An invitation

Beloved. We, as sons and daughters, as kings and priests, are being invited by our Father. Invited by His Son, the King and Bridegroom. Invited by His Spirit, the Teacher, the Comforter, the One who leads us and guides us into all truth.

We are invited into friendship. We are invited into partnership. We are invited into unity that transcends all other unity on the earth.  Its the heavenly unity Jesus talks about in John 17. "I will make you one as the Father and I are one."

Friendship with the Father, with the Son, and Holy Spirit, looks like moving out of slavery. Jesus desires a two way relationship.  He wants to hear YOUR voice, He wants to see YOUR face.  He wants you to tell Him everything He already knows because it's about a relationship. Many times this looks like waiting. It looks like being still. It looks like talking to a friend over coffee because He calls us His friend. Can you call Him your friend? Let's begin to step out of the one-way relationship we often have with Jesus--a slaves mentality where we want to only obey what the Master has told us to do. And instead, tell your Friend what you're thinking, feeling, dreaming.

Our culture, steeped in social media, in constant communication with everyone and all times, is a sign in the natural of the deepest longing and desire of every heart. To be in constant relationship and communication. To know whats going on. To know another persons thoughts or feelings about something.  That which goes on in the natural often reflects what is going on spiritually.  Relationship takes a lot of time. It takes being intentional.  Have you found it hard to keep in touch with people who don't live in the same city?  I feel like the Lord desires us to enter into a deep personal relationship with Him and with His body, the fullness of Him.  We are the fullness of Him who fills all in all.  I think this means not just knowing someone through a text message, through facebook. Though these things are nice they leave you feeling connected without the true connection. Because there isn't the balance of being intentional face-to-face all the time. Not just reading what someone is doing but actually talking or taking the time to actually write something or do something.  Isn't this just like it is with the Lord?  How do we cultivate a relationship with someone who we can't see?  Faith and the body of Christ. We seek them out. We ask questions that are deeper.  We make an effort to see them-face-to-face (in person or through technology).   Jesus lives in another city and yet He lives in me who is here, in this city.  He is in others here as well. Let's cultivate relationship with the One who has made our heart His home and through our relationship with Him cultivate depth in relationship with those who are near and far.

The tension

Beloved. We are called to live in a tension. 
A paradox. 
A place of living from the unseen to the seen while living in the seen. 
Walking in the supernatural while walking in the natural. 
I was struck with this thought as we sang "got my soul satisfied yet so hungry."

How can I be satisfied and yet still hungry? So hungry actually.  Friends, this is what Father calls us into. He calls us into Himself, into His very nature, into His person, into His flesh and bone to be complete. To be filled. To be consumed. To ultimately bring glory by taking on Glory, to hunger and thirst to be satisfied fully by the Fullness Himself. 

Friends, are you living in that tension? Are you living in the reality that the Lord has put eternity in your heart? Eternity. It's vast. It's unending. It's unsatisfied and yet fully satisfied. 

Well hello 2016.
 Like the pieces of a puzzle, the Lord begins to reveal to His children where all the pieces belong. How all the pieces connect. How every Word spoken, every thought, every plan in His heart, had a purpose.
This is the year of promises revealed. His words spoken. His words fulfilled.
It's the year of the yes and amen.
This is the year of breakthrough.
The year of walking in the fullness of Him who is all in all and fills all in all.
This is the year of doing, not just hearing.
This is the year of being thrust forth into destiny.
It's a new year, beloved. A year to lay aside every hinderance and run. Run with endurance the race.
Pray like you've never prayed.
Ask.
Seek.
Knock.
This is the year of no fear. His perfect love casts out all fear.
You have a voice. The Lord wants to hear it. The Lord wants to see you.
I declare the freedom of the Lord in this year. The abundance of the Lord.
I speak blooming over every heart. Bloom where you are planted.
I declare boldness and courage in every situation.