Love and worship

As a being with a body, soul, and spirit, I want to be driven by my spiritual desires (i.e., in harmony with the Holy Spirit), not by bio-physical or psychological/emotional/intellectual/professional desires.  

I think that my greatest spiritual desire is to love and worship Yahweh.  You can love someone without worshipping them, and you can worship something without loving it, but in our relationship with Yahweh, one without the other is incomplete.

Honestly, I often let my soul desires drive me. I regularly overcomit my time/effort, and I think it is because I care too much what other people think of me. I think the main reason is that I don't want to let people down.  I don't want to be a failure.  I want to be perfect by keeping everyone happy with me.

But I need to start saying "no" to a lot more opportunities so that I can focus on joining my Father in His work.  I have been distracted by so many things, none of them inherently evil, but pulling me away from joining my Father.

John 5:17‭, ‬19‭-‬20 NIV

In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." ... Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.

Father, I love you, and I want to work with you.  Please give me wisdom to see what I need to let go of and what I need to say "no" to so that I will have time to join you fully in the work you have for me. And the work you have for me is not too much, so you will make sure that I have enough time to rest, as well.  I need more rest. I love you.

First versus Third reality

Praise Yahweh! Through faith in Jesus, our true identity in the Third Heaven is sons and daughters of God!

John 1:12‭-‬13 NIV

Yet to all who did receive [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

In the Third Heaven, which is greater than the Second and First Heavens, we are royalty because we are sons and daughters of God!

Psalms 113:4‭-‬8 NIV

Yahweh is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like Yahweh our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.

So, if I am aware of my eternal royal identity in the Third Heaven, then I don't need to try to impress anyone in the First Heaven (i.e., here on earth).

Proverbs 25:6‭-‬7 NIV

Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before his nobles. 

Father, thank you for making us sons and daughters! You are a good Father! Thank you for making us royalty!  We stand in authority and power with you.  Jesus, I want to be secure in my identity and humble in every situation, just like you.  Holy Spirit, thank you for helping me be more aware of my identity.  I love you!

Jesus is Yahweh and Messiah

In Psalm 110, King David prayed to Yahweh and Messiah; King David saw the revelation that Messiah is in Yahweh, and Messiah is High Priest and High King.

Psalms 110:1‭-‬7 TPT

Yahweh said to my Lord, the Messiah: "Sit with me as enthroned ruler while I subdue your every enemy. They will bow low before you as I make them a footstool for your feet." Messiah, I know God himself will establish your kingdom as you reign in Zion-glory. For he says to you, "Rule in the midst of your enemies!" Your people will be your love offerings. In the day of your mighty power you will be exalted, and in the brightness of your holy ones you will shine as an army arising from the womb of the dawn, anointed with the dew of your youth! Yahweh has taken a solemn oath and will never back away from it, saying, "You are a priest for eternity, my King of righteousness!" The Lord stands in full authority to shatter to pieces the kings who stand against you on the day he displays his terrible wrath. He will judge every rebellious nation, filling their battlefield with corpses, and will shatter the strongholds of ruling powers. Yet he himself will drink from his inheritance as from a flowing brook; refreshed by love he will stand victorious!

After the religious leaders and experts of the law tried to trap Jesus with arguments, Jesus quoted Psalm 110 to show that Messiah is both God and man:

Luke 20:41‭-‬44 TPT

Jesus then posed this question to the people: "How can the experts of the law say that Christ the Messiah is David's son? Haven't you read in the Psalms where David himself wrote: The Lord Jehovah said to my Lord, 'Sit near me in the place of authority until I subdue all your enemies under Your feet!' " Jesus explained, "If David calls this one 'my Lord,' how can he merely be his son?"

On the walk to Emmaus after Jesus was resurrected from death, Jesus explained that Messiah was the perfect sacrifice, revealed in the Scriptures:

Luke 24:25‭-‬27 TPT

Jesus said to them, "Why are you so thick-headed? Why do you find it so hard to believe every word the prophets have spoken? Wasn't it necessary for Christ, the Messiah, to experience all these sufferings and then afterward to enter into his glory?" Then he carefully unveiled to them the revelation of himself throughout the Scripture. He started from the beginning and explained the writings of Moses and all the prophets, showing how they wrote of him and revealed the truth about himself.

Father, your way of rescuing us from sin and death is amazing!  Jesus, you are Messiah and Yahweh, High Priest and High King, and the perfect sacrifice to redeem all humans to close fellowship with Father.  Holy Spirit, you are so humble and gentle, and you point everyone to Jesus and Father.  Yahweh Trinity, I love you.

My sins are washed away

Reading in Luke 23 about Jesus being crucified, I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, which is a direct contrast to what King David prayed in Pasalm 109:  Jesus was innocent, and I was guilty; but Jesus was punished so that I am clean and incorporated into His righteousness.  This blessing is multigenerational; my children are now blessed instead of cursed.

Father, thank you for your mercy.  Jesus, thank you for your faithfulness to endure such intense pain and agony in your body and soul because of your great love.  Holy Spirit, please help me grow as an ambassador of reconciliation.  I love you.

Salvation Singularity

The sacrifice of animals could not accomplish our salvation:

Hebrews 10:1‭-‬4 TPT

The old system of living under the law presented us with only a faint shadow, a crude outline of the reality of the wonderful blessings to come. Even with its steady stream of sacrifices offered year after year, there still was nothing that could make our hearts perfect before God. For if animal sacrifices could once and for all eliminate sin, they would have ceased to be offered and the worshipers would have clean consciences. Instead, once was not enough so by the repetitive sacrifices year after year, the worshipers were continually reminded of their sins, with their hearts still impure. For what power does the blood of bulls and goats have to remove sin's guilt?

And if humans sacrificed humans, that would be demonic:

Psalms 106:35‭-‬39 TPT

But they mingled themselves with their enemies and learned to copy their works of darkness. They began to serve their gods and bow before their idols. All of this led them away from you and brought about their downfall. They even sacrificed their little children to the demon spirits, shedding the innocent blood of their sons and daughters. These dark practices greatly defiled the land and their own souls, through the murder and bloodshed of their own babies! Their sins made them spiritual adulterers before you.

But God sacrificed his own son to pay the penalty of our sin and cleanse us from our crimson stains:

Hebrews 10:5‭-‬7‭, ‬10‭-‬14 TPT

So when Jesus the Messiah came into the world he said, "Since your ultimate desire was not another animal sacrifice, you have clothed me with a body that I might offer myself instead! Multiple burnt offerings and sin-offerings cannot satisfy your justice. So I said to you, 'God— I will be the One to go and do your will, to fulfill all that is written of me in your Word!' " 

...

By God's will we have been purified and made holy once and for all through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus, the Messiah! Yet every day priests still serve, ritually offering the same sacrifices again and again—sacrifices that can never take away sin's guilt. But when this Priest had offered the one supreme sacrifice for sin for all time he sat down on a throne at the right hand of God, waiting until all his whispering enemies are subdued and turn into his footstool. And by his one perfect sacrifice he made us perfectly holy and complete for all time!

Heavenly Father, thank you for making Jesus both the Great High Priest and the only perfect and innocent human sacrifice.  Jesus, you are the singularity, and I love you.

Desire for orthopathy

I grew up in a church culture with a strong focus on orthodoxy (correct doctrine/beliefs) and orthopraxy (right practice/behavior).  A few years ago, Randy preached about orthopathy (correct feelings), which was a very helpful introduction to the concept.

As I read the three parables about the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son, I think Jesus is sharing key insights into the heart of the Father, especially the high value of His children and how He feels when they are lost.

I want to embrace the heart of the Father, but I generally consider myself quite immature with respect to my capacity to feel and my emotional intelligence/awareness.

Father, your heart is so good.  I want to be like you.  I want to have a heart like yours.  Jesus, thank you for living a lifestyle that expresses the heart of the Father.  Holy Spirit, please mold my heart to match the Father's heart.  I love you.

Teach us to number our days

Psalms 90:3‭, ‬5‭-‬6‭, ‬10‭, ‬12‭, ‬16‭-‬17 TPT

3 When you speak the words "Life, return to me!" man turns back to dust. ... 5‭-‬6 One day we will each be swept away into the sleep of death. We glide along through the tides of time— so quickly gone, like a dream that fades at dawn. Like glistening grass that springs up one day and is dry and withered the next, ready to be cut down! ... 10 You've limited our life span to a mere seventy years, yet some you give grace to live still longer. But even the best of years are marred by tears and toils, and in the end with nothing more than a gravestone in a graveyard! We're gone so quickly, so swiftly; we pass away and simply disappear. ... 12 Help us to remember that our days are numbered, and help us to interpret our lives correctly. Set your wisdom deeply in our hearts so that we may accept your correction. ...

16 Let us see your miracles again, and let the rising generation see the glorious wonders you're famous for. 17 O Lord our God, let your sweet beauty rest upon us and give us favor. Come work with us, and then our works will endure, and give us success in all we do.

I recently celebrated my 40th birthday.  I want to live with a sense of purpose every day, aware that time is limited.

I was reminded of the parable in which each servant received the same amount.  We don't all spend the same amount of time on the earth, but everyone lives in the present.  A life well-lived is the integral of making the most of the present.

Father, thank you for the present.  Help me abide with you in the present.  Jesus, thank you for showing me what it looks like to abide with the Father.  Spirit, thank you for your friendship and love.  Starting from this birthday, please help me mature in prophecy and casting out demons.  I want to look more like Jesus.  I love you.