Up the Ante

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matt 6:33

The question for today: Do you inquire of the Lord before you make a decision to do something? Most of us would say, “yes, absolutely I do.” How many times have you asked and felt you heard Him say to go forward with what you are asking but it failed? This does something to our hearts. Every time this happens it can cause a callus to form over our hearts. If we are not careful, we can become numb to the Holy Spirit and hearing His voice.

Pastor Tim shared a passage of scripture from Judges 20 on Sunday that can help us in disappointment and failure. Prior to this particular part of the story the tribe of Benjamin had done a horrendous act and there needed to be consequences, so the other eleven tribes of Israel went before the Lord to ask Him what they should do.

“Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!” So the children of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in battle array to fight against them at Gibeah. Then the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.” Judges 20:19-20

In their seeking the Lord, He tells them they must send the tribe of Judah first. Judah means praise. For us today this communicates our battles are won through praise. In Psalm 22:3, it suggests Yahweh inhabits the praises of His people. In other words, when you praise it ushers in His presence. He can’t help but show up when you turn your heart to Him openly and lift His name up in song or words. But what happens when the battle isn’t won in your time of praise? We see in Judges they did exactly what they were told of Yahweh, but they lost the battle. This can be so discouraging when we feel we did exactly what He asked us to no avail. We have all cried out for situations in the dark night of the soul, but nothing changed.

We asked for forgiveness, we extended forgiveness, we wrote the letters and made the calls, we sent the text, but nothing ever really changed. Maybe for a moment it did, and you became hopeful to only find the situation right back to the way it was. Do you stop believing Jesus will intervene? Do you stop asking Him to help?

We can really get in our heads sometimes with circumstances and convince ourselves - “It is what it is” and give up on a person or a situation. In this moment right now, we have a choice to make. Regardless of what it looks like or the outcome I will encourage myself in the Lord. I will remember He is YAHWEH, the God of IMPOSSIBILTY!

Even still this may not change the outcome, then what? Let’s continue on in our story in Judges.

“And the people, that is, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and again formed the battle line at the place where they had put themselves in array on the first day. Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, “Shall I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.” So the children of Israel approached the children of Benjamin on the second day. And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah on the second day, and cut down to the ground eighteen thousand more of the children of Israel; all these drew the sword. Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

We see the Israelites encouraged themselves in the Lord, they asked him again what to do, only to lose again. Oh, how many times have we encouraged ourselves to only be disappointed again. But what did they do the third time in their approach to Yahweh? It says, ALL the people came to the house of God and fasted until evening, then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. When they inquired again, He says, “I will deliver them into your hand.”

Our advancement in situations demands we up the ante. The Kingdom doesn’t work on the mentality of “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” meaning we cannot do the same things over and over in our walk with Jesus. Oftentimes what brings victories in one place cannot be the same for this battle. Where can you give more to see more victories?

What is the one thing you’ve prayed so long for but have stopped and given up? Maybe it’s a spouse or a family member. Maybe it’s financial or your health.

Spend some time with Jesus today asking Him where you need resurrection power in your belief for the impossible.

The Veil is Lifted

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

This passage of scripture is packed with so much that can help us in our day to day lives. Let’s walk through it to see all the goodness it has. The moment one turns to the Lord, we see Paul makes it very clear He is referring to the Holy Spirit in this instance as Lord. When you turn to the Holy Spirit with an open heart, this means you give Him permission to speak into your life. So many show up every week to a building or maybe watch online thinking they are opening their hearts to Jesus yet wondering why they are not experiencing freedom in their lives. He is a gentleman. He will not barge in where He has not been given permission.

Once we turn to the Holy Spirit with an open heart the veil is lifted, and we can see. Let’s think about this…every person who has not opened their heart to Him and given Him permission to speak into every area of their lives they are veiled. When your eyes are veiled, you are basically blind. You cannot see things clearly. Wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. What about the places we have not made Him Lord? We all have areas in our lives we just can’t or actually won’t give permission for Him to address. What are some areas we hold back in? Maybe there is an area of hurt someone caused in your heart years ago and you forgave them, but you continue to bring it up on occasion. You have not allowed Him to be Lord in this area. What about your finances? Oh, you give what you’re supposed to but the rest you do what you want with it. Are you asking Him how he wants you to manage the gifts he has given you? What about parenting? Is He wanting to teach you the Kingdom way in parenting or do you still fall back on how you were raised? This matters so much in how our children see themselves. What are we saying to them because whatever we say they will think Abba believes the same about them. What about your marriage? What is the Holy Spirit wanting to say about your relationship with your spouse? How can you make it reflect the Kingdom? Remember Kingdom means the King’s dominion. He wants to have dominion in all of these areas. The Kingdom of Yahweh works on Lordship.

Unless we make Him Lord of our lives, we cannot experience freedom. Pastor Tim said it perfectly Sunday.

“Anywhere the Holy Spirit is Lord it demands freedom. It demands wholeness. It demands elevation. It demands the standard and value to be lifted in a place, a person and in a heart.”

See Abba’s heart in this. He wants you and your family free in every area. He wants you whole in your mind, body and spirit. The King of Kings wants to be able to lean on you to see the world changed around you. When we are free, He can rest His glory on our lives. This passage says, “And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.” We must behold His face, His voice and His instructions. Let’s move away from beholding our issues and problems. Reading every book or blog about issues doesn’t change it. Only by staring at His goodness- His loving eyes will it transform us into the same image as Jesus. What you magnify you become. The last part of this passage says we are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. This transformation is by beholding the beauty and splendor of Jesus.

Moving forward it is time to give the Holy Spirit permission to highlight and speak into those areas we have shut off from Him. None of us want to continue dealing with hurt and things that keep us from experiencing all he has for us and all he has for those around us. Spend some time today turning your heart to Him openly and give Him permission to be Lord. Remember, His grace also comes as healing balm for those areas that are hurtful.

Beloved lets show the world who Jesus really is by reflecting His true nature in us.

Glory to Glory

Yesterday we talked about the glory of Yahweh, and how we can prepare ourselves to carry His glory. Honestly, for every person who declares themselves children of Yahweh should have a desire to become image bearers going from glory to glory. The standard of the Kingdom for us right now is on earth as it is in heaven.

Our family at The Wilderness Place is currently building infrastructure to host Him well. What is infrastructure exactly? It’s the basic foundation of something. Think about your house. It is a system of beams, weight-bearing walls and a strong foundation. In order for us to walk in the reality of what Jesus says we must have the right infrastructure. We must understand we are His beloved sons and daughters; our purpose is not to wait for a trumpet blast to rescue us from a dark world, in fact we are to become the light of the world just as Jesus declared we would. We are the ones He has called to see our families changed, our city changed, our state and nation changed. We must continue to build a strong foundation to bear the weight of His glory.

Do you think Jesus would tell us to pray like this if it wasn’t possible? He tells us in Matthew 6:10, to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Any word Jesus speaks comes with the ability for it to happen. There are so many incidents in all of our lives where we have prayed for things to come to pass, and it has taken a long time. Maybe you're still waiting right now. We must not give up in praying these matters through. This builds the integrity of our lives so we may carry more and more of His glory. Trust me when I say I know it is not easy to continue to pray for a matter or a person for years without seeing any answers, but we must continue to pray. We must declare in our homes as it is in heaven, in our marriages as it is in heaven, in our children as it is in heaven, on our jobs as it is in heaven. Our prayer at The Wilderness Place for the past three years has been on Pass Rd as it is in heaven. We have begun to see new life springing up all around us. We must continue to pray in the authority Jesus gave us.

“So Jesus taught them this prayer: “Our heavenly Father, may the glory of your name be the center on which our life turns. May your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us. Manifest your kingdom on earth.” Luke 11:2

May the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. The weight of His name. The power His name carries is what our lives are to be centered on. The Holy Spirit comes upon us in power and cleanses us from wrong thinking. If the way we think lines up with the Holy Spirit so will our actions. As this happens, we see the Kingdom of Yahweh manifest in our lives and those around us. His glory can be hosted in your family, on your job, in school, and the grocery store. Our part is to center Him in our day to day.

Who have you been praying for so long you finally have given up and thought they are who they are? What have you been believing and asking Yahweh to bring to pass but it just hasn’t happened yet?

Abba, we ask for you to give us your eyes to see those people we have prayed for as you see them. Will you give us endurance to continue to pray for those matters we haven’t seen answered yet. Let us have a glimpse of why it is taking time to manifest. Thank you for being such a great father to us. We know you are building in us the ability to carry your glory through these times of testing and it is all worth it. Amen

The Glory Cost

We hear a lot about the glory of the Lord, the glory of Yahweh, or maybe you say most often the glory of God. Do we actually know what glory means? In years past I just thought it was a way of saying His presence was available. The Hebrew word for glory is kavod, meaning heavy or weighty. In scripture kavod is used to describe Yahweh’s worth, value, and majesty. In a sense, Yahweh’s glory is the magnificence, worth, loveliness, and grandeur of his many perfections. It also communicates His special presence, as in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night. We often cry out for His glory to fall on us, as in, we want to experience His presence in our lives. In His care for us He will only give us what we can handle. In John 16:12, Jesus says, “There is so much more I would like to say to you, but it’s more than you can grasp at this moment.”

What is Jesus saying? We can’t get the glory of Yahweh on discount. It cost to carry the glory of Yahweh. This glory is to be honored, valued, and longed for. When we honor or value someone, we will go the extra mile to do things for them or show our love.

Pastor Tim made a statement on Sunday that is so true. “The gift of salvation is free, but it will cost you everything.” We cannot earn our salvation. Jesus paid for this by way of the cross, but our part in displaying His gift on earth will cost us everything in how we think, talk, love, walk and it will require a complete surrender to Him.

“So listen, my sons and daughters, to everything I tell you, for nothing will bring you more joy than following my ways. Listen to my counsel, for my instruction will enlighten you. You’ll be wise not to ignore it. If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day, joy will break forth within you as you listen for what I’ll say. For the fountain of life pours into you every time that you find me, and this is the secret of growing in the delight and the favor of the Lord.” Proverbs 8:32

To experience more and more of the glory of Yahweh in our lives, it will require us to do things differently than before. In this proverb, it gives us instructions for every day. Wait at the door of wisdom daily, longing to hear His voice concerning the day. When we do our part by seeking Him more consistently, He promises the fountain of life will pour into us and we will grow in the delight and favor of the Lord. I believe in this we will grow in our ability to carry more of His glory.

Take some time as you finish reading this and sit at the door of wisdom listening for His counsel today. Allow His presence to fill you with joy as you delight yourself in Him and He pours out delight over you.

The Right Perspective

“Now, the older son was out working in the field when his brother returned, and as he approached the house, he heard the music of celebration and dancing. He called over one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s going on?’ “The servant replied, ‘It’s your younger brother. He’s returned home and your father is throwing a party to celebrate his homecoming.’ “The older son became angry and refused to go in and celebrate. So his father came out and pleaded with him, ‘Come and enjoy the feast with us!’ “The son said, ‘Father, listen! How many years have I worked like a slave for you, performing every duty you’ve asked as a faithful son? And I’ve never once disobeyed you. But you’ve never thrown a party for me because of my faithfulness. Never once have you even given me a goat that I could feast on and celebrate with my friends as this son of yours is doing now. Look at him! He comes back after wasting your wealth on prostitutes and reckless living, and here you are throwing a great feast to celebrate—for him!’ “The father said, ‘My son, you are always with me by my side. Everything I have is yours to enjoy.” Luke 15:25

The older son represents so many who are caught in the trap of American Christianity. Let’s look at the older son’s thinking and how he sees the father and his inheritance. This part of the story starts with the older son coming in from working in the field and he realizes his younger brother, who he thought was dishonorable and lost all morality had come home from his wasteful living. When he found out the father was throwing him a party, he became very angry. Why in the world would you be angry about your brother returning home? Could it be because he didn’t see himself correctly? He sees himself as one who has been faithful to his father. He had served him all these years without ever leaving his house. He feels betrayed by the father. We know this by his response to his father. How many years have I been working like a slave for you, performing every duty you’ve asked faithfully and never have you thrown me a party! First, he sees himself as only a slave doing the work in the field. How many of us have seen ourselves as the same way? We worked the fields to win souls and make disciples, we’re spreading a “gospel” our own lives never displayed while sacrificing our families (mostly children) on the altar of ministry vying for leadership’s attention against our own brothers/sisters in the house.

You can be in the house of God; you can “serve” Jesus for all the years and never actually know the Father. This son never knew how much he was actually loved by the father. He didn’t have to ask for his inheritance. He didn’t have to ask for a fatted calf. It was already his. He already had access to his inheritance. Yet, he lived as a slave in the house. This is what the American church as taught people for decades and we have lost sight of the true nature of Abba, Father. We get the inheritance right up front as Beloved Sons & Daughters.

So many go to church every time the doors open and serve in every capacity available but live their day to day in complete brokenness because they do not see the Father correctly nor do they see themselves as He does.

If you find yourself as the older son, serving Jesus yet broken and hurt, not knowing how deeply you are really loved I encourage you to stare into the eyes of Jesus until the reality of His love captivates your heart. You must know the Father loves you with the same love as He loves Jesus. You are not a servant; You are beloved!

For the very glory you have given to me I have given them so that they will be joined together as one and experience the same unity that we enjoy. You live fully in me and now I live fully in them so that they will experience perfect unity, and the world will be convinced that you have sent me, for they will see that you love each one of them with the same passionate love that you have for me. John 17:22

Welcome Home!

Let the truth of the Gospel convince you of who you really are. Jesus came to invade our lives with His reality. In Mark 15:38, we see this reality, “At that moment the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to bottom.” What does this mean exactly? The veil separated the Holy of Holies which is where the presence of Yahweh resided and only the High Priest could enter in at certain times. The veil being torn proved that it was Yahweh who came to invade our hearts with His presence. This veil could have only been torn by Him, it was very thick, heavy and nearly 60 feet tall. Hebrews 10:20 tells us, “For he has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach Yahweh. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to Him.” Let’s continue with Hebrews 10 to see what He came to convince us of. “And since we now have a magnificent High Priest to welcome us into Yahweh’s house, we come closer to Yahweh and approach him with an open heart, fully convinced that nothing will keep us at a distance from him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity, and we have been freed from an accusing conscience. Now we are clean, unstained and presentable to Yahweh inside and out.”

We did not have to do anything to receive this glorious inheritance. We only have to believe what He says about us. Since the veil has been torn, we can see the truth of our identity. Beloved identity does not come and go based on our actions or behaviors. We can see this in the story of the redeemed heir in Luke 15. This story is about the love of the Father more than it is about the son. Most of us have heard him called the Prodigal son and made this story about his reckless living and disrespect by asking for his inheritance. This story is more so about how we can have our inheritance now and even if we do not handle it well it doesn’t change the love of the Father nor does it disqualify us from our identity as sons and daughters.

“Then Jesus said, “Once there was a father with two sons. The younger son came to his father and said, ‘Father, don’t you think it’s time to give me my share of your estate?’ So the father went ahead and distributed between the two sons their inheritance. Shortly afterward, the younger son packed up all his belongings and traveled off to see the world. He journeyed to a far-off land where he soon wasted all he was given in a binge of extravagant and reckless living.

“With everything spent and nothing left, he grew hungry, because there was a severe famine in that land. So he begged a farmer in that country to hire him. The farmer hired him and sent him out to feed the pigs. The son was so famished, he was willing even to eat the slop given to the pigs, because no one would feed him a thing.

“Humiliated, the son finally realized what he was doing, and he thought, ‘There are many workers at my father’s house who have all the food they want with plenty to spare. They lack nothing. Why am I here dying of hunger, feeding these pigs and eating their slop? I want to go back home to my father’s house, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I was wrong. I have sinned against you. I’ll never again be worthy to be called your son. Please, Father, just treat me like one of your employees.” ’

“So the young son set off for home. From a long distance away, his father saw him coming, dressed as a beggar, and great compassion swelled up in his heart for his son who was returning home. The father raced out to meet him, swept him up in his arms, hugged him dearly, and kissed him over and over with tender love.

“Then the son said, ‘Father, I was wrong. I have sinned against you. I could never deserve to be called your son. Just let me be—’“The father interrupted and said, ‘Son, you’re home now!’ “Turning to his servants, the father said, ‘Quick, bring me the best robe, my very own robe, and I will place it on his shoulders. Bring the ring, the seal of sonship, and I will put it on his finger. And bring out the best shoes you can find for my son. Let’s prepare a great feast and celebrate. For my beloved son was once dead, but now he’s alive! Once he was lost, but now he is found!’ And everyone celebrated with overflowing joy.”

Love will always lure you back home. My favorite part is when the father interrupts the son’s speech about how he doesn’t deserve sonship. He can’t even listen to shame and condemnation spill out of our mouths. Why? Because love covers it all- the failures, the mess ups, sin, our own thoughts of ourselves, and the damaging words of others. You must let His love cover it all. He is ready to clothes you with His own robe, place the ring of sonship and the shoes on your feet. Remember the value He sees in you? The price He paid for you to be His beloved. Welcome home, beloved! Welcome home back into the arms of your Father.

For Yahweh So Loved…

“For this is how much God loved the world- he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it.” John 3:16-17

Many of us have been taught the word world means all people. Let’s dig deeper into the language of scripture. In the Greek, world means cosmos. It refers to the arrangement of things. The order of things. We have learned a lot recently concerning the importance of order in our lives. In the Hebrew the word for world is olam. It denotes the long duration of existence, both human and divine, future and past.

So, what does this mean? Yahweh the Creator of all things, seen and unseen, loves all that He has made, and because of His great love He could not allow what He so carefully created be out of order. He sent His unique Son, Jesus as a gift to you, me and all of humanity but also the cosmos to be redeemed and restored back to His original purpose.

This passage is so beautiful. It reminds us of the intimate relationship we get to have with Jesus, the Father and Holy Spirit right now and forever. It is important to remember Jesus did not come into the world just so we could be saved from hell. He came to put things back in order. This order is a close, intimate relationship with Him daily right now.

Through us, His beloved sons and daughters, the planet and all that it contains can be saved and rescued. We have many promises to reveal His intentions. Like this one in Romans 8.

“I am convinced that any suffering we endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within us. The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters! For against its will the universe itself has had to endure the empty futility resulting from the consequences of human sin. But now, with eager expectation, all creation longs for freedom from its slavery to decay and to experience with us the wonderful freedom coming to God’s children.” Romans 8:18

Conclusion: The Father sent His Son because of His love for us not so He could love us. His love empowers us to see the change He desires for His creation, both humanity and the physical earth.

It all goes back to His love for us and seeing ourselves as He does. Think of it this way, everyone determines the value of something by how much someone else is willing to pay for it. The Father paid for humanity and all creation with His Son. Beloved, I would say He finds us very valuable.

Tethered

“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. John 15

When you are a farmer, you are invested in your plants. They become like your babies. When you see one beginning to struggle you don’t just pull it out of the ground to throw it away. No, you prop it up off the ground. You give it special attention. You study and examine your plant baby. How can I help it thrive and mature?

In John 15 we know Jesus is the sprouting Vine, and the Father, who we refer to as Abba (dada in Aramaic) is the farmer. Jesus is telling us when we as beloved sons and daughters struggle the Father comes to us to give us special attention. He definitely doesn’t throw us away or push us to the side. The beautiful thing about this relationship with the Father is we sometimes can’t see the areas we are not bearing fruit in, but He does. He is so faithful to not leave us there to struggle. Even the areas we are fruitful he comes to prune us so we can bear more. The word prune in the Greek means to cleanse. This isn’t necessarily from something bad. This can be a way of thinking about ourselves or Him. His heart is to always see us thriving because He loves us and, in our thriving, we bring glory to Him.

“So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine. “I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless.” John 15

Remember yesterday we talked about connecting our hearts to Jesus first thing in the morning? When we continuously connect to Him, we are remaining in life-union with Him. He never leaves us. He says, “I REMAIN in life-union with you,” we hear Pastor Tim tells us all the time, the Father is not the weak link. We have our part to do and that is remaining intimately joined to Jesus. If we are not intimately joined to Jesus, we cannot bring our sacrifices of prayer to the altar. We are powerless without intimacy. Intimacy is the level where we are known at the deepest of who we are. This level of intimacy requires the greatest amount of trust. We can know in this close, intimate relationship with Jesus, we can trust Him with the depths of who we are and where we struggle. He will never reject you for any reason.

We as beloved sons and daughters can no longer live our lives in separate containers. This container has work, this one has family, this one has friends, this one has church and Jesus. We must start and remain with Jesus daily and everything else flows from that central place in our lives.

Tether yourself to Jesus. Remain in life-union. This is our responsibility. He does the rest.

At Each Sunrise

“At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning, I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.” Psalm 5:3

Every morning is an opportunity to engage your heart to the King, our Friend, Jesus. He is faithful to hear our hearts as we prepare our sacrifice of prayer to Him. The word prepare in the Hebrew is ‘arak and it means lighting the altar fire. We understand through this verse who's responsible for the fire in our hearts. It is us. We are to rise every morning with the intention of lighting the fire of connection to Jesus.

Why does it say my sacrifice of prayer? What makes it a sacrifice? We all have things in our hearts that are hard to face sometimes. A childhood memory that still hurts deeply, a failed relationship, a choice you made long ago that still effects your family today, maybe as a parent you failed in an area that you still feel guilty in, lost trust in a relationship you would like to see restored, wounded family relationships, maybe you lost a loved one you still question God about, you feel lost, and hopeless or maybe it’s your job. Every single one of us had something come to our mind as we read through that list we don’t like to talk about. We would rather push it down and just go on with our day, but the goodness of Yahweh will not let us move on.

“Every morning, I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar.” The Bible talks a lot about sunrise. What is so significant about the sun rising? In Lamentations 3, we read, “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. The sun rising speaks of new beginnings, promises of a new day, hope, and the renewal of our hearts and minds. Sunrises serve as time markers. Think of them as new starts and the unfolding of Yahweh’s promises of healing and restoration.

These promises hinge on our willingness to lay these pieces of our hearts on the altar. When we light the fire of our hearts and put our sacrifices on the altar, He promises to come and consume them with His everlasting fire. His fire brings healing and restoration. A sure thing is this: as He watches you prepare to face these difficult areas, He pours out grace to help you. You are never alone in catching the sly foxes.

Here are some other promises concerning the sun rising:

Let the sunrise of your love end our dark night. Break through our clouded dawn again! Only you can satisfy our hearts, filling us with songs of joy to the end of our days. Psalm 90:14

Rise up in splendor and be radiant, for your light has dawned, and Yahweh’s glory now streams from you! Isa 60:1

I’ve learned that his anger lasts for a moment, but his loving favor lasts a lifetime! We may weep through the night, but at daybreak it will turn into shouts of ecstatic joy. Psalm 30:5

I encourage you to ask Him to help you bring the sacrifices of your heart and lay them down for His consuming fire of love to burn away. Spend some time in His presence so He may restore hope and joy to you today.

The Budding Vineyard

“Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flower’s whispers, “There is change in the air.” Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now, is the time to arise and come away with me. For you are my dove, hidden in the split-open rock. It was I who took you and hid you up high in the secret stairway of the sky. Let me see your radiant face and hear your sweet voice. How beautiful your eyes of worship and lovely your voice in prayer. You must catch the troubling foxes, those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship. For they raid our budding vineyard of love to ruin what I’ve planted within you. Will you catch them and remove them for me? We will do it together.” Song of Songs 2

In order for this new day to break forth we must take the seeds of truth Jesus is speaking to us about who we are and plant them in the ground. We all know enough about plants to know when you put seeds in soil you can’t just forget about them. You must be intentional in watering the seeds. How do you practically apply this to what Jesus is speaking to you? You bring them back to Him in conversation. Ask Him questions. Worship Him. Pouring your heart out in worship to Him for who He is brings answers to our questions.

As you continue to water the seeds of the Kingdom you will begin to see these budding vines break forth. Seed, time and harvest is an important part of who we are at The Wilderness Place. Yahweh birthed our logo from this concept. The seed is the acorn. In this acorn is many, many oak trees. We heard the voice of Yahweh say plant yourself here in this land at 208 Pass Rd. Put the acorn in the ground and water it. As a family here at TWP, we have watered and been intentional about caring for His words of life to us. We are beginning to see the seedling of baby oaks rising up out of the ground. We are getting stronger in His presence and by His voice. Our trees are Oaks of Righteousness, each person (family) who has planted themselves here are those Oaks planted by Yahweh’s design. One of the words Yahweh gave us in the beginning is from Isaiah 61:4, “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.”

We are already beginning to see the promises of ruins and desolations of the past be restored in our area. It is truly remarkable what Jesus is doing in our community.

Each mighty oak planted becomes the shade of abundance and refreshment for the next generation to play in. The acorn seed you planted grows to produce more acorns (our children) and they will only know beloved identity from the very beginning because it’s all they’ve seen from us. They will continue to produce Oaks of Righteousness for thousands of generations. This is the reward of His suffering. A world restored and redeemed by beloved sons and daughters who are planted by His design. This is why understanding you are His beloved is so important.

Can you not discern? It’s a new day for the budding to break forth. He is letting us know in this passage we are His beloved and He is ours so we can face anything when we are walking in our true identity. There will be troubling foxes, but we will face them with Jesus.

Beloved, go forth today in who you are. Immensely loved by the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. Dance your way through the day and spring forth life for those around you.

How You See Yourself Matters

When was the last time you stepped into a hostile situation, and you had nothing to prove? Life brings storms and tough circumstances. How you respond to these situations you encounter proves what you believe about yourself.

Imagine your life without triggers. How people act or what they say can no longer cause a reaction from you. As a beloved son or daughter, you don’t have to fight for yourself. You’re not fighting to have a position or be seen in certain circles. You are happier serving others in the background. You are not worried about failing because even if you do, it doesn’t change who you are. Your identity is beloved! Jesus NEVER gives you the inheritance of a sinner saved by grace. Your inheritance is one whom Jesus dearly loves, and He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We are beloved with resurrection power.

Pastor Tim reminds us of the heart of Jesus for us today, in these very moments of our lives.

“Jesus loves you enough not to leave you in a condition where you just confess you believe something. He wants to heal your heart, so you actually believe what He says about you. Peter found out at the end of Jesus's life that confess with your mouth and believe with your heart is the entrance door, but it doesn't give you the power to be one who remains. It does not give you the anointing to reach down and heal. It does not give you the ability to carry the Kingdom with you wherever you go. You can't reproduce what you are not carrying.

It is time for you to believe you deserve to be in the room, in the very presence of the King of Kings, the Anointed One. As a matter of fact, He is beckoning you to come be with Him. He is ready to reveal who you really are. You are His beloved. You are the one who Jesus dearly loves. Nothing you have done or will do changes His love for you. The beauty of the Circle Dance is the continuous love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit spinning and pulling us into the intimate love with them where we never stop dancing. This passage of the Song of Songs below is an exchange between us and Jesus, the Shepherd. Hear yourself saying these words today, and hear the words of Jesus over you.

“Listen! I hear my lover’s voice. I know it’s him coming to me—leaping with joy over mountains, skipping in love over the hills that separate us, to come to me. Let me describe him: he is graceful as a gazelle, swift as a wild stag. Now he comes closer, even to the places where I hide. He gazes into my soul, peering through the portal as he blossoms within my heart.

The Shepherd: The one I love calls to me: Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out. For now is the time, my beautiful one. The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended, and the season of hiding is over and gone. The rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land, filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth.” Song of Songs 2

Jesus, we are here ready to see ourselves as You see us. We are ready to be who you designed us to be. We are ready to give you the reward of your suffering. Thank you for always drawing us closer to your heart and into the dance of a lifetime.

Honesty Opens the Door

We can learn by others’ stories. Which is why testimony is important. The stories in the Bible are testimonies for us to learn from. Let’s go through Peter’s story leading up to why he was walking with John to the temple in Acts 3. If you don’t know this Peter is 30 and John is 17 at the time they were walking to the temple. It is odd for that age group to be “hanging out” together.

We’ll start in Matthew where we read last week about Jesus asking His disciples who they say He is. Peter was the first disciple to confess who Jesus really is - the Christ, the Anointed One. Jesus made it plain to Peter and all of the other disciples that Peter heard the voice of the Father for himself. He was the first disciple to do this. Oh, I am sure he was so proud of himself knowing Peter’s personality. A bit later they find themselves in the upper room getting ready to have their last supper together when Jesus - the Christ - Anointed One begins to wash the disciples’ feet. Peter was bold in telling Jesus you will not wash my feet. He even rebuked Jesus to his face when Jesus told them he would be arrested and killed. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to Jesus. He was even so bold to say; I will give my life, so you don’t have to. Fast forward to the garden with Jesus when the soldiers came to arrest Him Peter pulls out his sword to cut a man’s ear off. He was ready to fight for Jesus.

On the other side of Jesus’ arrest Peter denies even knowing Him three different times. How after all these bold declarations and getting the revelation right from the mouth of Yahweh could you crumble so easily in the face of adversity? Peter was devastated at his actions but still could not find the strength and courage to be at the cross in support of Jesus in his hardest time. Peter thought all was lost. He even went back to fishing. But I believe this is when the questions started in his mind. The honesty in his own heart. He began to realize all the way on the other side of the resurrection there was one who remained. This one made it all the way from his calling to the foot of the cross. I am sure Peter was thinking why did he not run and hide like the rest of us men? He’s a boy. Why was he not afraid for his life. What does he have that I do not?

We must find ourselves in a place where when we see someone who has something we don’t have - we draw closer to them. We should never get jealous or pull away in disappointment or anger. In order to become like someone, we must get closer to them. Don’t we want to love like Jesus, do what Jesus says we can do, wouldn’t we all want to reach out and pull someone from a wheelchair and see them walk?

Peter became brave enough to acknowledge he didn’t have what John the beloved had. He realized confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart is not enough to see change and to be that change. Family, we cannot stop at confession. We have been learning the Kingdom starts with honesty. If we can’t be honest with ourselves and Jesus, we will not be able to do what He says we can.

Peter realizes the only way he could have what John the beloved had was to be with him to see how he walked this life out. This is why Peter chose to walk with John to the temple. This is why you see a 30-year-old man walking with the 17-year-old. He needed to inherit what John was carrying. Think about this…just by Peter walking with Beloved identity HE was the one who reached out his hand to the crippled man to pull him up. I imagine in the past when he went to the temple without John he walked past the crippled man because he knew he didn’t have what the man needed. It was only when walking with beloved could he move in resurrection power.

Spend some time today with Jesus being honest about where you are. He is not afraid of what you will say. Truth is He already knows; the honesty is for us to open ourselves up to the grace needed to walk in beloved identity.

Where are you in your walk but more importantly where do you want to go?

Faith Without Works

When you hear someone say, “you have the same power in you that raised Jesus from the dead,” what is your first thought? Or do you think about it? It is time for us to stop just saying stuff we have heard in church and even read in our bibles, yet we are not living out.

The time has come for you to be convinced you carry resurrection power. Sunday Pastor Tim took us deeper into the message of Peter and John going up into the temple in Acts 3. They encountered the crippled man and instead of giving him money they offered him what they carried. Resurrection power!

Was Peter and John more qualified than you and me? No, they just believed what Jesus said about them. He took care of their resume just like He has taken care of ours. Peter and John used the phrase we all use - In Jesus name yet, Peter walked in what he said by holding out his right hand and pulling the crippled man up to his feet. The scripture says suddenly power surged into the crippled man’s feet and ankles.

Our actions prove what we believe. You ever heard, “actions speak louder than words?” It is true. We like words of faith, but our words of faith are meaningless without our walk of faith. In James 2:17 it says, “So then faith that doesn’t involve action is phony.” It is fruitless.

“Nothing you say will override what you believe in your heart.” Pastor Tim

You must believe you are His beloved. We cannot move into what Yahweh is calling us to display in the earth by just repeating I am beloved. We must believe it. In the story of Peter and John something fascinating is happening behind the scenes. If you will grab hold it will change your life, family, legacy and Gulfport MS. Pastor Tim made an excellent point Sunday if you are going to church to hear another message or reading another walk to just read it- You are wasting your time. He (Pastor Tim) tells us truth because that is what a father in the house does. He loves each one of you and desires to see the fruit that Jesus died for to begin to pop up in your life. This is more that another sermon or devotional.

Stop believing what you see and start believing what Jesus is whispering to your heart. You are my beloved and you carry the same resurrection power that I do. Walk in it!

“I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling —that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm!” Ephesians 1:18-19

The One Whom Jesus Loves

This week as we have walked with Abba, we have discussed the invitation from Jesus to see Him rightly. He has reminded us of the power and authority we have in Him but all of what we have read hinges on one thing. How we see ourselves. John the beloved teaches us the importance of laying down our own identity. The identity we have built in our minds or an identity that someone else gave us. When we try to live our lives from this place, we find ourselves fighting for positions Jesus never intended us to have. If you find you easily get offended at others it is a sign you are not seeing yourself right. Let’s look at the example of John.

“Then Jesus was moved deeply in his spirit. Looking at his disciples, he announced, “I tell you the truth—one of you is about to betray me.” Eyeing each other, his disciples puzzled over which one of them could do such a thing. The disciple that Jesus dearly loved was at the right of him at the table and was leaning his head on Jesus. Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. Then the dearly loved disciple leaned into Jesus’ chest and whispered, “Master, who is it?” John 13

This moment is right after Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet and they were all sitting around the table about to eat their last meal together. The disciples did not know this would be their last meal. I bet John had an idea of something happening. He was too close and aware of Jesus not to know something was about to take place. Jesus was moved in His heart with tenderness at the thought of his friends’ betrayal. He tells the disciples one of them will betray Him, and they are all puzzled. They are looking around at each other and even asking Him, “Is it I, Jesus?” But there is one, who is sitting at the right hand of Jesus leaning his head on Him. He’s not part of this eyeing. John dismisses himself from this argument and discussion altogether.

How could he sit there with everyone else and not be a part of the argument? Or feel like he didn’t need to defend himself? I will tell you how. John laid down his identity and the desire for position. He did not care or worry about what people thought or said about him. He walked in the identity Jesus gave him. The One Whom Jesus Loves!

We can see in his position next to Jesus. He’s leaning his head on Jesus. You better believe others can see it too. Peter, the strong, determined one gestures to John the tender one to ask Jesus who it is. You know what John does? He leans even more into Jesus. Closer into His chest; closer to His heart. Jesus gives us the position of beloved, but we decide how we lean into it. Just like with John as you lean into the heart of Jesus and stay at His right hand of honor you will hear His whisper of truth and revelation for your life and those around you.

It is time for us to dismiss ourselves from the fight of proving our value and worth to others. We have been given a new identity. You are beloved, the one whom Jesus loves. You are His favorite. He chooses you every time. Even when you make a mistake, or respond wrong to someone, He loves you and always has the place of honor open to you to sit and lean into His heart.

Yes, it is important to see Jesus rightly, but it is also very important to see yourself as He does.

His Love & Care

“Now Jesus was fully aware that the Father had placed all things under his control, for he had come from God and was about to go back to be with him. So, he got up from the meal and took off his outer robe and took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ dirty feet and dry them with his towel. But when Jesus got to Simon Peter, he objected and said, “I can’t let you wash my dirty feet—you’re my Lord!” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand yet the meaning of what I’m doing, but soon it will be clear to you.” Peter looked at Jesus and said, “You’ll never wash my dirty feet—never!”

“But Peter, if you don’t allow me to wash your feet,” Jesus responded, “then you will not be able to share life with me.” John 13:3-9

Step into this passage. Imagine yourself as one of the disciples. You have seen this beautiful man for three and half years do many miracles. You have seen blind eyes opened, deaf ears hear, the lame walk, actual limbs being restored, and the deliverance of so many. Most recently you witnessed sitting at a table Mary breaking her alabaster jar to pour out the most expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Breathe in deep and let yourself take in the fragrance that is likely to still be lingering in the air around Jesus. You’re all sitting around the table just before your meal and you see Jesus, this beautiful Messiah, the King stand up. He is taking his robe off and wrapping a towel around his waist but why? This is something a servant would do. He begins to pour water into the basin. Jesus, Anointed One, what are you doing? You should be sitting at the head of the table as we listen to you share parables.

Jesus astounds the disciples as He begins to wash their feet one at a time. No one is saying anything. One by one He removes their sandals and washes their dirty feet. Then dries them with His towel. The fragrance they must have smelled as He was in front of them. The fragrance of an Anointed King bowing down before them, cleansing their feet.

When Jesus gets to Peter, he refuses to let Him wash his feet. Jesus, you are my Lord. How could I ever allow you to wash my feet. As a matter of fact, you’ll never wash my feet - EVER! Even after Jesus tells him you don’t understand now what I am doing but you will, Peter is like absolutely not. You will not wash my dirty feet. I imagine Peter tucking them under the chair to hide them. Nope, you can’t see them or touch them, Lord.

Isn’t this like us to hide the parts of us that we see as dirty. Maybe just not something you want to show Jesus right out front, right? Maybe you’re saying, “Jesus, I have walked the paths that made my feet dirty. It is by my own doing, how could I let you even look at them much less touch and wash. Why would you want to?”

Jesus tells Peter, if you don’t allow me to wash your feet you will not be able to share life with me. According to the footnotes in The Passion Translation by Jesus removing their sandals and washing their feet, He was showing them that he was granting them a new inheritance- his own. The sandal is often used in covenant of inheritance in the Hebrew culture. Every defilement would be removed so they could place the sole of their feet upon the new covenant inheritance.

Jesus is giving us a beautiful display of tenderness and humility, yet the truth is we can no longer hide our dirty feet from Him. I hear Him saying in tenderness and mercy to us today - Let me cleanse your feet so you can walk in my power and authority to take the ground I have given you as an inheritance. You can’t go to the places I have for you if you are hiding what is going on inside your heart and head.

Yesterday, we talked about writing down who Jesus is to us. Today, allow Him to wash your feet as He continues to reveal Himself to you. The water He pours from His hand over you brings healing and restoration. In return, He will reveal who you are in Him.

Who Do You Display?

“But you—who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked. Simon Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God!” Jesus replied, “You are favored and privileged Simeon, son of Jonah! For you didn’t discover this on your own, but my Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you. I give you the name Peter, a stone. And this rock will be the bedrock foundation on which I will build my church—my legislative assembly, and the power of death will not be able to overpower it! I will give you the keys of heaven’s kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in heaven.” Matthew 16

Peter was mouthy, quick to anger, ready to fight and overconfident in himself at times but something about his love for Jesus caused him to receive a whisper from Abba. Jesus asked them all a question. Who do you say I am?

Up to this point Jesus had never told them exactly who He was. So why would He ask this question? This was an opportunity for the disciples to examine their own thoughts and the posture of their heart about who He was to them. Jesus was pointing out; it doesn’t really matter what they say. It matters how you see Me. He is asking us the same question today.

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? I want to encourage you to sit with Jesus for a moment. Maybe get a pen and paper or the notes in your phone and write down who He is to you right now. Ask Him if you are missing an aspect of who He wants to be to you. Be honest with Him and open your heart up to hear His whisper to you.

Jesus is the Anointed One, understanding the significance of us being able to have an intimate relationship with the Anointed One should be enough to make us run around the room and flood the altars with our worship.

What has happened that we’ve lost our passion for such a Beautiful King?

In verse 18, Jesus refers to the church as “my legislative assembly.” The Greek word for church is ekklesia and it means legislative assembly or selected ones. Ekklesia is actually not a religious term. It is a governmental term. This is what they would use in classical Greek when people were summoned to govern the affairs of the city. What is Jesus telling us here? He has summoned us, His beloved ones to govern the matters of our city from the foundation of ones who belong to the Anointed One. He has given us authority to display His power to those around us.

If we are not seeing the fruit of this authority in our lives and those around us, then we must ask ourselves the question- What do I believe about Jesus?

“You know what you believe by what you do” Pastor Tim

Jesus gives us a description of what we shall see and do when we are living out this truth.

The power of death will not be able to overpower it! I will give you the keys of heaven’s kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in heaven.

What can you do different that will cause others to see the power and authority of Jesus when they see you?

The Beautiful Gate

“One afternoon Peter and John went to the temple for the three o’clock prayer. As they came to the entrance called the Beautiful Gate, they were captured by the sight of a man crippled from birth being carried and placed at the entrance to the temple. He was often brought there to beg for money from those going into worship. When he noticed Peter and John going into the temple, he begged them for money. Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!” Peter held out his right hand to the crippled man. As he pulled the man to his feet, suddenly power surged into his crippled feet and ankles. The man jumped up, stood there for a moment stunned, and then began to walk around! As he went into the temple courts with Peter and John, he leapt for joy and shouted praises to God.” Acts 3:1-6

There is so much we can learn from this passage. First, it points out Peter and John are walking together to the temple. Interesting enough this is Peter and John. These two were so different in their character and personality but both are necessary for the advancement of the Kingdom of Yahweh. Peter is strong, outspoken, gifted and talented. He always has something to say. John the beloved, the one whom Jesus loved. He is tender. He doesn’t have anything to prove because He knows who he is to Jesus.

Now let’s go deeper in the “Beautiful Gate.” This gate points to Jesus. He is the entrance into the sheepfold of Yahweh. Furthermore, according to The Passion Translation footnotes, this points to Ezekiel’s temple. His temple described a river flowing out from the Threshold through the gateway of the temple. The river was first measured to be ankle deep. The crippled man at the temple entrance where Peter and John were entering was lame in his ankles.

The crippled man was brought to the gate often when people (believers) were coming to pray so he could ask for money. Think about this. In order for him to continue to show up this means some of the believers were just handing him money with no real solution to his problem. Let’s see how Peter and John responded to his situation.

Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!”

What? Look at us! As this man looked into their eyes, he saw something he had not seen before. The blazing fiery eyes of Jesus. Peter and John were full of faith because they understood what they carried on the inside of their being. They knew the power of the Holy Spirit flowed from them just like the river flowed out of Ezekiel’s temple gate. This river brought healing power and authority wherever they went. We, beloved sons and daughters must come to the same revelation - we have the river of the Holy Spirit that wants to flow out of us to bring healing to ourselves and others.

Then Peter held out his “right hand” and pulled the man up. The right hand in scripture represents honor, power and authority. Peter and John could have given this man money like all the other believers, and he would have stayed the same the rest of his life. They honored what Jesus had accomplished by His death and resurrection. They displayed the power and authority Jesus gave them by sending the Holy Spirit to them. They understood the assignment. It wasn’t to show up on Sunday morning, read our bibles, sing our songs and nothing ever really changes. Nope, we don’t need power to do that.

You are the beautiful gate on earth today. This revelation should make us want to run around singing and dancing. We too can reach out our right hand of honor, power and authority to others and bring transformation. How will you begin to walk in this truth today?

Jesus’ Invitation

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Yet he was the one who carried our sicknesses and endured the torment of our sufferings. Isaiah 53:4

Our instant healing flowed from his wounding. 1 Peter 2:24

In the beginning of our service yesterday, Pastor Tim made a comment, “healing is a gift from Jesus.” We cannot continue to pass over these truths as if it does not apply to us today. We (the church) have become too comfortable with diagnoses as opposed to enjoying the physical gift from Jesus.

If someone gave you the most valuable gift on earth, how would you handle it? Let’s go a little further. Imagine a treasure chest full of the rarest, most precious gems given to you, yet you never open it. You just have it on the side table to look at it. Maybe you peek in once a week, but you never apply it to your life. Nothing ever changes yet you have everything in the treasure box to not only change you but generations. This sounds absurd, doesn’t it? But we do it every day with the gift Jesus gave us.

Jesus gave His life and body for our healing. The Greek word for healing is “iaomai” it refers to physical healing and is used as a medical term to describe curing the physical body. This healing includes body, soul, and emotions. This is fulfilled in two ways: the healing ministry of Jesus and by the blood of Jesus’ wounds.

Pastor Tim has been teaching us for a while how we have to step into the scriptures. What does this look like practically? We can’t ignore physical situations that occur in our body. It must be addressed by coming into agreement with what Jesus says as opposed to what doctors say. Divine health has been made available by Jesus, but we have a part in seeing it come to pass on earth, in our families and our own bodies. Jesus says in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

We start with faith in believing this divine healing is available. And it is for us today. We then ask the Holy Spirit what can I do to see this physical healing take place in my body? You may need to change certain habits in your day to day. What you eat, how you eat, and physical activity liking walking is incredible for your body and your spirit. In pursuit of an intimate with relationship with Jesus, we must remember intimacy requires two people, so we have a part in this healing process.

We must seek the Holy Spirit for wisdom in how we each walk this out in our own lives but my challenge to you is don’t just accept a diagnosis for yourself or a loved one. Step into the truth of what Jesus made available with His own body. Open the treasure chest of His gifts for you and your family.

This isn’t just physical healing. It is healing for our soul as well. Almost every one of us has encountered some sort of pain in our past that has hurt us. This pain could be from childhood or very recent, but Jesus is inviting you to bring it to Him. Allow His gift of healing to pour over you like oil to heal the wounds of your heart. There is scientific proof a wounded heart can affect your physical body.

As lovers of Jesus, we are in pursuit of the real thing in our walk with Him. We want what He says we can have. Divine health for us, our family members and everyone we know who is suffering with sickness, disease and emotional pain. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit today to teach you how to pray, how to walk in this authority you have been given on earth and watch your heart come alive.

If you would like someone to come into agreement with you, please send us your prayer request.

The Condition of the Heart

“John the baptizer was sent to the Wilderness. Why? Yahweh needed to empty John of all the garbage religion had put in him. I'm going to tell you something. You can't add what I'm saying to the religious things you learned in Sunday school. You're going to have to let God empty you of the skubala (Greek for rubbish or waste) and start again with the truth. That is Jesus, the truth of His word has to be the Rosetta Stone in which we base our entire lives because don't you know that even a little lie in your heart can permeate your entire belief system. Don't you know a little religion will make you think you're headed in the right direction, but it leads to death, and we decorate it in the name of Jesus.” Pastor Tim

Don’t you know that when you allow even a little lie into your heart, it can permeate your entire belief system? Galatians 5:9

When making bread you first start by adding small, tiny particles of yeast to warm water. The yeast dissolves into the water. Once you add the remaining ingredients the yeast particles can no longer be seen but the effects of it is always evident afterwards. The same is true for our lives when we believe lies.

This doesn’t just pertain to religious things. This is any lie you believe about yourself or someone else. What you believe about yourself will permeate your entire life and trickle down to your children. A little lie - a tiny particle of a lie will steal from you. It causes you to believe something with your whole heart that Jesus declares isn’t true.

Pastor Tim is a walker. He walks constantly with the Lord to hear His heart for you and those around him. Last Sunday the Lord prompted him to take a walk which is rare for Sundays. During this walk Jesus shows him some things concerning us, his children at The Wilderness Place.

As he walked Jesus gave him a picture. He said this is the heart of my people. They are living on a narrow path. 4 inches, dirty and hard. This path fools you to believe that you are standing on the best that Abba has for you. We stay on this path because it's the path of least resistance. If we aren’t careful, we will travel the same path our parents traveled. We’ll pass down the same poverty. This isn’t just talking about money. It can be a poverty mindset, poverty in our health. When Jesus said this is the condition of my people's hearts, He's talking about the scripture in the Bible concerning seed being sown from the kingdom. Everything in the Kingdom starts with seed but so does weeds, thistles and thorns.

Seeds are the voice of Jesus. They're given to you anytime you turn your heart openly to Him. The seeds of the Kingdom will not compete with the seeds of other voices in your life. We've been in a trap that says this is the best Jesus has for us. Obviously, not every part of the little 4inch path is bad. Some of it's good but we are designed to have the entire field. Designed to produce fruit others can eat from. Your field should sustain the people around you. We have to ask Jesus what our heart looks like. Are you a tree of life to other people? The authority, power, blessings and abilities Jesus gave us is not to maintain a “good life” where we go to work, go home, we didn’t do any wrong and start all over again tomorrow.

Jesus desires for us to overwhelm this field with the seeds of the Kingdom. When He gives us seeds, we must water them and nurture them until they produce what He intended.

These fields represent answers to health problems, marriages, children and grandchildren, finances and our intimate relationship with Jesus. When we look at the condition of our fields we have to take one day at a time. Ask the Holy Spirit where to start. Do not get overwhelmed by all the things that may need to be changed. Allow Him to walk with you through the field of your heart and begin to deal with the thorns, thistles and weeds.

His grace is abundant when we face hard things but like I tell our children; you can do hard things. He doesn’t just deal with the top of the weeds but removes the root of the lies that have produced our overgrown fields. You must remember the importance of being honest with yourself and then Him. When this begins to happen, your life will never be the same.

“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

A close replica of the image Jesus gave to Pastor Tim concerning the hearts of His people.

The Appointments

“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after those miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:28

If we are serious about life and life more abundant, it has to start with order. Let’s look at what Paul says about the order of the church and why it is important. He makes it clear in 1 Corinthians that Yahweh has made some appointments in the church. He gives us a clear picture of how this is to be established in His Bride.

First apostles. What is an apostle? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is a person who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief. Apostle is from the Greek word apostolos, and it means one sent on a mission. An apostle is one who has a father’s heart to see change. When we think of our children or the next generation, we desire nothing more than to see them be successful and happy. We want them to have a life full of the promises of Yahweh, right? That is an apostle. He desires to see the bride have what has been promised to her. We can look at how Jesus did this with those who followed Him. Jesus not only had His twelve apostles, but He sent out 70 in pairs of two to bring change for the Kingdom. You can read this story in Luke 10.

Second prophets. A prophet according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight. Prophets are held to a strict standard, their prophesies are expected to honor Yahweh, not themselves, always be in line with scripture, what they speak should come to pass, help people change, and NEVER contradict that Jesus is the Son of God.

Third teachers (evangelists). This is defined in the dictionary as a person who evangelizes. In other words, to preach the gospel.

The Body of Christ has shied away from these positions because of those who have abused them in American Christianity over the years. Like Pastor Tim mentioned Sunday, a real apostle will not call himself an apostle. We’ve seen the abuse of these incredibly honorable callings and because of it we’ve also seen damage to the Bride.

We have to learn truth in order to recover what Jesus came to teach us. Some say these are not important any longer, but I dare say they are. If Jesus taught us about them, they are still very relevant for us today. Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Why is it important to have these in order according to the scripture? Paul points out to us what follows when there is order in the church. We will see miracles, healings, and people helping one another.

In Ephesians 4 Paul gives us a clear picture of the outcome this is to bring.

“And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness into the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one into a perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed into the abundance of Christ. And then our immaturity will end! And we will not be easily shaken by trouble, nor led astray by novel teachings or by the false doctrines of deceivers who teach clever lies. But instead, we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into him, the anointed Head of his body, the church. For his “body” has been formed in his image and is closely joined together and constantly connected as one. And every member has been given divine gifts to contribute to the growth of all; and as these gifts operate effectively throughout the whole body, we are built up and made perfect in love.”

This is the goal. One body. One mind. Gripped with One Passion. We will see the change Jesus made available.