The Door of Grace

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound” Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah is prophesying of the coming of our Anointed One, Jesus. In Luke 4 we can see the words come to life by Jesus himself. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.” Luke 4:18-19

Jesus has opened the door of grace for those who are lowly, depressed and held captive to their brokenness. Yesterday in The Walk we talked about allowing the Holy Spirit to restore tenderness to your heart. This allows you to walk through this door of grace. Grace opens us up to allow the Holy Spirit to ask us questions about our hearts. Pastor Tim has said many times the order in which scripture is given is important. Let’s look at the order of what Jesus is saying. He’s come to preach good news, to give hope. Where do you need hope restored? We see and have experienced loss that causes us to lose hope in the future, but Jesus is here to restore hope.

He is here to heal your broken heart. Take a moment here and ask Him- where is my heart broken? Oftentimes we walk around not realizing our hearts are broken yet the fruit of our life shows brokenness.

Truth is, it doesn’t matter why it is broken. Maybe it is a choice you made or a choice someone else made that effected your life, either way, He is here to set you free from the captivity of the thoughts in your mine, the fear you carry about certain things happening, the anger and resentment towards your parents or family member because of pain they have caused you. When you walk through the door of grace and surrender your pain and brokenness to Jesus YOU ARE FREE!

It is the year of Jubilee! It is the acceptable time of Yahweh to set you on the journey He has designed just for you.

Are you ready to go on this beautiful adventure with Jesus? It isn’t easy facing the brokenness, but you are not alone He walks with you in every moment. As we journey from the wilderness to a beautiful promise land, I sense an excitement in the air and a time of celebration.

“God, all at once you turned on a floodlight for me! You are the revelation-light in my darkness, and in your brightness, I can see the path ahead. Psalms 18:28

Ask Yahweh to shine His light on those hidden parts and allow His brightness to shine on your future.

Your Life Depends On It

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Proverbs 4:23 MSG

So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 TPT

Yesterday, in our Sunday Service Pastor Tim mentioned the verse above at the beginning of the message. Stop for a moment and consider every choice you make, everything you say and everything you think is produced from your heart. In short Proverbs 4:23 is telling us how important it is to have a healed heart. It is literally the first thing Jesus turns His attention to in our lives. Let’s start by looking at these key words in each version of the Bible, it uses three different words. Diligence, vigilant, and guard.

Diligence means persistent, steadfast, and careful

These words mean you never give up paying attention to what is happening in your heart. Never allow yourself to be numb to how your heart is feeling in every moment. These are the opportunities we invite the Holy Spirit to give us understanding about why we feel the way we feel. When was the last time you asked the Holy Spirit about your heart? Diligence looks like building a habit of asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom.

Vigilant means watchful, attentive, circumspect in order to avoid danger. Vigilant requires action. Actively pay attention to what is affecting you and what is vying for your attention.

Guard means to be careful. Take seriously the influences you allow to penetrate your heart. Everything you do in your life is at stake. So, guard your heart like your life depends on it because it does.

We encourage you to spend some time today listening to this song and allow the Holy Spirit to restore tenderness to areas of your heart.

Build An Altar

“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land. And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:7

What happens at an altar? First thing the Holy Spirit said, this is where he learned to worship the Lord. Second, he said this is where he married the land. Pastor Tim

Here at The Wilderness Place, we have said, Yes and I do to this land, and Yahweh is inviting us to be deed holders. In verse 8, it tells us Abram pitched his tent between Bethel and AI. Bethel means House of God. AI means Heap of Ruins. What was Abram declaring to the land by pitching his tent here? He was yielding his life to the process of seeing the house of God restore the heap of ruins. It has always been Yahweh’s heart to partner with men and women willing to stand in the gap for people and places. Ezekiel 22:30 says, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land.”

Abram’s heart must be our hearts cry. We can partner with Yahweh and see this entire city and state transformed. Yahweh is looking for covenant people to plant them in broken, discouraged, hopeless, and desperate lands. We are called to be these covenant people.

Are you ready to build an altar before the Lord to say yes and I do to being a covenant kingdom family and see the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdoms of our God? He is ready to partner with us in the transformation of our families, cities and state. Pastor Tim shared the history of a well-known ranch in Texas called the King’s Ranch. In 1854, Mr. Richard King bought nearly 17,000 acres deep south of Texas for $300. This land was dry and worthless, but he saw something there which caused him to say - I will marry you and change your destiny. He ended up bringing a whole village of people from Mexico who were wasting away because of the drought and not only did he change the land but also the lives of those precious people for many, many generations. The story is quite fascinating.

Pastor Tim closed with a prophetic word for our family here at The Wilderness Place.

There are businesses not yet started that will be started from people in this room in the next 5 years. The transformation the land is waiting on is locked up in your yes and I do. That means YOU own Pass Road, that means YOU own Gulfport, that means this is your wife, this is your husband, this is your inheritance, and God has called you here to marry the land to see it become all its designed to be. To see a dry desert place become a bubbling Wilderness that dances and sings with Joy.

Saying yes to this beautiful covenant with Yahweh will not only change your life, but it will also change many lives in the generations to come. The altar is ready and waiting for your yes. Will you pitch your tent between The Wilderness Place and Mississippi?

Will you commit to meditating on this scripture this weekend and come Sunday ready to encounter Yahweh?

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. “And it shall be, in that day,” Says the Lord, “That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’ Hosea 2:14-16

Hear and Obey

“Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave it all behind —your native land, your people, your father’s household, and go to the land that I will show you. Follow me, and I will make you into a great nation. I will exceedingly bless and prosper you, and I will make you famous, so that you will be a tremendous source of blessing for others. I will bless all who bless you and curse all who curse you. And through you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-2

Two words we say a lot at The Wilderness Place is HEAR and OBEY!

Let’s start with hearing the voice of Yahweh for yourself. If this is not something you are acquainted with it can seem overwhelming trying to understand how this happens. In order to hear what someone is saying when you are in a conversation you have to do what?

Listen. Really lean into what they are saying. When you show someone you value what they are saying they will talk more to you. They will share their secrets with you. The innermost part of who they are. Yahweh is no different. He wants to talk to you. He wants to share the secrets of the Kingdom with you, but your value upon what He is saying determines how much you hear Him. Abram heard the voice of Yahweh speak to him because he had already developed intimacy with Him.

You can develop intimacy first by reading and meditating on the scriptures of Yahweh. The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth of who He is. As you meditate on His word let Him speak to you about it. As you grow in hearing His voice concerning your daily life the next step is obey. Imagine if Abram did not obey the voice of Yahweh?

Abram’s obedience brought blessings upon blessings for many generations. Our obedience can and will change the environment around us.

What are some things Abba may be talking to you about?

• Calling someone to check on them

• Cut your elderly neighbor’s grass

• Mend broken family relationships

• Give your time and resources to make a place beautiful

• Get off social media

• Leave a job

• Give your family undivided attention

These are practical ways to hear His voice and obey. When we put His ways above ours, we can see the change in the world around us. The more we hear and obey; the more He will speak to us. The more transformation we see.

Tuesday night at Linger House, Pastor Tim shared out of Ezekial about how Yahweh was looking for someone to stand on the wall for others. When we are attentive to His voice as we go about our daily lives, He will show us people we can intercede for. May we be intentional in our listening for His voice.

Ask Abba to speak to you. Be aware of Him each day and listen for His sweet voice.

Grief for Grace

“Here are the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran was the father of Lot. Haran preceded his father, Terah, in death in the land of his birth, in the Chaldean city of Ur. The brothers, Abram and Nahor, were both married. Abram’s wife was Sarai. Nahor married the daughter of his deceased brother Haran; her name was Milcah, and her sister was Iscah. Now Sarai was barren and childless. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they all departed together from the Chaldean city of Ur to go into the land of Canaan. But when they journeyed as far as Haran, they settled there. Terah lived two hundred and five years and died in Haran.” Genesis 11:27-32

Let’s highlight a couple of points in this passage. Terah is the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. His son Haran died in their homeland of Ur, so Terah took his two sons, their wives and his grandchildren to depart for Canaan. As they traveled, they came to the city of Haran. Terah could go no further. It says they settled there, and he lived two hundred and five years. He died in Haran.

Terah had a tragic experience when his son passed away. He never surrendered the pain of this loss to Yahweh for healing; therefore, his life came to a stop when he encountered the reminder of his loss. He just could not go on.

Today’s walk is a difficult one because when we experience loss in such a painful way, we often just push down the pain and continue to live out each day with this lingering dullness and ache inside. Loss isn’t just about the death of someone. Maybe it is the loss of a marriage, family relationship or friendship, maybe it is a job or career. Grief is a journey that touches everyone at some point in life. It can show up in a lot of different emotions, from deep sadness to anger, confusion, and questions. Understanding that grief is a natural response to loss is crucial. It is important to know Abba’s heart in helping you walk through the pain.

I remember when my dad passed away I had so many questions and just really couldn’t understand why Abba allowed it. We prayed so much for his healing. I realized Abba’s grace was so present leading up to the moment my dad’s heart slowly stopped beating. He allowed us to be in the room, holding his hand, and worshipping Jesus as He came into the room to escort my daddy beyond the veil. Afterwards for weeks, I asked Abba hard questions. I sometimes was silent before Him because I was angry, but I also knew the importance to surrender to His presence. Every time I felt grief show up, I could feel His grace is such a tangible way. I chose to make the exchange every time. My grief for His grace.

I ask you to sit quietly for a few moments and allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart for pain you still carry.

Jesus gave His body, blood and life so we could walk free of all pain, but we must choose to make the exchange with Him. It is not easy, but His grace will abound in those moments. Jesus wants you to know it is ok to move on in this life to live out His purpose and plan for you. This does not mean you forget those who have passed but honor them as you live. If it is a relationship you’ve lost, allow Jesus to restore the innocence of your soul so you are able to see the future clearly as He sees it for you.

Abba, we invite you to examine our hearts for pain we still carry that is causing us to settle for less than the promise land you have for us. We know comforting pain we have buried is hard, but your grace is greater than the difficulty of facing our pain. We trust you. We thank you for the healing testimonies that will come from our intimate healing encounters.

Diligent to Understand

“Then he said to them, “Be diligent to understand the meaning behind everything you hear, for as you do, more understanding will be given to you. And according to your longing to understand,  much more will be added to you. For those who listen with open hearts will receive more revelation. But those who don’t listen with open hearts will lose what little they think they have!” Mark 4:24-25

Let’s look at Mark 4 a little closer. Read it again. Wait a minute to see what stands out to you. We encourage you to take your time in reading the scriptures.

“Be diligent to understand.” What does diligent to understand look like to YOU? He wants to communicate with you about every situation in your life and the lives of those around us. He says ‘Be diligent,” this requires intentionally listening to Him. When you intentionally lean in to His voice you are making space for Him to show you things about yourself, others and the Kingdom. Oftentimes, it allows us to see things in a different perspective than we have viewed it in the past. As we are diligent in opening up our hearts to listen and understand, He promises to give more revelation and more understanding. How often do you stop and ask the Holy Spirit about something that is going on in you, around you or with someone else, and do you give Him space to speak to you in those moments?

“I know every heart in this room is here because you want more of Jesus. You want more connection with Him. You want to hear His voice more.” Pastor Tim

Right now take a moment and ask yourself what are some areas you would like to have more understanding in. Ask the Holy Spirit how to better steward the understanding you have in those areas right now.

Abba, we are so thankful for your truth and the ways of the Kingdom. We choose your ways today. We ask for grace and mercy has we surrender our hearts to you. Help us to be diligent in listening with open hearts what you want to say to us.

Trust in the Lord

“Then he sat down near the offering box, watching all the people dropping in their coins. Many of the rich would put in very large sums, but a destitute widow walked up and dropped in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. Jesus called his disciples to gather around and then said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given a larger offering than any of the wealthy. For the rich only gave out of their surplus, but she sacrificed out of her poverty and gave to God all that she had to live on, which was everything she had.” Mark 12:41-44

“What is Jesus teaching us here? Jesus talked more about money than heaven and hell combined. The reason it’s a sensitive subject is because money is such a big deal to all of us. Yahweh doesn’t NEED our money. His purpose for addressing money is a direct line to the matter of the heart. He cares so much about the condition of your heart He is willing to offend your mind. The question to ask here: Do I trust more in my resources? Or do I trust Him? 

We think our trust is in Him until we are put in a situation where our trust is confronted. Remember, he works all things for our good. In Romans 8, it says God is the searcher of the heart. He knows where our trust lies in the area of finances, relationships, jobs, and health. He is willing to allow circumstances in your life to build your trust in Him. That is what He most desires. An intimate relationship with Him where trust is never the issue.

“This entire intimacy with the Lord is about intentional surrender of every area of your life. It’s about hearing and obeying.”  Pastor Tim

Pastor Tim shared a beautiful testimony. I encourage you to go listen to the message. Today’s walk is about allowing Yahweh to expose the areas you lack in trusting Him. If it is money- bring this concern to Him. It is the only area in scripture that He says we can test Him. 

“It’s not the amount of money you give, it's what the amount means to you.” Pastor Tim

His Voice

“But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Luke 4:4

This week we have talked about surrendering our will to the Father, understanding Beloved Identity, and walking through trials in the wilderness like Jesus. All of this is possible, but it hinges on where we are getting our affirmation.

Let’s understand what affirmation is. The world or even religion will tell you to write positive statements and words for motivation. By repeating affirmations, you can challenge negative thoughts and encourage a positive mindset. I know I have many times in the past written positive words and declared them out loud to myself or had sticky notes every to encourage my thoughts towards myself or my goals. I was told by embracing affirmations it would lead to transformative changes, empowering me to pursue my goals with confidence and clarity. These are not bad practices if these sticky notes declare what Abba has spoken to you. Let’s be honest, how many of us have googled positive words or found a great motivational “Christian” speaker and did all of what they said we should do to get to where we want to be? We can all raise our hands here, right? Remember there is no shame and condemnation in this Kingdom family, but we have to ask ourselves the tough questions or admit to some of the things we did outside of His spoken word to us.

In the scripture above Jesus says, “Man shall not live by bread alone,” in the Message translation He says, “It takes more than bread to really live.” We cannot continue to feed on things Abba has not spoken to us. It will cause us to pursue jobs, positions, relationships or goals we were never meant for.

Surrendering and walking in the ways of Jesus will require sacrifice but the sacrifice doesn’t even come close to the reward we receive from walking fully surrendered to Him. Jesus says we shall live by every word of God. This is not merely speaking of the written word. It is vitally important for you to learn to hear the voice of Abba for yourself. The affirmation required for us to live a life fully alive and to do what He has designed us to do in the earth must come from the mouth of Abba. His voice must be the one we pursue and follow.

If this is new for you, or you're thinking how do I hear the voice of Abba? Here is where you start. Sit with the scriptures you read in The Walk. As you read them, ask the Holy Spirit, “What do you want me to know about this?” And wait for a moment. Read the passage again anticipating Him to show you something.

Throughout the day ask Him what He wants you to know about the day ahead. As you walk through the day look for Him; listen for Him. He is as eager to talk to you as you are to hear Him.

Walking in the Wilderness

“From the moment of his baptism, Jesus overflowed with the Holy Spirit. He was taken by the Spirit from the Jordan into the wilderness of Judea to experience for forty days the ordeal of testing by the accuser.” Luke 4:1-2

Jesus gives us a beautiful account of how we walk through the wilderness when we face temptation and trials. This temptation Jesus faced was not concerning sinful behavior, obviously, He was sinless. The temptation He faced was pointed to His identity. If the enemy could have convinced Jesus to act on His temptation, He would discredit His identity. The same is true for us. The temptation we face is always an attack on who we are. When we come into agreement with lies about who we are then sinful behaviors follow.

This picture of Jesus being baptized in water, filled with the Holy Spirt and affirmed by the Father as His Beloved Son prepared Him for the wilderness. I encourage to continue to read Luke 4 so you can meditate on Jesus’ response. Throughout His temptations He never argued with the enemy. Why? He was affirmed as Beloved Son!

We will face trials, test and temptations- when they come how we respond dictates what Abba is wanting to do in our hearts and lives. We are all in the process of understanding who we are in Him. We are going deeper and deeper into this amazing truth. Abba’s love for us is beyond measure and when we experience this love is causes us to examine our lives to say - Here I am Lord, I surrender to your will, your tender mercies, and caring grace.

Practical Application: What trials or tests are you facing right now? How are responding to them? We all have moments we come into agreement with who we are not. These are the times we bring it to Abba and make the exchange. Lord, here are the doubts, lies, misconceptions, wrong thinking and etc. Holy Spirit I want to walk in your truth. I AM MY BELOVEDS AND HE IS MINE!

You Are My Beloved

“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22

The MOST IMPORTANT thing we can hear and believe is YOU are my Beloved son and Beloved daughter. If you have been a believer for a long time and was told repeating a prayer was the most important so you know where you will spend eternity - you were lied to by American Christianity. Our example of ALL things is Jesus. How His life transpired is what we follow. In Luke 3 Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit rested upon Him- the next thing is the voice of the Father from heaven speaking audibly so everyone could hear-

YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON; IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED!

Remember yesterday we talked about Jesus being pulled back at 12 because the Father would not allow Him to do any ministry until He was affirmed with Beloved Identity. Up until this moment Jesus has not done any miracles. In fact, in Luke 2:52 after Jesus returned to Nazareth with his parents it says, “As Jesus grew, so did his wisdom and maturity. The favor of men increased upon his life, for he was loved greatly by God.” We must be willing to surrender to Abba and allow Him to pour His affirmation of Beloved Identity over our thinking, our hearts, and our motives. If Jesus needed to be affirmed before He did any ministry how much more do we need the voice of Abba saying over us - You are my beloved. When you do not know who you are in Him you find yourself being used by Christianity. In almost every church in America outside of this knowledge you will hear the leadership tell people God wants to use you in this area. You can use your gift in children’s ministry, worship team, sound booth, door greeter. Abba NEVER wants to use you. EVER. He wants to love you so your heart can be healed.

Pastor Tim shares the truth of the Kingdom of God when he says….

You can’t receive your identity while you are in ministry. You can’t know how God feels about while you are serving other people. I don’t know why but it’s not possible. It took me ten years in the wilderness to become a beloved son. Not doing a thing for ten years. Ten years in the wilderness out from under American Christianity to learn who He was and to learn who I was.

What does Beloved Identity look like? Let’s look at Jesus. When Jesus was being beaten and crucified what was he saying to the people who was doing this to Him? Nothing. He said nothing to them. He prayed for them. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. When you go through the Gospels and see how he responded to people when they questioned Him or mocked Him- he always responded in wisdom, kindness, understanding.

Yesterday, I was speaking to a friend, and she made a comment about getting to a place where we have no buttons to push by other people. Jesus did not have buttons for people to push. Why? He had BELOVED IDENTITY.

We can become so healed, so centered on Jesus, so FULLY ALIVE in Him, we can no longer have any buttons for people to push. We then not only look more like Jesus, but we act more like Jesus in the earth. Which leads us to on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Practical application today: Close your eyes. Ask the Father to reveal His love for you. Let Him smother you with kisses. You are His beloved and you don’t have to do a thing but rest in His goodness.

Jesus Surrendered His Will

“His parents were shocked to find him there, and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?” Jesus said to them, “Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with him?” Mary and Joseph didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant. Jesus went back home with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother treasured Jesus’ words deeply in her heart.” Luke 2:49-51

12 years old. He’s in the Temple. THE Temple. He’s using His gifts and His anointing in the temple.”

Jesus’ parents show up after searching frantically for Him for three days. They are amazed by what they hear from Jesus as He is teaching. It says Mary scolded him. Although amazed, she and Joseph was the authority Abba had placed over Jesus has a child. In her wisdom she knew it was not time for him to be teaching in the temple. In verse 51 it says Jesus went back with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. In the NKJV it says was subject to them. Jesus, the Son of God, Lord of Lords, King of Kings wasn’t critical of his parents’ decision. He had all rights and anointing to do otherwise.

Jesus learned to surrender his will at an early age. Even though Jesus knew He was designed to do what He was doing in the Temple- teaching and amazing people with His words and anointing- it was premature. He was pulled back to sit and wait for the voice of Abba. We do not hear anything else from Jesus until He was 30 years old.

Why? He had not been baptized in Beloved Identity. We will talk more about Beloved Identity this week.

What’s important NOW? In this passage, what is He showing us? Surrendering to authority. If Jesus has to surrender His will to the authority Abba placed over Him, how much more do we?

Everything we know about the Kingdom has an order to life and life more abundant and one of those is honoring the authority Abba has placed over you.

Practical application today: Ask Abba what authority has he placed over you. At work, it is your boss. Wives, it’s your husband. Husbands, your authority is Him. What about spiritual authority? Spend time with Abba today. Take the walk and listen for His voice. Where can you surrender like Jesus.

Your Will Must Be Mine

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup of agony away from me.  But no matter what, your will must be mine.” Luke 22:42

Jesus knew what was about to happen to Him. The most horrific, agonizing pain imaginable. In this moment, He says- NO MATTER WHAT! He is surrendering unto death. He knew the Father loved Him. He trusted Abba’s will. He only did what He seen the Father do.

Surrendering your will can be a profound experience, it is an intentional decision to let go of control and embrace uncertainty. This act may involve relinquishing personal desires or preconceived notions, allowing Abba to guide your path. Surrendering isn’t weakness; it’s the fruit of trusting in Him.

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Planning is a good character trait and important in daily life but when we refuse to allow Abba to direct our steps in how things should go we can find ourselves in a dangerous situation. Sometimes how we think it should go, what seems to be the most sensible way is not how He chooses to do it. Why? He can see the BIG PICTURE. These are the moments we say- Lord, help me to see it how You see it.

“But no matter what- no matter how hard it is; no matter how difficult it is; no matter what it cost- YOUR WILL MUST BE MINE!” Pastor Tim

How do we get to a place where no matter what the landscape looks like, no matter how I feel, what I am thinking, how hard it is, I can still say your will must be done? It all goes back to our secret place with Jesus. He must be the center of your life. We must ask Him what He says about a matter. Hearing His voice for ourselves will keep us on the path He has for our lives.

IT IS AND WILL BE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS AND INCREDIBLE PATH WE CAN IMAGINE!

Practical application today: Look at what is happening in your life right now. Ask Him to show you how He sees it. Wait for His answer. Rest in His goodness. Ponder what He says.

WORSHIP: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=kXc3dNDLeEI

Put The Sword Down

“When the other disciples understood what was happening, they asked, “Lord, shall we fight them with our swords?” Just then, one of the disciples swung his sword at the high priest’s servant and slashed off his right ear. Jesus stopped the incident from escalating any further by saying, “Enough of this!” Then he touched the right side of the injured man’s head and the ear grew back —he was healed! Luke 22:49-51

Let’s finish this week digging deeper into the meaning of the sword. In this text of scripture they are in the garden, the mob has come to arrest Jesus. One of the disciples asked do we use our swords? While waiting for the response from Jesus another disciple (Peter) swings his sword and cuts a man’s ear off. 

Can you imagine the emotions of every person in this moment? Put yourself in this place. What would you do if you were there with Jesus? I think if we are all honest with heightened emotions we tend to respond just like Peter, NOT like Jesus. 

Let’s consider the disciples. Go back to Luke 22: 35 TPT

Jesus said, “But now I say to you: Take what you need. If you have money, take it —and a knapsack and a sword.  Danger is imminent.  For the prophetic Scripture about me ‘He will be accused of being a criminal’ will now come to pass. All that was prophesied of me will be fulfilled.” The disciples told him, “Lord, we already have two swords!” “You still don’t understand,” Jesus responded.

I believe this is why they NEEDED to be praying with Him on the Mount of Olives. They needed to connect their hearts to His in order to know how to respond in this situation. Because they failed in intimacy in the garden they misunderstood what He was telling them.

Why would Jesus tell them they needed swords for violence? He never carried a sword- EVER! He was their example for every situation and circumstance. We know today the Words of Jesus and scripture are considered a two-edged sword that reveals true thoughts and motive of our hearts. In this moment, they responded in emotions. They reacted to the situation with violence and in haste.

Jesus will never tell you to use your sword (His words of truth) to cut someone’s ear off. When you see something happening in the world against your faith how do you respond?

Do you go to social media to make your stance against what you’ve seen, or do you pray? Praying in these moments is not asking God to reign judgement down either. It is connecting our hearts to His.

Jesus, how do you see this person? this circumstance? How do you want me to respond?

I feel I can hear Jesus saying to us today- “Stop. That’s enough of this.”

We have to have His heart. Once we have cut people’s ears off, they don’t want to give Jesus a chance to change their lives. In these moments we have misrepresented Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven. No one who loves Jesus would ever want to misrepresent Him. Not intentionally. Our intentionality must be to hear His voice.

We have discovered this week in order to be more like Him we must build habits connecting our hearts to His throughout the day in moments of time. Slowing down, ponder what he is saying to you. We do not have to be in a hurry. We miss the most beautiful parts of our day and the beautiful people he wants us to love when we are. Take a deep breath this morning, breath Him in and listen for His voice.

Put the sword down. Pick up kindness and love. This is what will change the world around us.

We would love to hear how Holy Spirit has helped you this week in connecting your heart to His and how it is changing your life. Share with us by clicking the button below.

Ponder This

“There he told the apostles, “Keep praying for strength to be spared from the severe test of your faith that is about to come.” Luke 22:40

We have talked a lot about intimacy and prayer this week. We have learned how prayer is intended to be an invitation to an intimate relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

In the Wilderness, we are endeavoring to redeem words that have been misinterpreted in American Christianity. One of these words is PRAYER!

Let me ask you what your first thought is when you hear the word prayer? Pondering moment

We have been instructed by religion that prayer is asking the Lord for something. Inquiring Him to act on our behalf. We have an idea of how we see our lives playing out. We make plans and decisions outside of intimacy then ask (demand) God to bless it. Really, we want our will, if we are honest.

Abba invites us to bring our desires to Him but with a posture of surrender. Not my will. What are you currently praying for? Have you asked Him if this is His plan for you?

Prayer is connecting our hearts to His. What is He saying? 

In order to hear the Lord, we must learn to quiet our thoughts and allow him to reveal His heart to us. Knowing Him- HEAR and OBEY brings the best of life, the most joy, and the most peace you will ever experience. 

TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM- TO LOVE HIM IS TO BE LIKE HIM

His Invitation

'There he told the apostles, “Keep praying for strength to be spared from the severe test of your faith that is about to come.”' Luke 22:40

Jesus knew what lay ahead. He invited His disciples to be in prayer with him. He invited them into intimacy. Intimacy connects their hearts to His. They had walked with Him for three years every day. Yet, they still didn’t understand what was about to happen. Pastor Tim shared a description of what Jesus was facing. 

“Imagine someone’s coming to take you and you’re fixing to go through the worst torture of your life. You’re perfect. You’re sinless, and you have done nothing wrong.” 

You have read the Garden of Gethsemane prayer by Jesus, but have you really stepped into the understanding of the agony He was feeling. He cried out to Abba- yet He knew this was His place of laying it all down to do the will of the Father. He was showing His disciples how to face the trials ahead for them but when He was finished praying he found them asleep. 

“When Jesus finished praying, he got up and went to his disciples and found them all asleep, for they were exhausted and overwhelmed with sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “You need to be alert and pray for the strength to endure the great temptation.” Luke 22: 45, 46

How could they be sleeping at this moment? What if the temptation we face is falling into hopelessness, sorrow and grief when things are not going the way we thought they would or should? 

This is the very reason Jesus asked them to pray with Him because when I pray, I connect my heart to Him for His purpose, not mine. His will; not mine. When our heart is connected to Him, we walk in what Jesus describes as “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus always knows what is ahead for us and invites us in moments each day to connect to His heart because when we are connected, we respond differently to situations and circumstances as opposed to when we are not. This is where building habits to connect with Him comes into play.

How is Jesus inviting you to pray in this moment right now?

Your Mount of Olives

“Jesus left the upper room with his disciples and, as was his habit, went to the Mount of Olives, his place of secret prayer. There he told the apostles, “Keep praying for strength to be spared from the severe test of your faith that is about to come.”  Luke 22:39,40

Pastor Tim instructs our kingdom family all the time about being attentive in our reading of scripture because if detail is mentioned, there is reason for it. Here it mentions Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus spent a lot of time at the Mount of Olives. Why?

The Mount of Olives is first mentioned in King David’s time. When David came to Jerusalem, he dedicated a spot on the Mount of Olives to Yahweh. The place had a long history of sacredness and beauty. An olive branch is a symbol of peace. 

What is Jesus showing us by spending so much time on this mount? Our secret place is where we go to draw peace, hope, strength, and hear His voice. Our days can have times of struggle, trials, disappointments and challenges. When we connect our hearts to Him in this secret place we are not just learning to hear his voice, we are learning how to respond to what lies ahead in our daily walks with Him. What if we responded with peace instead of turmoil? Joy instead of anger? Hope instead of despair? What if we look for the good in those disappointments and trials? 

Every moment you turn your heart to connect to Abba you become a little more like Jesus each time. 

Remember this secret place- your mount of olives will bring peace in your days ahead. Are you committed to forming your habit of going away to your secret place? 

The Secret Place

“Jesus left the upper room with his disciples and, as was his habit, went to the Mount of Olives, his place of secret prayer. There he told the apostles, “Keep praying for strength to be spared from the severe test of your faith that is about to come.” Luke 22:39,40

We get a picture of what Jesus valued in His life. Over the course of thirty-three and half years he cultivated a habit of daily engaging His heart in intimacy with the Father. We know this is the last few hours of Jesus’ life and he still chooses to get away to his secret place for prayer. He even invites His disciples into this habit of connecting in intimacy. The dictionary defines habit as a settled or regular tendency or practice.

Take a moment: Think about your habits. What do they say you value?

In this passage, Jesus’ habit clearly tells us what is most important to Him. Over the course of his life, he had settled the question about what his heart valued. It was hearing and obeying the voice of Abba.

As we go deeper in our walk with Abba this week let’s look at our practical daily habits….

• While you wait for your coffee to make connect your heart to Abba

• Getting ready for work set your thoughts on Him only

• When you’re washing dishes have a conversation with Him

• In your car driving talk to Him

These are just a few examples of how we can connect our hearts in the secret place with Him in moments daily.

Delighting in Him

A surrendered life produces intimacy, and intimacy produces legacy. Pastor Tim made a statement Sunday, whatever is accomplished in your life through intimacy will out live you. Psalms 89:4 “Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.” The seeds we sow, the sacrifices we make, the surrendering for Him will change everything around us and for many generations to come.

“And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.” 2 Kings 4:9,10

The Shunammite woman made a decision when she encountered the Man of God. Her decision was to order her life to make him a priority when he showed up. She made sacrifices to have more of him in her life, in her home. She and her husband were business people. They were well known. I am sure they had a lot going on but whenever the Man of God showed up they stopped everything to have a meal with Him.

When the Man of God, Jesus shows up in moments of your day to have a meal with you do you stop what you are doing to eat the bread He is offering? He is beckoning us to pay attention to moments in our day to have conversations with Him. Fascination will reorder its life to have more of Jesus. Determination says- let me do this one thing on my list first, Lord, then I can talk to you. No one wants to be Martha. She struggled with wanting everything just right and everyone to do what she had assigned them to do. Jesus says- THERE IS A BETTER WAY!

Every time Jesus shows up to have a conversation with us we must choose in that moment to say Yes, Lord. He gets our full attention even if its inconvenient. He gives bread to the eater. Each time he offers bread and we stop to eat we will get more bread. More of His presence. More of His voice. More of His joy. More of His goodness. More of His mercy. More of His love. I can’t think of anything more important than these things.

Are you enjoying the moments you have carved out for Him? I can’t grow in fascination if I’m not growing in the enjoyment of the moment.

The word says, “Delight yourself.” Some of you miss the delight part because you are in a hurry. Pace matters. Listen you can let some things go undone to delight yourself in your family…have fun.

She (Shunammite woman) enjoyed the moments she has had with him to such a degree that she is willing to tear her house down and rebuild it.

Delighting in Him will cost you. There will be sacrifices made on your part. The process of her preparing this room did not happen over night. It took time. Jesus does not want you to skip steps in the ladder of devotion. He only wants to know you. This requires slowing down, paying attention to the bread he is offering and eating it!

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4

Rest in Him. Eat the bread at His table. Surrender the throne of your life to Him and allow Holy Spirit to lead you. This is the life of devotion this woman in 2 Kings is describing for us. You will learn about Him and he will learn about you.

Are you ready to rearrange your life to give Him priority?

Share with us…thoughts or questions

The Standard of Jesus

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:8-10

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:21-23

Yesterday in The Walk we talked about meditating on scripture, and how it should challenge the way we think and believe about what we have always heard concerning kingdom matters. Today is a day that will challenge everything you have ever been taught. Let’s revisit the scriptures above. We have been taught all you have to do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart and you will be saved. (Romans 10) What did Jesus say is the standard for entering the Kingdom of God? Jesus says, “he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7)

Their response was, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” Let’s put ourselves in their shoes. They have died and now stand in the presence of Jesus and he is saying I don’t know you. This is scary. How could he not know us? We did the will of the Father. We prophesied, prayed for others, gave our time, talents and resources, went to church, and read our bible. Jesus is saying this is NOT about DOING things listed in the scripture. It is about HEARING and OBEYING!

You copied the life of someone who hears and obeys- But you did not hear and obey for yourselves. This is what it means by “you who practice lawlessness.” The will of the Father is to hear and obey for our own lives.

When he says I never knew you, the word know is the same word in scripture where it says Adam knew Eve and they had a son. Jesus is saying I never had intimacy with you to the point where it produced anything of value in you. I never knew you. Understand, Jesus is saying there’s a level of intimacy I’m talking about only preserved between a husband and wife. That statement is important because Jesus says this relationship is supposed to look just like a husband and wife. Think about before you got married. Did you have to ask anybody about anything you wanted to do? You spent the money you want to spend. You go where you want to go. You do what you want to do. You were in control of your own life. (Pastor Tim)

To be able to hear and obey the Father we must surrender every part of our lives to Jesus. Just like a husband and wife surrender their lives to each other. If you haven’t had a good example of what this looks like, ask Him to show you.

Questions to ponder:

Have you surrendered your life to the point of hearing his voice and then obeying His words?

Do you watch what others do and just copy and paste to your own life?

Meditating on God’s Word

“Most of the time what we think doesn’t ever change because we don’t give space for God to change what we think. This is how we do it. We go into the word of God looking , go into the Bible looking for things to confirm what we already believe. That’s not how you read the word of God. The word of God is intended to be read in a way that challenges the way you think. I go in there looking for things that challenge how I think. That calls me to the carpet and says, hey, wait a minute- you are not looking at this properly. And if, I’m honest there was a large portion of my life I only read the bible through the lens of what I already believed. When you’re reading God’s word through the lenses of what you already believe you’re bending God’s word to what you already believe instead of saying- Abba, anything I read that’s not lining up with what I think you have my permission to change the way I think”

Are you allowing the Words of Jesus to challenge you?

Pastor Tim mentioned Jesus’ message on repentance. Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” NKJV

We have learned in the past the Greek word for repent is metanoia. This means a change of mind. It denotes a change of mind, a reorientation, a fundamental transformation of outlook, of man’s vision of the world and of himself, and a new way of loving others and God. 

Meditating on the scriptures with an open-heart gives Abba permission to change the way you have always believed. Beloved One, you will begin to reflect the person of Jesus to everyone around you. Isn’t this the ultimate goal, to look like Him on the earth? 

Giving Abba permission doesn’t just change you. It changes your children, it changes your grandchildren, your great grandchildren. The promise of Abba is that it affects a thousand generations. It can change your workplace, your neighborhood, your city and state. 

Have you given him permission? How is this changing your life? We would love to hear your testimony. 

Share with us: We encourage you to share with us how you are encountering Abba in your intimate walks each day. You can email us at info@thewildernessplace.com

Worship: https://youtu.be/mKz97LcPe4Y?si=Ks0YWyOQYGgd93Dt