jesus accepts the invitation.

Not too long after Jesus is seated at the table, an "immoral woman of the streets, known to all to be a prostitute" barges into the meeting that she wasn't invited to, locates the feet of Jesus, and proceeds to weep profusely, covering His feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. Over and over she can be seen kissing Jesus' 1st century feet that had been walking all day long. More than that, before she interrupted this gathering she found the most expensive, ornate flask that she owned and filled it with the most expensive perfume, bought with money that she earned from selling her own body. She prepares this gift before she arrives and "as an act of worship," she opens her flask and anoints Jesus' feet with the expensive perfume.

Can you believe what this woman had to go through, mentally and emotionally, before getting to the feet of Jesus? Can you imagine the obstacles that were in her way because of her own choices in life? The risk she takes in entering a religious leader's home, uninvited, surrounded by a huge crowd filled with judgmental stares and raised eyebrows is bold, to say the least. But she doesn't flinch. She doesn't allow anything in that room to keep her from the feet of Jesus.

Before we move on to the outcome of this story, I feel the need to stop here and allow this woman's intentional intimacy and extravagant worship to do its work in us.

How intentional are we in our intimacy with the King? What strikes me about this story is the fact that this woman made some decisions long before she got in this room with Jesus, the religious leaders, and the disciples. She set her intentions while she was at home. She set her heart on finding the most expensive flask she owned while she was at home. She set her sights on the best perfume money could buy before she ever stepped into this gathering at Simon's house. Again, how intentional are we in our intimacy with Jesus? This thought is challenging me. Here's another question I have: how much of the depth of her encounter with Jesus in the room was owed to her intentional honor outside of the room? How significant were those decisions leading up to her arrival at His feet? My heart is saying, "Very significant!" What is your heart saying?

Pastor Tim said this on Sunday, "Did you know you could invite Jesus into your life just to make it all about you? What you can get from Jesus... what He'll add to your life."

How intentional are we in our intimacy and honor towards the King? Let's allow Abba to speak to us today about how we're approaching Jesus. Everyone wants an encounter with the King, but few people are being intentional on the path that leads up to that encounter. And it may have more impact on our experience than we even know.

Beloved One, spend every moment of your day making it all about Him, and He will not fail to turn around and make it all about you. Your eyes were uniquely designed to gaze at Him, and His eyes are already fixed with tender love on you. This is the key to covenant marriage - keeping your eyes always on the other, and not on yourself.

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Worship: "When I Lock Eyes With You" by Maverick City and 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 2/14/24 The Wilderness Place 2/14/24

The Spirit of Yahweh is Upon You

(5 minutes)

The mighty Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is wrapped (upon, in on over, above by, for, through, throughout, around, beside) 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 (eon) 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.

Because of this, they (you, me, us) 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 61:1-4)

This is the very first thing that Jesus reads from the scriptures in the temple, announcing what Yahweh had sent Him to accomplish on earth. Pastor Tim made this statement on Sunday: "Isaiah is speaking this about God, he's speaking it about himself, and he's speaking it about you." We have to see this scripture as a prophetic announcement about our own life, too.

We have been wrapped up in the mighty Spirit of Yahweh. He is calling us to be messengers of the good news. He's sending us to heal the wounds of the brokenhearted, to set captives free, to announce the age (or eon) of Yahweh's grace and a time of God's judgment against His enemies, everything that is hindering love in His beloved sons and daughters. We're called to comfort those who are drowning in sorrow and hopelessness. And we're anointed to strengthen those who are being crushed by despair. But we're only able to do these things when we allow Abba to release this same measure of wholeness into our own inner garden! Have you ever wondered why the church hasn't been able to impact and influence the ruined cities like this verse says we should? It's because we haven't allowed Abba to produce these things in our own lives.

Pastor Tim spoke more about this verse last night at Linger House. He explained that we can't do any of this until we allow the Spirit of God to produce it in us first. If our inner world is still ruled by chaos, we won't be able to bring wholeness to the ruined cities. If we're still governed by a darkened perspective of Abba, we won't be able to show others how good He is. If we're still walking around with a broken heart, we won't be able to usher others into healing. We can only give away what we have. This is what Abba desires to do in the lives of those that He lures into the wilderness place. The wilderness is the place where He establishes these things in our hearts, so we can be released into the world, anointed to produce the same thing in others.

This must be the starting place for every beloved son and daughter.

Have you allowed Abba to produce this measure of wholeness in your own life?

Have you allowed the Spirit of Yahweh to speak good news over you, to heal your broken heart, to set you free from captivity and the dark perspective you have of Abba? Have you experienced Yahweh's grace and His jealous love coming after everything that has hindered you from enjoying this love affair with Jesus? Have you allowed Him to comfort you and strengthen you? Have you made the great exchange with Abba where you trade in your ashes for His beauty, your tears for His bliss, your heaviness for His joyous praise?

This is what He wants to do in your life today as you walk with Him. He wants you, His beloved sons and daughters, to walk in the wholeness and freedom that Jesus purchased for you on the cross. He will not settle for anything short of abundant life. His wraparound presence has enveloped you, and it's working in every moment to produce the fruit of the Kingdom in you. Have you surrendered to the process of becoming whole? Like any relationship, it takes the commitment and intentionality of two people! And as Pastor Tim says so often, "He will not be the weak link in this relationship." Abba is fully committed to showing up every single day to plant, water, and tend your inner garden, but He wants to do it together.

Open your heart up to Him in the secret place today, and let His love nourish your heart. Surrender to Yahweh's process of becoming whole. You don't have to strive or earn this freedom, you just have to open up your heart in extravagant worship, and "let Him" produce it in you... for you.

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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 2/13/24 The Wilderness Place 2/13/24

The Lie of The Wicked Heart

(4 minutes)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9 Masoretic)

If you've been in religion for any length of time, you've probably heard this scripture. It has shaped so much of the theology of the West - the bedrock belief that we are rotten to the core from the moment we emerge from our mother's womb. We even pepper this theology in the songs we sing - a constant reminder of how filthy we are on the inside. This verse is the reason so many of us grow up in religion not being able to trust ourselves, even when we've become new creatures in Christ. This belief that our heart is desperately wicked still lingers in our relationship with Yeshua. The things that we are helpless to change in our lives, the things we still struggle with, have been explained away using this verse - our heart is wicked. But what if this verse meant something completely different? What if this whole time we formed an entire belief system on the wrong perspective? It turns out that there's more than one interpretation of this verse. Read the verse as it is interpreted in the Septuagint tradition:

The heart is deeper than all things; a person is also. And who will understand him? (Jeremiah 17:9 Septuagint)

Here's another translation:

The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man. Even so, who can know him? (Jeremiah 17:9)

How does it make you feel to see such a huge difference in these two interpretations, considering that we've hung some pretty significant theological hats on the first translation?

We've been walking around cursing the very core of who we are, because of this first perspective. What if your heart was never desperately wicked above all things? What if it was just incredibly deep, so deep that only Yahweh could truly know it? One perspective sends us into insecurity and confusion. The other perspective propels us into the arms of Abba, the only one who truly knows us!

Now, Pastor Tim mentioned this on Sunday - some people will read this and immediately become offended, thinking that this kind of talk leads people to believe that the word of God is wrong. We must understand this - the word of God, in its original form, is infallible and completely inspired. Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, "The fallible part is the men and women who interpreted it." The people who translated these original scriptures in their original languages all had unique perspectives concerning God, and that perspective was bound to leak out onto the pages of these translations. This is why we always read Scripture with the Holy Spirit, through the lens of Jesus. Jesus is perfect theology! Jesus is everything the Father has to say about Himself. It's dangerous to read the Bible without Him!

As you take the walk with Abba today, allow Him to give you His lens and His perspective. You are a new creature in Christ, the new has come and the old has passed away. You can trust Your heart. It's not wicked, it's incredibly deep, and Yahweh has made it brand new. And now that you are walking hand in hand with the Heart-Knower, you can trust every step that is being taken. When you are intimately connected to Jesus, you can be confident that He is weaving every single step into His good and perfect plan. You can't mess this up! Tell yourself that again, "I can't mess this up! Abba has wrapped me up in His presence! His goodness and mercy are following me everywhere that I go."

Beloved One, let go of the lie and embrace the truth. You have been made new!

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Worship: "Have My Heart" by 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 2/12/24 The Wilderness Place 2/12/24

You Will Know The Truth

(5 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. 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)

What does it mean to live in the pure light that surrounds Him? If this is the most important thing that John the Beloved thought he could share with the church years after the resurrection then we must lean into it and discover what it means. How do we live in the pure light that surrounds Him and stop walking in the realm of a darkened perspective about Abba?

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "When you continue to embrace all that I teach, you prove that you are my true followers. For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives." (John 8:32)

We've all heard this scripture before - "you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." The only problem is that a lot of us have chased the truth, we've heard it and now know so much that we can recall it and recite it without hesitation yet we haven't seen the transformation, the freedom come into our lives that the truth is supposed to bring. Pastor Tim helped us with this on Sunday when he told us that the same word that Jesus uses for "know the truth" is the same word that is used in Genesis when God said "Adam knew Eve, and they produced a son." So we're not talking about simply knowing factual information - we're talking about knowing by way of being intimately connected to the degree that it produces life inside of you. Have we known the truth in this way? Have we gotten so close, so vulnerable and open to the truth that it was able to release true freedom into our lives? Or have we kept it at the level of hearing and knowing facts?

Living in the pure light that surrounds Him is going to take more than hearing and knowing things on an intellectual level. Living in the pure light is going to take our continual embracing and sitting under the truth that Abba is speaking. The goal is not memorization, but transformation. It's our unwillingness to stop until the word produces the abundant life in us that Jesus promised it would. John the Beloved said that we're fooling ourselves if we're not experiencing the true freedom that comes from embracing the words that He's speaking over us.

Yahweh's word is true and it carries life to every place where it's planted. The question is this: is it truly being planted in our hearts? Are we letting it go deep enough?

Pastor Tim said it this way: "In order to live in the pure light that surrounds Him, you have to invite Him into every step that you take."

You have an opportunity to invite Abba into your life - every aspect of your life - even the small, seemingly insignificant parts. He wants to walk with you through it all. He wants to be invited into it all. Just start a conversation with Him right now that has no ending or "amen." Let it span the width of your entire day. Your mind may get pulled away, but let your heart continually drift right back to the conversation with Him. "Abba, what are your thoughts concerning this matter? How do you see this? How would you handle this? What direction would you go? Abba, what do you want to do today?"

He's showing up to walk with you today. His presence is wrapped around you and it won't take any striving or earning on your part to enter into the pure light that surrounds Him. It will only take your intention to become aware and stay connected to His presence which is already closer to you than your next breath.

Beloved One, you will embrace and become intimately connected to His truth today and in a moment you will feel the sudden release of true freedom come into your life. It will be effortless as you simply enjoy His wraparound presence and perfect love.

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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 2/9/24 The Wilderness Place 2/9/24

Let Your Honor Overflow

(7 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."

Jesus said to him, "Your repentance shows that today life has come to you and your household, and that you are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to see out and to give life to those who are lost." (Luke 19:1-10)

Zacchaeus isn't displaying honor just by running ahead and climbing up the blossoming fig tree. Zacchaeus displays honors when he brings Jesus to his home. Can you see how Zacchaeus isn't settling for the casual pace of the crowd? Following Jesus at a distance isn't enough for Zacchaeus. He wants Jesus to come into his home and put things in order. And with this next degree of intimacy, comes Zacchaeus' next opportunity to honor. Zacchaeus doesn't have to be told what to do; he simply lets his heart overflow with gratitude. He uses what he has to match the value of the encounter he is having with Jesus. So Zacchaeus stood in front of Jesus 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."

Honor says, "This relationship is too valuable to me for it to cost me nothing." This is what Zacchaeus must have been thinking before he stood up and declared his intentions to Jesus. Like Pastor Tim told us on Sunday, Zacchaeus is giving us a template to have an appointment with Jesus by way of our honor.

Pastor Tim made this comment on Sunday: "A lot of times, even in our relationships and in our marriages, we only stare at what we don't have and we stop looking at the valuable-ness of it. We take it for granted."

This translates so well into our relationship with Abba. What are we staring at? And is what we are staring at producing honor in our lives? Are we responding to the presence of Jesus with honor? Or are we taking Him for granted?

Honor must be our compass in this Kingdom. Honor is how the Kingdom operates - it's the currency of Yahweh's government. It is the only way to go deeper into the encounters we're having with Jesus. Do you want more? Zacchaeus would tell you, "Honor him."

After Zacchaeus runs ahead of the crowd and climbs the fig tree, after he welcomes Jesus into his home, and after he expresses radical generosity Jesus makes a statement - a very important statement.

Jesus said to him, "Your repentance shows that today life has come to you and your household, and that you are a true son of Abraham." What shows us that Zacchaeus' thinking was transformed, that he experienced metanoia, or repentance? What shows us that life has come into Zacchaeus' home? Yes, his honor. His honor that overflowed into unrestrained and, some would even say, reckless generosity. What Zacchaeus had always seen as his identity, his wealth, became a tool with which he could honor the Lord. What he was once unwilling to part with, he was now overjoyed to give away. Why? Because he finally found something that was more valuable - a pair of eyes that looked at him unlike anyone ever had - with perfect love.

The Kingdom was established in Zacchaeus' life: intimacy, honor, and order. It unlocked a fiery fellowship and union with Jesus that not everyone had access to - not because Jesus wasn't willing, but because few people honored Jesus to the degree that would usher them into that place. You want to go deeper into any relationship? Honor. You want to go deeper into the encounters that you're having with Jesus? Honor.

Your honor can make you an appointment with the King.

Beloved One, the intimacy that you were designed for can only be found in Yahweh. The affection you long for can only be discovered in the light that surrounds Him. You have come this far already, and you are experiencing His presence like never before. Would you believe that there's even more than this available to you? You can go deeper still. This next level of intimacy with Him is locked up in your ability to honor the degree of intimacy that you already share. Stop staring at what you don't have and the places you have not reached, and get insanely grateful for the intimacy that has already been produced between you and Him. Your honor for what is will be the gateway that ushers you into what is to come!

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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!

The Wilderness Place 2/8/24 The Wilderness Place 2/8/24

You Need An Honor-Appointment

(7 minutes)

Zacchaeus made an appointment with Jesus by way of his honor. Our honor truly is the currency of the Kingdom. Our honor can attract the Kingdom into our lives, and our lack of honor can repel it away.

Jesus said to them, "A prophet is treated with honor everywhere except in his own hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house." He was unable to do any great miracle in Nazareth, except to heal a few sick people by laying his hands upon them. He was amazed at the depth of their unbelief! Then Jesus went out into the different villages and taught the people. (Mark 6:4-6)

Dishonor and unbelief go hand in hand. The Son of God was "unable" to perform any work of power due to the dishonor in the people. Dishonor stripped the influence and impact of the Kingdom away from the town of Nazareth. Do you see it?

Our honor can attract the Kingdom into our lives, and our lack of honor can repel it away. Zacchaeus made an appointment with the King by way of his honor. In a crowd of 15,000+ people, Zacchaeus stood out to Jesus. He was highlighted. Why? Pastor Tim said, "Understand this, Zacchaeus is showing a heart of honor that the 15,000 casually walking with Jesus did not. You can make an appointment with the Lord based on your honor."

Three things are important in the Kingdom: intimacy, honor, and order. They make up the ladder of love that Abba is building inside of us in the wilderness. One side of the ladder is intimacy. The other side is honor. And the rungs in between are order. This ladder establishes Kingdom life in a man and woman. It's the structure that supports the weight of glory, presence, and anointing that we are designed to carry in the earth. Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, there are degrees of intimacy we share with Yahweh. You can see those degrees in the story above. Thousands of people were okay to casually walk at a distance behind Jesus. But there was one that desired a deeper level of intimacy called face-to-face. Your honor is the gateway into that next degree of intimacy. Zacchaeus breaking away from the crowd, running ahead, and climbing up into the blossoming fig tree was the increase in honor that paved the way for a deeper measure of intimacy. It brought him face-to-face with Jesus.

Is your honor making appointments with the King?

Some of you have been craving a deeper measure of intimacy with the Lord, and the only thing standing in the way is your honor. When your honor matches the value that you're placing on that deeper measure of intimacy, it will be unlocked in your life. It has no choice. The Kingdom is attracted to honor. It will make you stand out in a crowd.

Tomorrow we will talk more about honor and what it looks like, but for now, let's allow Abba to talk to us about how honor is showing up in our lives today. The first form of honor in a relationship is honesty. Our ability to be honest with Yahweh about where we are lays the foundation for higher degrees of honor to come. Maybe your first step towards honor today can be your honest conversation with Abba about where you are, about what honor looks like in your life right now. Be prepared, your honor may not match the value and worth of the Kingdom right now. But that's why Abba is talking to us about it. When Abba comes to walk with us and have a conversation about something, He's not coming to bring shame or condemnation. He's coming with the grace and permission you need to step out of the old and into the new. The fact that He's talking to us about it shows me that there is a special grace in this hour to be transformed by His love into the image of the One we are called to look just like - Yeshua the Christ.

Beloved One, you have a heart of honor inside of you. Past hurts and rejection may have dammed up the flow, but Abba's love can restore everything that's been broken. When your heart is lit up by His pure light and perfect love, honor will be effortless for you, because honor is a part of your original design!

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

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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The Wilderness Place 2/7/24 The Wilderness Place 2/7/24

A Casual Approach Just Won’t Do

(5 minutes)

Unlike the rich, young ruler, Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus. That's it! All he wanted was a face-to-face encounter with the King. This was his only desire. And the massive crowd surrounding Jesus was not going to deter him from doing just that. Are you passionate about seeing and hearing Jesus for yourself today? Or will you settle for hearsay?

Sometimes we let the casual pace and distance of the crowd around us affect our own intimacy with the Lord. Sometimes we settle for what we're hearing others say about Jesus, instead of going after a closer look ourselves. You have access to the Bridegroom King, and you can have as much of Him as you desire. Zacchaeus would not settle for the casual pace of the crowd and he wouldn't settle for the description of Jesus that was being passed throughout the crowd. Zacchaeus decided in a moment that he was not going to let the crowd determine the standard of his own intimacy with Jesus. Pastor Tim brought us such a significant question on Sunday that we should be pulling into the secret place with Abba this week: "Who is setting the standard of intimacy in your life?"

Who's calling the shots when it comes to how close you're getting to Jesus? Who is setting the pace?

Zacchaeus breaks away from the crowd and doesn't allow them to deter his passionate pursuit. As he's desperately trying to see over everyone's shoulders he doesn't get discouraged by his small stature and go home. He doesn't even let his own shortcomings disqualify him. Pastor Tim said it this way on Sunday, "He's not going to let his stature or his standing in the community keep him from face-to-face."

So what does Zacchaeus do? He runs ahead. He does the most foolish thing the chief of tax collectors could do. He lets his heart of intimacy and honor lead him, and he runs ahead. Can you imagine what the crowd was thinking and saying as they saw this short, sinner of a man start running full speed ahead of all of them? But Zacchaeus felt no shame in looking like a fool. This is what a heart of intimacy and honor produces: an unwillingness to settle for the casual approach of others.

Am I passionate about seeing and hearing Jesus for myself today?

Who is setting the standard of intimacy in my life?

How long will I let my standing in the community, my stature, or the casual pace of the crowd determine the depth of intimacy I have with Jesus?

Am I ready to break away and run ahead to get my own eyes on the King?

Am I willing to do whatever it takes to see and hear Him for myself?

Your honor may look foolish to everyone else, but it will make you an appointment with the King. There's no shame in looking like a fool if it gets you face-to-face with Yeshua. What it costs you will be laughable when you’re experiencing unbroken, uninterrupted companionship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Beloved One, you were not made for the casual pace of the crowd. You were made as a perfect match for the pace and frequency of the Kingdom. Trust your heart of intimacy and honor today as you passionately pursue face-to-face, mouth-to-mouth fellowship with your Bridegroom King. He delights in every step you take towards Him!

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Worship: "King Of My Heart" by Bethel 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 2/6/24 The Wilderness Place 2/6/24

What’s The Least I Can Do?

(6 minutes)

We must learn how to embrace repetition. Repetition is how we learn anything valuable and how anything is solidified in our lives. As lovers who are being called out of religion and into the wilderness place, repetition is all the more important. Why? Because one of the lies that religion told us was that "hearing" the truth was all that was needed. So we made it our mission in life to consume and be hearers of the truth. But it's not simply hearing the truth that sets you free. Listen to Jesus' words again:

The Message Paraphrase says, "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you...," and other translations say, "If you abide in My word...," then we will truly be followers of Jesus. Repetition is another word for abiding. We're camping out and making the words of truth that we're receiving our dwelling place. Abba is producing in us an unwillingness to move on until we see the truth we've already received beginning to manifest in our everyday lives. Repetition, our sticking with something, is a mark of maturity in the Kingdom man and woman. The Kingdom man and woman know that every truth embraced brings a release of true freedom. So they don't stop at simply hearing a thing, they only stop when they've seen that release of true freedom come into their lives because of the truth they received.

Let's visit the story of the rich, young ruler (who would later in life become the broke, old slave) one more time and see what Yahweh has to say to us.

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)

Notice the question that the young man asks Jesus. "Good Teacher, what one thing am I required to do to gain eternal life?" Let's rephrase this question in a way we can understand. This would be like sitting down with your spouse and saying, "Honey, what's the one thing that will keep us from getting divorced?" This is basically the same question, because escaping hell, like escaping divorce, shouldn't be the focus of your intimacy with Jesus. Religion started with heaven or hell, to lay the solid foundation of the fear of punishment in your heart. But intimacy with Jesus isn't focused on where we're ending up, because it can't take its eyes off of the One who is with us right here and now. The Kingdom defines eternal life as knowing Abba, so you'd be hard-pressed trying to convince a lover that they're not already enjoying eternal life right now. (John 17:3)

"Good Teacher, what one thing am I required to do to gain eternal life?"

Jesus, what's the bare minimum I would have to give in order to access everything You have?

This week we're going to be exploring honor. But we will never fully embrace honor if we're holding on to this kind of "bare minimum" thinking. The Kingdom doesn't operate like a slot machine where pennies go in and thousands come out. The Kingdom operates like a marriage. The currency of the Kingdom happens to be the same currency we use in our relationships... honor. Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, our honor will make us an appointment with our Bridegroom King. The Kingdom is attracted to honor, and honor is never looking for the least amount that it can give. Honor sees the value of the Other, and says, "I will rise and match the value and supreme worth of this One because I see how significant He is and I know that He has been life to me."

Let's prime our heart of honor today by letting go of any "bare minimum" thinking that we're holding onto. Let's let go of the fear of punishment that was planted in us by religion, so we can begin enjoying eternal life right now as we know our Abba. Let's speak over ourselves and our families, that we will be Kingdom men and women of honor, who can see the value and worth in every Kingdom seed and honor it into maturity. Let the standard rise above "What's the least I can do?" Let the love of Abba grip us to such a degree that anything it would cost us would be laughable compared to what we have received and are receiving in His love!

Beloved One, take His hand and He will show you the ways of the Kingdom, the way of honor!

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Worship: "Since Your Love" 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 2/5/24 The Wilderness Place 2/5/24

You Can Trust The Father

(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. 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)

Believing that Abba is pure light and that you'll never find even a trace of darkness in Him is about trusting Him.

Can you trust the Father?

We were always told that God was trying to get us out of our comfort zone. There's only one problem with that statement... one of God's names is Comforter. Pastor Tim shared this truth with us: "He's not trying to get you out of your comfort zone, He's trying to get you out of the lie that you're comfortable." He's trying to usher us into real comfort, that can only be found in Him, the Comforter. Pastor Tim shared this on Sunday: "Some of us are in situations and circumstances where we feel 'comfortable,' but it's keeping us from being who He has called us to be. It's keeping us from taking the chances that God has designed us to take." Abba is calling us out of the lie, the illusion, that we're comfortable so we can find true comfort in Him.

This truth is so important for us to embrace because part of the reason we don't have boldness in our obedience to His voice is that we don't really trust Him. If you believe that Abba is pure light, you'll be able to trust Him when He says, "Go in this direction," or, "Take this step." When you believe that He is Comforter, you won't feel like obeying Him is a risk. You will be fully convinced that Abba is perfectly good and following His voice will only lead you to a greater measure of comfort, confidence, and rest.

This is all about how we view God.

The "realm of darkness" that John the Beloved is referring to in this scripture is not sinful behavior, it is our darkened perspective of God. Do you still see things that happen in your life as God's judgment? That's the "realm of darkness" that John is talking about. Do you still see unfortunate events as God punishing you for some sinful behavior? That's "realm of darkness" thinking. And John is telling us that if we claim to know Abba but still have that dark thinking, we're fooling ourselves and still not living in the truth. What is the truth? ABBA IS PURE LIGHT, AND THERE IS NO TRACE OF DARKNESS IN HIM AT ALL.

What is your perspective of Abba when bad things happen? Do you still believe that He is pure light? Is He still perfectly good even when you encounter hard things? He is still overflowing with love for you? Or is He an angry, distant father who has no choice but to punish you and put you out of His presence?

I guess the real question that we must ask ourselves is this: what kind of father is He?

This is the deep work that Abba is doing in our hearts in The Wilderness Place. He's once and for all removing the darkened, broken perspective that we have concerning His nature. He is showing up every single day to walk with us because He is committed to convincing our hearts that He is Pure Light and Perfect Love. He's a Good Dada!

Beloved One, take His hand today and let His tender voice speak to your heart. Let Him whisper into your ear how He really feels about you. Intimacy with Him will change everything in you. You can trust your Father!

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Worship: "You and You Alone" 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 2/2/24 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)

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."

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)

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 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