What Lense are You Using?

“Afterward, as Jesus walked down the street, he noticed a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this guy’s blindness, his own, or the sin of his parents?” Jesus answered, “Neither. It happened to him so that you could watch him experience God’s miracle” John 9:1-3

The disciples had this perspective if someone has a sickness or suffering in some way, they must have done something wrong. This perspective came from the culture around them. It was thought in that time if you had any type of ailment, it was a punishment for something you did, or it was a generational curse.

We often think the same way. Who do you know that always has something bad happening in their life? Have you ever thought, “what did they do to deserve all of this?” Or maybe it is finances for you. Always a struggle every month. Have you ever thought, “Why is this happening? I work hard. I give,” but there is always something that keeps you from getting ahead.

Jesus is here to teach us the correct way of thinking. He said, “Neither. It happened to him so that you could watch him experience God’s miracle.” Today, He is here to challenge how we approach problems in our own lives and in the lives of others. These moments of sickness or some issue happening is the opportunity to encounter Jesus. Stop and ask the Holy Spirit, what miracle do you want me to see? He wants us to look through the lenses of the Cross. These lenses are of love, restoration, and hope. Never of punishment. It starts with seeing things how he sees them. We cannot continue to carry beliefs that were passed down or beliefs that are part of a culture around us. We are the ones to bring hope, restoration and love to others, but it has to be the core of who we are. You can’t fake the power of the Cross. It brings real miracles and real change to people’s lives.

It is time to give Jesus His due reward for the sacrifice He made. We do this by walking in our true identity, Beloved sons and Beloved daughters and then we bring this hope and truth to others so they can witness His miracles too.

Holy Spirit, thank you for revealing the truth of your Word to us. Help us to see ourselves as You see us. Beloved sons and daughters full of love and hope for others. Let us see the world around us through your eyes, so when people encounter us, they encounter You and will experience miracles in their life.

Kingdom Family

FAMILY.

When you think of the word family what feeling is evoked? For some, this word brings a smile to your face. For others, you may not have had a good experience with family. Abba wants to change every perspective we have in our lives and family is a big one. Pastor Tim made mention of family Sunday and Abba wants to go deeper in how He designed Kingdom family.

“Abba does something incredible. He puts you in family for them to confirm what He is already saying to you.” Pastor Tim

We will explore scripture today and see what He says about Kingdom family and why it is important. In Psalms 68, it says, “let them all rejoice in your presence and be carried away with gladness. Let them laugh and be radiant with joy! Let them sing their celebration-songs for the coming of the cloud rider whose name is Yah! To the fatherless he is a father. To the widow he is a champion friend. The lonely he makes part of a family.” Abba designed us to be together. No one wants to be alone. Loneliness changes who you are originally designed to be.

We have all heard the phrase, “do not forsake the assembly of one another.” This is what it says in Hebrews 10. “Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.”

Kingdom family cultural is so important and it is vital to us here at The Wilderness Place. Hebrews gives us an example of what we are to do to establish this Kingdom lifestyle. We are to encourage one another, be compassionate and express love. We do this by coming together. Sharing with one another. One of the beautiful aspects of our family here at TWP is compassion for each other. The love that is between us. It doesn’t see color or class. We are all His beloved sons and daughters. When we miss coming together in person, whether it be on Sunday, Tuesday, dinner together, coffee together or however He is leading you- we miss an opportunity for the presence of Jesus to be established in lives and miracles to happen. He says, wherever two or more are gathered I am in the midst.

“Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts! Let every activity of your lives and every word that comes from your lips be drenched with the beauty of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. And bring your constant praise to God the Father because of what Christ has done for you! Colossians 3:14

Festive praise and prophetic songs are given when we come together. Our lives are drenched in the beauty of Jesus. When we are established together in the atmosphere of praise, we can change the world around us. In our jobs, our families, in the grocery store, in the gym, at our children’s school. People changing because they encounter the Kingdom of God when they are around you starts with an established Kingdom family that you embrace. It takes us walking together to make a difference.

“It takes a grinding wheel to sharpen a blade, and so one person sharpens the character of another.” Proverbs 27:17

We need each other. If you are reading this and you feel like you don’t have that type of family our doors and hearts here at The Wilderness Place is always open to you. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit where your family is and let Him lead you. This walk is not meant to be done alone.

The Blessing is His Voice

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3

ARE YOU HUNGRY ENOUGH TO HEAR WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR?

“We have to be dependent on the Voice, not what we see. Do you know what manna means? It means “what is it?” God provided something they could not describe, reproduce or even store it up for later. Why? Abba doesn't want our trust in the manna. He desires for your trust to be in His voice.” Pastor Tim

The Israelites could not explain what this substance was. They could not reproduce it. This was Yahweh’s way of teaching them to trust in what He was speaking completely. Even when they tried to save for a rainy day it became rotten.

Has that ever happened to you? You think, I’ll save this for a rainy day but then something comes up, and you have to use it. Or Yahweh ask you to give financial help to someone, but you think, “really? right now, Lord?” Are we leaning into His voice concerning EVERY aspect of our lives? He will allow you to hunger and ask, “what is it?” “Why is this happening right now?” to teach us to listen for His voice.

Ponder this: the more we read the better we get at reading, the more we write the better we get, the more we practice doing anything - we get better. The same is true for hearing His voice. The more you lean in, asking Him to give you an ear to hear His whisper the more you will hear Him even in a crowded room. I honestly cannot think of anything better than walking each day as He guides me along with His voice. He really does want to lead us into the promise land, but it must come from the direction of His voice. The BLESSING is HIS VOICE!

Yahweh goes on to tell the Israelites what lies ahead for them if they obey His commands; the same is true for us as we hear His voice and obey.

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.” Deuteronomy 8:8-10

The Foundation of Your Heart

“And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:2-3

Pastor Tim shared these verses Sunday. Let’s go deeper in what Abba is wanting to teach us here. God led the Israelites into the wilderness for forty years. Why? This verse tells us He did it to humble them and test them, to know what was in their hearts, whether they would obey His commandments.

Abba never tempts us, but He will allow us to be tested. We can have a perspective of ourselves that may not actually be who we are in the depths of our hearts, and we can’t know this until we are put in a situation that reveals our heart. He didn’t put the Israelites in the wilderness because He didn’t know what was in their heart, it was because THEY didn’t know. Just like us, He already knows what is there and what is required for us to see for ourselves. What have you bumped up against recently that has revealed an aspect of your heart that He is wanting to address? Disappointment in someone you trusted, loss of a relationship, loss of a job, lack, maybe it is realizing your dependance on something other than Him?

This is always about Him teaching us to hear His voice. Whispering for our hearts to trust Him alone. He allows us to get to a place of humility and oftentimes this starts at the foundation of what is in our hearts. We cannot move any further when we have bitterness, resentment or unforgiveness in our hearts. I want to ask you to do something today. Begin by asking the Holy Spirit to show you who you have unforgiveness in your heart towards? It could even be yourself. Who are you still angry with? Who is the person when you hear their name bitterness or resentment rises up? Allow Him to go back as far as He needs to. This is a really hard thing for some of us to do, but Jesus is with you. His grace is so tangible in these moments. Trust Him to comfort you.

As He is showing you, I want you to write it down on paper. Imagine this paper is your altar unto the Lord. Once you feel like you have written everyone and everything He has shown you then I want you to shred it and put it in the trash. It is now covered by His grace. Gone forever. Your heart can be free to experience a greater depth of His love and presence. Jesus gave His life for you and this very moment. Embrace it.

Are you hungry enough to hear what you need to hear?

What Is He Whispering?

“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

This week in the Walk we have been discussing and meditating on encounters with Jesus and our perspective. These two go hand in hand because your perspective determines the depth of your encounter with Him. Remember, encounters are intended to change our perspective, if we allow it. In Mark we are encouraged to be diligent to understand the meaning behind everything we hear. In what area of your life has the Holy Spirit spoken to you this week about your perspective? Take a few moments to think about what He has shown you.

How have you responded to Him concerning this matter? Most of us will respond initially, one of two ways. In humility and say, yes, Lord I can see where I think like that, or we choose our perspective over His and make excuses to Him of why we do something or think a certain way. Last Sunday, Pastor Tim shared a story out of Acts where Paul was a prisoner on a cargo ship that was encountering a massive storm. The wind was preventing them from going the way they wanted, but they were persistent in moving forward. Paul, the Apostolic voice on the boat, was trying to tell them what to do so their lives could be saved, but they would not hear of it. They had the idea this boat had to be saved. They risked their lives girding the boat so it wouldn’t be destroyed. Ultimately the boat was destroyed, and they were safely on shore but not without a fight.

What “boat” are you trying to save that the Holy Spirit is wanting to break apart from you? If you have a storm in your life because of a perspective you are trying to hold on to I encourage you to let it go. Trust Him. The encounter that is meant to change your family is more important than a perspective or long-held belief. We have to allow Him to help us see things correctly. He cares about you so much. Every breath you have is important to Him. Pastor Tim shared something on Tuesday night at Linger House. He said, “His heart is for us to be near to Him so we can hear His whisper.”

Think about this for a moment. If someone is whispering, what do you need to do to hear them? Lean in. Be diligent to listen. I can promise you this- the words coming out of Abba’s mouth is more important than anything else. When we long to understand what He is saying more understanding will be given. In turn this will transform our lives and those around us.

Lean into Him this weekend.

Correct Image

In yesterday’s walk our prayer was “we long to know you so we can give our children and grandchildren the right image of who You are and who we are.” In all honesty, we have a desperate world around us needing a right image of not only Jesus, but the Father as well. How do we give them the correct image if our perspective of Jesus or the Father is wrong? Let’s take some time today soaking in what Jesus has to say about Himself and the Father and how this applies to our lives today.

“I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by his love. My purpose for telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness!” John 15:9-11

There is no greater love than that of the Father and Jesus. We must know and believe in the power of this love. A perspective some of us may have grown up being taught was the Father could only tolerate us wretched people because Jesus stood in the gap for us. This is a wrong perspective. The Father, who you will hear us call Abba (Aramaic for Dada) at the Wilderness Place, gave His Son, Jesus because He loves us so much and desires an intimate relationship with us. The Father loves us with the same love He loves Jesus. This is a perspective that will change your life. How does it change your life? Because their love nourishes our hearts, and our lives are empowered with joy. What happens when you are joyful? Everyone around you will experience joy as well.

Pastor Tim made a comment Sunday - You are intended to glow in the dark.

Our lives are meant to shine so bright with His love that joy, peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness is like an illuminating light wherever we go. This is what changes lives and generations. In John 14:12 Jesus says, “I tell you this timeless truth. The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do — even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father.” These are Jesus’ words. When we have a correct perspective of who Father, Son and Holy Spirit are we can do mightier miracles than what Jesus did on the earth. How do we get to this place of seeing miracles like this today? It starts with believing YOU are loved, and Jesus longs to have an intimate relationship with you. As you cultivate this relationship, you begin to GLOW, and then the miracles begin to happen all around you. Days are ahead when you will begin to share with others of what He has done and is doing in your life. People need hope. We are here to offer it to them.

I will leave you with this message from the Bridegroom to His bride - that is you.

The shining of your spirit shows how you have taken my truth to become balanced and complete. Your beautiful blushing cheeks reveal how real your passion is for me, even hidden behind your veil of humility. I could have chosen any from among the vast multitude of royal ones who follow me. But unique is my beloved dove—unrivaled in beauty, without equal, beyond compare, the perfect one, the favorite one. Others see your beauty and sing of your joy. Brides and queens chant your praise: “How blessed is she!” Look at you now—arising as the dayspring of the dawn, fair as the shining moon, bright and brilliant as the sun in all its strength—astonishing to behold as a majestic army waving banners of victory. Song of Songs 6:6-10

Perspective: How you think

“Every encounter is designed to change our perspective. What happens when we bring our established perspective into an encounter with the Lord? The encounter is aborted because we are holding on to a perspective that the encounter is designed to change.” Pastor Tim

Perspective is how we view things. The way we think about a matter. Our beliefs become our perspective.

Question: Do you want to be right in how you think or have right thinking? Oftentimes we have been handed down long held beliefs we refuse to let go of because we want our traditions and history to be right. Understandably so, because it hard to think maybe your grandparents or parents were way off, but what did they miss out on because of a long-held belief? I personally do not want to pass down a perspective to my children and grandchildren or anyone’s children just because it is tradition. At The Wilderness Place we are endeavoring to have right thinking. We desire for Jesus to have the full reward of His sacrifice. Let’s go deeper in what Pastor Tim said about an encounter being aborted if we go into it with our own perspective. We are going to look at Mark 6.

“Afterward, Jesus left Capernaum and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. On the Sabbath, he went to teach in the synagogue. Everyone who heard his teaching was overwhelmed with astonishment. They said among themselves, “What incredible wisdom has been given to him! Where did he receive such profound insights? And what mighty miracles flow through his hands!

Isn’t this Mary’s son, the carpenter, the brother of Jacob, Joseph, Judah, and Simon? And don’t his sisters all live here in Nazareth?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is treated with honor everywhere except in his own hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” He was unable to do any great miracle in Nazareth, except to heal a few sick people by laying his hands upon them. He was amazed at the depth of their unbelief!

Then Jesus went out into the different villages and taught the people.”

At first the people were amazed by Jesus. Then someone came with their own perspective - “Wait, isn’t this Mary’s son?” In that moment, not only did they interrupt the encounter they were having with Jesus but caused their whole town to miss out on miracles He could have done for them because they brought their own perspective in to play. The scripture says, “He was unable to do any great miracles.”

He WANTS to do many miracles in our lives as well, but we must choose to come into encounters with Him prepared to have our perspective changed. If you are ready to encounter Him in a greater way, I encourage you to lay down those long-held beliefs and surrender to what He wants to show you.

Holy Spirit, here we are with our perspectives, long-held beliefs, resentments, doubts, mistrusts and all the things that hinder our encounters with you. We lay them at your feet. We long to see you in the right way. We long to know you greater so we can give our children and grandchildren the right image of who You are and who we are. Thank you for your grace and mercy. You are always willing to teach us. Help us to always be willing to be taught.

Are You Prepared?

“When my coming draws near, heaven’s kingdom realm can be compared to ten maidens who took their oil lamps and went outside to meet the bridegroom and his bride. Five of them were foolish and ill-prepared, for they took no extra oil for their lamps. Five of them were wise, for they took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. When the bridegroom didn’t come when they expected, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, they were awakened by the shout ‘Get up! The bridegroom is here! Come out and have an encounter with him!’ Matthew 25:1-6

GET UP! THE BRIDEGROOM IS HERE! COME OUT AND HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIM!

At any given moment the Holy Spirit will want to talk to you or show you something. Are you anticipating His voice? The importance of being aware of Him at all times can be a matter of life and death, not just for us but for those around us. Let’s look at the story of the ten maidens. In the scripture oil is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. Five of the maidens chose not to take extra oil. Today this can be those of us who have a full schedule in life. Work, children, school, and social activities. We get drowsy to the presence of the Lord throughout the day because we are so busy. We miss His voice of guidance. We are ill prepared in carrying His presence around with us. Family, let me tell you our purpose on this earth is not about what He can do for us- it is about how brightly we can shine for Him. Lamps glow brighter the more oil they have in them.

Let me tell you a testimony about last week. I was ordering coffee at a stand. We were having a brief conversation with the lady about different coffees. When it was time to pay, she wouldn’t let us. I began to thank her and tell her how much I appreciated her. I could see a brightness in her eyes. I told her I pray that Jesus would bless her for her kindness to us. She said, “I pray every morning that He would allow His light to shine through me so people can see Him.” We held hands and both had tears as we talked about Jesus. The oil in both our lamps met and it was a glorious moment. I will never forget her. She is an example of someone who is prepared with extra oil each day.

We have to have our own encounters with Him to bring transformation to those around us. We must have our own oil burning in our lamps so we can be light to others. In the story of the maidens, the foolish ones wanted the others to share their oil with them. We cannot ride the coat tails of other people’s walk with Jesus. In the story, while they were out buying oil they missed the Bridegroom, then were unable to join the wedding feast. What are we missing out on with the Lord because we are not being intentional about our time with Him. It is vitally important to seek Him in all moments of the day so you can be light to others.

When we all continuously have extra oil and burning lamps throughout each day then when we come together on Sunday and Tuesday, I expect there would be a glory cloud that could change some things in the atmosphere of our city. At The Wilderness Place we are believing for families to be restored, for our youth to be safe and prosperous, for those bound by addiction to be set free, and violence to cease. This only happens when we are prepared with oil and carry the Holy Spirit throughout our day into the world around us. I encourage you to spend time asking the Holy Spirit to refill your oil and then be intentional in your walk with Him each day. The more you shine for Him the more oil He gives.

Encounter

Encounter. What does this mean?

Oxford dictionary defines encounter as an unexpected or casual meeting with someone or something. Merriam-webster describes it as to come upon face-to-face. As we pursue our relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit it is important to understand what encounter means, and also equally important to know how to respond to them.

Everything in the Kingdom of God starts with an encounter. This encounter is about a person. The Holy Spirit. We are not talking about having a feeling or experiencing some type of force. We are talking about face-to-face with the Holy Spirit. Do you remember your first encounter with the Holy Spirit? Take some time here to ponder when this occurred.

I remember when I was 12, I went to a stadium meeting with one of my friends and her parents. I had my first encounter with the Holy Spirit. I felt His love for the first time. I committed my life to Him that night. Unfortunately, I did not have parents who would help me grow in that encounter. The atmosphere of our home was not based on the love of Jesus. The encounter waned and I forgot about it. Fast forward seventeen years and lots of heartache and poor choices, my life was a mess. I was sitting on my porch smoking, and I remember clear as day He said, “I have a better life for you.” I knew it was Him because it was the same feeling as when I was 12. It took me a little while to respond to Him, but I ultimately laid it all down for Him. The point to this testimony is that it matters how we respond to these encounters with Him. It is our choice. The Holy Spirit’s intention in these moments is to build our relationship with Him and for us to become more like Jesus. This is a two-way relationship; our will and choices are involved. It is our choice to be open to what He is speaking to us and what He is showing us about ourselves. Then it is our choice of what we do with what He has spoken.

Imagine standing at a fork in the road every time you have a moment with the Holy Spirit. When we choose Him, we know it will work out for the absolute best for our lives, even though it may be an extremely difficult decision. If we choose to not heed His voice, we will have to endure things in life we weren’t intended to experience. Had I had someone at 12 help me with what I felt and heard my life would have been completely different. Thankfully His grace and mercy never gave up on me, but I could have avoided a lot. Let’s look at some examples in scripture of those who responded to encounters with Jesus.

Let’s start with the rich, young ruler in Matthew 19, “Jesus said to him, “If you really want to be perfect, go now and sell everything you own. Give your money to the poor and your treasure will be transferred into heaven. Then come back and follow me for the rest of your life.” When the young man heard these words, he walked away sad, for he had great wealth.”

We don’t know for certain, but church history tells us decades later the Roman armies devastated Jerusalem and much of Judea. Many of the Jews lost their riches and some their lives. This was a hard choice for him, and he chose his wealth over what Jesus was offering. He had in his mind (his perspective) he was doing all the things he was supposed to do but Jesus wanted the young man to choose Him. Are we choosing Him in these moments? He will often ask for things that will challenge our trust and belief in His care for us. We have to release control over lives, every aspect.

On the contrast, let’s look at the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection. I encourage you to go read Luke 24, the entire chapter. Jesus suddenly appears to different ones in different ways. He speaks to them about where they are in their thoughts and feelings. I love how intimate Jesus is with His disciples. He is intimate with each of us too. Encounters look different for each of us. No one has the same encounter in the same way. He made us different and because He cares so deeply for each one, He meets us in the way He knows is most effective. Jesus ultimately gathered them in one place to speak to them before His Ascencion and their response must be our response to the encounters we have with Him.

“Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany. He lifted his hands over them and blessed them in his love. While he was still speaking words of love and blessing, he floated off the ground into the sky, ascending into heaven before their very eyes! And all they could do was worship him. Overwhelmed and ecstatic with joy, they made their way back to Jerusalem. Every day they went to the temple, to praise and worship God.”

We all know the stories of the disciples and what they went on to do for the Kingdom of God. We too are His beloved ones created to change the world around us for the glory of God. We do this by responding to His encounters each day. Our response transforms our lives therefore transforms the atmosphere around us. At the Wilderness Place our Kingdom family’s purpose is to come together to host Him well and celebrate Him in a powerful way. As we allow Him to speak to us in our secret place, we become fully alive individuals and unstoppable as a family.

As you read this what is He speaking to you? Ask Him to help your awareness of His encounters today and this week.

Luke 24 | TPT Bible | YouVersion

Lift Up Your Eyes

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

Let’s not look at Lot as a person. Where we have been this week Lot represents the remnant of a broken heart. Remember Lot was the nephew of Abram’s brother who had died so he reminded Abram of past hurts. When Abram made a mistake as the leader by leaving Canaan for Egypt, Lot saw his mistake and failure in that moment and there began tension between them. Abram suggested to Lot they separate. He could have demanded first choice but he didn’t. He realized by not trusting Yahweh he wasn’t seeing things clearly, so he let Lot choose which land he wanted. It seemed Abram didn’t get the best part of the deal, but don’t you know when Yahweh is involved in our surrendered life, we always get the best deal.

Yahweh was teaching Abram a lesson through this story. You have to let the past go. Period. We see an important truth here. We cannot continue in some of the processes Yahweh wants us to go if we are unable to let go of a broken heart.

You need to understand something about the process and the journey. It is where the Lord is training your heart to trust Him. To believe in Him again. To have hope again. To imagine what is possible again. By Abram being willing to let Lot go he is saying, I’ll open up fully to you, Lord because I trust you in this moment.” Pastor Tim

It is the process Jesus is most concerned with, not the outcome. We want the outcome and want it quickly. Every time you choose to trust Jesus in a moment of any given circumstance it is like laying a stone in the foundation of your life.

Let’s finish this story by looking at what happens when Abram let the past leave? In verse 14, Yahweh shows up and says, NOW, let me show you what I have in store for you. Lift up your eyes and as far as you can see either direction, I give to you and your seed. You walk its length and width, and everywhere you go I will give you as a gift.

Beloved, see yourself at the altar right now. What from your past are you still carrying in your heart? What has the Holy Spirit shown you this week? I ask you to take what you are thinking of right now and lay it down at His feet. Let go and trust Him with your future.

Lift up your eyes, Beloved! He has a gift for you and your descendants!

Restoration of All Things

“I am sent to announce a new season of Yahweh’s grace and a time of God’s recompense on his enemies, to comfort all who are in sorrow, to strengthen those crushed by despair who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful bouquet in the place of ashes, the oil of bliss instead of tears, and the mantle of joyous praise instead of the spirit of heaviness. Because of this, they will be known as Mighty Oaks of Righteousness, planted by Yahweh as a living display of his glory. They will restore ruins from long ago and rebuild what was long devastated. They will renew ruined cities and desolations of past generations.” Isaiah 61:2-4

Our Kingdom family here at The Wilderness Place have been on quite the journey in discovering who we are to Yahweh and Who He is to us. He is a faithful, good Father and we are beloved sons and beloved daughters.

Picture for a moment your own children, or think of a nephew, niece or friends’ children. When your children are hurting what do you do? Tell them to figure it out or here is one I heard growing up -you made your bed now you have to lay in it? No, as beloved parents we would never tell our children these things. We want to help them walk through it. In Luke 11, it says “if imperfect parents know how to lovingly take care of their children and give them what they need, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit’s fullness when his children ask him.”

He sees our pain and knows exactly what to do to bring us into the fullness of His spirit. He loves you too much to allow you to continue down the road of despair. He says, “let me strengthen you as we walk this road together.

The beautiful exchange. A beautiful bouquet in place of ashes, we have learned in the past the bouquet is actually a headdress. It represents changing how we think about the situation we are in. We must walk in trust knowing He has the power to change things in our lives to make them beautiful. The oil of bliss instead of tears. Joy is a powerful fruit He has made available to us. Joy changes the atmosphere around us in such an incredible way. Have you ever encountered someone who was full of joy when you had a tough day and before you know it you are feeling better? It is a glorious aspect of our walk with Jesus. Joyous praise instead of heaviness. When we begin to praise Him for who He is the heaviness in our hearts lift, and we are experiencing the fullness of His Spirit. He gives us the choice. We can remain in the state we are in, or we can give Jesus His due reward of His beloved ones living in freedom, a life fully alive in His Presence.

On the other side of this beautiful exchange, we become Mighty Oaks of Righteousness. He will display His glory through our lives. We WILL restore ruins from long ago and rebuild what was devastated. These ruins could be our belief and trust in Him or family relationships. “They will renew ruined cities” and “desolations of past generations.” We can see our cities, state and country changed for the Glory of Yahweh. We can determine the outcome of our future generations.

THIS is GOOD NEWS! It causes a stir in my heart, an excitement of what is to come and what is happening right now in people’s hearts. We are seeing our Kingdom family come alive in His presence and it is catching fire in our hearts.

Spend some time meditating on what He is saying to you. Allow the Holy Spirit to ask you questions about your heart.

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!