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 5/24/24 The Wilderness Place 5/24/24

A Picture of Real Kingdom Family

(8 minutes)

Now there were a number of foreigners from among the nations who were worshipers at the feast. They went to Philip (who came from the village of Bethsaida in Galilee) and they asked him, "Would you take us to see Jesus? We want to see him." So Philip went to find Andrew, and then they both went to inform Jesus. He replied to them, "Now is the time for the Son of Man to be glorified. Let me make this clear: A single grain of wheat will never be more than a single grain of wheat unless it drops into the ground and dies. Because then it sprouts and produces a great harvest of wheat - all because one grain died. The person who loves his life and pampers himself will miss true life! But the one who detaches his life from this world and abandons himself to me, will find true life and enjoy it forever! If you want to be my disciple, follow me and you will go where I am going. And if you truly follow me as my disciple, the Father will shower his favor upon your life. (John 12:20-26)

"There's something on the inside of every single one of us, when we see or hear illustrations of someone putting their life in danger for someone else, that says, 'That's right. That's true. That's what life is meant to be, me laying my life down for something that matters. Me not trying to squeeze my life out for everything that I can get for it, building my kingdoms, doing what I want to do, but me putting my life in the ground for others so they can have..'" (Pastor Tim)

This is what a covenant relationship looks like. Two people laying down their lives for each other. Two people willing to plant their lives in the ground like seed, so it can yield something greater than what could have been produced if they protected their own. In this scripture, Jesus is inviting us into a covenant relationship with Him. And the most beautiful thing is that He went first. He laid His life down first. With no guarantee as to what we would do with it, Jesus made His intentions so clear when He laid His life down. He wants to be in covenant with us.

"Can you imagine what your life is designed to produce if you were willing to put it where it was designed to be put? Can you imagine the transformation in a place, in a family? Because if we're honest, we've seen the other side of this, where people refuse to give their lives for others and they give their lives to themselves. We've seen the devastation and the destruction of people not caring about a place, a people, or a city. We've seen the illustrations of let's just build big buildings, and gather and house people once a week, and then go our own ways and not have anything to do with one another. You don't know me and I don't know you, and I like it that way. Because if I don't do it that way it's going to cost me something." (Pastor Tim)

Every covenant relationship will cost us something. Jesus' desire to be in a covenant relationship with us cost Him something. And if we're going to enter into covenant with Him, or anyone else, it's going to cost us something, too. If we want to see fruit produced in our family, in our kingdom family, in our city, then the seed of our life must go into the ground.

Listen to the fruit in the lives of the first kingdom family:

Those who believed the word that day numbered three thousand. They were all baptized and added to the church. Every believer was faithfully devoted to following the teachings of the apostles. Their hearts were mutually linked to one another, sharing communion and coming together regularly for prayer. A deep sense of holy awe swept over everyone, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. All the believers were in fellowship as one body, and they shared with one another whatever they had. Out of generosity they even sold their assets to distribute the proceeds to those who were in need among them. Daily they met together in the temple courts and in one another's homes to celebrate communion. They shared meals together with joyful hearts and tender humility. They were continually filled with praises to God, enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were coming to life. (Acts 2:41-47)

And in Acts 4:34, we're told that out of all the thousands of people in this kingdom family, there were no needs among them.

This can only happen when you're in a covenant relationship, when your life has been laid down and has become a seed in the ground.

Who is Lord of your life?

Who's controlling your life?

What is your life for?

This is what Abba is inviting us into. He doesn't want us to be casually connected and not producing the fruit of a life that's fully alive. He wants us in covenant, living the abundant life that He died to give us. And the first covenant relationship that Abba wants us to be in is with Him. Being in a covenant relationship with Yahweh will be our true north, teaching us how to be in covenant relationships with everyone else.

It has to begin with Him.

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Worship: "Once And For All" by Lauren Daigle

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 5/23/24 The Wilderness Place 5/23/24

Your Life, A Seed In The Ground

(8 minutes)

Before we look at this story, it's important to remember something that Pastor Tim mentioned on Sunday. This story appears in all four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Not only does it appear in each gospel, but it's mentioned six times across those gospels. This is significant and it shows us just how important this story is to Abba's heart.

What is Jesus trying to say? What is Jesus trying to tell his disciples, these foreigners, and all of us? What does this have to do with Lordship?

“He's teaching His disciples and these foreigners what it's going to take to see Him in the future. To be His disciple, to be favored by the Father...He's telling them it's much more than following me around, seeing miracles be done. It's much more than coming to me for what you can get. He's telling them, 'If you want to be my disciple, if you want to know Me, you're going to have to lay your life down.'" (Pastor Tim)

This scripture is telling us what it's going to take to be in life-union with Jesus. What it's going to take to abide in Him. So many of us start with the right desires, to see Jesus, but Jesus is showing us that our desires have to lead us to the place where we lay ourselves down. We can't take our own point of view and our own plans for life into this life-union with Him. Maybe this is why we feel stuck. Because we keep coming to Jesus with our own plans, and He's trying to talk to us about something completely different.

"Every time we go to Him and ask for what we think we want, He shows us what we need. Every time I go to Jesus, He wants to talk about something that I don't want to talk about. What He's telling me is, 'The things you don't want to talk about are the things that's keeping you from what you want.' The things that we fear, that we think we already know, and that we've already settled in our lives, He's telling us those things you don't want to hear, the things that are offensive to you, is actually what we need to deal with to get you to where your heart desires." (Pastor Tim)

How many times are we circling the same mountain, all because we're unwilling to talk about what Jesus is wanting to talk about? Our avoiding His voice in these areas could be the thing that's keeping us from getting what our heart has been crying out for. What is Jesus saying that you can't hear? Because you're unwilling to hear.

Here's an even deeper question: what are we afraid of?

Jesus could not be any clearer as to what He's after: life-union. "I will lay My life down to be joined to you. Will you lay your life down to be joined to Me?"

"It's going to take a covenant. It's going to take a union. It's going to take an exchange, your life for mine. That's what He's saying. You're going to have to lay down your concerns for your life. You're going to have to let your life be a seed in the ground." (Pastor Tim)

It all comes down to what we're really after: a real relationship with Yeshua, or the illusion of a relationship where we're calling the shots and dressing up our decisions with His name. A covenant marriage is two people willing to lay down their lives to be joined to one another. Is this what our relationship with Jesus looks like?

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Worship: "Once And For All" by Lauren Daigle

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 5/22/24 The Wilderness Place 5/22/24

It Only Takes A Moment

(7 minutes)

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

"Take a time-out. Abba, I'm going to invite you into this moment. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not seeing it right...That's easy for areas we want to see changed, but much harder in the areas we're satisfied. Much harder when it's an area that we have become satisfied in. And what happens is we never inquire, we just throw the name of Jesus over our decision." (Pastor Tim)

It only takes a moment to turn our hearts to Abba. How many things would be different in our lives if we took the moment to turn our affections to Abba and have the veil removed so we could see? What if we took this moment before we made any decision? What if we took time to inquire of the Lord, even when asked a question by someone else?

What insights, wisdom, and Kingdom solutions are we leaving on the table simply because we're not taking a moment to turn our open hearts to Abba?

Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

We have to start honoring the Holy Spirit inside of us. As Pastor Tim said on Sunday, Holy Spirit is not an "it." He is Yahweh Himself, living on the inside of us. And the Apostle Paul is telling us that wherever He is Lord (owner, decider, one in control), there is freedom.

"I don't know if we know this, or is it we don't want this. Because if we're honest, there are some areas, yes, that we want to absolutely change, and we don't mind turning our hearts to the Lord. But I'm talking about the areas where you've built the kingdom for yourself. Where you've built the life for yourself. Where you've made decisions for yourself. Where everything you do and I do is about me, and for me...There's an invitation here for us, one that's different than the one being given in the world. That is, there's a better life but you have to let your life go. This is what we're talking about. We're talking about, 'Will I surrender control of every aspect of me to Him?' We want that when it's dealing with eternity and where we're going when we close our eyes for the last time. We would love for Him to be Lord. Actually, we like for Him to be Savior. But I'm telling you, as sweet as everybody is in this room, there's an area or areas in our lives that we get upset when someone challenges what we're doing." (Pastor Tim)

The Spirit of Yahweh desires to be Lord of every area. Not just the areas we're okay with surrendering, but the areas where we would rather make the decisions for ourselves. What area have you made off-limits to Holy Spirit? What area have you already determined that He will not be Lord of? If you're wondering what those areas are, this scripture tells us that the best way to locate them is to look for the areas where you're still not experiencing freedom. Those are the areas that are still crying out for Holy Spirit to be Lord.

Our freedom is at stake.

And the freedom of generations that are coming after us.

That's why this is so important to Abba.

There is a grace that is coming to us with this word. A grace to accept Abba's invitation to trust. A grace to make the Spirit of Yahweh Lord of every area. A grace to surrender the life we've wanted for ourselves, so we can have the abundant life that Abba has waiting for us.

Beloved One, you can trust Abba with this area. He is pure Light and has no trace of darkness in Him at all.

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Worship: "Have My Heart" by Maverick City Music

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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

The Wilderness Place 5/21/24 The Wilderness Place 5/21/24

The Veil Will Be Lifted and You Will See

(7 minutes)

It's so important to stay with the words we're hearing from Abba. We are tempted to move on too quickly and abandon the seed that has been deposited in our hearts. This is why we value reviewing and remembering what we've heard at The Wilderness Place.

"Review is a good thing. Review is how you consume everything and keep it for yourself. Anything that's valuable, you want to stare at until it becomes real in your life. The powerful thing about the words of God is they have a unique ability to change your life. You can't just hear God's word one time and walk away from it and say, 'That was a good word.' We have to hold on to it until it becomes who we are." (Pastor Tim)

We have to be intentional about standing under a word from Abba until we see it established in our own lives. That's how valuable every word from Abba is to us.

“If you've ever wondered how you get freedom in your life, if you've ever wondered how you have the Kingdom of God established in every area of your life, Paul is going to give us the secret to that." (Pastor Tim)

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see.

"How many things do we go into believing we have an understanding that is correct and we do not take the time to turn our hearts to the Lord? I've been in danger of this. You know, you've been on the job a little while, you think you understand how things go, you think you know the person you work with. You think you know your spouse. You think you know your kids. And all of a sudden, you start doing life from a place where you think you see, and you never take the time to say, 'I'm going to turn my heart to the Lord and see what He's saying about this.' I'm telling you, your life will be radically different if you take one moment, time out, let me turn my heart to Him and see what He says about this." (Pastor Tim)

When we take a moment to turn to the Lord with an open heart, that's when the veil will be lifted and we can be given the gift of seeing things rightly, from His point of view.

Let's really take the question to heart that Pastor Tim put before us: how many things do we go into believing that we already have an understanding that is correct, so we never take the time to turn our hearts to Abba? Because this scripture tells us that we're not truly seeing from His point of view until we turn to Him with an open heart, willing to lay down our own perspective to inherit His.

The moment we turn to the Lord with an open heart, the veil will be lifted and we will see. This is Abba's promise to us.

There are areas in our lives that we desperately want to see rightly, and there are areas in our lives that we are already convinced we understand. The Spirit of Yahweh desires to be the Lord of them all. And He's inviting us to a place of trust, where we are not ever leaning on our own understanding, but in every single one of our ways we're turning to Him and inquiring of Him so we can inherit His point of view. Until we are fully transformed into the image of Yeshua, only doing what we see Abba doing and only saying what we hear Him saying. The place of perfect union.

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

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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

The Wilderness Place 5/20/24 The Wilderness Place 5/20/24

Undivided Attention

(4 minutes)

"I've been hearing that word all week: undivided attention. If we're honest, I don't think or know that I give Him, or anything, my undivided attention. And I feel Him calling us to an undivided attention towards Him. We've gotten so good at multitasking that I think sometimes we have lost the ability to focus on one thing. I know I have. I have to be intentional about turning my attention, my focus, to Him." (Pastor Tim)

When was the last time that Abba had your undivided attention?

Undivided attention takes intentionality. Turning our attention and our focus to one thing takes great intentionality. It's so easy for us to get lost in the busyness of taking care of multiple things that we lose sight of the One thing we're called to give our whole heart to: intimacy with the King. If we're not careful, the only things that will get our attention are the urgent things. All the while, the important things will get neglected.

Let's recall a familiar story:

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared.

But Martha became exasperated with finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guests, so she interrupted Jesus and said, "Lord, don't you think it's unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me."

The Lord answered her, "Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won't take this privilege from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

Intentionality is an attitude of purposefulness, a commitment to deliberate action. Intentionality is the setting of the heart to seek after one thing. It's choosing to be undistracted at the feet of Jesus. It's choosing to give Him your undivided attention.

Let's take the question even deeper: when, today, will you give Abba your undivided attention? Have you set your heart to seek after the One thing that is most important?

Intentionality is our commitment to make room for Abba throughout our day. He's calling us into undivided attention.

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Worship: "Make Room" by Community 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 5/17/24 The Wilderness Place 5/17/24

Offense: Abba’s Way of Revealing Our Heart

(6 minutes)

Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

After Jesus multiplied food and fed thousands, He had quite the following. He and the disciples had ventured to another town and the thousands that had just been fed by Jesus tracked Him down, but they weren't there for the right reasons. They were only there to get more of what they wanted. Jesus then tells the crowd that in order to follow Him they would have to eat His body and drink His blood. This is where we pick up the story:

And when many of Jesus' followers heard these things, it caused a stir. "That's disgusting!" they said. "How could anybody accept it?" Without anyone telling him, Jesus knew they were outraged and told them, "Are you offended over my teaching? What will you do when you see the Son of Man ascending into the realm from where he came? The Holy Spirit is the one who gives life, that which is of the natural realm is of no help. The words I speak to you are Spirit and life. But there are still some of your who won't believe." (John 6:60-63)

"What He's saying is, 'You're hearing the truth. You're hearing something that will bring life to you, but you won't believe it, or even attempt to surrender your life to My lordship.'" (Pastor Tim)

Sometimes Jesus has to shock us out of the system of control that we've built our life around. You can always tell when He's doing this because it will offend you in some way, just like the words He spoke in John 6 offended His followers. Something has to jolt us out of the place where we are calling Jesus our Savior, but not embracing Him as Lord. And Abba's goodness is perfectly fine with offending our minds in order to reveal our hearts. How far would you go for one of your own children if knew their freedom was hanging in the balance?

I want to echo these words again: you can have control or you can have freedom, but you can't have both. This is what 2 Corinthians 3:17, is inviting us into - freedom. But it will require us to trust Abba in every area of our lives. That's what Lordship is really about - trust. In the areas where we trust Abba, we are fine with Him being Lord. It's the areas where we still think there's a trace of darkness in Him where we struggle to make Him Lord.

This is an invitation into trusting Abba and letting Him convince you that He is pure light, not having a trace of darkness in Him at all. This is an invitation to encounter an even greater degree of His goodness. And it's on the other side of Lordship.

Who's making the decisions for you? You or the Spirit of Yahweh inside of you?

These may be hard words to hear, but just like Jesus' words in John 6, they're meant to reveal your heart so you can start being honest with yourself and honest with Abba.

Where the Spirit is Lord, there is freedom. But what about the areas where He is not Lord? Well, what's the opposite of freedom? Captivity. Slavery. Bondage. This is not what Abba wants for His beloved sons and daughters, which is why He's so fierce in coming against everything that's hindering the love that we're destined to share with Him.

At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past. (Galatians 5:1)

For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives. (John 8:32)

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Worship: "Make Room" by Community 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 5/16/24 The Wilderness Place 5/16/24

Where The Spirit Is Lord, There Is Freedom

(5 minutes)

"As you get closer, and you give Him lordship of more areas of your life, you become more glorious. Let me just make it super simple: every area that I'm not free in is because I still have not settled the question of who is Lord." (Pastor Tim)

At Linger House this past Tuesday, Pastor Tim told a story about a sculptor who was carving an eagle out of piece of wood. Someone standing nearby asked the sculptor how he was able to do such a thing. The sculptor replied, "That's easy, you just chip away everything that doesn't look like an eagle."

Abba's heart is for us to be transformed into the very image of Jesus. He's coming after everything that doesn't look like Him. Think about it: Jesus was surrendered to the will of the Father in every area. Yahweh was Lord over every aspect of Jesus' life. What does Lordship look like? Let's see.

So Jesus said, "I speak to you eternal truth. The Son is unable to do anything from himself or through his own initiative. I only do the works that I see the Father doing, for the Son does the same works as his Father. (John 5:19)

Lordship is letting Abba decide.

Let's take a closer look at the Greek word for lord - kyrios. It comes from the root word "kuros" which means supremacy. A lord (kyrios) is he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding. A lord (kyrios) is the owner; one who has control.

For Yahweh to be Lord, He must have supremacy. Whatever area it is, it must belong to Him. He must have the power to make the call, to make the decision. He has to be the owner and the One who is in control.

What does this mean for us? We can have control or we can have freedom, but we can't have both. What area are we crying out for freedom in that is still waiting on Yahweh to become Lord?

Let Abba take you deeper into these truths today as you take the walk with Him. He's giving you the grace to surrender areas of your life that you have never been able to relinquish control of. He's inviting you into freedom, complete wholeness, and the most fully alive version of yourself - until you are brightly reflecting the glory of Jesus.

Beloved One, embrace this process of transformation. You're moving from one brighter level of glory to another, becoming the very image of Yeshua.

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Worship: "Whatever It Costs" by Rachel Morley

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 5/15/24 The Wilderness Place 5/15/24

Who Is Lord Over Your Life?

(5 minutes)

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NKJV)

The question of the Kingdom is this: Who is Lord of your life?

Who sets your standards? Who makes your decisions? You, or the Spirit of Yahweh inside of you?

We must embrace this truth: wherever the Spirit of Yahweh is Lord, there is freedom. And any area where we are not experiencing freedom, He is still not Lord. Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, we are handing away our freedom every single time that we make ourselves Lord over an area.

We have to stop and answer the questions that the Kingdom is putting before us: Who is making our decisions? Who determines when we show up to a gathering of the believers? Who determines how much we give? Who determines where we go? Who determines where we sit, what we wear, and what we eat? Who determines what happens in the lives of our children? Who determines where we live?

What area are you crying out for freedom in that is still waiting on Yahweh to become Lord?

"It boils down to this: do I want His Lordship over my life, or do I want to live my life the way I want to live it? A lot of us stay in poverty because we won't live by His principles, and then we cry about being in poverty...You're stuck in awful relationships because He's not Lord of your relationships. You're stuck in a lousy job because He's not Lord of your job. Your money looks the way it looks because He's not Lord of your money. Your health is what it is because He's not Lord of your health. I love you enough to say it. Wherever Abba is Lord, there's freedom. Are you sick and tired of some things? Is He Lord? We want our minds to change. Is He Lord of the way you think? This is simple, guys." (Pastor Tim)

Let's ask this question again: What area are you crying out for freedom in that is still waiting on Yahweh to become Lord?

Pastor Tim said it right: this is simple. Abba has made this simple. All it takes is for us to surrender to His Lordship in every area of our life. It's incredibly simple, but at the same time, it's one of the hardest things we will ever do. But let that question go deeper in your intimacy with Abba: Why is it so hard for me to surrender to your Lordship in this area, Abba? That's a great question to bring into intimacy with Him today. It may be that there is an area in your heart that is still hard and calloused, that needs to be healed. And that healing can happen in His presence.

Let's take a walk with Abba today, and let's allow Him to talk to us about the areas in which He is still not Lord. It may be an uncomfortable conversation, but keep these truths before you: He is pure light and there is no trace of darkness in Him and there is freedom on the other side of making Him Lord in that area.

Beloved One, His way is better.

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Worship: "Make Room" 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 5/14/24 The Wilderness Place 5/14/24

The Question of the Kingdom

(5 minutes)

Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, this is where the rubber meets the road. We've been on this journey discovering what Abba's heart is for us, to be fully alive. And we've even gotten a glimpse as to what that could look like. Now we have to answer the question that the Kingdom of God brings to us, and how we respond to the question will determine if anything changes. It will determine if we actually experience freedom.

"I want to talk about the reason we are still waiting on some of these things to happen. There is a question that the Kingdom asks." (Pastor Tim)

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

"When you turn your heart to God, a veil is then lifted from your heart and you are able to see the things of the Kingdom. But it doesn't stop there. That's where American Christianity stops. That's their priority. But that's why we haven't seen Isaiah 61:1-4. Because they say the end all of God's Kingdom is you accepting whether or not you want to go to heaven or hell. And Jesus says that question is not even on the table. That is not the question. The question is not, 'Where are you going to spend eternity?' The question is not, 'Are you saved?' The question is, 'Who is Lord of your life?'" (Pastor Tim)

Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

There's only one problem: there are areas of my life where I'm still not seeing freedom!

That only means one thing: "Wherever God is Lord there is freedom. That means every area of your life where there's no freedom, He is not Lord. And here we are, where the rubber meets the road. Who sets your standards? Who makes your decisions?" (Pastor Tim)

The question of the Kingdom is this: Who is Lord of your life?

Who sets your standards? Who makes your decisions? You, or the Spirit of Yahweh inside of you?

The hard thing about this truth is that there's no guesswork involved. We don't have to ponder long on the answer to these questions, because Abba has given us the litmus test of Lordship.......freedom. Wherever He is Lord, there is freedom. And wherever He is not Lord, there is no freedom.

We can read Isaiah 61:1-4, until we're blue in the face, and still not see any of it established in our own life. Why? Because freedom is on the other side of Him becoming Lord. He must become the One who calls the shots, makes the decisions, and leads us in every area.

Do you know why Lordship is a tough conversation? Because it deals with the question, "Who is in control?" And this is the last thing that some of us want to let go of - control. But we can't have the freedom of God's Kingdom and keep ruling our own life. That's not how kingdoms work.

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Worship: "Your Will, Your Way" 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 5/13/24 The Wilderness Place 5/13/24

The Lens of His Love

(4 minutes)

Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

We've been on a journey for the past couple of weeks. It all started with Isaiah 61. We've talked about having our hearts healed in the presence of Abba, trading our ashes for His beauty. We talked about hopelessness and we heard about Abba's heart for us to be Mighty Oaks of Righteousness, planted in the earth to restore ruins from long ago. We talked about Abba's heart to see His Kingdom come and His will be done on the earth, right here, right now. We talked about metanoia, the changing of our minds, the changing of our point of view.

Let's stop for a moment and go back. Let's read Isaiah 61 again and hear Abba's heart for us:

The mighty Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is wrapped around me because Yahweh has anointed me, as a messenger to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to heal the wounds of the brokenhearted, to tell captives, "You are free," and to tell prisoners, "Be free from your darkness." I am sent to announce a new season (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)

We experienced something very important in our gathering this past Sunday. Abba had us climb up in His lap during our time of worship. He wanted us to feel and know just how loved we are by Him. And that's important. Like Pastor Tim said at the start of his message, "I am so grateful for what God did this morning in worship because we need the lens of His love to understand some of the things we're going to talk about today." We need the lens of His love to understand the things He's pulling us into this week. We need the lens of His love.

Before we move on to anything else this week, let's go back to that place of being wrapped up in His love. Let's climb into His lap today and be seated there, and let's receive from Him in that place and in that posture. Let's ask for the lens of His love today so we can understand everything He's going to talk to us about this week.

Beloved One, climb up in Abba’s lap, lean back in His arms, listen to His heart beating for you, and rest in His embrace. This is the best posture to be in when receiving from Abba.

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Worship: "I Love Your Presence" 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 5/10/24 The Wilderness Place 5/10/24

Streaked, Speckled, and Spotted

(8 minutes)

The next story we're going to look at is going to show us that we become what we behold. If we keep our current point of view, it will keep producing the same thing in our lives over and over again. Whatever kingdom we're feeding from and being intimate with will determine what is being produced in our lives.

We're going to look at the life of Jacob. He's been working for his uncle, Laban, for years and he has already married Leah and Rachel, and has had plenty of children. Once Joseph, the favorite, was born, Jacob could finally make the decision to change his perspective and go back to his own country.

But Laban was a master manipulator and didn't want to lose Jacob, because he knew that so much of his success was tied to him. So Jacob struck up a deal. Jacob would stay and tend to Laban's flocks but he would start building his own wealth while he was there so he could support his family when they chose to leave. Here's where we pick up in the story:

“What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.

Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”

“All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.

Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.

Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. As a result, Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, female and male servants, and many camels and donkeys. (Genesis 30:31-43 NLT)

The first thing we need to notice is how Jacob responded to Laban. He had just been mistreated, stolen from, and manipulated. And he didn't waste one single moment staring at that. He didn't waste one moment on Laban and how he had just been treated. He stepped right into the Kingdom solution that Yahweh had for this situation. That's incredible!

"Stop staring at what you don't have, and start asking Abba for solutions to the world's problems, primarily yours. But we spend so much time focusing on what's not happening, what we don't have, and what we're not getting that's due us." (Pastor Tim)

What Kingdom solutions are we missing out on because we are focusing on the wrong things?

"Until we change our point of view to match the Kingdom of God we will stay mired in the thinking of this world. We've got to come out of agreement with what the world says is possible, and start staring at what is possible." (Pastor Tim)

Jacob knew this Kingdom principle: we become what we behold. Whatever we focus on we will become. Jacob knew that this principle would work in his life, and he also knew it would work in the lives of the livestock that he shepherding. He knew that the only way to get streaked, speckled, and spotted sheep and goats was to have them focus on something that was streaked, speckled, and spotted. And that's exactly what he did.

When we focus on the wrong things and entertain this world's point of view, we relinquish the Kingdom authority and Kingdom solutions that Abba has given us.

We will always produce what we become intimate with. We will produce whatever point of view we become intimate with. So, what is your life producing? This will always tell us what we're being intimate with.

As you walk with Abba today, let Him put His finger on the areas of your life that need to start staring more at Him and His Kingdom. Come out of agreement with the world's point of view, and start feeding on Abba's perspective. Abba has Kingdom solutions for every area of our lives, but they can't be given to us as long as we're holding out our hands, while our hearts and minds are staring in a different direction.

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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 5/9/24 The Wilderness Place 5/9/24

Beloved Identity Comes First

(8 minutes)

We're going to look at the life of Jacob. He's been working for his uncle, Laban, for years and he has already married Leah and Rachel, and has had plenty of children. But we're given a significant statement in verse 25 about what happened before Jacob was inspired to leave his current situation, or change his point of view.

And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. (Genesis 30:25 NKJV)

"Why are we getting this information? Why are we getting the moment that someone is born as a reference point for something that is fixing to happen? Well, who's Joseph? Joseph is Jacob's favorite. God is trying to tell you that before you change your point of view you need to start with, 'You are His favorite.' Joseph is Jacob's favorite. And this changing of the point of view is not going to take place until the favorite steps into being the favorite. That means there's some point of views you cannot receive until you realize how loved you are by Him. I can talk all the live long day about changing your point of view, but you will not receive it if you don't realize you are His favorite. You're not just a worthless sinner that He just tossed Jesus over so He could even look at you. Do you understand the scripture when it says that God so loved you that He sent Jesus? It does not say that He so tolerated you, and sent Jesus so He could then love you. But that's how the church teaches it. We've got to change that up. You think you're loved because Jesus showed up....you're loved because He was sent. You were loved before He was sent. He was sent because you are loved!" (Pastor Tim)

These words are priceless.

We will never be able to receive a Kingdom point of view until we step into believing that we are actually Abba's favorite. No change can happen until we start believing the truth about who we are, that we are beloved sons and daughters, and always have been.

We inherited such a horrible picture of who the Father is. American Christianity told us that God tolerated us, but when Jesus died, then He started loving us, but only if we stayed wrapped up in Jesus. Heaven help us if Jesus tripped or stepped to the side and we were exposed in the presence of God because that would be the end of us, because He only really likes Jesus and simply tolerates us. American Christianity relegated us to some kind of third wheel that got to tag along because of Jesus. You remember, don't you? You loved Jesus, but you were always unsure of how the Father felt. There was a constant cloud of disapproval. But our point of view was all wrong!

Abba has always loved us, from the very beginning. There was never a moment that we were not beloved sons and daughters. Jesus didn't come to make the Father love us. Jesus came because the Father loves us.

You are Abba's favorite!

And when you start being convinced of that truth, you will be ready to receive a Kingdom point of view. Why is it so important that we believe that we are loved before we receive Abba's perspective and point of view?

Here's a story that may help:

"In a small town there lived a couple, Anna and John. Anna, who had always struggled with shame and condemnation, was given a beautiful mirror by John on their wedding day. However, the mirror was dropped and suffered a small crack. Every time she looked into it, she focused only on the crack, which distorted her reflection.
John would always tell Anna how beautiful and perfect she was, but looking into her cracked mirror, Anna could never see what John saw; she only saw flaws and imperfections. Confused and saddened, John one day replaced the cracked mirror with a new, flawless one without telling her.
The next morning, Anna looked into the new mirror and for the first time, saw what John had always seen - a beautiful, perfect bride. She realized that the fault was never with her appearance but with the cracked mirror she was using to define herself."

Why is beloved identity so important?

Because if you continue to view yourself through a lens marred by shame and condemnation, you will never be able to see the truth about yourself or believe it when Abba tries to tell you. If you heal the mirror, you begin to see more clearly.

Believing you're beloved is what sets you free to see things from Abba's point of view. If you're not convinced that you're His favorite, you'll never really believe anything that He has to say.

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Worship: "I Am Your Beloved" 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 5/8/24 The Wilderness Place 5/8/24

Embracing Abba’s Point of View

(5 minutes)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God's will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes. (Romans 12:2 TPT)

"When you become intimate with a thought, a point of view, that is not God, you lose your ability to see altogether. Then you start talking about how great God is, but how worthless you are. You can't be worthless and God be great. But that's false humility. Kingdom humility is you confessing what God says about you and you are amazing. You are not worthless." (Pastor Tim)

When we become intimate with, and start feeding on a thought or point of view that is not from Abba, we lose our ability to see. As long as we're entertaining delusional thinking, we will not be able to see the difference between what is of Yahweh and what is not. Not only will we not be able to see Him correctly, we won't be able to see ourselves correctly.

This all started in the Garden of Eden. The enemy came and planted a seed in Eve that she wasn't good enough. That she didn't measure up. That she was lacking something. That she was broken. The enemy convinced her that she was nothing like God. Eve and her husband were made in the very image and likeness of Yahweh, but because Eve believed (partnered with, was convinced of, and became intimate with) a lie about herself, her life and behavior followed suit. Because whatever a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

We can no longer partner and be in agreement with things that Abba doesn't think about us.

What are you believing about yourself that isn't in agreement with Abba's point of view? What are you believing about other people that isn't in agreement with Abba's point of view? What are you believing about certain situations and circumstances that isn't in agreement with Abba's perspective?

Metanoia is an invitation to a new way of seeing. It's an invitation into seeing everything with Abba's eyes and Abba's heart. And this starts with seeing Him and ourselves rightly. When we make intimacy with Abba a priority, His goodness will lead us into His point of view. As we get intentional about taking the walk with Abba and stepping into these daily, intimate encounters with Him, our perspective will be changed and our mind will be renewed.

Beloved One, you were made in the image and likeness of Yahweh. You are not worthless. You are amazing.

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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 5/7/24 The Wilderness Place 5/7/24

American Christianity vs. God’s Point of View

(8 minutes)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

"You can have a point of view that's in opposition to God's point of view. You can have a point of view, called Christianity, that is not God's point of view." (Pastor Tim)

Did you know that "Christian" wasn't even the name that believers went by in the 1st century? We were originally called Followers of The Way. And one day we were being made fun of by the onlookers and they called us "little Christs" or "Christians." But this was never supposed to be our identity. Like Pastor Tim mentioned on Sunday, there's nothing little about your life and there's nothing little about Christ. We were never supposed to be relegated to a "little version" of who He is, we are destined to become the exact same image or version of who He is. Names matter. What you call yourself matters.

While we're on names, let's spend a moment on Jesus. His real name is Yeshua. So where did we get Jesus? That's a great question. "Jesus" is the English form of the Greek name Iēsous, which is itself a translation of the Hebrew name Yeshua. So "Jesus" is a translation of a translation of the real name, Yeshua. If we were translating Yeshua into English today, a more literal translation would actually be Joshua. Yeshua means "Yahweh is salvation."

Names matter.

This is why we don't call ourselves Christians, but Lovers of Jesus.

This is why we don't call The Wilderness Place a church, but a Kingdom Family.

This is why we don't refer to Yahweh as God or Master, because we know Him as Abba.

As Pastor Tim mentioned, we may say Jesus for the benefit of others, but His name is Yeshua.

"I am done with playing with American Christianity, because it causes nothing but death and destruction. There's nothing more dangerous on this planet than American Christianity. Nothing, not even the enemy. The enemy has no authority." (Pastor Tim)

Why does it matter so much? Is it really that serious?

Let me answer with a parable:

"In the heart of Paris, there was a little-known art gallery that housed an original painting by the great impressionist, Claude Monet. This painting was mesmerizing, a landscape of Giverny's water lilies, and it was famous for its vivid colors and the play of light on the water. It was a genuine masterpiece, and it drew art enthusiasts from all around the world who wished to gaze at its authenticity.
One summer, a skilled forger crafted a replica of Monet's painting. He was well-versed in Monet's techniques, and his forgery was so precise that even the trained eye could be fooled. He managed to have his replica displayed at a nearby cafe, marketing to the visitors that it was a "little-known original Monet" that had been recently discovered.
Word spread quickly, and soon, many visitors preferred the cafe to the gallery, believing they were experiencing a unique piece of art history. The gallery noticed a significant drop in visitors, as everyone flocked to the cafe instead.
As months passed, the true art critics began to notice some differences in the replica, subtle deviations that made it stand apart from Monet's originals. The truth of the forgery was eventually exposed. The authenticity of the original painting was questioned, and trust in the local art scene wavered.
The gallery, despite possessing the genuine article, struggled to regain its former prestige. The incident served as a stark reminder that the presence of something very similar, yet not authentic, could indeed overshadow and threaten the genuine, reducing the public's ability to appreciate and value the real over the mimic."

This is where Yeshua would say, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

The greatest threat to the real thing is not something obvious and markedly different; the greatest threat to the real thing is something so similar that it may cause you to miss the real thing altogether.

We could have a point of view that sounds so similar to God's point of view, possibly even using some of the same terms and language, and the same scriptures, but it still not be the real thing. There's only one way to know that you have the real thing: intimacy. You can no longer settle for having someone else hear Abba's voice for you. You must hear for yourself.

Beloved One, pull up your chair at His table. Taste and see for yourself that He is good. Remember, the only people who could tell the difference in the art pieces were those who had become so intimate with the real thing that they could spot a fake anywhere.

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Worship: "O Taste and See" 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 5/6/24 The Wilderness Place 5/6/24

Change Your Point of View

(5 minutes)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

"Your mind is your perception, it's how you see things. Let me put it another way: change your point of view! Some of us have long held our point of view, and that point of view is from this world, not His...I have some casualties of holding on to religious points of view in my own life. I have casualties. That means I have received damage from holding on to the point of view that I inherited from religion. If you're honest, everything you think about God, you inherited from someone else. Most of the things that we regurgitate out of our mouths, we just heard someone else say, and it sounded right. And then we started implementing that point of view in our life and all of a sudden that point of view leads us down a road that causes casualties. But God's point of view doesn't lead you down a road that causes casualties." (Pastor Tim)

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, your perception, your point of view. What point of view are we still holding onto that we didn't receive from Yahweh? What point of view are we still nursing that didn't even come from Abba's mouth? How much of our perception is still shaped by the religious point of view that we inherited from someone else?

This is so important for us. We cannot trust anything that comes from an unrenewed mind, even our own unrenewed mind, and what it thought and believed five years ago, or ten years ago, or thirty years ago. We should not hold on to a point of view just because it's been around a long time.

Our relationship with Yahweh and the Kingdom of God is ever-expanding and ever-growing. We're being invited deeper and deeper with every encounter. The unrenewed mind will always want to cling to doctrinal certitude and be right, but the renewed mind learns to trust what is coming from Abba's mouth day by day. The renewed mind has learned to live on daily bread from the presence of God. Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, are we more concerned with being right or having right thinking? There is a difference.

As we take the walk with Abba today and continue the conversation that He started with us, let's allow Him to speak to our hearts about our point of view. Abba and His goodness will lead us into a new way of seeing, and a new way of thinking, if we let Him.

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Worship: "I Love Your Presence" 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 5/3/24 The Wilderness Place 5/3/24

The Three Leavens

(9 minutes)

Now, the disciples had forgotten to take bread with them, except for one loaf of flatbread. And as they were sailing across the lake, Jesus repeatedly warned them, "Be on your guard against the yeast inside of the Pharisees and the yeast inside of Herod!" But the disciples had no clue what Jesus was talking about, so they began to discuss it among themselves, saying, "Is he saying this because we forgot to bring bread?" Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus said to them, "Why all this fussing over forgetting to bring bread? Do you still not see or understand what I say to you? Are your hearts still hard? You have good eyes, yet you still don't see, and you have good ears, yet you still don't hear, neither do you remember. When I multiplied the bread to feed more than five thousand people, how many baskets full of leftovers did you gather afterward?"

"Twelve," they replied.

"And when I multiplied food to feed over four thousand, how many large baskets full of leftovers did you gather afterwards?"

"Seven," they replied.

"Then how is it that you still don't get it?"

(Mark 8:14-21)

In this scripture, Jesus gives the disciples a very important warning. One that the disciples didn't understand at the time, but that we should really try to receive today because it's still a reality for us. He tells the disciples to be on guard against two leavens that exist in the world. The leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Jesus is saying that the most dangerous things on the earth (which surprisingly is not behavior) are these two leavens or systems that are at war with a heart that loves God.

"Leaven is the influence from the world that you're receiving from. You can either be receiving the leaven from the Kingdom of God, or the leaven from the Pharisees, or the leaven from Herod. What does this mean? What do those two terms stand for? The leaven of Herod is the political leaven, it's the political realm. It's for those of us who think our answers are going to come from who we vote for on November 4th. It's the leaven of sitting on Fox News or CNN and consuming political ideologies continuously, as if that's your answer, as if that's what's controlling your life...The leaven of the Pharisees is the religious system that tells you that you can have a form of God, but you cannot be close to Him, you cannot be intimate with Him, and He has no power in your life." (Pastor Tim)

What do you believe the most dangerous thing in the world is? What, on the earth, threatens the love affair between you and Yahweh the most? We must have a shift here, because the political and religious leavens would have us convinced that the most dangerous thing on the earth is the people who don't think or behave like us, but the danger lies much deeper in the leaven or influence that these two systems have on our heart. This is an area where we need to change our thinking. Jesus is telling us to be on guard against the political leaven and the religious leaven, because they are at war with the leaven of the Kingdom of God that's expanding within you. These two leavens will squash what the Kingdom is trying to produce is us.

Why is it so dangerous?

Because the unrenewed mind can be deceived into believing that it has a real relationship with Yahweh, but all it really has is a relationship with the political and religious spirit, something similar but not the same. A form of godliness, but it's devoid and empty when it comes to the power to see anything changed. The political and religious leavens only have words and thoughts and ideas, but never any fruit. The Kingdom of God actually has the power to produce the transformation that it preaches. Again, Jesus didn't pray for people to be healed, He healed them. What are we carrying? The leaven of the Kingdom of God, or the leaven of Herod and the Pharisees?

I'd say that's the most dangerous thing in the world - thinking you have a real relationship with God, when you're really in a relationship with something completely different. It's Jacob thinking he's intimately connected with Rachel, when he's really been in bed with Leah the whole time.

The Kingdom of God is right here and right now. It's available to us in every moment. Yes, it will require us to metanoia, to have our thinking changed. We can't keep our old perspective and inherit the Kingdom of God. Our unrenewed mind will always be at war with what the Kingdom is trying to produce in our heart. It's the goodness of God that leads us into the place of metanoia. It's encountering Abba's goodness that draws us into the place of having our minds renewed. And as we allow this process to take place, we need to be on guard against the two leavens that would try to creep into our love affair with Him - the political leaven and the religious leaven.

Do you know what activates leaven? Heat.

As we experience adverse situations and difficult circumstances, the leaven that's inside of us activates and expands. The storm has an interesting way of revealing what leaven has the most influence in our lives. When difficulties arise, what is our perspective? Like the disciples, do we only see what we don't have and what we lack? Or do we have a Kingdom perspective, that is imagining all the ways that Abba can get glory from the situation?

Our hearts and minds were made to partner with the Kingdom of God to bring restoration, healing, and hope to ruined cities. But the first place we have to partner with the Kingdom of God is in our own lives. It must become a way of life in us first.

Abba's goodness is inviting us into metanoia today. Let's take the walk with Him!

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Worship: "Good Good Father" 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 5/2/24 The Wilderness Place 5/2/24

Jesus, We Don’t Have Enough Bread?

(7 minutes)

After a long day of feeding thousands of people from just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, it was time for Jesus and the disciples to depart to their next destination. Remember, this is the disciple's second time seeing Jesus feed multitudes of people by multiplying food. They climb into the boat and set sail to another region of the country, and here's what happens next:

"Twelve," they replied.

"And when I multiplied food to feed over four thousand, how many large baskets full of leftovers did you gather afterwards?"

"Seven," they replied.

"Then how is it that you still don't get it?"
(Mark 8:14-21)

"The disciples have seen on two separate occasions Jesus, multiplying bread, feeds twenty-thousand in one crowd and eighteen-thousand in another crowd, and the first thing their mind turns to is what they don't have, or how little they have." (Pastor Tim)

If we're ever wondering what kingdom we're feeding from, we don't have to look any further than our first response to hardships that come into our lives. If you want to know the default operating system that your life depends on moment by moment, just pay attention to the first thoughts you have when a troubling situation arises. That will tell you all you need to know.

The disciples had front-row seats to the multiplying of bread and fish to feed thousands, but when they climbed into the boat, got comfortable, and felt their stomachs rumbling, their minds immediately turned to what they lacked. They're sitting in a boat with Jesus, and they're worried about the shortage of bread. Now, we could shake our heads in complete disapproval over the disciple's behavior, but how many times has our mind defaulted to fear and anxiety after experiencing countless miracles in our own lives?

What does this show us? Well, I don't know about you, but here's what I can see: it doesn't matter how many times you witness Yahweh perform miracles on your behalf, if you don't allow your mind to be renewed you will always default to the kingdom that you have been most intimate with in your life. See, we say things to ourselves like, "If I could only see God come through in this area, it would change everything." Well, this scripture, and plenty of others, tell us a different story. Because the problem isn't really our shortage of powerful encounters with Abba, it's that we don't allow those encounters with His goodness to lead us into metanoia, the changing of our mind. We have powerful encounters in His presence, but we don't allow those encounters to shift our perspective and usher us into a new way of thinking.

Are there still areas where you can only see what you lack and what you don't have? That should be a witness to you that you're still feeding from the kingdom of this world. That is Abba's open invitation to you to come into His presence, experience His goodness, and let Him lead you into the renewing of your mind. By the time Abba's goodness is through with you, your default way of thinking will be that of His Kingdom, and His Kingdom never starts with what we lack and what we don't have.

Beloved One, you have a history with Abba. You have a long line of previous encounters with Him that were powerful. What if you took time today to remember those encounters, but this time ask Abba to use those moments to change your perspective? Abba, we don't want to waste any encounter with Your goodness. Lead us into metanoia!

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Worship: "Million Little Miracles" by Joe L. Barnes

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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

The Wilderness Place 5/1/24 The Wilderness Place 5/1/24

What Is God and What Is Not? The Renewed Mind Knows

(5 minutes)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

"If you worked 80 hours on your job, you would be applauded. If you prayed for 80 hours, you would be looked at as peculiar. You see how we have come into agreement with what the world says about what is possible, what is approved, and what is unapproved." (Pastor Tim)

What kingdom are we allowing to influence us and make our decisions? What kingdom are we being intimate with to determine what is acceptable and what is not? What kingdom is forming our perspective and thinking about every area of life?

Renewing the mind is so significant. Having our perspective changed is vital if we're ever going to see the benefits of the Kingdom of God in our own lives.

"An unrenewed mind will not have the ability to look at two things that look similar and pick the one that is God. Unrenewed minds will not be able to look at two scenarios that look very similar, one is not God and one is God, and make a determination. This is why we have so many churches, and we can't discern whether they're godly or not. The unrenewed mind will pick what it likes over what God says to do. Your renewed mind from His Kingdom, your mind that feeds from His Kingdom, will be able to discern what is Him and what is not Him." (Pastor Tim)

The renewed mind has the ability to approve of what is actually Yahweh. The renewed mind can see what God is doing and hear what God is saying about a matter. And the renewed mind has the ability to choose that thing over what it likes.

An unrenewed mind lives by the rules of the kingdom of this world, and reaps the benefits that this kingdom has to offer. A renewed mind lives by the rules of the Kingdom of God, and reaps the benefits that His Kingdom has to offer. Jesus is able to walk on water and multiply meals. Why? Because He was living by the rules of Abba's Kingdom. Jesus didn't pray for sick people, He healed sick people. Why? Because He was living by the rules of Abba's Kingdom.

What if what we're experiencing and not experiencing is being determined by what kingdom we're feeding from? What if the key to experiencing the benefits of the Kingdom of God is having our mind renewed? Maybe this is why Jesus came saying, "Metanoia!" Stop focusing on the behavior that is flowing from your unrenewed mind, and start staring at Yahweh's goodness that leads to the transformation of that mind.

Your only responsibility today is to pursue intimate encounters with Yahweh. His Goodness will do the rest!

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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 4/30/24 The Wilderness Place 4/30/24

The Mind Is Worth Renewing

(7 minutes)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

"The mind is important or it wouldn't be worth renewing." (Pastor Tim)

But what happens when the mind isn't renewed? What happens when the mind continues to feed from the kingdom of this world?

Did you know that the first thing formed in a baby in the womb is their heart? That's significant. As important as the mind is, it was never supposed to be our true north.

"Let me tell you what happens in the spiritual realm. You're going to hear the anointing and the presence of God. It's going to strike your heart. You're moved and stirred in the innermost being of who you are. You just heard something that rattled your cage and all of a sudden you can't keep yourself from crying, and you love everybody in the room, and you love everything, and you're going to go all out for God. Then the Spirit of God takes the word that was deposited in your heart and it starts making a trip to your mind. And you're mind says, 'Oh no, we can't do that. We have a life to live. We can't be fanatical about the things of God. We still have to go to work. You can't abandon everything. You can't think about God 24/7.' And then the anointing, the Spirit, the seed that God deposits gets cut off, and nothing changes." (Pastor Tim)

This is why the mind must be renewed. Because we'll hear something from Abba and it will resonate with us and stir our hearts, but if the mind remains unrenewed it will shut down and war against the things that Abba is speaking to us. Believing happens in the heart, but an unrenewed mind can be in opposition to what our heart is trying to receive from God.

And it's not just the emotion in a room that stirs our hearts.

"Your heart hears something it was made for and it responds the way it was designed to respond, but that word has to make a trip to your mind and if your mind is not renewed it will not make it back to your heart. And a renewed mind is not designed to control your life, your mind is supposed to be used to emphasize what your heart is already saying. To make clear what your heart is already decreeing. To say 'Yes, everything you just felt is true, now these are the steps we're going to take to implement what your heart just said.' But if you don't have a renewed mind, all you see is obstacles, you your life and other concerns and cares of life. An unrenewed mind will prioritize those things over what your heart cares about." (Pastor Tim)

An unrenewed mind will always prioritize other things over what your heart is receiving from Abba. The mind is not supposed to be in control. It's supposed to support what Abba is doing in the heart. But the unrenewed mind simply cannot do that.

This is why Jesus steps into the cosmos with one message, "Metanoia! Change the way you think! Because the Kingdom of God is right here, right now." The Kingdom of God is available to anyone who's willing to have their mind changed, anyone who's willing to have their mind made new.

Soaking in the healing waters of Abba's presence will be the thing that causes our perspective, and our thinking, to shift. Our intimate encounters with Him are meant to change our perspective. It's how we see the mind renewed. Are you willing to step into those waters today? The soaking can happen anytime that you're ready to step in. Abba is waiting to take a walk with you today.

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Worship: "You Always Restore" 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 4/29/24 The Wilderness Place 4/29/24

The Grace to Change Is Right Here, Right Now

(5 minutes)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

"Do not be conformed to this world. That means do not let this world be the thing that tells you how your life is supposed to look. That's what the scripture is saying. Don't let the rules of this world be the one that you feed from, that you become intimate with." (Pastor Tim)

We've all heard this scripture at some point, but like Pastor Tim mentioned on Sunday, I don't believe we've learned how to actually do it. When Jesus comes to us with the message of, "Metanoia! Change the way you think, because the Kingdom of God is right here, right now," we have to understand that with that word comes the grace, the permission, to see that word become a reality in our own lives. Abba never brings us a word, or whispers our name, without giving us the grace to see that word become flesh in the garden of our own life.

This is another step into metanoia. Do we actually believe that there is a grace being given to us in this season to see our perspective changed in a significant way? Do we believe that with Abba's word, comes the permission and power to be transformed?

This is why it's so important for us to respond rightly to the words we're hearing in intimacy with Abba. Because that word carries more than just some opportunity to feel good in the moment; it carries the grace we need to see that word become a way of life for us, and in us. How we respond to the word, or how we honor the seed, determines what we will get from that seed.

There is a grace being given to our Kingdom family, right now, to metanoia - to change the way we think - to shift from feeding on the kingdom of this world to being exclusively intimate with the Kingdom of God.

As we show up to the walk with Abba today, let's ask Him about how we can honor the seed of His word so we can eat its fruit, after it's been established in our life. Abba, we don't just want to hear a word, we want to become the word. Abba, show us how to honor what we're hearing!

All the grace we need to change is right here, right now.

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Worship: "Make Room" by Kim Walker-Smith

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