As we draw close to the celebration of Christmas and the whirlwind of activity that can often come with it, I reflected on Christ's birth. Specifically, I was drawn by the Holy Spirit to the conception of Jesus in Mary's womb. It is amazing to me that this young teenager (probably 14-16 years old) would be so mightily used of God. The depth of her faith and character are revealed by her response to the encounter with God through the angel Gabriel. When Gabriel gives her (Luke 1:28-38) the promise of God that she would give birth to a child and His name would be Jesus, she responds with the logical question of how could this be because she is a virgin. Unlike Zachariah's response to the angel that questioned God's promise based on the natural circumstances (he and his wife were old), Mary's response is one of wander-filled faith. Mary does not question if God can do this but how it will happen. Gabriel then goes on to share that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and conceive the child.
Mary's response to the word of God is amazing when she says, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word". She receives the word and agrees that this will happen by faith, even though she must have a lot of questions in her heart. This response of not only faith but surrender positioned her to be used of God in a mighty way to accomplish His plan. When she came into agreement with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit came upon her, she became pregnant with the Word of God (Jesus is the Word became flesh-John 1:14). I am not sure what would have happened if she had not come into agreement with the Word and surrendered herself to the promise.
I believe Mary becoming pregnant with the promise (Word of God) is not only for her but also to show us the way God wants to operate with us. Mary had no ability (in her own strength or effort) to bring about conceiving Jesus, the Son of God. Thus in the Promise was the very divine DNA of Jesus, she added nothing to it but became the carrier of the Promise. When God gives a promise over our lives (from the Word or prophetic) we become a carrier of the Promise, in essence we are pregnant with the Promise. Yet our effort to try to bring the Promise into fruition will only lead to frustration because it is God who brings about the Promise. Mary not only surrendered, agreed with the Promise by faith, but also carried the Promise to full term. Mary must have endured hardship, shame, questioning, probably rejection, and difficulty as she carried the Son of God to full term.
As we receive and surrender to the Promise by faith, we also may endure hardship and difficulty as we participate with God to see the Promise be manifested in and through us in our lives.
"Inspiration precedes perspiration" is a saying that contains some wisdom. As I was reflecting on motivation, too many times in the areas of education, work, or an athletic endeavor we hear "work harder, try harder". There is truth that to achieve a goal that it takes hard work and diligence but without having the inspiration we soon get frustrated. I don't believe that obligation or duty is the most powerful motivator.
I was given a great picture of inspiration preceding perspiration. My 11 year old son has struggled with homeschooling, though he enjoys his enrichment days. He brought his guitar with him when he was going to be at my church office to play after he finished his schoolwork. While playing his guitar he was overheard by our Youth Pastor, Simon, who also is an amazing Worship Leader. He was blown away by Joshua's playing after only a few months. He took Joshua down to the Sanctuary to jam on an electric guitar while he played drums, Joshua's smile was huge. Simon was led to give Joshua the first electric guitar he ever owned, which was given to him by his dad when he was just 18. Even though Joshua just got the electric guitar, my sense from the Holy Spirit was that worship and music are a big part of his destiny.
One author said that passion creates focus which are superior to goals; goals are about obtaining certain outcomes. At the core of passion is desire which comes from a heart that has freedom, rather than coming from a soul under an obligation or in fear. God clearly speaks to the priority of our spirits and our hearts, in all three of the Gospels Jesus tells us "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." When we live a life disconnected from our hearts then we will leave out of our thoughts, logic, obligations, and fears ending up in numb-numb-ville. In Psalms 37:4 we are told, "Delightyourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart." God has designed that desire and passion flows from our hearts and amazingly in the New Covenant we have been given new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26). It will take hard work (perspiration) to walk in your destiny but without passion and desire we will lose our way. Passionately pursing Father's Love, Bret
In Ephesians 1:17-23 and 2:5-7 we see that Christ was raised from the dead and seated far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, God put all things in subjection to Him. Then in Ephesians 2:5-7 we have been raised with Christ and seated in Him in the heavenly places, experiencing the same place of power and authority with Christ. Our thinking and perceiving is to come from the heavenlies and not the earthly realm. Yet since our soul is tuned to the world around us, we often draw our perspectives from the natural realm. Drawing our perspectives of life from the natural realm means that we will end up fighting problems and difficulties in the same realm. God sent Christ to overcome sin, death, sickness, broken relationships, poverty, fear, anger, lust, strife, rejection, loneliness, and many more.
By God seating us in the heavenlies we are given an open invitation to see everything in our life from a higher perspective and level of thinking. Since God created the Heavens in Genesis 1 to resource the earth, we need to understand how to access heaven's perspective and thinking by faith so we can see heaven's resources manifest here. There are times in life where the negatives of life are coming at us like a tidal wave. So we brace ourselves and try to figure out how to deal with it all, only to get overwhelmed and frustrated. In Christ we have been taken above the tidal wave to see what God has purchased for us "in Christ" and given us the invitation to partake of heaven's resources. How does a tidal wave look when you are in a helicopter hovering above it? There is a sense of safety and security because you are not in front of the tidal wave but in a warm helicopter hundreds of feet above it.
I believe that our loving Abba is issuing invitations through Holy Spirit when problems and difficulties come our way. Through the promises "in Christ" we can see from God's perspective because He has defeated the things that would crush us. So every problem comes with a Promise that takes us to not only a new height but a new level of intimacy with Jesus. The main barrier to experiencing this new perspective and way of thinking is our old way of thinking. It is amazing to me how the ruts in my thinking seem as worn as the well worn ruts of the Wagon Trains headed west. Not only do I know how I will respond from this perspective but I have already predicted how others will respond from their ruts. This is one of the many reasons we need a Savior to save us from our old dead way of thinking and bring us into "newness of life" (Romans 6:4).
We know according to Philippians 4:19 how God has promised to supply our needs, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Any time there is a need the Holy Spirit is going to point to who Jesus is for us in the situation because He is where the resources are. When we look to our own resources or to the resources of others, we will only find a limited supply. When I think of all the "His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" I am blown away by how much there is in Him. Rising Above, Bret
It is important for us to begin our thinking with our old self being dead, which means we are completely new "in Christ". Often our thinking can go to changing our old patterns of life or improving who we are. It seems that our culture is obessesed with being better and always working on yourself to be someone better, more beautiful, more successful, smarter, or richer. The Gospel comes at life a whole different way, your old self was so bad that it could not be improved on or cleansed it must be crucified. I have to admit my past has caught up with me too many times, where I then became focused on changing who I was in those circumstances rather than realizing that the old man is dead and gone.
If we begin our thinking that our old man or woman is dead, then we will look toward who God is for us and who we are in Him. We need His thoughts and perceptions, rather than returning to the land of familiar about who we have been (especially when it is a negative). A great place to begin is to realize that we are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, Christ, and even the Father living in us. As a mobile-carrier of God Himself you are far beyond ordinary or deficient. As we rest from trying to fight the negatives in our lives or trying to make the Old Man better, we can begin to hear God's voice releasing newness of life.
Resting from trying to save ourselves goes against the tide of our world who are constantly striving to be better, be stronger, be tougher, be more valuable, etc.. Resting is about posturing our heart to receive salvation and freedom realizing that we will never be able to save ourselves. The deceitfulness of sin leads us to stuck in places that we need saving from, whether it be from a loveless marriage, a bad job situation, a financial jam, problems with kids, discouragement, or poor decisions about our future.
Honestly, giving on working on the Old me seems like a cop out and getting out of something I am supposed to be doing. I can see a lot of negatives about my current way of living and this then leads to a striving to fix the old self. Even in spiritual areas like I need to trust God more, I need to have more faith, I need to be more loving, and I need to be bolder in my faith. These all sound like good areas to improve on but as soon as I begin to strive to improve myself in these areas I have been deceived. The New Man I am "in Christ" always trusts God and is increasing in walking in trust. We need to understand that to be a New Man or New Woman in Jesus does not mean that we are not growing because we need to come into full maturity "in Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
Let's not work on the negatives in our lives but exchange them for God's thoughts and perspectives.
As I listened to a message on Fear versus Love, the Holy Spirit began speaking to my heart. I have battled fear for much of my life, since growing up with a background of abandonment, rejection, loneliness, darkness, and intimidation. Honestly, in this battle there are times that I seemed to make forward progress in trusting God versus giving into fear. Yet I would say that I still did not experience victory. I was reminded again that it is only through Father's love for us through Jesus Christ that we overcome fear. This requires we put our faith in who Jesus is for us and look to what He has done to overcome fear.
Fear is such a powerful reality. When you are under the influence of fear your mind is filled with the worst case scenarios, you are braced for these to come true, the hope and joy seem sucked out of you, and you feel alone in this dark place. There is no doubt that at that point we are in the enemy's camp experience the reality he wants us to live. Kris Vallotton said, "Fear is faith in the wrong kingdom." God's goodness and love seem far away when we are under the influence of fear.
In order for the reality of fears defeat to be made real for us we must choose to stand in faith in God's love. Jesus took the negatives of fear on the cross and fear was crucified, all those fears no longer belong to us. Jesus purchased for us to have hope, joy, love, and peace. Why do we stay stuck in fear because we are believing it is more powerful that what Jesus has done and because we are choosing to hold on to it. Fear distorts how we see God and ourselves.
We were not created to fear. Actually fear is our brain's circuitry being high jacked because we are wired for truth and love. It is only love in action that is able to melt the fear mindsets in our brain replacing them with new mindsets of love. This takes not only believing in God's love for us but choosing to place our trust in His love.
I believe one of the most powerful steps we must take is to have a "No Tolerance" policy with fear. Fear must go because Jesus overcame it at the cross and we are in Him. I have noticed that it is eary to make excuses to stay in fear because we are drawing on this world's reasoning and assessment rather than heaven. We may win individual battles against fear but I believe it is vital in this hour that we win the war to see fear bow it's knee in our life to Jesus Christ. This means that we need to be willing for God to deal with the roots of fear mindsets (lies), step out in trust and faith, and for us to experience Father's love in increasing measures. It was Jezebel's efforts to under mind the faith of Elijah that began to render him powerless. Being convicted of what is right in God's eyes, knowing who He is for us in the situation, and who we are in Him are vital to overcome.
We were created to dwell in the Presence of God and experience His love continually and even the higher plan was for us to be one with love (union). Remember there were two trees in the center of the Garden of Eden next to each other. God said do not eat from the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil but did command them to freely eat of the other trees, including the Tree of Life. Love must always include a choice, even the freedom to make bad choices. It is religion that would come and try to get us to only make good choices but this really is the good side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As you grow up in a loving relationship with God, your parents, and others you would form a healthy and life giving identity. Adam and Eve were created first in the image of God (identity) and how relationships function is always connected to identity. Adam and Eve eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil led them to believe that God was angry with them and holding their sin against them so they hid. This same belief introduced fear into their relationship with one another, then avoidance, lying, and blame.
The Kingdom of God is consistent, united, and not fragmented like the kingdoms of the world. Thus God continually connects identity and relationship throughout His Word. For you to live in loving relationships is for you to receive revelation of who God is as love. Then to receive His extravagant love and for your relationships to be forever changed. People so encountered Jesus that they were forever changed by His love and saw themselves completely different. Mary Magdeline had been seen as a despicable woman, yet when Jesus stared into her eyes and she was overcome with the eyes of love she was changed. Jesus even honored her worship of Him as she poured expensive perfume on His feet and wiped His feet with her hair. He told these religious men who judged her that this story of what she had done would be told continuously and even held her up as a standard of worship. She went from being despicable sinner woman to beloved daughter of God.
God's love for us is supposed to be manifest in our relationship with those in our lives. As we receive His forgiveness for all of our sins, we forgive those who have sinned against us, and we then are transformed into a forgiving person (changing our relationships). Of course, I am talking about us experiencing the identity that is already ours in Christ. 1 John 4:20 challenges us that we are deceiving ourselves if we say we love God and hate our brother. Meaning that God's love for us leads us to respond to love for Him and then we love others. Love gives. Key to transforming our relationships is to receive Father's love and then give Father's love to others.
When you have problems in your relationships I can guarantee you or the person you are in relationship with is believing a lie (identity). It is so common for us to believe lies about our identity that the fruit quickly shows up in relationship but we often miss the lie because we blame the other person, blame our self, avoid intimacy in the relationship, or make excuses. Bringing the lies we believe to the Holy Spirit to receive truth will bring us into lasting freedom that will bring new life into our relationships as well.
Holy Spirit spoke to me about peace from John 14:27 where Jesus tells the disciples He is leaving them His peace different than the world's peace. It struck me that Jesus' peace came from heaven and is derived from His relationship with the Father through the Holy Spirit. I once heard a pastor say that the atmosphere of heaven is peace. When we think of peace in our day, we drift to ocean beaches on tropical islands or idyllic waterfalls which symbolize more of an escape. Our thought is if I can be in a peaceful place with no trouble then I can have peace. The peace that Jesus gives is altogether different because it is not dependent on the absence of trouble but the Presence of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father.
It does depend on us being in a peaceful place but that is not escaping our current circumstances or our current location but dwelling in heaven. It days gone by they would be familiar words over a person's grave site on their tomb, R.I.P. (Rest in Peace). It was believed that finally peace would come when you exited this world. God has given us a peace by seating us "in Christ" in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), so that we can progressively become more aware of heaven's reality over situations and people. The Old Testament word for peace "Shalom" is pregnant with meaning. Some of the meanings are completeness, soundness, welfare, health, prosperity, safety, and peace.
It seems in order for us to have peace God would have to take us out of this world with all it's brokenness, problems, wars, crime, sin, murder, etc. He did better than that by having our old man crucified which was subject to all these forces and then raised us up united with Christ finally to sit with Him at the right hand of the Father. In Romans 8:6 says, "...the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace..." Meaning that as lean back into your inner man/woman of the spirit (your spirit and His Spirit) in you that it is normal for your spirit to experience life and peace. Your old dead spirit had become polluted with being present to this world whereas your New spirit raised with Christ is always present to God.
Jesus had an unending peace because His peace was never broken since His fellowship with the Father through the Holy Spirit was continual. This is what Father has purchased for you and I through Jesus Christ. Now we who are "in Christ" have the door open for us to continually experience peace by being in fellowship with the Father and Son. Heaven's perspective on the challenges and difficulties you face are much different than an earthly or orphan mindset. The Holy Spirit will readily reveal Heaven's perspective over a situation but if we are looking somewhere else (mind set on the flesh is death) will miss His perspective.
I came to a revelation by the Holy Spirit as I was listening to a teaching on "The Mind of a Saint". I realized I have believed the lie, that I will be a loved son when I arrive. Arriving meant some standard in my soul that had been agreed with I thinking mainly "I feel like a son loved and secure, therefore I am a son." So I would go along believing I was a son until I ran into something in my soul that felt alone, abandoned, not good enough, or etc then I went down into the orphan pit.
Truthfully, in the midst of being in an orphan pit feeling ashamed and rejected I was as much a son as I will ever be. The only way for us to rise above the tyranny of the soul is to rise up in our spirit through the Holy Spirit's thoughts and revelations. The Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Adoption can guide us into experiencing the reality of our New Nature as sons and daughters of God. Newness of life (Kainos) means that everything is fresh and new for us as children of God. Our spirits always think from the place of Kainos life seeing new possibilities and perspectives in each situation or circumstance we encounter. Yet there is also the choice to choose the old life's (orphan) perspective, thinking, or language which results in us sowing to the flesh and reaping death.
We have been placed "in Christ" which means all our perspectives, thinking, and language can come from being in First Love (between the Father and Son). We have been given the "Mind of Christ", this does require choice (agreement/submission) where we receive the fresh thoughts, perspectives, and thinking of Jesus by the Spirit. We receive these fresh insights and perspectives as we lean back into the inner man of our spirit a place of rest and peace. When we put pressure on our soul, instead of rest and peace, we will tend to default to the negative.
Our soul is made up of the mind, will, and emotions. This is the dimension of our person designed to relate to other people. God created us first as a spirit, as a spiritual being we were designed to live from our relationship with God over every other relationship. God breathed life into us, God is spiritual being that breathed into us spiritual life. The soul is a great servant but a terrible Master. When the soul is the Master I look for love, life, and my needs met through the people around me and the natural world (addictions, food, and worldly pleasures).
When we connect with the Holy Spirit's perspectives, thinking, and language we experience the dimension of the Spirit which transcends the physical world and the soulical realm. The soul is not evil or bad but it must be subject to the Holy Spirit through our spirit. Then through the soul life can be released through the soul and body.
I have been continually rocked by the revelation that Father placed us into Jesus that we could experience the affection between the Father and Son. We share in their Brilliance, kindness, fellowship, and love in a constant dance of intimacy and delight. You have been saved into this amazing relationship. Yes it is a position but so much more, a fullness of life that will blow away our past experience of life. I believe the Apostle John could exclaim "God is Love" because he had tasted of this divine reality of intimacy, got lost in the love of God, and therefore could declare that God is love.
Since we have been put in Christ there is no limit to the love that Father can pour out on us who are "in Christ" because it was our old nature connected to being "in Adam" that was the limitation. Now I understand why in Ephesians 3:19 says, "and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may befilled up to all the fullness of God." God has birthed us as New Creation sons and daughters to be filled with His nature of Love, Light, and Truth. Seeing God's incredible fullness of life and love in the Spirit, gives us the freedom to be honest about our love deficits. Each of us were created to be valued, loved, have security, and purpose. Yet in this world we all have experienced times where our deepest needs for love were not met and some for long periods of time. When love needs go unmet for a long time, strongholds of rejection (feeling unloved and unwanted) form in our hearts. These strongholds will have a life of their own producing thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that we are disconnected from the love we crave. If we receive the invitation of the Holy Spirit to fullness of life and love, then we can begin to open up these areas of deficit to see His love break into our hearts. Romans 5:5 says, "and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." This needs to be more than a nice thought or statement, it must become our experienced reality. The Love of God must be experienced in addition to being believed. Receiving His Fullness, Bret
In a world where people are trying to get ahead, be noticed, be better than others, and compete with everyone else for significance rejection is common. On an orphan planet where there is often striving to meet our own needs for love and acceptance, rejection even finds it's way into our homes and families. If we received rejection, and all of us have received some, as we grew up then we will give what we have received.
The good news in Jesus Christ is that we have received and are receiving a love so powerful that it overcomes all rejection. If your identity is not found in love then often it is found in rejection and wounding. The Holy Spirit has revealed that for me at the very young age of 6 an orphan heart was birthed in the midst of my dad's suicide and a core part of this identity to formed around being rejected, unloved, and alone. In Dr. Caroline Leaf's book, "The Gift In You", she talks about how thoughts form structures in the mind that actually take up mental real estate. She goes onto say that these structures look like trees in our brain and the worst of them can have thorns on them and even a dark cloud over them. She states that love actually melts these toxic trees and then begins to form new trees.
The love of the Father is the answer for an orphan planet and for all rejection. Rejection says that at the core there is a reason that a person is unacceptable or inferior and thus the punishment is to reject them. Rejection is so common to our culture that getting cut from the team, not being chosen for the play, or getting a low grade with the scorn that comes with it are all common experiences for most of us in our life. In fact, without the ability to reject others our culture would be lost in how to get things done. It is in the midst of this backdrop that Jesus is sent to bring the spirit of adoption to make us sons and daughter, beginning a revolution of love and acceptance.
In Malachi 4:5 & 6 the prophet tells of the way in which Jesus will come, "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” This same passage is quoted in the New Testament in Luke about John the Baptist who is the forerunner for Jesus who is coming in the same spirit. God is about restoring relationship, bringing love and healing to those broken relationships and to those who have been rejected. Accepted in the Beloved, Bret
When the Holy Spirit puts His finger on an area of your life, this is where your next upgrade in identity is about to come. The Holy Spirit was putting His finger in my life on the areas of rejection in my heart, where lies held onto this place of being wounded. If you were wounded in the past by people, it is not the wounding that keeps you stuck but the lie about your identity. One of the Holy Spirit's roles is to lead us into all the truth of who Christ is for us and who we are in Him.
Holy Spirit began to speak to me about being a Beloved son, especially with all the rejection I have experienced (lies I have believed) this collides directly with what I have believed. The Father said of His Son Jesus at His baptism, "... this is My Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased." We have no problem believing the Father said this over Jesus Christ and even announced at His transfiguration "...this is My Beloved Son whom I am well-pleased, listen to Him." You and I have been placed "in Christ" which means that Jesus bore all your rejection and it's results on the cross, that you would be the Beloved. One of the definitions of Beloved means "worthy of love". This is why Paul announces in Ephesians 1 that "you are accepted in the Beloved" and John says in 1 John 3 "Beloved, now we are children of God..."
Being placed "in Christ" as a son or daughter means that we are in a place to receive the Father's love, kindness, provision, acceptance, blessing, and favor (just to mention a few). You share in the affection, love, favor, and blessing of the Father towards His Son Jesus, you have been perfectly positioned in this relationship. It is one reality to be loved by the Father on daily moment by moment basis and quite another to be the Beloved of God. Being the Beloved is an identity and cannot be changed, this is an eternal promise of God that is being lived out and fulfilled.
It is living double-minded to walk in rejection and be a Beloved son or daughter. This is why even now the Holy Spirit is tearing down the strongholds of rejection, unworthiness, and worthlessness in your life. He is crashing in with a revelation of Father's love over you as the Beloved, where you will always live in this place of His affection and kindness. No rejection from earth is able to withstand the onslaught of this heavenly love that destroys the roots of rejection and worthlessness.
Over 87 times the phrase "in Christ" appears throughout the New Testament. I am glad that in recent years the Body of Christ has shown interest in the reality of being "in Christ". What has once been words on a page (doctrinal position), the Holy Spirit is now makng a doorway into a whole new realm of living, being, and destiny. The alternative to being "in Christ" is being "in Adam" which means that we are bound by this natural world with all of it's limits, rules, and laws. The patriarchs of the faith would have understood the concept of being "in" meaning that your whole identity, family, and sense of destiny were connected to being "in". If you are "in Adam" that means everything that is in the line of Adam comes down to you through your father and mother. This includes sin, generational curses, propensities towards certain destructive sinful patterns, along with all the distortions in these families,the twisted original image of man (created in God's image), and finally death. As I say these concepts each of us has personal experience with these realities in our life, the struggles with certain sin patterns and the disappointments that have been passed down through the generations.
In our Father's great love He needed to rescue us from more than our choices and actions, He needed to rescue us from the family that had been tainted and twisted by sin. Father needed to put us in a new family without the continual influence of sin. The plan of the Trinity in the beginning before the foundation of the earth was to bring us into the family of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are in a never ending relationship of honor, love, joy, eternal life, and intimacy. Into this beautiful and magnificent family the Father decides to bring us in but the only way is when we are released from our old family that is bringing death. I believe deep in the heart of the Trinity is when the plan to rescue all of humanity and bring us home to the heart of the Father as sons and daughters was conceived. This would require a human, perfectly sinless under the Law who could be the fulfillment of the covenant. Every other human representative in the covenant, Adam, Noah, David, and Moses could not completely fulfill their part of the covenant. So a New Covenant was designed which would be between God the Father and God the Son as the human representative with the Holy Spirit given the role of revealing the covenant to those brought in. This covenant does not depend on our performance, ability, or effort.
Through being "in Christ" I am brought into the beautiful dance of the Trinity in all their joy, intimacy, power, honor, and love. Being "in Christ" means that I live as a son sharing in the affection of the Father toward the Son. All reasons to not receive the unconditional love of the Father died with Christ on the cross. Every negative, sin, all shame, guilt, lie or distortion, and inadequacy was summarily crucified with Jesus and the new man that came forth eternally united to Christ is learning to shine in greater measure. Scripture says we are being transformed from "glory to glory" as we look in the face of Jesus, seeing all that He is for us and in us. We are New Creations learning how to live out our union with Christ in everyday life. Seeing everything from the perspective of being seated "in Christ" in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) means that everyone and everything is different from this new realm above.
Most of us have experienced the sheer exhilaration and seeming free fall into "first love" and can remember the young lady or young man. Some of these "first loves" began a wonderful relationship of love while others seem to be like a rocket that failed to fully launch.
God had a very different idea when He placed us "in Christ" and in "first love". The Father loves the Son and loved Him before we were ever created. It is into this boundless and unlimited love which the Father planned for us to be placed in. I have heard our position "in Christ" taught more like a text book, rather than being invited into this place of extravagant love, relationship, and fellowship between Father and Son.
In 1 Corinthians 1:30 we are told, "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." I remember having an encounter with God while worshipping in Toronto. The Father asked me the question, "If I did not like you, why would I want to spend eternity with you?" This question came after I began to understand that from start to finish the Gospel was about relationship. A lovesick Father had lost his children through deception and sin, He would then do whatever it took to get them back.
Amazingly what Father and Son share in their relationship, we are invited into this place of intimacy, love, and fellowship. According to John 17:24 we share in the mutual affection between the Father and Son. It is in the experience of this place of affection that rejection, love deficits, and unmet needs lose their grip on our hearts and we become free. We all dream of our deepest needs for unconditional love, security/safety, purpose, and value being met. There are no dreams that these are not included.
There are many men and women, who like little boys and girls inside, long to hear the words spoken by the Father over Jesus "This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased." Due to shame, love deficits, fears, guilt over past failures, their judgment of their poor performance, or feelings of unworthiness we think those words couldn't possibly be for me but only for Jesus the perfect Son of God. Yet we have been placed "in Christ" as sons and daughters of God and these are His words over you. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price with His life to completely redeem you and bring you home to the Father.
In our outreach ministry the core value has been intimacy with the Father from day one. I've preached it, advocated it, ministered inner healing for it with our ministry members. I've even stepped out in faith and imparted it ..... to the degree that I was walking in His love, I deeply wanted it to come alive in others. Instinctively, I knew in my deepest knowing that this revelation was key to Kingdom living at the level Papa desires for all His kids, and to a great degree, a necessity for what we are going to face in the near future.
I'd given my l life to Christ back in 1971 during the Jesus movement days, 44 years ago, and spent until 2005 kicking, clawing and scratching and now and then giving up totally on finding approval and validation as a Christian. I never realized that what I was longing for was sonship...an intimate, sealed and forever irrevocable relationship with my Father in Heaven.
For me, being a Christian was about belonging to a group during those decades.....and who of us has not been lost and alone in a crowd. Don't get me wrong, that membership is absolutely vital, and
increasingly more important as time winds down towards fulfillment of all things (Heb 10:25). But I (and all of us need ) needed more.
One day while driving home from work I had to pull over quickly. I had suddenly realized that the Lord had seated Himself in the seat next to me. Not visibly, but in every other imaginable tangible way. I couldn't get into a parking lot quick enough, His Presence so heavy and overwhelming. And then He spoke to me 12 simple words that have changed my life forever.
"Jim, I did use you. Will you let me use you again?" You see, I had believed a lie for years. I had believed that He had "used" (abused) me to bless others-- - set others free, while leaving me an orphan, hurting and lonely.
Now you would think those words would sting and validate the lie I had believed. But no! There was so much love and acceptance and validation in that invitation that I instantly knew I was a son. I didn't have verbiage or scripture for it at that time, but I knew that I knew that I knew. You see, for me, I needed it presented that way. I'd grown up longing for the connection that a son finds while working next to his father; doing the things he did, with joy, laughter; conquering together the things men conquer. But instead, I got disapproval and ridicule because I wasn't good enough, quick enough, precise enough. My father had an orphan spirit (I'll share his story in another blog!!), and that's all he could give to me at that time.
In 12 words Papa unlocked my heart into Heaven's assignments, Heaven's power and joy; the joy of hand in hand conquering of kingdoms opposed to His reign of goodness and mercy! The key to my heart was very lovingly and thoughtfully made; just for me. He touched my emptiness with His Father's heart, knowing exactly what I'd respond to.
Is there one master key for experiencing intimacy with the Father? I'd have to say "No. But there is a Master Blank Key from which He cuts the custom key for each of us. It's shaped like a Cross with a heart on the end and it's cut from the very flesh of His own Son." Oh what amazing love, that we might not just be called sons, but by His predestined plan actually become sons. Rom 8:19,29.
No one enjoys negative emotions like: anger, shame, bitterness, disappointment, discouragement, loss, guilt, depression, inadequacy, failure, anxiety, fear, or worry. Yet in a turbulent wold these emotions are all to common of our human experience. With the stock market taking wild swings, rumors of war in Korea, and mass shootings we are continually assaulted with events that could trigger negative emotions.
We need to reframe our negative emotions to see them the way Father does, each one of these emotions are a window for us to experience Father's love. Yet if we do not see them the way He sees them, we will end feeling and believing we are in a worse place. What if I told you that your brain is actually designed to lead you into experiencing God at new levels every time you experience a negative emotion. We must be prepared to learn how to partner with God in this journey. Every one of us when we experience an emotion, also then are led to a context for that emotion we will call this memory. The problem for many of us is that we believe our experience of a negative emotion is because of what is happening now. In reality we are feeling what we believe but this belief has it's context in memory. Let's say I feel inadequate, which as I look deeper is really a feeling of "I am not good enough." The context of this belief turns out to be a memory where an earthly father displays disappointing looks as I fail to make the shot in a game on the 4th grade basketball team (made up scenario). The next component, truth, of going into the window of Father's Love is to ask Jesus His perspective in this context and regarding this belief. As I look to Jesus I see that He says that He is always pleased with me and always proud of me.
The final dimension to this process is transformation, where this new revelation of truth and who Jesus is for me brings about renewing of my mind and then transformation. Seeing that Father's love for me in this place is greater than the lie (I am never good enough) I once believed. What if instead of fighting our negative emotions, seeking to medicate the pain associated with the negative emotions, or trying to stuff our feelings we could see a window into Father's love. Every negative emotion in our life if we position our hearts to align with God's purpose could be an amazing opportunity to experience truth and thus freedom on new levels.
It has been said that 80% of Christians thinking is negative. Could it be that we have not positioned our hearts and reframed these thoughts to experience God. In a world that is increasingly negative in it's thinking, news, and perspective that we as believers need to rise up in our true identity to see from a new perspective. I know for me after having a father commit suicide when I was 6, I learned early the bitter pain of life and thus adopted a very negative perspective. I am learning to see as Father sees, so that I can experience His love in new dimensions.
When I review my walk with God, and reflect on various revelations that have impacted me deeply
regarding experiencing more of Father’s love, understanding my value to Father is, without a doubt, one of the top three revelations. You may ask, “Why is understanding value so important when it is an experience of Father’s love that I am pursuing.” The answer to that question is, only when you gain revelation of your value to Father will you be able to open your heart to greater depths of the
experience of His love. Understanding value steers us toward an accurate perspective when it comes to comprehending the magnitude of Father’s love.
1 Peter 1:18-19 states, “knowing that you were not redeemed (bought back) with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood…the blood of Christ.” These verses speak of an exchange that occurred in order to purchase our salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of God. This transaction, or redemption, was paid through the death of Christ on the cross and the spilling of His blood. But, what does this really tell us regarding our value to Father? Our minds can usually grasp that Christ’s death is critically important and was necessary for our salvation. But, again, what does that really mean in light of our value to Father? Let me further clarify by reflecting on the principle of redemption.
Let’s say that I have a really nice gold ring that has significant value to me both monetarily and sentimentally. However, I fall on hard times financially and I decide that I’m going to sell the ring for some quick cash. I hop in my car and head down to the nearest pawn shop in order to take care of the transaction. I present my ring to the man behind the counter and ask him for top dollar for my precious ring. He states he will give me $75 for the ring. I think the ring is worth much more than this but need the cash, so I agree to follow through with the transaction. As I drive back home and into my driveway, I begin to be overwhelmed with regret. I begin to think about all that the ring means to me and come to the strong conclusion that selling the ring was a huge mistake. So, I start my car up again and drive back to the pawn shop in order to get my ring back. I walk through the front door and to the counter to speak with the man who handled my original transaction. I begin apologizing to him for selling the ring and let him know how much the ring means to me. I tell him that I would like to have the ring back. The pawn shop associate looks at me and says “That will be no problem” as he, additionally, states, “That will be $150”. This example illustrates the principle of redemption. The price of redemption always exceeds the value the item was originally sold for.
Through the fall of Adam, we know that we (all humanity) were sold into bondage to sin (Romans 7:14) and, being under sin, Satan had dominion and ownership over us. But, from the very beginning, God the Father had already devised a plan of redemption (Genesis 3:15). Let me provide you with an illustration that, while not accurate, does an excellent job at depicting our value to Father. It’s as though Father looked down on fallen humanity (you, me, all of us) and stated, “My loved ones, my cherished ones, have sold themselves into my enemy’s hands. I will not stand for this. I must have them back for Myself. But where will I find something of enough value to pay in order to redeem them? What do I have that is of enough value to pay the ultimate price?” First Father looked among His angels, but could not find an angel or angels with the value to redeem humanity. His eyes scanned all of creation, but He could not find anything of sufficient value to buy us back. In fact, Father saw that not even all creation, both in the heavenlies and in the natural realm, was of enough value to redeem those created in His image. And with that, He looked at His only Son, Jesus, and stated, “Son, You are the only One who can pay the ultimate price. You are the only One of high enough value who can redeem My beloved children back to me. Will you go so that I can, once again, have the sons and daughters who will choose Me? Without hesitating, Jesus looked into His Father’s eyes, burning with zeal and love for all humanity, and stated, “Yes, Father, I will go, and it is going to be worth it”. And, for this joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2).
You see, Father demonstrated the quality and expanse of His love—our value—while we were helpless, and while we were in our sins (Romans 5: 6 & 8). How much more, then, does He want us to experience His love when we have made the choice to become His sons and daughters. We must be willing to let go of wrong judgments toward God and choose the truth that a Father who values and loves us this much is good in every sense of the word. As we begin to conform to this truth, Father has even promised to cause all things seemingly bad and destructive in our lives to work together for our good. As we pursue and meditate on our indescribable value to Father, we open our hearts wider and wider to receive greater experiences of this incredible love that He has freely given to us.
One of the biggest barriers to experiencing and walking in Father's love is wounding of the heart. There is a great danger in talking about woundedness because then we tend to focus on our hurt and on ourselves, rather than who Christ is for us. The other side of the ditch is that we ignore and deny that people are wounded by sin, then we have many people who are stuck and not growing due to not finding healing for their wounds. When important people sin against us, particularly as children, then there is often a wound which gives rise to a lie about our identity. If the person does not give access to the wound to Jesus, then the lie remains until it is triggered by relationships or circumstances.
The most common way that wounding is caused is by some form of rejection, abandonment, neglect, or abuse. An important role of parents in our lives is to represent the love of the Father to us, when they misrepresent His love then wounding and hurt can give rise to lies. Love is connected to being valued, when our value is diminished by those entrusted to growing us up valued and loved then there is wounding. In Charles Solomon's 1991 book "The Ins and Out of Rejection" he says that 98% of Christians are not walking in their identity "in Christ" and it is primarily because they find their identity into woundedness.
Jesus was deeply wounded while He walked the earth but there was purpose for His wounding. The prophet Isaiah reveals the Messiah's purpose for being wounded in Isaiah 53:3-5 says "He wasdespised and forsaken of men, A man ofsorrows andacquainted withgrief; And like one from whom men hide their face He wasdespised, and we did notesteem Him. Surely ourgriefs He Himselfbore, And oursorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten ofGod, and afflicted. But He waspierced through forour transgressions, He was crushed forour iniquities; Thechastening for ourwell-beingfellupon Him, And byHis scourging we are healed." Jesus identified with us in our brokenness, grief, wounds, and hurt so we could identify with Him in His wholeness and freedom. As we give Jesus access to the most wounded places in our hearts (rejection, abandonment, abuse, and neglect), then we receive truth from Him which removes the lie and heals our hearts. From this encounter we can bring healing to others, so our wounds become not only a place of healing for us but also for others. In His Healing for our wounds, Bret
Many times in the Body of Christ there is an emphasis on us seeking God, certainly Scripture is filled with verses on the subject. Is this overemphasized in our Christian culture because there is another important truth and that God is seeking us. God being the Creator is the initiator of all life, He is the One who sought out His people, pursued Israel even when they had fallen into idolatry, and is the One who initiated our complete salvation in Jesus Christ. I would even venture to say God's desire is truly one of the greatest truths throughout the whole of Scripture and time. Whatever begins with man is only going to end with man, the initiation by the flesh will only result in the fruit of the flesh. In our postmodern, technologically advanced, and faced-paced world often the most pressing question is "what do I want?" There is a great frenzy to discover what we want but even more frenzy to offer a myriad of choices with the promise of fulfilling our desire. Commercial seek to awaken our desire, only to offer a product that will scratch the itch. All of this can lead us to become incredibly self-focused, where God invites us to become focused on who He is and His desire.
I was struck by Jesus statement in John 4:23-24, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.God isspirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The Father's desire here is that people would be so caught up in the beauty, majesty, sovereignty, and glory of who God is for them that they would be transformed into worshipers. These are not necessarily worship leaders, singers, or those who are up front but those who whole life glistens with magnifying who God is for them. The Father is actively seeking those worshipers, He does not idly wait for us to seek Him but is calling out to us to come into an intimate place of worship, fellowship, and covenant. In this place His desires become our desires, His qualities become our qualities, we become conformed to the image of His Son, and His concerns become our concerns. In this place there is no room for self worship but only worship of the One who is worthy of it all. Will you enter into a new depth of our covenant in Jesus Christ, giving yourself over to God's desire for you and being caught up in who He is for you in every dimension of your life. Worshiping the One, Bret
In our modern culture we have relegated story telling to books, plays and drama, and maybe to children. I believe we have lost a dimension of life in being a people of story, it is only in story and journey that we truly find context and understanding for what God is doing in our lives. We can often find ourselves frustrated with the current chapter of our life because we fail to see the next chapter. Failing to see the next chapter can mean we lack the endurance to walk this chapter well. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. In other words without having a revelation of us being united to the Father through His work on the cross, He would not have the joy to get through the cross.
Being involved in counseling and ministry I see people who feel like this chapter of their life is more the end than a transition into a new season where more life is released. Where our story intersects God's story through our being "born again" is the beginning of new life for us. In covenant His life becomes our life and we exchange our shame, pain, loss, hurt, disappointment, lack, fear, anger, frustration and, failure for victory, freedom, love, and all the dimensions of new life. So in each chapter of our story and journey God is wanting to manifest His nature to us and through us.
In the ancient Hebrew culture story was a way of life, as most truths about God were passed down in an oral tradition and thus testimonies of God's faithfulness where given to another generation. Although in passing down story it wasn't always the most accurate way and thus having it written down greatly improved consistency but we lost some of our love of story. Story allows us to pull back from the details of everyday life and see the bigger themes, struggles, and who God is for us in each chapter.
God is able to redeem the chapters of our lives of darkness, loss, or brokenness. He has the ability in redeeming these chapters but revealing what Jesus has done for us, so that there is lasting fruit. If there is only fruit from the places of victory in our life, then we have limited God because He is our Redeemer. He is the One who makes beauty for ashes and turns our mourning into joy.
In a culture that celebrates the instant, the quick promotion, the flashy, and the finished product; God in contrast celebrates the process, the journey, patience, and a lifetime. Your life is a story that has intersected with God's redemptive story of humanity through Jesus Christ. No dimension of you life will ever be the same as His redemption saturates every dimension of your being. You are a New Creation, who is continually being created by the Holy Spirit in newness and freshness to encounter the various struggles, demands, and problems of life.
For the average believer 80% of our thinking is negative. In Proverbs 23:7 it says "For as he thinks within himself, so he is." As Dr. Caroline Leaf says in her books, thoughts take up mental real estate thus these thoughts can be releasing life or death. On an orphan planet some boast of who they are while others secretly look at all they are not. Orphan ways is that there must be a winner and a loser but in God's kingdom everyone is amazing because of who God is for them and in them (even if they are not a believer but still created "in His image"). Is Father like this seemingly bipolar planet that elevates people to extreme heights of fame, idol worship, and star struck then only to celebrate their demise, fall, and failure. Is He so willing to turn on His sons and daughters when they don't behave right? As a good Father does He not believe more who we are then we do at times. As an earthly father I don't throw away my kids destinies because of they mistakes, sin, selfishness, or failure. Our Heavenly Father is the source and beginning of all fatherhood, so isn't He an even better father than I am. We see the picture of Father in the story of the prodigal son longing for reunion with both His sons, not giving up on them even when they completely reject Him and act completely like orphans. Father is continually affirming who Christ is for you and who you are in Him, not focused on what you are not. How do I know that because Jesus came to reveal them Father and Jesus was continually encouraging the disciples even when they completely missed the boat. Jesus first interaction with Simon (known as Peter) was to give him a new name based on his destiny and who he would be in the Body. In other words Jesus saw Peter prophetically and based on his destiny not on mistakes, history, or sin. If the truth is that the Father is continually affirming, blessing, and encouraging us in who we are "in Christ" why do we not agree with Him. I believe the enemy of our souls seeks his own fatherhood, which Scripture says is the father of lies seeking to discourage, render powerless, and ineffective. See you are a threat to the kingdom of darkness if you affirm and agree with who you are "in Christ". This is why confessing the truth of who you are "in Christ" and declaring what God says about you in confidence of who He is in you (not arrogance) is powerful in propelling you forward in your destiny. Agreeing with Father's affirmation, Bret
As we step out into our destiny, it does not take long till we run into barriers. How we approach barriers, difficulties, and adversities will significantly impact how far we go in our destinies. Different personality types will have a default way of reacting when they hit a barrier. For example, those driven personality types will get frustrated, angry, and tend to redouble their efforts. Those more introspective types will tend to perceive it in their mind's eye as bigger than them and become discouraged. More extroverted types may tend to ask people around them and when there is not an answer just simply move on to something else. Some barriers or problems we may not be called to solve but those God has a purpose for in our life need to be addressed.
Our Father in heaven knows these barriers will come in our path, He is not overwhelmed by them or discouraged. He has a plan, barriers and problems are included in what He is doing in us and where He is taking us in Him. In Ephesians 2:6 Paul tells us by the Holy Spirit, "...and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Part of God seating you "in Christ" in heavenly places is so that we can see from heaven's perspective toward earth and then as Jesus said in "The Lord's Prayer" bring heaven to earth (Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven). God perspective of us seated in heavenly places "in Christ" is beyond most of our view of ourselves, yet this is the way God relates to us. The Lord revealed to me that we often try to figure out the problem or barrier at our current level of revelation and living, yet the answer is contained at a greater level of revelation and a whole new realm of living. God is inviting us to experience Him at a whole new level. For example, those who have struggled to have enough provision for what God has called them to are in need of experiencing God as their Provider. What if our inadequacy, weakness, inability, discouragement or needs are really an invitation from the Father to experience more of Jesus for us and through us. When God led the people into the Promise Land, they quickly came up against what I call the "Ites", the Amelikites, Hittites, Amorites, etc. Each of these battles against enemies that occupied the Promise Land required the Israelites to rely on the Lord for the strategy or promise to overcome. I believe every barrier, adversity, or difficulty I believe comes with a promise "in Christ" to take us to a new level of knowing Him and a new dimension of living. In His Promises, Bret
I was struck by the Holy Spirit that receiving is one of the big keys in the Christian life, yet when we see ourselves as orphans we are unable to receive. Believing lies also positions our hearts to not receive because John 8:32 says, "...and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” The word "know" in this passage is about intimate relational knowledge or experience of the truth, where the truth is received and then we are set free. Living from an "orphan heart" means that we dwell in lies about God, others, and our identity rather than living in the truth. The only way that lies have power in my life is that I empower them through my agreement. The enemy is seeking to gain my agreement, so that he can use my authority against myself and then others. An "orphan heart" believes that God is somehow withholding so has trouble receiving from Him because an "orphan heart" perspective on God is that He is distant, demanding, punishing, or unavailable. As we daily repent and turn from orphan thinking, we see ourselves as a son that God has not withheld anything from and is teaching us how to receive His goodness and grace in increasing amounts. When we realize that God is the source and giver of life, then we have so much to receive from Him. I believe this is part of why thankfulness is so important in life because it positions our heart to see God as the source. The lack of thankfulness moves us into a place of seeing life as an orphan where everything we get is based on our own achieving, effort, or striving. Even thankfulness for the little things in life lead us to grow in our trust in God and who He is for us. Since all of life in Christ comes by grace, then the Christian life is really about receiving more new life from God but we must let go of the old orphan life. Watchman Nee once talked about the "thing in hand" and that it was whatever we are holding onto which keeps us from receiving what the Lord desires to give us. Receiving as a son, Bret
A dimension of Father's love that we can think logically doesn't fit with love, is taking "RISK". I think of the tremendous risk of rejection that God has taken in His love towards His children throughout His Word. Starting with the risk to give Adam and Eve a choice in the Garden of Eden by putting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil right in the middle. God was willing to put Himself out there by displaying that He wants intimate relationship with mankind but in order for love to be possible choice is required. Jesus displays the heart of a lovesick Father in the story of the prodigal son, where this Father is willing to go through rejection, betrayal, and even being disowned by the prodigal. Yet the Father is on the porch searching the horizon for His son to come home, when He sees him He throws off all restraint risking rejection again by embracing him. In Father's embrace He extends forgiveness, acceptance, and reconciliation.
I believe the more we have revelation of the radical love of the Father "in Christ", the more we will become like Him. Oh how the world is looking for radical laid down lovers that will display the love of the Father that is irresistible. Writing the last sentence gives me a hunger for greater revelation of Father's love for me personally that He would be more manifest through my life.
Father's love is one that has risked everything to be displayed to us giving His Son as a sacrifice to manifest His love. As we step into this kind of risking love for others we are sharing in His life. Since the beginning God has desired that we be conformed to His likeness, it was how we were created. Yet Father has given us the free choice to give ourselves to Him and by receiving His radical love we are transformed to be like Him.
Avoiding risk at all costs to live a life of security, safety,pride, and comfort is a slow death, since risk is a dimension of God's divine love. We must risk in order to share in His Divine love flowing through us but this risk is not initiated by us but by the Holy Spirit in us. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 we are told what is to compel us, "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." If we are not compelled we will be motivated by fear or selfish ambition for these are the other motivations of the heart. Compelled by His love, Bret
