Thoughts

I will not abandon the way you think about me.

I step on to the train of your thoughts. I allow it to take me wherever it may go. Each stop is a mystery waiting to be explored. The ultimate destination, who can know? Where do your thoughts ultimately lead? 

I'm okay with this train-wreck. I'm continually wrecked by your thoughts of me, yet still moving. Always moving closer to the core, deeper into the heat. The same fire that fuels this train is the fire that it's leading me into. 

Is this my destiny?

To ride this train?

Until your thoughts consume me?

Become me?

But wait, wait a moment.

Am I not the result of your thoughts?

The seed of your breath? 

Of course it is my destiny to ride your train of thought. Because I am your thought. I am your thought. I am consuming your thoughts. 

The purity of your mind is welcome here. I will not abandon the way you think about me.

Language

"No" means "yes". "Yes" means "no". 

Can he be stopped?

He can change the very meaning of words if that's what it takes to protect my heart, my destiny. When people tell me "no", he laughs and says, "yes". When the world says "stop" he says "go". When the mirror says "inadequate" he says "worthy". 

The language of the lamb is different than the language of a wolf. The speech of a lion is different than the speech of a snake. 

Teach me your tongues. 

You speak from your mind, you speak from your heart. 

To know your language is to know your soul. And that is the greatest treasure of all. 

Romanced

Romance me with your beauty

Touch me with your sun on my skin

Love me with your breathe in the wind

I picnic with you

I eat of your grace

I drink of your sweetness

We look to the sky as clouds form into images of our affection.

Nature knows the way we feel for eachother.

The spirit realm celebrates the way I know you.

As time moves, with each moment will you love me again?

With each breath, will you romance me again?

Who am I

Who am I?

Who am I that the maker of worlds sees me and craves me?

The sewer of the stars, the splitter of the seas, the conqueror of nations. He knows me. He loves me. 

Who am I?

He sees me.

He molds me.

He shapes me.

He paints me.

He puts me on display.

Who am I? 

He calls me worthy

He calls me just. 

He touches me tenderly, 

Not with lust.

He caresses me with his wind, 

Savors me with his spirit.

He is ravished with love.

His thoughts are for me, 

His thoughts are above

Every high place I've ever seen.

Yet for me, his mind has always been. 

Water, earth, and sky bend as his command. 

Yet in the quiet he whispers to my soul, 

Blooming my affections, making them grow. 

Who am I? 

The mighty savior of men, women, children alike

Calls me his lover, the source of his delight. 

I will not be blinded to his gaze.

I will not be silent, to him my song will raise.

The glory of people, of nations, of seas, 

Belong to Him, the lover of me.

Who am I?

I am who He says I am.

Naked

Love purges my heart. I burst forth in melodious song & dance. Are the captivating movements of soul & body not the most delicate expressions of romance? Intimacy inspires pure, vulnerable beauty. I am my most beautiful when I am vulnerable to you. The nakedness of intimacy with you is the transformational process. Purifying myself, I bear my mind, body, & soul to you completely. 

What is mine? For you have it all. Ultimately, it is yours. Not through demand do I surrender myself. Through the purging of love, through the holy romance. 

Your kisses, divine.

Your breathe, hot. 

Your embrace, intoxicating.

Your gaze, breathtaking.

What do I possess that is worth holding from you? 

My secrets, yours.

My desires, yours.

My passions, yours.

The capability in your hands to protect my soul is greater than the most impenetrable walls, surrounding the most stunning of gardens. 

Is my garden not yours to admire? Is the fountain at the center not yours to place there? I find that I breathe best when I am hidden under your waters, drowned.   

I am safest when I am at your mercy. 

Awaken

"It's the glory of God to hide a matter. It's the glory of a king to search it out."

Our Father is the master of hide and go seek. God hides Himself in mystery, and it is our pleasure to find him. He is the treasure which we seek. There is no better way to symbolize this exhibition than with a childlike treasure hunt.

To seek God is not difficult, because He is in you, around you, dancing over you, breathing into you. He is never distant. But it is ecstasy to have our eyes and ears opened to new realms of His character. Who is this God that gives of Himself to spend eternity with mere human? Are you not made curious? 

A new season is here and it is the season of awakening. The spirit realm is hungry to see the lovers awaken, the dreamers awaken. I believe that there is a holy curiousity to ignite this generation of believers on fire with the passion of holy romance. 

He is mysteriously lovely. He is intriguingly good. If He died for me then surely it is in my destiny to know who my knight in shining armor is. 

When the knight sleighs the dragon to set the princess free, she asks of him to remove his helmet, so to know who her savior is. 

Are we not to do the same? Father! Lover! You rescued me, now show me who you are to do this! Show me the glory of your face, show me the beauty in your eyes. 

If I were in this situation, I would kiss him on the mouth! Are we not to show our affection to The Lord? Kiss him with the kisses of your thankful heart. Pour your affections on His feet. Your worship is like  burned incense, the frangrance fills the atmosphere. We are to be intoxicated by this. 

I believe the spirit realm is attracted to the frangrance of affection through worship. Worship is not music but it is a place your heart rests in. When you are in love, there isn't a moment your heart stops worshipping. 

The craving of my heart is to see this generation awaken the nations to worship. The holy romance of God is undefiled and purifying, it is contagious and it is pleasurable. 

You are made to know the face of your lover. Do not fear, for He is with you and He craves your attention. He wants to be known. 

Daydream

Like a young lady picking off the petals of a flower, says, "He loves me, he loves me not", I tenderly proclaim, "He loves me".

"He loves me" I whisper as I smile at the ground.

"He loves me" I sing to myself as I drift to sleep.

I find myself having what some could call a "crush". A crush on Him. 

I dream about Him at night. I think about Him during the day. I want Him to notice me, to turn His attention toward me. I crave His affection. I secretly hope He scoots a little closer. I want Him to touch me in a way that give me goosebumps and makes me fuzzy warm inside. I want to make eye contact. I want to hold His gaze. 

I like Him.

I like Him a lot.

"He loves me". I pick off a petal. 

"He loves me". I pick off another.

I continue this task and suddenly realize; there could not be enough petals on earth, past, present, or future, to show me the depth of the reality of his affection towards me.

It is a reality. 

Worship is Effortless

I had a really interesting experience last night. I was in a dead sleep, dreaming about something. But I suddenly woke myself. 

I woke myself up worshipping.

It was the middle of the night and I opened my eyes and my hands were held up in worship. I've never ever experienced anything like that.

My hands were partially picked up off the bed and in my spirit I was singing the song 'Wonder' from Bethel's album 'Brave'. The lyrics are:

May we never lose our wonder. 

May we never lose our wonder. 

Wide eyed and mystified, 

May we be just like a child, 

Staring at the beauty of our King."

Then I drifted back to sleep. 

I haven't listened to that song in a while, so it wasn't stuck in my head. It was actually something my spirit was proclaiming without me even being fully conscious of it.

This makes me so excited. So so so so excited. I've been asking The Lord to make me extremely aware of him and of His thoughts of me, so that all I do is worship. 

Everything is about the love connection. Loving Him when you're at work, and loving Him when you're at home. Loving Him when you're awake, and apparently loving Him when you're asleep too. 

Moral of the story:

Worship is effortless. Loving Him is effortless. 

I literally did it in my sleep.

It's not an act, it's a heart position. And the only way to love Him is to be consumed with His love for you. You can't give what you don't have, but you can give what you are overflowing with. 

His love is unquenchable. 

If worship is a room, I'm never leaving it. 

Michael Sullivan & Bob Hartley recently spoke at my school. Something they said hit me...

"Adore is to a door". 

Adoration from God and for God is what leads us to our destinies. 

They also said, 

"With every chamber we enter into with Him, we see another one of His faces". 

My interpretation: His chambers are the secret, intimate, loving places with Him. His faces are His characteristics. The person He is, revealed through intimate love encounters.

Living in this intimate relationship with Him is the only way to live fully. If my soul is a garden, it's sunlight is His love and it's water is His touch. It only prospers when I'm letting Him love me, and letting myself love Him in return. Without it, I may exist, but I'm not living. 

Song of Solomon 4:9-13 (TPT)

[The Bridegroom King]

For you reach into My heart.

With one flash of your eyes

I am undone by your love,

My beloved one, My equal, My bride.

You leave me breathless -

I am overcome

By merely a glance

From your worshipping eyes

And you have stolen my heart.

I'm held hostage by your love

And by the graces of righteousness upon you!

How satisfying to Me,

My equal, My bride.

Your love is My finest wine,

Intoxicating and thrilling -

And your sweet praise-perfume

So exotic, so pleasing.

Your loving words 

Are like honey to Me,

Drenched with worship.

Your tongue releases milk and honey,

For I find the Promised Land 

Flowing within you.

The fragrance of your worshipping love

Surrounds you with

Scented robes of white.

My darling bride, My private paradise

Fastened to My heart.

A secret spring you are

That no one else can have - 

My bubbling fountain

Hidden from public view.

What a perfect partner to Me,

Now that I have you!

Your inward life is now sprouting,

Bringing forth fruit.

What a beautiful paradise

Unfolds within you!

When I'm near you 

I smell aromas if the finest spice

I find many clusters 

Of my exquisite fruit growing within your inner garden.

Raw Masculinity

I am being moved by a different aspect of Jesus that I've never considered before. His love, compassion, tenderness, and goodness are usually what come to mind when people consider his characteristics. 

But what about his masculinity? 

Masculinity is much deeper than muscles and bones. Masculinity is an inner call to be a brave leader and a deep lover. A man can have well defined muscles but not be truly masculine. It's something that exudes from the inside. 

According to dictionary.com masculinity is defined as: Having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness.

KJV Dictionary Definition: Bold. a. 1. Daring; courageous; brave; intrepid; fearless; applied to men or other animals; as, bold as a lion.

Have you seen the Chronicles of Narnia? Have you seen Aslan? Let me put it like this. 

Aslan is masculine. 

He is brave. 

He is bold. 

He goes where others wouldn't dare. 

He looks death in the face and does not flinch. He accepts it willingly because he knows it's the only way. He loves deeply and protects fiercely. When He loves, it is not a small thing. When he loves, he does it with passion, with ferocity. 

He is majestic.

I would venture to say that Aslan is a portrait so we can better see the masculinity of Jesus. 

Jesus is brave. He accepted death for me without knowing that I would acknowledge it.

Every moment of every second... Every minute of every hour... Every hour of everyday, he is unafraid to love me deeply without any promise of it being returned. 

(It's scary to invest love into someone or something that may not reciprocate. Isn't it?)

I'm very passionate about Jesus being revealed. Yes, Jesus is kind. Yes, Jesus is compassionate. Yes, Jesus is love. But can we take a moment to ask Him to show us what he is like in His fullness? He is a man. He is the man. He is the single most attractive man I have ever encountered in my life.

He is not a rose trampled on the ground. Not even close.

He is a lion. He is a warrior. A warrior who accepted torture, to save his nation. To protect his bride. 

Can you imagine the gladiator being expressed as a rose trampled on the ground? Never. He is fierce and bold.

What about William Wallace? "Every man will die but not every man will live". 

What passion. What raw masculinity. It wasn't just his muscles. It was his honor, his bravery, his integrity, that made him the man he was. 

When William Wallace was literally having his insides taken out of him, just before he died, with all his strength he declared with bold intent, "Freedom!"

When Jesus was hanging by the nails in his hands, after having the skin ripped off his back, he declared "It is finished!" 

   It is or freedom that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1

Thinking about the masculinity of Jesus takes my heart and shakes it around. It takes my affection and stirs it up. It takes my admiration, bottles it up, and pours it at his feet. How can my love for him not bubble up when I am aware of the true manliness he exemplified? 

Jesus's fierceness, love, strength, compassion, tenderness, and boldness all should work together to show us how beautiful he is. Like I mentioned in my last post, beauty is something that brings pleasure to our senses. He brings pleasure to my all my senses. His manliness ravishes me.

I am so in love. 

For the record, being a carpenter was a physical job. He was constantly lifting heavy timber. They didn't have machinery so he relied on his muscles to shave it, carve it, design it, build it... Jesus was most likely very strong.

MEN:

You have been given permission to admire his masculinity. You have been given permission to be masculine. Jesus was not timid and he was not a sissy. Likewise, you are not. You have freedom to be a true man from the outermost parts of your body to the innermost parts of your soul. You are made in his image. 

WOMEN:

You do not need to feel insecure. If you struggle with needing attention from men, here is your solution. Jesus, the King. Jesus, the lion. Jesus, the fierce lover. He is passionately consumed with admiration and love for you. He is never not thinking of you. Picture his love as a fragrant oil. He is taking this oil and he is pouring it all over you. It is surrounding you, consuming you. You are drowning in it, you can never escape it. 

Jesus is raw masculinity. 

Beauty Revealed

I'm relearning what surrender is. I'm learning that through my love for Him & my growing understanding of his character, all I want is for Him to have access to every cell in my body. Every atom is under His influence. Every aspect of my emotions, desires, physicality is a complete gift to Him. I want no more control over it. And through that I've learned to surrender one of the seemingly most unimportant things to Him. My beauty. 

Beauty defined: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

I told Jesus, "Even my beauty is in your hands. I give you full control of my beauty. It's not mine anymore to determine." 

Women try to control how beautiful they are. But in surrendering it, you no longer have permission to worry about it. 

Beauty is not skin deep. Beauty is something that is found as pleasurable to all of your senses. And most often, you actually have very little control over it.

Since I've given Him full reign and control over how my beauty resonates, cultivates, grows, and shines, He has made a point to make me aware of how beautiful I am. A day after I said those words, I was driving in the car and I just heard Him say, out of the blue, "Your transparency is beautiful." He admonishes me. 

He sees every part of you, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual. He sees it and he finds it ravishing. I'm under the impression that he has always found me stunning, but in my surrender I was suddenly able to hear His opinion.

Think of the sun, the moon, the stars. Think of the depth of the sea and the creatures it holds. Think of the wheat fields. Think of a blade of grass, the petals in a flower. Think of the smell of food, the melody of music. The kind of magnificence that inhabits creation is a small expression of the kind of significant beauty The Lord has bestowed upon you.

The more you fall in love with Jesus, the more he teaches you to fall in love with yourself. He made you for such extraordinary signifance just by being who you are. Don't be blind to your own beauty. 

If you find it hard to see your own beauty, fall in love with Him. If you have a hard time doing that, stay tuned. My next post is going to be all about that. 

Humility

There is a huge difference between being humble and being insecure. Insecurity derives from not being aware of the significance you carry. It is a lack of confidence.

Humility is when you know you're the baddest in town, but you are rested in it. When you are in a state of true confidence, you don't have to show it off.  True confidence breeds humility. 

Confidence is not loud.  Insecurity is. 

Beauty & Holiness

"What you say goes, it always has. 'Beauty' and 'Holy' mark your palace rule, God, to the very end of time." -- Psalms 93:5 MSG

I'm picturing a castle, beautiful and majestic, and it's Father God's. It's His palace. And I'm suddenly struck. 

I'm so in love with this God. The God who's palace is marked by beauty and holiness. Can I only know Him more? To dwell with Him in His home is all my heart desires. 

His home is my home. He is my resting place. All that my heart longs for is all that He is. I cannot comprehend the way He satisfies the deepest parts of me that I didn't know needed satisfying. 

He is so good. 

I laugh out loud, the joy of knowing Him overflows.

He is so good.

Choices

It's amazing to me that people say cliché terms like, "You never know what's around the corner" all the time.  Yet, we are still so shocked when unexpected things happen. 

I am going through that. My life right now feels surreal, flipped upside down. 

I was just telling a friend how I could have never guessed that my life would lead me down the road that it has. I feel like any minute now I am going to wake up, be ten years old again and life will be back to "normal".

My parents are divorced.

There is a ridiculous amount of drama surrounding the divorce.

My brother has unexpectedly moved out of state. 

I carry a heavy burden for my siblings. 

I have never been away from home for more than 3 weeks, yet in a month I'm moving 900 miles away.

I have no job prospects and I already have payments coming up. 

Life for me is now very very real and very very raw. I do not have time for fake and I do not have time for more drama. I have never hated both of those things more.

Every person will have seasons in their lives. Some are smooth and others are challenging and sometimes you have to go through gut-level pain. I'm in the latter right now. 

The question is, how do you/I not only survive those seasons, but thrive in those seasons. 

Honestly, I have been barely surviving, much less thriving. I have been agreeing with fear and anxiety. I have been agreeing with anger and stress. Everyday has been a fight to get through without wanting to kill myself. 

(I do have to thank my siblings and my closest friends and family for being there for me, because without y'all who knows how much worse I would be.)

It's been my mistake thinking it's okay to live in fear. I heard a quote the other day: "Having fear is putting your faith in the wrong source."

That could not be a more accurate description of what I've done. 

God is my inspiration. And I've stepped away from my post as a believer in His ability to protect me, provide for me, admonish me, and love me. 

I don't think we were ever meant to live a life apart from God. Not allowing Him to be involved of every intricate detail of my life is the most draining thing I've ever done. 

I really really want to know him, hear him, feel him, more than before. I want him to be more real to me than he's ever been before. I'm not interested in skin deep Christianity. I'm interested in the raw emotions, intentions, desires of God. 

I'm not sure what my point really is.

I'm just trying to be honest with myself and everyone else. I have nothing to hide. 

Sometimes life sucks. Don't abandon the opportunity to have joy in the midst of pain & hope in the midst of the darkness, by giving in to fear. It's not worth it. It's exhausting. It's debilitating. 

God is always the provider. Either you'll take his provision or you won't. It's all your choice. 

Face to Face

Worship. I just want to talk about it.

Worship is a posture of the heart. It is not limited to the sound of music, but inspires the music. 

To worship is to allow your soul, mind, and spirit to align and bubble up with the affections of the Father. Both from Him and towards Him. Make yourself aware of His love. Then you will reciprocate it naturally. 

I'm not sure why I'm talking about this. I just am becoming more aware of both the immediate and the long lasting effects of a heart postured towards Jesus. It's peace through storms. Joy through pain. Love through attacks. 

Becoming aware of His affections for you and His beliefs about you cause you to agree with Him. With each passing moment you spend together in intimacy, the ecstasies of heaven seem more realistic than the challenges in front of you. 

I think it's interesting that scripture, specifically Psalms, refer to God's presence as His face. In The Passion Translation, Dr. Simmons says in the commentary that in the original language there was not a word for "presence". Instead the word "face" was used. Maybe when we are face to face with our problems, He is desiring for us to instead look at Him face to face. 

When I was little, I would always tell my parents, "I love you thiiiiiiis much!", as I spread my arms as far apart as I could. At one point I started to touch my fingers behind my back and say, "Look, my fingers touch so my love goes around and around and doesn't stop. I love you forever." 

I feel like God has more child like qualities than we expect. 

What if that's what the father is telling you? "I love you forever. To infinity and beyond."

Take some time to see Him face to face, know His intimate love, and dwell in it. 

The Right Mindset

It seems I always get into the wrong mindset when it comes to God. I
think,  “Alright, I’m gonna do everything with all my heart, so maybe
God will do more for me.”

But what I’m realizing is, God doesn’t think like that. He actually
waits for us to come and enjoy Him. It’s not about doing things the
right way. It’s about relaxing. It’s about dwelling on how good He is.
I like to just realize that He is here, and let Him do what He does.

And when I start thinking that I have to get things right first, I get
anxious and begin striving. I think, “Can life really be enjoyed? Is
life really meant to be worth living?”

But what did Jesus tell us to pray about? He said to pray that Gods
will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. What is heaven like?
It’s a party! Streets of gold, colors the eyes have never seen before,
music more beautiful than we can imagine! Is there pain? No! Is there
strife? No! Everyone in heaven has the pleasure of sitting with God  and enjoying the sweet, relaxing beauty of His refreshing presence.  All glory and righteousness forever and ever!

Jesus said to pray that this would become our earth. That our lives  in  heaven would be the same as our lives on earth. Extravagantly enjoyed living! Because heaven is anything but meteochrity and strife. So let’s have faith an know that God is waiting for us to enjoy life.

Child Like Faith

Something about Gods presence changes everything. It makes me into a
child again. It brings me back to the days when there was no such
thing as worry.

Do you remember the days when you didn’t know the meaning of the word
strife? Childhood is meant to be time of complete freedom, because
that is the time of life that you remain innocent. Unaware of the
sadness of the world. Ignorant to the evil around. Sleep was peaceful
& when you woke in the morning, you were looking forward to the
adventures of the day.

In life, we get caught up in the thoughts of tomorrow. How are we
going to survive if we don’t plan? How do I keep food on the table,
and the family happy? There is no way out of this worry. If I don’t
strive, then there is not enough work being done. Life keeps passing
with the time and I can’t seem to stop regretting yesterday and
working for tomorrow.

In God’s presence, He restores the trust you had as a child. Children
don’t worry about how dinner is going to get on the table. They just
know that it will be there. A child-like faith is beautiful. When you
sink deep in the never-ending ocean of love, all fear flees. That’s
when you lay your head back, sigh, and know that it is all taken care
of. God will never ever let go, and He will always be sure that at
dinner time, you have a feast awaiting you.

The language of heaven is the language of a child. The care-free
lifestyle. The overflowing joy. The giggles that bubble up from the
inside. The language of a child is, ” Daddy, hold me! I love it when
you sing to me. Rock me in your chair. Lets go play, Daddy!”

In the depths of God’s presence, you find that child-like faith once
again. Innocence is restored when relationship is built. Rest is
implanted into your heart and soul.

You were never meant to strive, but were always meant to smile. Your
life is destined to be a sweet lullaby, that puts worry to sleep and
sweet dreams to life.

2 Corinthians 3 [Law vs Grace]

I was reading in my bible and I came across this chapter. I’ve read it before, but something in it jumped out to me and it became alive. It was like a light bulb flicked on above my head. It was a “Tada!” moment.

I’d like to explain this chapter piece by piece so that you may better understand where I am coming from. But first, the whole thing together (it's a bit long but I promise it's worth it):

2 Corinthians 3:

9-11 If the Government of Condemnation was impressive, how about this Government of Affirmation? Bright as that old government was, it would look downright dull alongside this new one. If that makeshift arrangement impressed us, how much more this brightly shining government installed for eternity?

12-15 With that kind of hope to excite us, nothing holds us back. Unlike Moses, we have nothing to hide. Everything is out in the open with us. He wore a veil so the children of Israel wouldn’t notice that the glory was fading away—and they didn’t notice. They didn’t notice it then and they don’t notice it now, don’t notice that there’s nothing left behind that veil. Even today when the proclamations of that old, bankrupt government are read out, they can’t see through it. Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there’s nothing there.

16-18 Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him." 

Oh my gosh, this is so ridiculously good. As you may very well know, Moses was part of the Old Testament, meaning the old covenant. God’s old covenant with man. When Moses went up onto the mountain, God showed him His glory and gave Moses the 10 Commandments. Moses came down the mountain and the people were amazed because his face was shining as an affect of the glory he encountered after receiving the ‘Law’.

Fast forward: Jesus died on the cross. The son of God. The majestic and glorious, passionate and lovely, playful and sincerely caring, altogether BEAUTIFUL man was crucified. And in the final moment of his agony, he said, "It is finished!" 

What is finished, you ask? The law! The law created a barrier between God and man. The law said, “You behave in perfection, you get blessed. But if you make a mistake, you will be cursed.” Do you realize what a strain that put on man? How must he view The Creator? A mean old god with a cane, ready to wack anyone who makes mistakes. A fiery, angry creature with a desire to see people punished. 

BUT... that isn’t God’s character. God doesn’t desire for His children to be cursed. He wants us to have His inheritance! It was the curse of the law that put a false picture of who He is, into our minds. When Jesus died, he stopped the curse dead in its tracks! He tore the veil to reveal who God really is! To reveal how sincerely and ardently he loves us. What he would give for us.

So. I’ve often gotten confused about Moses. How is it that God’s glory was shown on his face after given the law, if Jesus died to finish the law? Well that’s where this scripture comes in. I’m going break down a couple parts:

“Unlike Moses, we have nothing to hide. Everything is out in the open with us. He wore a veil so the children of Israel wouldn’t notice that the glory was fading away – and they didn’t notice. They didn’t notice it then and they don’t notice it now, don’t notice that there’s nothing left behind that veil…”

Moses wore a veil to hide the fact that the glory had diminished! The glory that the law left behind is only temporary. Moses had to hide the fact that it was gone! Even to this day people still believe that the law is everything, and are blind to the fact that its not good anymore. Its like eating plastic fruit; it looks polished and pretty, but there is NO nutrition in it. It is empty!

Oh but Jesus is so full of LIFE.

Next piece:

“Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there’s nothing there. Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are – face to face!” 

Yes! I love it! Christ tears the veil so we can see the truth for what it is. And the lie for what IT is. And only Christ could do it, that is why it was so necessary for Jesus to go to the cross. God longed for us to see Him for who he is, so He sent His only beloved son!  THEN we see him face to face. AHHHH! This is so good. Face to face, we see his nature, his characterization, his beauty. His beauty is the essence of His love! His unconditional love for US. The ones who don’t deserve anything in our own eyes, but who He declared worthy!

Next bit:

“They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us!”

He is personal! He is intimate! He holds us close to his heart. He is extravagantly in love with us! When we see Him for who He truly is, the law means nothing! The law is empty! God is not a handbook full of rules and regulations, meant to be a behavior modification! He is our bread and our wine, full of life and joy, meant to be a reviver! We are FREE of the curse, FREE of our guilt, FREE of our distance from Him. We are grafted into His family!

“Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him."

This is my favorite part. Nothing is between us and God. Lets make it personal: Nothing is between me and God. Nothing is between you and God. Not your past failures. Not your present circumstances. Not your future doubts. We are with Him! And our faces our shining with the brightness of His face! How can someone be in the sun and not come out looking a little redder? How can you spend time with a joyfully exuberant person and it not rub off on you? Who you are with changes your appearance. When you see God for who He is! Oh man, you reflect it! He is life giving! He is deeply passionate, constantly full of unchanging brightness! The more we engulf ourselves into Him, the TRUE Him, the more we shine.

On an ending note, I would like to make something really clear. This is something that I am forever going to try and persuade people to see.

God is always and forever pursuing you. You may seek Him, but only because He sought you first. He is the great initiator. A leader in the church was speaking to me one day and out of the blue he brought up some struggles I'd been having. Keep in mind I never confided in him. But one thing he said was, "Just relax and let God love on you.”  I was caught completely off guard. Not because he picked up on my struggles without me saying anything, but because he said, ‘let God love on you.’

My thought was, “Aren’t I the one who is supposed to be loving on God?”

Since that moment I have become deeply aware of the fact that it is not my responsibility to love God. But loving God is a natural occurance after I realize that he loves me dearly. Oh so dearly.

So with that in mind, live your life under the fullness of His promise of grace instead of His law. Engulf yourself in thoughts of His love for you. Then your face will shine brighter and brighter, as you become more and more like Him. 

Seeking God

God is neither male nor female. If we were made in His image, then He must have both the qualities of a man and a woman. 

That being said, I'd like to suggest that he, in his woman-like characteristics, likes to be pursued; chased after. Women find it utterly romantic for a man to pursue them wholeheartedly and stubbornly. The fact that God asks us to seek him isn't for our "good efforts" to impress him. It's so we can catch a further glimpse into his romance, his desire for us. To be pursued without relent is the ultimate love language.  

I love how Bob Johnson puts it:

"Perceive Him differently. Perceive the woman part of god, that wants to be romanced, that wants time.

'Time, what? To talk?'

No... Just to stare." 

Women love to be romanced. They want to be longed for and desired. Is God not the same? Let's face it, God doesn't need us. He WANTS us. He created us out of desire!

"Daily He was filled with delight in Me, as I playfully rejoiced in Him! I laughed and played, so happy with what He had made, while finding all my delight in the children of men." Proverbs 8:30-31 [TPT] (Wisdom is speaking of her delight)

He loves the fiery passion that stirs up inside us when we seek him and find him. 

"The more I seek You

The more I find You.

The more I find You

The more I love You."

I feel that The Father is not so much hiding from us permanently, as he is playing a game of "Hide & Seek". 

"Unending wealth and glory comes to those who discover where I dwell." Proverbs 8:18 [TPT]

As everyone knows, in a game of Hide & Seek you take turns. Like a father would play with his toddler, The Father gives hints, whistles, calls to us, until we are heading in the right direction. Then, most often, as we are rounding the corner to finding Him, He jumps out giggling and saying "Good job! You found me!" He only gives us what we can handle. Then, it's His turn to seek. We allow him to look for us, to look through us, into us. [Is that not intimacy (in-to-me-see)?] We allow Him to pursue us and are once again astounded at His desire for us!

"For the fountain of life pours into you every time that you find me, and this is the secret to growing in the delight and favor of The Lord!" Proverbs 8:35 [TPT]

His Victory is Ours

God is so bountiful in kindness. 

He won the victory. Then He called it ours. 

That is grace; entitlement to what we didn't earn. We bask in the glory of what He has done. 

I'm just dwelling on that revelation. I believe there is a profound meaning behind it.  The fact that His victory is made ours. He fought. He died. He rose again. He took the keys to the gates of hell. He took His victory. Then He named us victorious. 

But we didn't lift a finger. 

Im reminded of the importance of corporate pursuit. I think that's what He is saying. How the victory of one person can be made the victory of many. The breakthrough of an individual can then be declared the breakthrough of multitudes. Through unity in the body of Christ can come desperately needed change. Not by addition but by multiplication, through impartation.

We are not to look at life as a boxing ring; where when you have victory, the victory is yours alone. We are to look at it as a war; where when you obtain victory in battle, it is not only yours. It is the nation's. 

That is the difference between our culture and the Kingdom Culture.   

His hope rests on OUR hearts. His peace flows through OUR beings. 

Realize the breakthroughs you've had in life. Write them down. For instance: Conquering depression, Breakthrough in finances, Healing in the most impossible way. 

Now stay aware and alert. When you see someone that's struggling with what you've had breakthrough in, be bold. Impart into them what you've been given. Whether it be the new gift of zealous joy, abundance in finances, or wholeness in your body... I'd encourage you to share your testimony, speak destiny over them, then use the authority you've been given and impart into them through prayer. 

Jesus set the precedent. He had breakthrough in the most precious of all areas, sacrificing himself for the sake of Gods love being known. And He called that victory OUR victory. 

Let us be unified and share in victories. How much greater would life be if what you've conquered becomes what your circle of influence conquers, simply through understanding the importance of corporate unity and impartation.