He’s Asking a Question

As I was praying in preparation for today’s walk, I kept hearing the Lord ask a question. “What have you done with what you’ve already heard?” I knew He did not want me to write on something different today but to extend the question to you.

In Monday’s devotional we discussed the pursuit of His presence daily and the importance of tethering ourselves to a Kingdom family to walk this out in one accord. One of the statements made was, “There is a difference at The Wilderness Place.” One of those differences is we refuse to be a part of consumerism where we only consume information but never allow it to change who we are. We have a purpose here to see the Goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. On Earth as it is in Heaven! If you are only consuming and never transforming what will your legacy look like?

Caterpillars consume a lot of vegetation but there comes a time when they go away into the secret place to become what they are designed to be. What did you consume this week to take away into the secret place to be transformed?

Perfect Love

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” 1 John 4:18

Abba is love. It is sometimes very difficult to wrap our minds around the magnitude of this love. It is not like earthly love or human love where we’ve seen and experienced hurt or rejection. We often view Abba through the pain we have encountered from someone we loved. Maybe you can’t even call Him Abba yet. He is still known to you as God. Language matters. It reveals the contents of our heart. Luke 6:45, “For the overflow of what has been stored in your heart will be seen by your fruit and will be heard in your words.”

When we encounter the perfect love of Abba it is there to cast out any and all fear we have in our hearts. Fear causes you to be suspicious of Abba and other people. If you are always waiting for something to happen in your health, relationships, finances, or world matters you are living in a measure of fear. This points back to one thing: you have not allowed Him to love you. Did you know you can stop the love of Abba from going deeper into your heart?

The Creator of all things. The most powerful being. This One who speaks, and life is created can be hindered in your life. He gave us free will to choose Him. Even in this we see His love and goodness.

You don’t have to be afraid of anything. Your Abba, your Dada wants to love you perfectly to the degree you have no fear of anything. He is trustworthy in every sense of the word. Let love reach its goal in you starting today. He will meet you where you are. Be honest with Him concerning these areas of fear. Today let’s believe our hearts can be whole again with confident hope. No fear of the future or rejection.

Everything is His

Everything you have is His. Abba gives us the air we breathe. He created us in His very image, weaving together perfectly how we look, sound, and walk. We are wonderfully made by Him. The ground we walk on is His. Everything is held together by Abba. If He stopped holding it all together, we would cease to exist.

We read Sunday the parable in Matthew 25 concerning the three men who received talents. One five, one two and the third one received one. This parable is about money, but this can apply to any gift given to us by Abba. Our life is a gift. The first two men doubled their talents. It doesn’t tell us how long it took other than it says after much time the master returned. These men were obviously faithful and intentional concerning what they had been entrusted with. Like all of us I am sure they encountered difficult situations as they were managing what had been given to them. They remained faithful because they had an understanding of the wealthy man who gave them these talents. He was good and faithful. A rewarder of those who seek to please Him. (Hebrews 11:5)

The third man with one talent buried his and left it. He wasn’t faithful with what he was given. He saw the wealthy man as a slave master who was angry and shrewd. Since he had this idea concerning the wealthy man, he was afraid of Him. He gave zero effort because of fear. What if I mess up? He’ll punish me. How we see Abba matters so much. It will determine what you do with the life He has given you.

Abba’s heart is for us to increase in every area of our lives. In order to increase you have to take risk sometimes. You have to trust His leading. Today, look in the mirror and ask Abba this question. Am I stewarding the life you gave me the way you want?

Maturity says everything I have is His and if He has entrusted me to increase it for His glory then I know even if I mess up, He is there to help me back to the right path. He is not angry- ever! Our life is multi-faceted meaning there are a lot of different responsibilities in our day to day. The Kingdom comes in seed form. Every moment with your spouse is an opportunity for seeds of His goodness to be sown. How are you stewarding your marriage? It doesn’t matter if you have been married one week or eighty years, your marriage is a representation of the Kingdom of Heaven. If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend of young people we are to be faithful with your words to them. He’s given us a great responsibility to care for and see the success of the next generation to go further with the things of the Kingdom than us. Maybe you're not married nor have children. This is a beautiful opportunity to hear His voice concerning your future. How can you honor what He has given you in this season of your life. Regardless of where we are in life and what it looks like we want to be faithful with our lives, gifts, talents, thoughts and opportunities.

He has much to say to us each day, but we must be faithful with the little He’s given us in order to hear all of what He wants to say in moments. Will you be intentional today in hosting His presence? Your life is really His. I encourage you to honor Him with the gift of life He’s given you. When you see someone show gratitude for gifts they received, it makes your heart so happy. How much more can we make Abba happy with our expression of thankfulness today?

His Glory is Goodness

“And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” Exodus 33

In pursuit of His presence Moses also knew there was something else needed. He asked Yahweh to show him His glory. How did Yahweh respond? “I will make My goodness pass before you.” So we have Abba telling us today My glory is My goodness. This truth is such a treasure.

So what is the goodness of Yahweh? His benevolence which is His kindness, mercy and generosity. His virtue. What does virtue mean? A habitual and firm disposition to do good. Let’s look at some scriptures that describe His goodness.

Psalm 145:9 - Yahweh, everyone sees your goodness, for your tender love is blended into everything you do.

Psalm 104:13- From your kindness you send the rain to water the mountains from the upper rooms of your palace. Your goodness brings forth fruit for all to enjoy.

Acts 14 - Yet he has never left himself without clear evidence of his goodness. For he blesses us with rain from heaven and seasons of fruitful harvests, and he nourishes us with food to meet our needs. He satisfies our lives, and euphoria fills our hearts. (This food is both spiritual and natural)

1 Corinthians 13:13 - There are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love - yet love surpasses them all.

“Faith and hope both spring from love, which makes love the greatest virtue of all. Faith and hope are temporary, but love is eternal.” Brian Simmons- The Passion Translation

Paul gives us the characteristics of Abba’s love in this chapter of Corinthians. Love is patient, it is kind (always), He is generous in every circumstance, humble, His love never allows Him to be rude, He will never manipulate you with fear, shame or condemnation, He’s not irritable or offended, He always celebrates honesty, He never focuses on your mistakes, and His love is loyal for eternity.

The goodness of Yahweh is so deep we will never fully grasp the entirety of just how incredible His love truly is. As we pursue His presence, we also experience His goodness. We grow from glory to glory which means we go deeper and deeper into His love. Every time we go deeper, we become more like Him in this beautiful love affair with Yeshua. As we become like Him, we will have His same characteristics in our love towards others. What you behold you become. As we behold His patience, kindness, generosity, humility, honesty, and loyal love we become those to others.

Remember we are not alone in this pursuit. We have each other. May faith be stirred in your heart today for that you have not seen. May hope be an anchor for all He says we can have and experience.

In Pursuit of Him

“Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:15-18

His presence has to be a daily pursuit in our lives but not only as individuals. We need each other as a family to pursue the presence of Yahweh. Moses wasn’t seeking the presence just for himself. It was on behalf of all of the people who were in this together. We help each other grow in grace before the Lord.

If I may bring up a difficult season for all the world. In 2020 and the following couple of years we had a pandemic sweep across our nation and the world, which demanded isolation. In this isolation we became so comfortable with streaming church services we lost an important aspect of walking with the Lord. The importance of coming together in once accord. There is a reason why the scripture tells us to not forsake the assembly of others. We are designed to do life together. Jesus did not tell His disciples to each go home and wait for the promise. He told them to go to the upper room together and wait. They prayed together; they fasted together; they did life together.

It is important for you to know this truth. It is dangerous for you to glean from the truths you hear at The Wilderness Place and not make it a priority to be part of the Kingdom family pursuing the Presence of Yahweh on Sundays. Once you know these truths you are responsible for them. Obviously, the Lord understands people have to work, or the children are ill. Things come up but we can no longer take the casualness of pursuing His presence with Kingdom family lightly. Your life matters to other people. He created each one of us to bring an aspect of His goodness to a family. A family is incomplete without every person there. It is important to seek the Lord about where your home is; who is your Kingdom family? Wherever He directs I encourage you to plant yourself there with others in the pursuit of His Presence.

There is a difference at The Wilderness Place. We are in pursuit of His presence. We are not interested in religion. That is a system of entertainment for non-seekers. You cannot add presence to religion. It causes a person to be unstable. James 1:6 says, a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. In pursuit of Him, we desire for all people to be free in His presence. It is there you can become who you are designed to be. We are learning to be open and transparent with each other in our kingdom family. That may seem scary at first but when you know you are in a safe place within a family who are lovers of Jesus is it easier to take the mask off.

Moses tells Yahweh if we do not have your presence there will not be a difference in us than those in the world. We must be people who display the grace and favor of Yahweh so we can draw others to Him. There must be a difference in us as beloved sons and beloved daughters.

We have found grace in His sight, and He will meet each one of us where we are. What is He saying to you today concerning you seeking His presence? Are you committed to seeking Him within a family of beloved ones?

Open up to His questions today. Take the walk with Him.

May He Find Us Faithful

Jesus had the mandate I do nothing I haven’t seen the Father do. (John 5:19) Yesterday we talked about being a good steward. Knowing when and what to say to people about Yeshua is being a good steward. He tells us in Matthew 7:6, “who would hang earrings on a dog’s ear or throw pearls in front of wild pigs? They’ll only trample them under their feet and then turn around and tear you to pieces.” In the footnotes of the Passion Translation, it says the Aramaic word for earrings is most identical to the word holy. Earrings and pearls are symbols of spiritual truths given to us by Yahweh. They give us beautiful ears to hear his voice and impart lovely pearls of wisdom, which are not to be regarded lightly or shared with those who have their hearts closed. The Aramaic for throw is “to instruct” or “to teach.” The value of wisdom is not appreciated by those who have no ears to hear it.

Some people are not ready to hear certain things. We must be like Yeshua- only do what we see Him do and speak. We spent some time in Matthew 15 last week concerning the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus on behalf of her daughter. Yeshua ignores her when she speaks to Him. He cannot allow himself to be moved by His feelings and emotions. We know His heart is to see everyone whole, but His heart is first to do what the Father reveals.

What an incredible example for us. Our heart must be only about what the Father wants in every moment. Yeshua was here to be obedient. Period. The question we must ask ourselves- is my heart to do only what the Father wants? Pastor Tim taught us a while back about being careful not to take a portion of scripture as instructions from the Father to do just so we can say it’s the right thing to do. We must take those scriptures to Him in the secret place and ask if it’s what He want you to do right now?

The truth is we have a hard time doing nothing. A lot of people do so many “works” for the kingdom to find value in themselves instead of letting His love prove us valuable. If you do not feel completely loved by Him, it is not wise to run around and try to minister to others from brokenness. Be a testimony and get healed first. Let your journey of healing and wholeness be the witness to others. Stop running from hard things and let him build His integrity to carry His glory.

“On the other side of moments you are avoiding and running from is the life you’ve been made for.” Pastor Tim.

In His rest is where we find the answers to the problems within and around us. BE at rest in Him. Steward the words He is speaking to you. Not every word needs to be told to others. He may want to see if you will be faithful to just pray over the things He reveals.

May He find us faithful in stewarding His voice and presence every day. Holy Spirit, draw us closer to your heart to hear your truths. In the areas we have our hearts closed off to you we ask for your tender mercy to soften and open our hearts to you. We truly want to be open to you in every way. We choose this day March 14, 2025, to be a day of transformation in our hearts. Thank you for always luring us into the wilderness to be loved by You.

Being a Good Steward

One of the aspects of the kingdom is value. When we value something as important, we are good stewards of it. In order to be a good steward, you must be attentive to that which you are stewarding. Be honest with yourself when I ask you this question. When you first read the word steward did you automatically think money?

If we are honest, we would all say yes. This isn’t a bad thing. We should be good stewards of money, but society has made this word about money. As beloved sons and beloved daughters our first thought has to be - am I being a good steward of my encounters with Yeshua? Every good gift comes from Him. When we are faithful with His voice, His words, His people, His creation we will receive more. When we value these things, we make them a priority in our lives. He has to be the center of every decision we make.

“The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more. If you have not handled the riches of this world with integrity, why should you be trusted with the eternal treasures of the spiritual world?” Luke 16:10-11

We cannot make this word riches just about money. Riches are people. Are you faithful with caring for your family? Are intentional in your conversation with your spouse and children? Establishing a legacy on Yeshua begins with stewarding little conversations every day. What about those people who the Holy Spirit has orchestrated to be in your life? Coworkers, business relationships, people you come in contact with each day. Are you being attentive to the Holy Spirit in every moment to value the purpose of the encounter?

What about your houses, cars, the earth? All of this matters. Are you being a good steward of what He has given you? We want to be people of integrity that can handle the weight of His glory, but we must first sow faithfulness.

One of my favorite quotes from Pastor Tim on Sunday was “it is easier to do than be.” What does this mean? We can read a devotional today about being faithful and good stewards of what He has given us and get to work trying to be a good steward. Being faithful and a good steward is built on the foundation of intimacy, honor and order. Being established as beloved through intimacy and honor is the foundation. Then He begins to order your steps. Being one with Him is where the faithfulness is established.

Remember those who are faithful with little are entrusted to more. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be faithful with His voice today. Steward every step, every conversation, every opportunity to reveal His love and care to those around you.

There is Tension in the Air

“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.” Romans 8:18

This word glory in the Greek is doxa which can also mean radiant beauty, splendor, or perfection. Every trial and suffering we endure is meant to unveil within us the radiant beauty, splendor and perfection of Yeshua. When others see you and I, do they see Yeshua?

We often think suffering and trials come from tragic moments in our lives, but these moments of suffering can happen in everyday life. What happens when we encounter rude customers or a co-worker that is hard to deal with? This moment of tension reveals one of two things: Yeshua or you. Yeshua will have revelation knowledge of what is happening in their life that causes the outward behaviors. We too can have revelation knowledge if we choose to see what He sees.

We face trials with our children. This ranges from baby to adults. Who do we display when our children are struggling? Yeshua or ourselves? As a child I did not grow up with parents who displayed the image of Yeshua. My heart’s desire is for our children to see Yeshua when they encounter me. My response isn’t perfect every time but more and more when they see me, they see Yeshua. This is the fruit of valuing my encounters with Him. A couple of days ago one of my children said, “when I was ten you responded to me a lot different than you do now.” It’s been a couple of years since she was ten. That was a kiss from Yeshua to say they see Me in you.

Pastor Tim gave us a great illustration on Sunday when he said, “there is a tension between already and not yet.” You are already like Yeshua but not yet. We grow from glory to glory.

“This moment of tension is going to produce a glory in you that will make more of the Kingdom’s glory available to you. It is increasing your integrity. What you can carry without buckling under pressure.” Pastor Tim

If you continue to read Romans 8 it tells us why glory will continue to be unveiled in us, because the universe is standing on tiptoe yearning to see the unveiling of Yahweh’s beloved sons and beloved daughters. The world around you and I have had to endure futility against its will because of the consequences of humanity not knowing they are made in His image. The universe is “with eager expectations” waiting for freedom from decay to become who it is designed to be.

There is a tension between what we see and what our faith says is possible. As you have opportunities of suffering and trials today let it pull you closer to the heart of Yeshua. Allow Him to reveal what is really happening. The more we allow these moments of tension to be filled with His presence the more we look like Yeshua to those around us.

Aspects of the Kingdom Lifestyle

Yesterday we discussed our hearts desire is to display Yeshua to those around us. It is our heart for on earth as it is in heaven. There is a process to becoming like Yeshua. At The Wilderness Place we call this the Kingdom Lifestyle. The first three aspects of this lifestyle are Encounter, Perspective and Value.

When we encounter Yeshua, this encounter is designed to change our perspective. Every whisper of the Holy Spirit, every book you read, every conversation you have, every situation, every test is an opportunity for us to turn our hearts to Him openly and ask what are you trying to show us?

He wants us to have His perspective regarding every aspect of our daily lives. When we have the perspective of the Kingdom of Yahweh, we can see others like He sees them. We can love like He loves. His perspective is wisdom. Proverbs 4:7-8, “Wisdom is the most valuable commodity - so buy it! Revelation knowledge is what you need- so invest in it. Wisdom will exalt you when you exalt her truth. She will lead you to honor and favor when you live your life by her insights.”

Wisdom and revelation will cost you. The Kingdom lifestyle will cost you. What is most valuable to you? Whatever you value you will get more of. If you value every encounter you have with the Holy Spirit as He reveals Yeshua, you will have more encounters with Him. If you value His perspective, wisdom and knowledge you will get more of those. Like Pastor Tim said Sunday, at one time none of us valued reading the Bible, gathering with our Kingdom family, or worshipping Yeshua. We valued other things but once you get a taste of His goodness nothing else matters. We are like Paul and throw everything from our past on to the garbage heap.

What did Yeshua value? He valued His time alone with His Abba. He valued the face and voice of Abba.

Ask yourself today: Am I being a good steward with my encounters with Him? Am I being a good steward with the perspective He is offering me? Do I value my time with Him? Do I value His words?

One Passion

Our hearts as beloved sons and beloved daughters desire one thing. Our one thing is intimacy with Jesus. Intimacy is not a one-time event then you move on to the next step. It is a moment by moment each day loving Him and being loved by Him. This produces life and life more abundant on earth as it is in heaven.

In order to have a beautiful, lasting marriage you must be intentional about your relationship with your spouse. It is the same as with our relationship with Jesus. When you value something, you take care of it. The fruit of our intimacy with Jesus shows up in our daily lives for others to see. We like to call it public displays of affection. What does this look like for others to see the results of our secret place with Jesus? Every step we take, every word we speak, every response we have should display Jesus.

This can seem impossible when we look at our daily lives and think, well in this moment I did not respond to my husband correctly or I didn’t really listen to what my wife had to say. I yelled at my children. I fussed at the person driving slow in the left lane. I was impatient in the grocery store. Truth is we cannot reveal the real Yeshua to the world without the help of the Holy Spirit, but with Him all things are possible.

As the Holy Spirit reveals Yeshua to us, we must remember He is the exact image of the Father. It is so important for us to understand and know the real image of the Father. How do we know this to be true? Let’s look at John 14. “Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too. And from now on you will realize that you have seen him and experienced him.” Philip spoke up, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be all that we need!” Jesus replied, “Philip, I’ve been with you all this time and you still don’t know who I am? How could you ask me to show you the Father, for anyone who has looked at me has seen the Father. Don’t you believe that the Father is living in me and that I am living in the Father? Even my words are not my own but come from my Father, for he lives in me and performs his miracles of power through me. Believe that I live as one with my Father and that my Father lives as one with me”

Yeshua goes on to say: “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! When Yeshua goes to be with the Father He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. He gives us the grace to do everything He asks of us. One of those asks is to display Yeshua to those who do not know Him.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “I want you to pattern your lives after me, just as I pattern mine after Christ.” What was Paul’s pattern? We find this in Philippians 3.

“To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It’s all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness.

My passion is to be consumed with him and not cling to my own “righteousness” based in keeping the written Law. My only “righteousness” will be his, based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ—the very righteousness that comes from God. And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Only then will I be able to experience complete oneness with him in his resurrection from the realm of death.

I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own. I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion.

My beloved friends, imitate my walk with God and follow all those who walk according to the way of life we modeled before you.”

This victory-prize is to be the image of Yeshua who displays the image of our Abba on earth just as they are displayed in heaven. We must be gripped with this one passion just as Paul was.

The Path to SOZO

This week we’ve walked through some challenging scriptures that ultimately keep bringing us back to the feet of Jesus. We see a Canaanite woman who refused to be offended by the words of Jesus because she wasn’t there for herself but for her daughter. Our willingness to stay tethered to Jesus and those He’s designed us to do life with changes generations. We will hear things that are offensive but if we remain it will make an incredible impact on our children, our children’s children and so on.

What are you feeding on? We talked about Jesus being the Bread of Life. When we eat His body and drink His blood it brings life, power, and virtue to not only our spiritual bodies but also our physical bodies. It matters what you consume in what you look at, listen to and put in your body. Remember we want to be a Tree of Life those around us. A tree of life provides fruit when someone is hungry for truth and revelation, but it also provides shade for rest. Let’s be a people of rest and substance.

We discussed the ten lepers. All forgiven of their sins. Nine went on to do what they have always done. Church, work and fellowship hiding the real issue which is in their hearts. Isn’t that what church has taught us? Hide issues, the family secrets, grab your mask on the way out the door and you stay broken your whole life and pass it down to the next generation. Oh, but there was one who said I will not be like the others. He ran back to the one who had forgiven him shouting and praising. He fell at the feet of Jesus. He was not only forgiven but he was SOZO. Completely restored and made whole in every way. What do you think happened to his children and family? I can imagine they came alive in ways they never knew possible. I’ll take running to His feet and throwing all dignity to the wind to be whole and to see the next generation free.

At His feet is where we find the person He designed us to be. The person who brings heaven to earth. The person who leads the next generation in grace, intimacy, honor and order. Oh, yes, His feet come with a warning. He will ask questions and talk to you about those hidden areas you want to avoid. This is the part of being tethered to Him no matter what. We put our seed in the ground at His feet. The seed must die in the ground before it can come to new life. You are safe with Him. His love and care for our hearts is beyond comprehension.

I encourage you to reach out to someone you trust and share with them what Jesus has revealed to you this week through the walk. This is why He puts us in Kingdom family so we can walk through life together.

It’s at His Feet

“So where are the other nine?” Jesus asked. “Weren’t there ten who were healed? They all refused to return to give thanks and give glory to God except you, a foreigner from Samaria?” Then Jesus said to the healed man lying at his feet, “Arise and go. It was your faith that brought you salvation and made you whole.” Luke 17

Jesus knew actually where these men had gone. They followed their heart. It was to be back in church with their family doing all the things the leaders told them was important. Or maybe they were doing whatever they wanted and wore the coat of the synagogue they belonged to. Whatever it was Jesus makes a point to say- “they refused to return and give thanks and glorify Yahweh.”

What else does he point out here? “Weren’t there ten who were healed?” Leprosy represented sin in the scriptures. All ten were forgiven of their sin. Nine of them went out telling everyone they were forgiven but because they refused to return in thanksgiving to glorify Yahweh they missed out on the most important part. It’s dangerous to take bits and pieces of His word to weaponize them for the Gospel and miss the most important part. So many, I was one of them, were forgiven of our sins and immediately went to work telling everyone how great Jesus is at forgiving us. We are out there throwing pearls at swine when Jesus never asked us to do that. Jesus only did what He saw the Father do. We, beloved ones, are to only do what He tells us to do in each moment of the day. We are missing the most important part of this encounter with Jesus when we weaponize His word for war on humanity.

What happens when you return to lay at His feet? When you spend time at His feet thanking Him and glorifying Yahweh? You get SOZOed. Jesus says to the man lying at His feet, “it was your faith that brought you salvation and made you whole.” Jesus cares more for your whole being than just forgiving your sins.

What is SOZO? It is a Greek word meaning to save, deliver, make whole or restore, heal, be whole. Every aspect of your heart and mind is healed. This is available to everyone of us, but it is only found at His feet.

You and I find kindness at His feet which leads us to repentance the changing of how we think. We find His goodness that heals our broken heart. His goodness leads us into a life that represents Him well outside the doors of a building or this devotion. We find rest for those areas of our lives we haven’t quite surrendered to His Lordship. If we are not at rest, we cannot hear His voice concerning the matters of our hearts or life’s trials. There’s a love affair awaiting you and me at His feet that will change everything in our lives and for many generations to come.

But His feet come with a warning. He is going to say some things to you while at His feet you really want to avoid. It is the hard questions and conversations we do not want to have. Jesus goes straight to the heart of the matter. What we must remember is He is a safe place. He represents the best Father anyone could imagine. You are safe in His arms to have those hard conversations. On the other side you find yourself SOZO.

Today sit at His feet. Let Him love you. When I say sit, I understand we can’t all sit down all day at His feet, but you can turn your heart to Him all day and meditate on His love. Let Him ask you questions. This whole, healed you will not be found overnight. It takes every day turning your heart to Him. He wants nothing more than for you to be all He paid for.

Break Out of the Box

“On his way to Jerusalem Jesus passed through the border region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one village, ten men approached him, but they kept their distance, for they were lepers. They shouted to him, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t you have mercy on us and heal us?”

When Jesus stopped to look at them, he spoke these words: “Go to be examined by the Jewish priests.”

They set off, and they were healed while walking along the way. One of them, a Samaritan, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back to find Jesus, shouting out joyous praises and glorifying God. When he found Jesus, he fell down at his feet and thanked him over and over, saying to him, “You are the Messiah.” Luke 17

The passage of Jesus healing the ten lepers has so many truths hidden that we will explore for the rest of the week. Let’s start with the beginning. Jesus is traveling and comes upon ten men who have leprosy. This is a terrible skin disease that causes great harm to your body. People who had this disease were not allowed to be around anyone else. They were considered unclean. They had to be in a community with only people who had leprosy. Think of the loneliness they must feel. How long had it been since they had a hug? Or seen their families. They weren’t able to go to the synagogue to worship Yahweh.

As they approach Jesus, they knew He was the one who could heal them. They identified Him as Mighty Lord, wonderful Master. The Greek word here for Master denotes one with supernatural authority and power. They knew who He was. They shouted, “Have mercy on us and heal us.” This is where you put your thinking cap on. They are standing in front of who they know to be the One with ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER. Jesus responds, “Go be examined by the Jewish priests.” At this moment, they still have leprosy. As they turn to begin walking away doing what Jesus told them to do, they are healed.

One realized I am healed, and I don’t need the priest to tell me who or what I am. I need the Man who I just encountered. He ran back to Jesus singing and shouting praises. He was glorifying Yahweh. This man was a Samaritan. They did not worship Yahweh. When he found Jesus, he fell at His feet thanking Him over and over.

Which one are you? One who seeks the approval of religious leaders to identify you and determine whether or not your good enough to be a part of what they are doing. Or the one who has been radically changed by Jesus and all you want to do is sit at His feet and worship Him

Why would Jesus tell them to go be examined? He knew what they wanted. They wanted to do what they have always done. The nine had a word from the Lord to stand on. He told us to do this. There are a lot of people finding a word to stand on in the scriptures but will not sit at His feet to hear His voice in the matter. We see people doing things “for God” but their marriage is falling apart, their kids don’t want to be around them, their entire life is crumbling but they are standing on a word. Sadly, most will say this is an attack from the enemy, but Jesus never asked you specifically to do it. Be careful wanting His principals more than you want Him.

The motive of the heart matters in every situation. It has to be about the feet of Jesus. We find wisdom and revelation at His feet. Wisdom that will change our families, our neighbors, our city, state and nation. It is absolutely possible to see this transformation from a seated place of rest at His feet.

“So go ahead, everyone, and shout out your praises with joy! Break out of the box and let loose with the most joyous sound of praise!” Psalm 98

The Bread of Life

Let’s set up our scripture reference today. In John 6, we read about Jesus feeding the multitude. This could have been up to 15,000 people when you count the women and children. The crowd was amazed by what He had done. Jesus knew it was not time for Him to be completely revealed as the Messiah, so he slipped away to the mountaintop. In the evening, Jesus walked across the water to the other side. When the crowd realized he wasn’t there they went looking for Him.

How far would you walk to be with Jesus? And why would you take a long journey to be in His presence?

Jesus knew why the crowd followed Him and he called them out in verse 26. “Jesus replied, “Let me make this very clear, you came looking for me because I fed you by a miracle, not because you believe in me. Why would you strive for food that is perishable and not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life, which never spoils? I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most, for God the Father has destined me for this purpose.”

They were there for what they could get for themselves. Jesus came to save that which was lost, which was everything. He didn’t come to just show us miracles. They even said, “show us miracles we can see then we will believe in You.” Oh my, doesn’t the church still do this. We pray for things to happen and when they don’t we turn our focus away from Jesus to make our own bread that only spoils.

Because He knew their hearts He challenged them with this statement. “Jesus replied to them, “Listen to this eternal truth: Unless you eat the body of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have eternal life. Eternal life comes to the one who eats my body and drinks my blood.” (verse 53-54) What does this even mean? The eating and drinking are receiving the life, power, and virtue of all that Jesus is. He is the Tree of Life. They were offended by what Jesus said and walked away. We are finding the better way in the wilderness. Like we learned yesterday, we are choosing to tether ourselves to Jesus and allow Him to challenge our beliefs.

We aren’t showing up to a building for what He can do for us. We are laying down our lives to become the Tree of Life for others. I have a phrase written in my office. “I want my kids to sit in the shade of my covenant with Abba.” My covenant with Him becomes a tree of life for others. When I say my kids, I am not just talking about those we are raising in our home but every child, and young adult I have the honor to stand firm in His image for them to find rest in His love and grace.

Jesus is known as the Kinsman Redeemer. He came to redeem the land back to its original design. As we have studied in the past, we are here on earth to be His image and see Heaven displayed.

Let’s go back to the question at the top. How far will you go to be with Jesus and why? Spend some time with the Holy Spirit and let Him reveal your heart and motives. It is ok wherever you are right now. He wants to love you into a deeper more intimate relationship with Him.

Why Are You Here?

How do we become like Jesus if we really don’t know Him? Most people are introduced to the Gospel of Salvation instead of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of Salvation is the starting point. It is the entry into the Kingdom. As you enter in and begin to walk with Jesus you learn His way of doing things. His way isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. It can actually seem very painful and offensive if you don’t understand Him. He cares way more about your heart than your comfort. Let’s look at a story in Matthew 15.

“Then Jesus left and went north into the non-Jewish region of Lebanon. He encountered there a Canaanite woman who shouted out to him, “Lord, Son of David, show mercy to me! My daughter is horribly afflicted by a demon that torments her.” But Jesus never answered her. So his disciples said to him, “Why do you ignore this woman who is crying out to us?” Jesus said, “I’ve only been sent to the lost sheep of Israel.” But she came and bowed down before him and said, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responded, “It’s not right for a man to take bread from his children and throw it out to the dogs.” “You’re right, Lord,” she replied. “But even puppies get to eat the crumbs that fall from the prince’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Dear woman, your faith is strong! What you desire will be done for you.” And at that very moment, her daughter was instantly set free from demonic torment.

There are a couple of things happening here that Jesus is wanting to point out to us today. First of all, Jesus took his disciples to a non-Jewish region. Jews did not speak to Gentiles because it was considered unclean. When Jesus ignores the woman, the disciples asked him why he was ignoring her. In the Greek this phrase is translated by them asking Him to send her away. They did not want to deal with her, but what they did not know is He was there to deal with their thinking. He was schooling his disciples. For us today, we often try to get through our own trials quickly, but Jesus will allow them to tarry until He schools us in the areas he knows we need. We must learn to take our focus off of our trials and put it on Him. We can only hear His voice when we come into rest and trust with Him at the center. He taught the disciples through this story a different way of seeing the Gentiles. They saw themselves as the Children of Yahweh and the Gentiles as dogs. Jesus reveals to them how He sees all people. How do you see those who do not have the fruit of the Kingdom? Do you want to send them away or be like Jesus and show them the real Kingdom of Yahweh?

Second part of this story is highlighted through the response of the woman when Jesus refers to her as a dog. Did she get offended and leave? No, she didn’t. This reveals her heart for her family. Jesus will often confront situations in our lives by saying things we do not want to hear. In these moments we have a choice. Do I listen to what He is saying to me or am I listening through offense in my heart? Her response reveals faith and fascination of who He is and what He can do for her children. Just think if she walked away offended. Who would pay the price for her offense? Her daughter would pay the price not her.

Your willingness to stay tethered to Jesus even when you hear something offensive shows you are not just here for you. If you come to Jesus just for you and walk out when you don’t like what you hear you’re actually walking out on your children. Let me clarify the term “walk out.” We can actually remain in a Kingdom family showing up every week but still “walk out” in our hearts. Will you remain when you hear something you don’t like for the next generation? He is in the processing of making all things new in us and sometimes that is a painful process, but we are being made into His image, so the next generation has the “right” image of Jesus. We are here for them.

A Higher Standard

In Revelation 12:11 it says we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. This week we’ve been challenged with what can seem like a great task to accomplish if we are not looking at it correctly. On Earth as it is in Heaven seems like a stretch if we make it about the whole world all at once. We overcome by the testimony of others as well as our own. Pastor Tim shared Sunday the story of one of our favorite people in all of history. George Washington Carver. I encourage you to read his full story, but I will give you the short story here. He was a black male born into slavery. His mother, sister and he were stolen from the family they belonged to. He was only three months old at the time. The thieves left him in the wilderness to die because he was so little. The family found him and due to sickness, he wasn’t raised outside in the field. This opened up to him education. He endured a lot of mistreatments from the world around him due to the color of his skin, but he did not let that stop him. At a young age he was introduced to Jesus, and he fell in love with Him. As he grew up, he would take long early morning walks in the woods to talk to Jesus. He cultivated an ear to hear the voice of Jesus. Fast forward after college he received a teaching job in Alabama. As he entered the state the Lord asked him what did he see? He said, I see a land and a people who are starving. As he walked with Jesus each day for over twenty years, he single-handily changed the economy of Alabama and some of Mississippi with his over three hundred fifty uses of the peanut.

He did not allow all of the tribulations and troubles of religion and politics to affect his heart. He was about one thing. The voice and heart of Jesus for a land and its people. His story gives us hope. When you set your heart on Jesus you too can change the world around you. Mr. Carver saw Heaven on Earth as he listened to the voice of Jesus tell him all the things that could be done with the peanut and then he taught others what he learned.

Abba is calling us to a different standard than what you see today as the body of Christ. He has put a passion on the inside of you for a purpose just like He did for Mr. Carver. We have to stop settling for low standards so we can raise the standards in Gulfport and your city to where Abba says they should be.

These Walks are not a devotion to read every day then walk away and forget what you’ve read. It is an invitation to transformation. Let hope arise in you to passionately see things the way Abba does. We want His heart!

Beware of Two Things

In three of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke we see a warning from Jesus concerning two things. Jesus says there are two things to avoid. The political spirit and the religious spirit. Let’s look at these scriptures starting with Matthew. “Don’t you understand? I’m not talking about bread, but I’m warning you to avoid the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Then finally they realized he wasn’t talking about yeast found in bread, but the error of the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Matthew 16

Why the Pharisees? The Pharisees refused to have anything to do with the common people because they saw themselves as separated unto Yahweh. Jesus referred to them as religious frauds who wanted to have the final say on all doctrines that was taught to the people. They demanded their interpretation of the Scriptures. They were law keepers and loved money. This is the religious spirit, which demands its way.

Who are the Sadducees? They were wealthy priests, aristocratic families and merchants with political connections to Herod. They didn’t believe in the afterlife, angels or the miraculous. They strictly wanted the law of Moses, and they loved politics. They demanded their own way.

“And as they were sailing across the lake, Jesus repeatedly warned them, “Be on your guard against the yeast inside of the Pharisees and the yeast inside of Herod!” Mark 8

“Jesus turned to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. It permeates everything they do and teach, like leaven, serving their own interests.” Luke 12

Jesus uses the word yeast to warn us even a little bit of either one of these will permeate our entire belief system and we will lose our way to who we are really called to be. If we are His beloved children, then why do we wear other labels He warns against? Jesus never wore a coat of any denomination nor was He a part of a political party. We are called to be lovers of Yahweh!

As a lover you set your everyday life to be with Jesus, to talk to Him, and listen for His voice. This union should radically change our whole lifestyle. Truth is most of us have only been introduced to the religious agenda when it comes to church which is often influenced by politics. Our own appetites have made our choices for us, and it has left us malnourished in our hearts and spirits.

We are called to be exclusively His Bride. Peripoiesis which means belonging exclusively to one. This week we’ve been talking about what we are saved for- On Earth as it is in Heaven. Nothing on earth changes until it happens in us first.

Today, I encourage you to walk with Abba asking Him to reveal any area you have allowed the leaven of religion or politics to permeate your beliefs. We often don’t realize the trap we are in until we allow Him to shine the truth on those areas. Remember Song of Songs? “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.” He never asks us to do something on our own other than surrender to His wisdom and guidance and even then, He gives us the grace to surrender our will to His.

You Are Predestined.

Yesterday in the Walk we talked about Jesus returning after the restoration of all things. Remember in Acts 3 it says this restoration is fulfilling everything that Yahweh said long ago through his holy prophets? One of those prophets is Isaiah. Today we will look at the description of the Kingdom of Yahweh and what He says the earth will look like in Isaiah 65.

“Look! I am creating entirely new heavens and a new earth! They will be so wonderful that no one will even think about the old ones anymore! As you wait for the reality of what I am creating, be filled with joy and unending gladness! Look! I am ready to create Jerusalem as a source of sheer joy, and her people, an absolute delight! I will rejoice in this new Jerusalem and find great delight in my people. You will no longer hear the sound of weeping or cries of distress. No baby will die in infancy there, and everyone will live out their full lifespan. For when centenarians die, they will be considered youngsters, and anyone who dies earlier will be considered of no account. People will build their own houses to live in, and they will not be taken over by someone else. They will plant their own vineyards to enjoy, and they will not be confiscated by someone else. They will live long lives, like age-old trees, and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest the work of their hands throughout their lives. They will neither work in vain for someone else, nor will their children face disaster for they will be children and grandchildren who are blessed by Yahweh. Before they even call out to me, I will answer them; before they’ve finished telling me what they need, I’ll have already heard. The wolf and the lamb will graze side by side, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and the serpent’s food will be dust. There will be neither violence nor murder on my entire holy mountain of Zion,” says Yahweh.”

Most of us have been told this is what heaven will be when we get there but this is Heaven on Earth. How does a wolf and lamb graze side by side or a lion eat straw like an ox? The nature of the wolf and lion are changed. It’s hard to read this and believe it when the facts of the world staring us in the face are the opposite of what we read in Isaiah. Again, do you believe Jesus? When He said, I have all authority and now I am giving it to you, why did He give us His authority? To wait to die and go to heaven or bring the Kingdom of Yahweh to the Earth?

The earth is groaning for the revealing of the Beloved sons and Beloved daughters. Shouldn’t it be waiting for the return of Jesus instead, unless it knows something we haven’t quite believed YET! We are created in the image of Jesus. We’ve been given all of His authority for right now. The earth, our country, our state, our city, our neighbors, our family, and our children need the image of Jesus now.

So, why as Beloved ones are we not seeing what Jesus says is available? Could it be that we have given our authority away? When you come into agreement with a lie you give it your authority to exist and reign over you. Pastor Tim explained it well like this, “The enemy has no authority except what you and I give him. A lie only has power when you give it your authority over your life. So, when you read stuff like Isaiah 65 and say this can’t be, you’ve come into agreement with a false narrative. A delusional thought. Giving a false narrative or delusional thought your authority it then becomes the governing factor over your life.”

What do we want governing our lives? The Kingdom of Yahweh or a false narrative? That seems like a simple answer doesn’t it.

You have been predestined for life and life more abundant now. Abba says as the days of a tree so are the days of my people. He is waiting for you to come into agreement with Him. When we come into agreement with His voice in our everyday life, we get to bring the government of peace to those around us. This is how the wolf and lamb graze together. We begin to experience rest in our own souls and then it flows to those around us. You must surrender your life, your beliefs, your agenda to the voice and guidance of Jesus.

Do You Believe Jesus?

After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples many times over the course of forty days. During this time, He was teaching them a lot about the Kingdom. Even after three and half years of walking with Jesus they still had this picture in their mind of how Jesus was going to deal with the Romans. Let’s look at Acts 1 to see the question they kept asking. “Every time they were gathered together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is it now the time for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” When will you restore OUR kingdom? They wanted Him to remove and annulate the Romans but that is not why Jesus came. What was Jesus’ response about His return?

“The Father is the one who sets the fixed dates and the times of their fulfillment. You are not permitted to know the timing of all that he has prepared by his own authority. But I promise you this—the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be seized with power. You will be my messengers to Jerusalem, throughout Judea, the distant provinces —even to the remotest places on earth!”

Unfortunately, we have had a lot of misinformation about the return of Christ. Like we discussed yesterday it has caused us to get off of the wall and wait to escape. This is called escapism. Why would Jesus promise us the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit and His power just so we could wait around to escape. That makes no sense. This matters more than we’ve ever realized. In Acts 3, we see where the Holy Spirit gave Peter revelation knowledge in Jesus’ return. We don’t know the time, but we do have a picture of what it will look like. “For He (Jesus) must remain in heaven until the restoration of all things has taken place, fulfilling everything that God said long ago through his holy prophets.” Acts 3:21

What does the restoration of all things mean? The word restoration in the Greek is apokatastasis which infers the restoration of creation to the state of existence before the fall. The Gospel of Luke chose a Greek word that has a medical term, meaning the restoration of perfect health. (See the footnotes in TPT) If Jesus isn’t returning until the cosmos is restored to its original condition who is responsible for the restoration? It makes sense of why He would give us the gift of the Holy Spirit and His power to see this restoration come to pass. In 1 Corithians 15, Jesus says when He returns, He will deal with the last enemy death. We are responsible for dealing with the other enemies like cancer, disease, divorce, addiction, obesity, mental health and all the other enemies of His perfect plan for His creation.

On Earth as it is in Heaven. We are on Earth and have the power of the Holy Spirit to address all of these issues. Remember, this walk is building on the foundation of our intimacy with Jesus. As we choose Him daily and hear Him speak to us, it is in these moments we get to encourage others, love them like Jesus, pray for healings, and we begin to see the restoration take place one person at a time.

If Jesus says this is possible, do you believe?

I Sought a Man/Woman

Jesus says in Matthew 6:9-10, “Pray like this: ‘Our Beloved Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. Manifest your kingdom realm and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is in heaven.”

If you ever want to know what to pray Jesus gives us clear instructions in Matthew 6. He starts out with our Beloved Father. In the original language Jesus spoke in Aramaic which is actually Abba. It means Dada. Every word He says has the purpose of redemption. He tells them to say Abba to redeem how they see Yahweh. In those days people were so afraid of Him they wouldn’t even say His name. Just like today some people refer to Him as the “Man upstairs” or the “Eye in the Sky” or maybe you mostly hear “Heavenly Father.” He is our heavenly Father, but that language makes Him seem so far away. Jesus is saying it is more intimate than that. Abba- Dada is a very intimate word. This is the relationship he is calling us into.

Maybe you’re struggling with calling Him Abba because this is new for you. That’s ok. He is so loving and kind He will meet you right where you are and love you closer and closer to the position of sitting in His lap leaning your head on His chest just like a child being held by its father.

“May the glory of your name be the center of our lives.” We know His glory is His goodness. When our lives are truly centered on Him, we see His goodness in every area and so will those around us. Pastor Tim made a statement Sunday that is very powerful. “I will not manipulate people when He’s as good as He is.”

We do not need to manipulate people into loving Jesus IF our lives really display His goodness. Total transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but it starts with how we see the things of the Kingdom. If you believe we are being rescued from this dark world every decision you make and how you raise your children will be based off of that belief. Jesus is telling us something to pray for: on earth as it is in heaven. We MUST line our belief with what Jesus is saying is possible.

This is our vision at The Wilderness Place. On Earth as it is in Heaven. How do we begin to see this transpire? It starts with intimacy with Jesus and living life from Him being the center. Ephesians 4 tells us IF we really know Jesus it shows up in our lives. Let’s get a bit more specific. It shows up in our marriage, it shows up in our family, it shows up in our workplace. Take a moment to think about your life right now and the areas mentioned. Can you say with certainty I see Jesus (peace, order, honor, gentleness, kindness, etc.) in every area? Every one of us have areas we can say, “no, this area here, I control.” Honesty is the first step.

Did you know Mississippi has the highest number of people who confess to be believers (Christians) in the US? This is disheartening. Why? We are ranked at the bottom of all the things that matter. According to US News, Mississippi is #35 in education, #50 in economy, #50 in healthcare and #50 in the nation for family and community. Which means we have a high percentage of single parent homes, high teen birth rates and children living in high poverty areas. THIS HAS TO CHANGE! This is NOT the heart of Abba! He has solutions for every area, but He needs Beloved Sons and Daughters who are willing to stand on the wall and in the gap to hear His voice. Ezekiel 22, “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.”

It is not his heart to destroy. He set His beloved ones filled with His Spirit to rule and reign over the earth, but we fell for a delusion of being rescued from a dying world, so we got off the wall and destruction came. His heart is to rule and reign through His children on the earth. We refuse to continue to be ok with these statistics in Mississippi. Our children and grandchildren and thousands of generations to come deserve better.

Today you get to choose to stand on the wall and put Him as the center of your life. Wait for His voice to tell you what to do. This takes surrendering your agenda. We can and will see Mississippi become the place to raise a family. The place that truly host His presence and displays the real image of Jesus.

On Earth as it is in Heaven!