The center of God’s Kingdom in heaven and on earth is His Son, Jesus Christ. Our posture in prayer is to be present in God’s reality, God’s possible.

The most “present” we can be is to join our lives with Jesus Christ. He brings us into the center of the Father’s heart.

In this place of identity, Jesus teaches us to pray.

“When you pray , go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, in the secret place…pray like this…” (Matthew 6: 6, 9-13)

The teaching that follows this is the jewel of prayer. When Jesus teaches the Kingdom parable of the man who finds a treasure in a field, goes to sell all he had to buy that field, and returns so he can possess the treasure for life, he is talking about a life of prayer.

Jesus teaches us that prayer is not words or contractual manipulation. It is relationship in the deepest place of your heart. It is a dwelling place. A place that becomes life itself.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Who’s power no foe can withstand].

I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I confidently trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2 AMPC)

Studying The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 in the Aramaic (the language Jesus taught in) reveals a deeper understanding of how to pray. The “Our Father” prayer is a synopsis of ALL of Jesus’ teachings. It teaches us who we are and Whose we are.

The One who is perfect teaches us to posture our hearts in this prayer and to stay there in every season.

We began studying the richness of the “Lord’s Prayer” in last session and will finish it today. In the Aramaic the word “prayer” means to “capture”. We begin with a heart posture to capture God’s Presence, His counsel, His Person, His grace and everything He chooses to pour into us. We place all our attention on Him.

In review, He teaches us to begin with, “Our Father”. This statement puts us in unity as His children. There is no person spiritually higher than the other. We all call Him “Father” (Beloved Parent who cares for us). Precious humility releases the care of caring for ourselves.

He then teaches us to pray, “Who art in Heaven”. This is not a statement of separation (by space and time-Heaven being a far off place) but, rather, we learn that in Aramaic this means “the One who is everywhere”. If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. (Psalm 139:8). Take a deep breath. He is here.

“Holy is Your Name” becomes a reminder that His name is a strong tower, the righteous run into and they are safe (Proverbs 18:10). His name covers us and it is holy. His name is given to us; Jesus, the name above all names. He writes His name on our heart. He calls us by His name. This declaration is an adjustment for our soul to live in God’s reality, no matter the storm. To call on the name of the Lord is to live covered in His identity.

“Your Kingdom Come” invites the counsel of God in your mind and heart. In the Aramaic the word “Kingdom” means “God’s Counsel”. We are positioning ourselves under the wisdom of God and forsaking our own opinions. A blessed release!

Now, we begin this session with “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

Our God is a God of beautiful order. Everything He creates and does is in perfect balance. Out of His mind and heart flows creation. Everything has a purpose and there is no chaos. Planets move within a divinely appointed rhythm around solar systems without crashing. Baby sea turtles come out of their shells and run to the ocean. Trees produce seeds, that produce trees, that produce seeds…Day has a set number of hours and so does the night…Everything He does is in perfect order.

Why is there chaos? Why is there death? Why is there pain?

In all of creation God gave to humanity alone a divine treasure. Unlike the tree and the turtle that follows His set plan, He gave us choice. We could connect or disconnect to His wisdom.

“This day, I call the heavens and the earth as witness against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

You and I were born with a choice to connect to His abundant life (John 10:10) or not.

Our free-will is a treasure that was part of God’s declaration, “Let us make man in Our image.” The deep mystery of it is this…you are a world creator. The life you live is not given, it was chosen…by you.

Adam and Eve gave up the treasure for a deception. If you disconnect from God and eat this, you will become like god.

Disconnection from the Creator breeds chaos in creation.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Sin disrupted the perfect balance. Order became twisted. Sin in its simplest definition is disconnect.

But God’s desire releases perfection even in the chaos. A perfect solution that cost Him the life of His Son. The treasure of Jesus is given to humanity to restore the loss. When Jesus comes into the heart of a person, God’s perfect will and purpose is restored. This is the good news, that all men can be saved from death and its eternal effects.

Free-will remains, but now we can center ourselves under the will of the Father through Jesus Christ. “Let Your will be done on earth as (it is perfect) in the heavens.” This declaration aligns us and attunes us to God’s beautiful order. You are now in life-union with the will of God, Jesus Christ.

I want to give you a very clear word from the Holy Spirit:

Your heart is God’s treasure. A treasure by definition is not common…it is pursued and purchased. He has pursued you and by the blood of Jesus there has been a costly purchase.

Jesus is our heart’s treasure. We have pursued His truth and He has been found. We purchase His life with our own.

“Our true life IS the Anointed One”( Philippians 1:21).

Jesus tells us, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also” (Matthew 6:21).

Free-will becomes bondage when we choose to be our own god.

When we choose Jesus to be Lord of our life we are truly free.

The chaos and pain of this world are filled with our opinions. The first thing sin did was give birth to opinion. I am naked…this is shameful…I think it would be best to hide from God. It would be best to disconnect from His Presence because I disappointed Him. I can take care of myself.

A word for us today: Jesus said, “Be careful that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation…(Luke 11:35).

Jesus came to restore us in position under the arm of the Father to walk in the cool of the day… in a life of prayer.

“Give us this day our daily bread” is the next alignment Jesus teaches us in prayer. This is not just praying for three square meals a day. Bread in scripture is life, sustenance, divine provision, and the body of our Savior, Jesus.

Our spiritual bread is Jesus.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

I am the bread of life…this is the bread that comes down from heaven.

If anyone eats this bread, they will live forever; and the bread that I give is My flesh, which I give for the life of the world” (John 6:47-51).

The center of God’s Kingdom in Heaven and on earth is Jesus. We need to daily experience Jesus. Our new life flows from His life. We eat the truth of His words every day. They become a part of us. They nourish us spirit, soul, and body. They bring divine order.

Jesus called His Father’s will His bread.

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and finish His work.” (John 4:34)

Jesus is our standard. We are sustained by living inside the beautiful will of God. It brings strength and health to us. This statement in prayer reminds us to release our own opinions and “eat” God’s will for us.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Jesus taught on forgiveness more than He taught on heaven or hell. Forgiveness is the foundational core of Jesus’ teaching. Here we have this petition in the center of His prayer.

Forgiveness is an essential requirement for living in the Kingdom of God. It is a Kingdom of mercy. If you are not acquainted with mercy, you are not acquainted with the Kingdom of God.

There is a teaching about forgiveness that Jesus returned to and repeated several times: He taught, If you do not forgive your fellow man their faults, God will not forgive yours (Ex: Mark 11:25, Matthew 6:14-15). This is intense, but it is for our healing.

Unforgiveness is disconnect; forced disconnect for self-protection from injury. Holding bitterness in your heart toward someone is raw unbelief. God promises you, “I am the Lord who heals you”. When you take a stand and say “I can’t forgive them” you are also saying “I can’t let you heal me”.

Are you hurt or are you healed?

Who has the power to hurt you more than the power of God has to heal you?

I set before you life and death, blessing and curses…choose life.

Forgiveness is not a feeling. We make a stand by faith. If you need to, write down the statement of forgiveness, and date it. Remind your feelings it was done on that date.

To forgive in the Aramaic means to untie. Forgiving someone who hurt you is like untying a boat and letting it be carried away by the current. Imagine two beautifully crafted wooden boats tied together by a rope of anger. The boats would bang against each other until they both break and sink. Make the decision. Untie the boat. Let God carry out His justice.

God can’t forgive us when we hold unforgiveness because we have refused His healing for our heart. Disconnect. If you refuse to forgive, you stay disconnected from God’s grace to heal you.

Ministry flows when we are ministered to by our loving Father.

Remember…Forgiveness is limitless in the Kingdom (7 x 70 times, Matthew 18:22).

Forgiveness characterizes a believer.

The parable Jesus taught us of the unforgiving servant reveals how important this is to God. It goes like this: A king forgives an unpayable debt (roughly 6 billion dollars in today’s money). The same servant refuses to forgive a fellow servant a tiny debt (roughly 10K). The king is angry, cancels the pardon, and hands the servant over to be punished. Jesus ends the parable by saying, “This is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18: 23-25 summarized).

Remember, the heart of “Our Father” is like any good parent, that His children would get along!

Forgiveness settles us in the center of the Father’s heart.

“Lead us not into temptation” begins our final alignment in prayer before we end in worship. We live in a world filled with people screaming the “way to success”, the “way to happiness”, the “way to long life”, the “way to health” and billions more. Jesus teaches us to pray that we stay on the path of God’s Way.

The common translation of “Lead us not…” is NOT what the original Aramaic says. We know from James 1:13-14 that “God leads NO ONE into temptation”! The original language means “Do not LET US enter into temptation”. We position our ear to His heart.

We can say, “Let me not be led by my own desires…”

“God I invite your searching gaze into my heart.

Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares.

See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious everlasting ways- the path that brings me back to you” (Psalm 139:23-24 TPT).

The word temptation in the Aramaic is L’Nisyona and can also mean “materialism”. It could read: Let us not be snared by materialism… This brings so much more depth to our petition…so much more responsibility to align ourselves with His words and not the world’s ways.

“Deliver us from evil…” Revelation 12:11 says about believers in Jesus Christ, “They overcome the evil one by the blood of the LAMB ( ‘our lives were purchased and we are now holy in God’s eyes’ ), the word of their testimony ( ‘Jesus is Lord and His Words are our Truth’ ), and they did not love their lives until the end ( ‘for us to live IS Christ, my life IS the Anointed One, it is not my own’ )”.

We don’t store up treasures to love our lives on earth. We love our good Shepherd, Jesus, and with our lives joined to Him, we kick every evil thing from our path.

“For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever!” His part never changes. We are faithful to do our part. The “Lord’s Prayer” puts us in the center of His glorious Kingdom realm. He is our inexhaustible source of life! The prayer ends with us found, joyfully, under a blessed assurance: We are His children and everything belongs to Him. Worship places us in perfect alignment with the Father and His perfect will. Worship releases us from ourselves.

Until next time,

Pastor Teresa

Holy Ground Life with Teresa L. Hoffman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

There are 45,000 denominations of Christianity as of today. They predict by 2050 there will be 64,000. Friends, this is a sad sign of a fractured church. And to give you perspective, in the year 1800 there were 500 denominations.

Which one of these churches are the true Kingdom of God church? If you have listened to me any length of time, you know where I am heading right now…to the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

He alone is our Source and our faithful Foundation. If we want to know the Truth we must know Jesus.

“You have elevated your tradition above the words of God.

(Then quoting from Isaiah 29) These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain, their teachings are merely human rules.”

Then Jesus turned to the people and said,

“Come, Listen and Open your heart to understand…”

Matthew 15:6-10

God’s Kingdom has come. It is living and flourishing on earth. To be operating in the Kingdom of God is to understand the gift of Jesus Christ. He brought us back to the heart of the Father. We can now know the mind of Christ and the LOVE of the Father through the Holy Spirit. The church is the gathering of the Kingdom on earth and we respond to Jesus above all else. The true Kingdom church has the inward fire of relationship with Jesus always burning.

Jesus is calling us, “Come to Me. Listen to My words. Open your heart to understand.”

So, which denomination looks like this?

Before we gathered as a church for the first time in the upper room in Acts 1:14, Jesus gave us the answer in Matthew, chapter 25. In the parables and teachings of this chapter, He leads us to the Truth of who we are.

#1 Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of God can be compared to ten maidens with individual oil lamps. The ten maidens are representative of believers on earth, living natural lives as Christians. (Please read Matthew 25:1-13).

Five were ready and waiting for the bridegroom, Jesus, to return. They were expectant. Their lives were filled with His precious gift of the Holy Spirit. They were acquainted with His navigation in every area of their lives.

Five were nominal (in name only) Christians and unprepared. The Truth that Jesus spoke didn’t motivate them. They took lightly His gift of the Holy Spirit and followed their own voice. They possessed a lamp of outward faith, but had no inward fire of relationship.

When the time came for the Bridegroom to call, five responded to Him immediately and joined Him. The other five were in the dark. That is where they stayed…

It is a sobering parable. It is not a story representing the believers and the unbelievers. These are two groups of Christians. The message Jesus has for us now is this:

Position yourself in daily expectation. Every word He spoke will come to pass.

Value His precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Let Him navigate every area of your life.

Focus your heart on the King. Focus on His perspective, His purpose, His movement, and His mind. Have the heart of the Shepherd in the center of your radar.

Where He goes, you go. When He rests, you rest. When He speaks, you listen. When He calls, you run to Him. Encountering Him in every season is your purpose.

#2 Then, in Matthew chapter 25, Jesus teaches the parable of the talents. (Please read Matthew 25:14-30)

This is a parable about several servants being given individual treasures by a King. They could manage the financial treasure-gift any way they wanted. The first two doubled the treasure by investing it. The third received it, never used it, and hid it away for fear of losing it.

Jesus has given you and I the greatest treasure ever given to humanity. It is access to an intimate, personal relationship with God as Beloved Father. The question to every believer is, “What did you do with it?”

His heart is your treasure. Your heart is His treasure.

When we invest time in prayer, we invest the treasure of personal relationship with the Creator of all that is seen and unseen. Every moment spent under His counsel increases our intimacy with Him.

#3 Finally, in Chapter 25, we find Jesus’ final teaching before the account of His crucifixion and resurrection. He answers our question, “Which denomination is the true Kingdom Church?” :

“When the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) appears in His majestic glory, with all His angels by His side, He will take His seat on His throne of splendor, and all the nations will be gathered together before Him.

And like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats, He will separate all the people. The ‘sheep’ He will put on His right side and the ‘goats’ on His left.

Then the King will turn to those on His right and say, ‘You have a special place in My Father’s heart. Come and experience the full inheritance of the Kingdom Realm that has been destined for you from the foundation of the world!

For when you saw Me hungry, you fed Me. When you found Me thirsty, you gave Me something to drink. When I had no place to stay, you invited Me in, and when I was poorly clothed, you covered Me. When I was sick, you tenderly cared for Me, and when I was in prison you visited Me…

When you cared for one of the least important of these My little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for Me. ‘ ”

Matthew 25: 31-36,40

The denomination Jesus calls the true Kingdom church is called…”His Sheep”. It is not a building, it is a heart posture inside an individual. There are possible “sheep” in every named Christian denomination on earth.

His Sheep are fully attuned to the King Shepherd. His Sheep have an open heart to intimate, personal relationship. So much so, they “see” Him in all humanity because Jesus’ heart is toward every man and woman. His Sheep are responsive to His heart.

Note:

Jesus did not mention,

Groups of more esteemed sheep…

“Types” of sheep or “subdivisions” of sheep…

Certain sheep having more favor because of historical or traditional continuity…

Sheep being rewarded for keeping bad sheep out of their pens…

More “intellectually superior” sheep…

A certain branded sheep accepted because they were born to be pre-destined for God’s favor…

Sheep wearing bands of approval because of miracles and other sheep recognized for following them…

Jesus clearly said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Goats follow themselves.

We let His Word pierce our hearts with light.

“Open your heart and consider My words.

Watch out that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation-light.

If your SPIRIT burns with light (the five maidens responsive and filled with the light of relationship) fully illuminated with no trace of darkness, you will be a shining lamp, reflecting rays of truth by the way you live.”

Luke 11: 35-36 TPT

The original blueprint of a church that changed the world is found in Acts 2:42. “They devoted themselves to the Word (Jesus’ teachings passed on by His followers), to fellowship with one another, to the breaking of bread together, and to prayer.”

The Holy Spirit teaches through the letter of Paul to the Thessalonians:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (NKJV)

“Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.” (TPT)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The perfect will of God. Read that again.

The true church of God’s Kingdom is knowing Jesus and knowing the Father-the One who is all Light and Love and Life and Truth. It is the gathering of hearts on earth who have individually positioned themselves under the KING’S heart. His church is a place of rest, inside perfect love, through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. His church moves in the freedom of the Holy Spirit who has released us and continues to release us from spiritual ignorance (darkness). Kingdom church is positioning ourselves daily, individually and as a community, right in the middle of our God.

Our lifestyle is communion with Jesus and prayer.

Prayer releases denominational divisions as we cry out together as one, “Our Father!”

The Jewel of Jesus

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field.

Matthew 13:44 NIV

The priceless “treasure” found in the parable of Matthew 13:44 is one-on-one prayer with our loving God… anytime, anywhere. And Matthew 6: 9-13 is the JEWEL of prayer.

Jesus teaches us to “go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to Him in secret” (Matthew 6:9). The innermost part of your being is your heart….your soul. He teaches us our position of prayer is relational, sincere, and humble.

The Aramaic word for prayer that Jesus used when He taught His listeners was “Slatha” and the root of that word means to “capture”. We must be still and open as we “capture” His Presence in prayer. We “capture” His goodness, His thoughts, His Counsel.

It is a beautiful study to look at the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13) in Aramaic. Jesus spoke Aramaic to the people. They translated His words to Greek because, like English is today, it was the universal language. Then they translated it to Latin and finally English. When there is an incomplete translation, we can get the wrong impression of God.

“Our Father” (Matthew 6:9) in Aramaic means Our Beloved, our Perfect Parent who cares so well for us, our Source of Life. When we say “our” we instantly become equal brothers and sisters in perfect unity. There is no higher one who can look down on another. We are bowing before Him at the same level. Jesus is positioning us in prayer…under our loving Father. You are a beloved child. Rest. Sit in your beautiful identity. Humility is rest.

“Who art in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9) makes it seem like God is so far from us separated by space and time in another world. The original language does not mean this. The Aramaic could be translated like this: “God, Who dwells within and beyond all things in the realm of Light from which all life flows.” We position ourselves under the ever-present God. He is the Creator of all that is seen and unseen. Where there is Light and Life, God is working.

Everything Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God during His time on earth is in the “Our Father” prayer. I am confident every one of those 45,000 denominations know His prayer, but not all have discovered the lamp burning within it. Jesus is adjusting us for relationship with the Father. He is showing us how to attune to the reality of God’s Kingdom on earth. It can be repeated word for word, but more than that, it is a structure to enter in and be aligned to the will of God.

“Hallowed be Thy Name” (Matthew 6:9) reminds us where we live as a beloved child of God, under His Holy Name. The Passion Translation (TPT) translates the Aramaic like this: “May Your Name be the center on which our lives turn” (Matthew 6:9 TPT). God’s name is His bond. His name is His promise over you. His name and His words are inseparable and unbreakable.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run into it and they are safe.

Proverbs 18:10

We are covered and protected with His powerful name. So much so, we are called by His name-children inherit the name of the Father. His name is our sacred dwelling place. We adjust our lives, and everything crazy in them, under the safety of His name and away from the burden of our own name. The purpose of our lives is to let everyone see that He covers us with His name.

“Thy Kingdom Come” (Matthew 6:10) comes alive when we learn that “Kingdom” in Aramaic means “God’s Counsel”; God’s ways of doing and being right.

Let your Way, your Life, your Truth, come and take over today! His Kingdom has come! Jesus has taught us God’s way of love, His justice, and His peace (authority). His wholeness (righteousness) has arrived through the cross and resurrection of the Son.

His counsel has broken into this present reality! Our part is to position ourselves under the mighty Counsellor. You can also pray it like this, “Let Your Kingdom be seen, let it be known!”

The Kingdom of God was always present with the people of God but they didn’t experience it. Jesus brought us the experience! That just makes me want to shout!

Through Jesus, we have a personal relationship with God and His Kingdom.

Through Jesus, we can see (the eyes of your heart are open to Him) the dynamics and the principles of God’s present Kingdom reality. “Thy Kingdom Come” is “now we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) ! Our posture in this prayer is to be present to God’s “possible”!

Remember when Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is expanding within some of you now” (Luke 17:21 TPT)? He is teaching us in this prayer to position ourselves under all of God’s counsel on Kingdom Truth… And you will experience the Kingdom of God.

Some of those Kingdom truths are:

You are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, not the law. You are forgiven.

You have a peaceful and loving relationship with the Creator of the Universe. He calls you “beloved child” and you call Him “beloved Father”. You are accepted.

You are translated from darkness to light, a new creation in Christ.

You can hold in your heart wisdom and spiritual understanding. You are joined in life-union with Jesus. Rest.

The long awaited Messiah lives inside of you. He knows your triumphs and difficulties. You hear His voice.

The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has taken residence inside of you bringing life and salvation to every part of you. LIFE. LIFE. LIFE indwells you!

We are lights in this world, right now. Jesus promised you darkness will never overcome that light. You are safe.

His words fill us…there is no empty place they cannot fill.

Jesus never leaves you and His own personal joy is yours.

And so much more!

HIS KINGDOM HAS COME!

Join us for next session where we will continue to study the Lord’s Prayer with deeper insight into its ability to position us under the pure LIGHT of His Fatherhood, His perfect will for our lives, His mighty Name, His counsel, and unity as a family of God.

Always honored to have you listen,

Pastor Teresa

Holy Ground Life with Teresa L. Hoffman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Before we begin, while preparing this session, God put a message in my heart for you. He is giving you this word:

“The opinions of men mean so little to God”.

I don’t know what you are going through but know that the opinions of people mean so little to our Heavenly Father.

With man this is impossible, but with GOD all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26

This encouragement reminded me of Luke 10:39, the beginning of the story of Mary and Martha, one of my favorites. Mary was sitting under the light of the Son. She was sitting, basking in the revelation light of Jesus Christ, Who is the light of Truth, the light of God’s Anointed One. Martha was somewhere else. She was busy serving Jesus, but not listening to Him. And Martha had an opinion. She thought Mary should be doing what she was doing. “You should tell her to get up and help me”.

“The opinions of men mean so little to God”.

When we sit under the Word of God, we sit under the LIGHT of God’s Kingdom. Jesus’ words are the LIGHT of God’s Kingdom.

When we sit under the opinions of men, we sit in darkness. Our own pride-filled opinions are also man’s opinion. Our goal, like Mary, is to choose to stay with Jesus and sit inside the LIGHT of every word He has spoken. We choose to let His words cover us. His words are bread and we eat them. When we do, they become a part of us and rest in the center of our being…becoming the LIGHT of the Kingdom within us!

We don’t need to cook up our own opinions apart from Him. We can carry the light of His Words in our hearts to the whole world. We serve Him beautifully when we let His revelations shine in our own words and life.

During our church prayer time this week God showed me something. Before Jesus came, the angels of God would carry His message to men and women. When they saw the angels they would fall on their faces awestruck. The brilliant light and their size must have been awesome to behold!

Then, Jesus came as the Word of God made flesh.

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was God, and the Word was with God.

(4) In Him was LIFE, and the LIFE was the LIGHT of men.

(5) And the LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

(14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the GLORY as of the only begotten of the Father, full of GRACE and TRUTH.

John1:1,4-5,14

Jesus is the entire Message of God. We have believed that wonderful Message. Now The Message lives inside our hearts. We KNOW it.

Christ now lives in you. Romans 8:10

AND

Christ in you, the hope of GLORY. Colossians 1:27

The angels know this and now they fall down in worship in the presence of Jesus the Christ within you. The LIGHT of Heaven.

Remarkably, when we speak the living Word of God, now the angels are dispatched to bring it to pass. Jesus’ words are alive in you. Now, that is awesome!

TRANSFORMATION Awareness

The reality of your life containing HIS LIFE and LIGHT within, becomes a process of metamorphosis where His life transforms your life!

For me to live IS CHRIST.

Philippians 1:21

Christ within is our source, our center, our purpose, our life-blood, our definition, our only Light. And His goodness and light has us undone. The righteousness of Jesus puts to death our own goodness. Our garments of identity have been replaced…they have disintegrated in the power of His LIGHT. Old beggars rags have dissolved in the LIGHT of the King’s wedding clothes and He dresses us with LIGHT.

We are now living beyond what we ever deserved.

Light has come and has taken dominion.

We are worthy only because He is worthy.

When we are His, we are unable to call anything our own.

And this is the true fear of the Lord. We couldn’t live without Him.

Jesus said,

For when you look at Me you are seeing the One who sent Me. I have come as a LIGHT into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

John 12:45-46

The LIGHT of the Father transformed the flesh of the Son. Living in Jesus means living by believing Him and not living under the opinions of the world, which are wrapped in spiritual darkness. Living in the LIGHT of Jesus transforms our flesh.

He has delivered us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of His beloved Son.

Colossians 1:13

Isn’t this the greatest news? We can rest in His LIGHT and truth.

This is the life-giving message we heard Him share and its still ringing in our ears. We now repeat His words to you: God is Pure Light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in Him.

If we claim that we share life with Him, but keep walking in the realm of darkness, we’re fooling ourselves and not living in the Truth.

But if we keep living in the pure light that surrounds Him, we share unbroken fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, continually cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:5-7 TPT

Let us be those who walk only in the Light of Jesus’ Message…not our own opinions. When we do there is unity and purity in everything we do.

I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me in prayer, “Will you chase the dawn or the darkness?”

Then, I saw the sun go down and a person waiting in the darkness, alone. They were cold and shivering. Their heart was troubled because of the unknown in the dark. When the light came up in the morning, they were so relieved. Only, to repeat the same cycle.

I also saw that it was possible to follow the SON. I saw that when the dawn came, they could follow the LIGHT forever. There would never be darkness if they stayed close to the SON.

When we chase the darkness we are living in doubt, unbelief, believing God’s face has turned from us. There is a separation mentality of feeling too broken, too far gone, not good enough. We are afraid of what could happen. We are waiting for the next bad thing to happen. We beg God in prayer, forgetting who we are.

But, believer, when we chase the dawn we share our life with Jesus and the LIGHT of the world takes over our life-experience. “His life was the LIGHT of men”.

Jesus gave us a covering, His own covering, that darkness cannot overcome. (Isaiah 61:10) It allows you to fly on the wings of dawn.

Listen to this Word of LIGHT for you, personally :

Rise up in splendor and be radiant, for your light has dawned, and Yahweh’s GLORY now steams from you!

Look carefully! Darkness blankets the earth, and thick clouds covers the nations, but Yahweh arises upon you and the brightness of His GLORY appears over you!

Nations will be attracted to your radiant light and kings to the sunrise-GLORY of your new day. Lift up your eyes higher! Look all around you and believe for your sons are returning from far away and your daughters are being tenderly carried home. Watch as they all gather together, eager to come back to you!

Then you will see with understanding and be radiant. Your heart will be thrilled and swell with joy.

Isaiah 60 :1-5 TPT

When Isaiah prophesied this message, he had you in mind; the believer who has Jesus Christ living within. “Yahweh’s glory now streams from you”.

Jesus spoke these words over you, “He that believes in Me…out of your belly will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Rivers of heaven’s Glory flowing from the throne of Jesus…within.

Jesus said,

“I am the LIGHT of the world, and those who embrace Me will experience life-giving LIGHT, and they will never walk in darkness.”

John 8:12

If darkness covers this world and Jesus is the LIGHT of the world, and we live in Him and through Him…darkness will never have a hold on us. The note for John 8:12 TPT states, “The Aramaic is “they will never be driven (pushed) by darkness”. Spiritual darkness does not push around the believer in Jesus.

The Words of Jesus are His light covering. They are an umbrella of LIGHT over you.

“Believe and cling to the LIGHT while I am with you, so that you will become children of the LIGHT.”

After saying this, Jesus then entered the crowd and hid Himself from them.

John 12:36

His flesh left them but He left them with His words. We still have them. They are “a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105). His words secured in our heart make us a LIGHT to the world.

When it says in the verse from Isaiah above, “Then you will understand and be radiant” (Isaiah 60: 5) it means when we understand God’s words we have revelation light. Revelation LIGHT unveils an understanding of JESUS! And to understand Jesus is to have eyes to see the Kingdom of God on earth!

If you abide (experience life) in My Word, you are My disciples (true believers) and you will KNOW the Truth and the Truth will make you free!—Jesus.

John 8:31

The narrow way is Jesus. The gateway of LIGHT is sitting, embracing, eating the Bread of Truth given by Jesus alone.

Those who love the Truth will come into the LIGHT and welcome its exposure. For the LIGHT will reveal that is was GOD who produced their fruitful works.

John 3:21

The first result of living in the LIGHT of Jesus is holiness. His LIGHT disinfects us from sin. Our perfect works for Him become LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE with all, KINDNESS to all, showing the character of Jesus (GOODNESS) in our decisions, FAITHFULNESS, being GENTLE, and not being led by emotional storms…

Spiritual Light breaks through ignorance, which is spiritual darkness. His wisdom flows.

The Kingdom of God is fully immersed in the LIGHT of God, in heaven and on earth. This is how you know that you have crossed its borders.

The earth and the sky will wear out and fade away before one Word I speak loses its power or fails to accomplish its purpose. Matthew 24:35

AND

The LIGHT shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

AND

I have come as a LIGHT into the world. John 12:46

You and I represent the LIGHT of the Kingdom of God. We are lamps that cannot be hidden. It is not a little Truth and it is not a little LIGHT! Carry His LIGHT-NESS into every atmosphere.

Thank you for joining me. I hope this encouraged you.

We encourage each other…light unto light,

Pastor Teresa

Traveling through this world can be rocky. Yes, we are overcomers through Jesus who has covered us in His love. Yes, we have the Spirit of Resurrection and Holiness dwelling inside of us; the same Spirit that raised Jesus’ dead body from the grave giving us healing life. Yes, we are heirs of the King’s inheritance and we get to experience His life in us. But we also live in the space and time of a world that is weary and wearing out. Every Christian who hungers for the realities of heaven on earth will meet the resistance of the uncertain world we live in.

“Lord, you formed the earth in the beginning and with Your own hands you crafted the cosmos.

They will one day both disappear but you will remain forever!

They will fade out like a worn-out garment, and they will be changed like clothes, and you will fold them up and put them away.

But You are I AM.

You never change, years without end!”

Hebrews 1:10-12 TPT

We are seeing the world begin to tear at the seams and it’s foundations begin to crumble: fear, uncertainty, war, unstable financial foundations, breakout anger that is becoming more comfortable with confrontation, shame celebrated, what was up is down, what was down is up, broken homes, distrust over what is real, personal battles with the chaos of expectation….what is good, is bad and what is bad, is good. People are fighting but they don’t know what they are fighting for?

The broken-ness of the natural world is beginning to swamp the boat of God’s Kingdom on earth…or is it?

Let’s take a close look at the gospel of Mark chapter four. When weariness begins to close in, we must answer it with spiritual clarity. The gospels always reveal to us our own human heart.

“Later that day, after it grew dark, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.”

Suddenly, as they were crossing the lake, a ferocious tempest arose, with violent winds and waves that were crashing into the boat until it was all but swamped.

But Jesus was calmly sleeping in the stern, resting on a cushion.

They shook Him awake saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to die!”

Fully awake, He rebuked the storm and shouted to the sea, “Peace Be Still!” All at once the wind stopped howling and the water became perfectly calm.

Then He turned to His disciples and said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Where is your faith?”

Mark 4: 35-40

The broken natural realm was breaking over the boat.

“Wake up! Where is Your promise , Lord? I can’t feel it! All I feel right now is the storm!”

Jesus said, “We are going to the other side.” His Words must live inside of us. They must be more real than the broken storms that come against us. His Words must be the reality we rest in. This is faith. The natural realm will get so close we will be tempted to be afraid.

Jesus also gave us this promise:

“My own sheep will hear My voice and I know each one, and they will follow Me.

I give them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of My hands.

My Father, who has given them to Me as His gift, is the mightiest of all, and no one has the power to snatch them from My Father’s care.

The Father and I are one.”

John 10: 27-30 TPT

You are His sheep. You are safe. Forever. These Words must live in you. They are greater than what your body is screaming. They are greater than what your soul (mind, will, emotions) are screaming. We speak in the storm to our body and soul, “You are safe.”

We are safe from the enemy of God who works in the storm to pry away our agreement with God’s good promise. He roams around the trouble, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). He has no teeth. It is only your agreement with “God has left you alone” that gives him teeth.

We stay in the care of God’s promise.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8

“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 26:3

You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Do you believe this? Will you let this live inside of you?

“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions.

With all your heart rely on Him to guide you and He will lead you in every decision you make.

Become intimate with Him in whatever you do, and He will lead you wherever you go.

Don’t think for a moment you know-it-all, for wisdom comes when you adore Him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that is wrong.”

Proverbs 3:5-7 TPT

Weariness comes when we battle with our own wisdom and opinions.

You can look at the storms as a trusting child under the care of a good Father or as a teenager.

If you have ever been a teenager, raised a teenager, or have been acquainted with one, you know that with the little knowledge they gain, they believe they know it all.

In Mark 10: 17-27 we read of a teenager who believed he could literally save himself by being good at following the law. Jesus invited him to “Sell all you have and follow Me.” The teenager turned the invitation down and walked away. His goodness was destined to falter and there was most certainly a storm of uncertainty in his future. He would realize he needed the One who was good. Our broken-ness is healed by Jesus’ goodness. Only Jesus, not our own.

When we find ourselves in the middle of the storm, we get through it by returning to our entire heart-trust in Him.

The disciples chose to battle the storm with what they knew, and as a result, they experienced the full power of the storm. They were afraid and their faith was lost.

Jesus said,

“If you really knew God, you would listen, receive, and respond with faith to His words.”

“I speak to you an eternal truth: whoever cherishes My words and keeps them will never experience death.”

John 8: 47 and 51

These promises will combat all fear. The fear of death is the foundation to all fear.

When sheep are afraid of a threat they make terrible decisions. When a wolf comes near, they gather together so it can attack them all at once. When there is moving water they drown immediately from fear. There was even a sheep found recently living in a cave who, in fear, had escaped the shearer and he almost died from the enormous weight of his sixty pound coat of wool.

Jesus called us sheep.

He also called Himself the Good Shepherd. He lays down His life at the gate to keep us safe. “You are getting to the other side. Do not be afraid.”

Jesus gives us an answer for weariness in Matthew 11:28.

“Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.

I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your weary soul.

My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

This is an invitation to experience the rest of Jesus in the midst of a storm. Will you accept it? Our human nature wants to go to familiar human fear and experience the storm. Jesus gives us the gift of peace to live inside us. We now speak to the storm just like Jesus.

“Through declaration Jesus’ internal reality became His external reality. The peace that was ruling in Him soon became that which was released to rule around Him. That is the nature of the Christian life. We give away what we have and, as we do, the world around us conforms. It is a superior kingdom.”— Bill Johnson, “Face to Face with God”

The Message translation reads Matthew 11:28 like this: “Walk with Me and work with Me. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Stay with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches us to “cast down every high thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God”. It is these thoughts, opinions, and fears that produce weariness in a believer’s life. The followers of Jesus said, ”Where would we go, Lord? You alone have the words of eternal life.” His words release the weariness of saving ourselves.

Sit with Jesus.

Mary of Bethany sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His words. Jesus said “what was given to her would never be taken”. No one could snatch the revelations she absorbed in that position. His words came to live inside of her.

Like the disciples, Mary went through a storm, but this was in her heart. She went through the chaos of heartbreak in the death of her brother. Her grief threatened to swamp her heart. She didn’t understand. But she returned to the feet of Jesus and sat down. “If you had been here my brother wouldn’t have died". She was going to the front of the boat and laying down her thoughts, opinions, and fears at the feet of Jesus. Jesus cried with her. His life joined her deep grief… and bore it.

“All things are possible if you believe.” Lazarus rose. Her life rejoiced on the other side of the storm.

Then came the dinner party days before Jesus’ death on the cross. He had told His followers but they didn’t believe He would have to die. He was King. King’s don’t die.

But Mary held His words in her heart. She brought a jar of perfume that represented all her wealth, beauty, and life. She broke the jar at His feet. It was poured in preparation for His death and burial. Mary had been listening.

She anointed Jesus with the eyes of her heart centered on His purpose and there, she found her own purpose. The house and neighborhood were filled with the scent of her sacrifice…her devotion. People asked what it was and they told them…the gospel was told and her name was in it.

Stay focused on Jesus. Stay with your eyes on His cross and resurrection. Do not focus on disappointment. Never stay at the feet of disappointment. Never agree with the storm.

Sit with Jesus. Stay with Jesus.

Eat the bread of His Words. Hold His words in the center of your heart. Wear His garment.

Until next time,

Pastor Teresa

Holy Ground Life with Teresa L. Hoffman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

You accepted His invitation from Revelation 3:20. He is seated at the table of your heart. Everything you need right now is at that table.

Remember,

“Your loving Father joyously gives you His Kingdom Realm with all its promises!” Luke 12:32 TPT

God’s Kingdom Realm is a superior reality.

The battle with darkness was won in the beginning with light. The Spirit of God spoke over the darkness and LIGHT made a violent take over. It still does. We must not take for granted the power of light to dispel darkness. The victory was settled in all realms with Jesus Christ Who is the LIGHT of the world. In all realms means ALL.

There is a world of uncertainty outside of Jesus. Doubt and unbelief are dark, murky waters. The prince of darkness will operate wildly in that uncertainty. He will take advantage of uncertainty and feed anyone there who will eat his deceptions.

Jesus said, “ [In the last days] deception will run rampant. So beware you are not fooled!” Matthew 24:4

Uncertainty leads to deception.

“[The Deceiver] deviously asked the woman, “Did God really say…?” Genesis 3:1

He wants to have you put your eyes on uncertainty.

But inside the Kingdom of God there is certainty. The foundation is secured by the Creator of all that is seen and unseen. Life in God’s Kingdom never ends. The King’s authority and victory are established. Light has won dominion over darkness. Every righteous requirement has been fulfilled by the reigning King Jesus. You have been fully accepted and your name is written in the book of citizens. Salvation has been secured. It is the Kingdom that supersedes all other kingdoms. There is no lack here.

Everything you need is at the table of your heart, where the King sits.

The culture we live in on earth is screaming from every available screen or voice, “There isn’t enough!”.

The Kingdom also speaks and it declares, “God’s provision is abundant and perfect”.

So, may I humbly ask, where is your mind-set today? Is it on uncertainty or certainty?

Jesus tells us that we are going to hear uncertainty even among believers.

“If someone says to you, ‘Look, the Anointed One has returned! He’s in the desert!’ Or… ’Look ! He’s here in our house!’ Don’t believe it.” Matthew 24:24

“Look, look at uncertainty!” That is the voice of the deceiver.

Jesus has an answer- “You will KNOW when I appear” (Matthew 24:28) CERTAINLY.

One of the joyful promises of our loving Father is from Psalm 27:13; we are able to “experience the goodness of God in the land of the living”, here on earth.

We not only expect and experience His goodness in a world of uncertainty, we release His goodness on the earth. We are establishing the Kingdom of God reality on earth, a certain reality.

Listen to this prophetic word from David regarding King Jesus,

“I am setting Him apart, favoring Him as My firstborn Son.

I will make Him the most high King in all the earth!

I will love Him forever and always show Him kindness.

My covenant with Him will never be broken.

For I have decreed that He will always have an heir—a dynasty that will release the days of heaven on earth.” Psalm 89:27-29 TPT

The heirs of salvation are that dynasty! You and I are heirs, even joint-heirs (Romans 8:17), with Jesus Christ. We were adopted into God’s family, sharing the spiritual inheritance of Jesus. We are His heirs within His dynasty. We release days of heaven on earth! Wow. If that doesn’t bless you, time to wake up!

Last week we went over some powerful keys that unlock the flow of heaven’s reality on the earth. If you haven’t listened, please do. These are keys that release the Kingdom within us. And amazingly, they release God’s Kingdom through us!

Let’s explore two more essential keys to the Kingdom within: stillness and joy.

I wanted to do one whole session on JOY or even multiple sessions. Joy is a powerful and supernatural force. It is the atmosphere of heaven, a key weapon in heaven’s arsenal, and most importantly, one of the central character traits of our Heavenly Father. But the Holy Spirit gave me stillness and joy together because their effectiveness increases together. Through stillness and joy, you and I can access the dynasty of heaven and bring it to earth.

Believer in Jesus, the face of God is toward you.

If you can take a moment and be fully aware of that reality. You are not begging for the attention of your Heavenly Father, His countenance is shining all over you right now. There is pure joy in His glorious face when He looks on you. The Holy Spirit, within you, rises up and meets His countenance and speaks like many waters over you, “You are God’s Beloved Child!”

“You are My Heir.”

“Be still and be loved… and enjoyed.”

“Enjoy”…let that word sink into your innermost being and let it be a revelation of the Father’s heart toward you.

Close your eyes and experience God’s pleasure over you. It doesn’t matter what you have done, because of Jesus you are forgiven and accepted.

You must not fail to experience His personal pleasure over you. God’s plan all along was for you to freely enjoy His Fatherly love. Don’t shrink back in the fear of never being good enough.

Enter into this profound stillness by surrendering every thought but this one:

If God is for you, who can be against you?

Experience the true reality that a river from the throne of the Father and Jesus flows down into your heart, your dwelling place. Everything needed is in that river.

Experience God’s original blueprint of your purpose: You are in the very real reality that He showers you with His gift of perfect love.

The command to be still and KNOW that He is God is not a correction for a distracted child, it is a perfect prayer. It is to fully embrace His Presence in your spirit, soul, and body. It is to say with your entire being, “Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

Kingdom living is not performance for God through good works and impactful accomplishments. Only when we are “always seeking the LIGHT of His face” (Psalm 105:4) do we experience His true pleasure and purpose for our lives.

We have been made and re-made in His image. When we are still and waiting fully immersed in His Image then we are transformed from one brighter glory to another.

“The moment one turns to Him with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see…with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.

We are being transfigured into His very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

To access stillness in His Presence releases God’s love and rest.

This stillness opens your heart wide to His wisdom.

Jesus explained, “You’ve been given the intimate experience of insight into the hidden truths and mysteries of the realm of heaven’s Kingdom…

For everyone who listens with an open heart will receive progressively more revelation (God’s wisdom) until he has more than enough.” Matthew 13: 11-12

Stillness in His Presence gives us access to salvation in every area of our lives.

“I stand silently to listen to the One I love waiting as long as it takes for the Lord to rescue me. Only God is my Savior, and He will not fail me!

For He alone is my safe place. His wrap-around Presence always protects me as my champion defender. There is no risk of failure with God!

So why would I let worry paralyze me, even when my troubles multiply around me? God’s glory is all around me! His wrap-around Presence is all I need, for the Lord is my Savior, my hero, and my life-giving strength.” Psalm 62:5-7 TPT

Anxious cares will try to steal away the power of this position. Those cares will fly around like an unwanted annoyance until we break away and say, “I can’t be still! I must do something!” When we walk away to find a solution, we are walking away from the perfect answer.

Our human nature is to build and not simply wait and listen. The gospels tell us about the Mt. of Transfiguration where Jesus, joined by Elijah and Moses, turns into pure LIGHT (Matthew 17). Peter’s first response was to build something religious to honor the moment. The Father steps in, covering them with a cloud, and releases His voice to say, “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” Or in other words, “Stop planning, be still, and listen to Jesus”. This is His perfect will.

“Surrender your anxiety!

Be (still) silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God.”

Psalm 46:10 TPT

Surrender can be a negative word to some. To me, I have found a great blessing in surrender. You cannot absorb all that God has for you if you are full of yourself. Like a sponge filled to the full with liquid, when you try to pour more, it cannot absorb it. Or like a glass of water filled to the brim, more water would just fall away from the glass.

It is time to receive everything made available to you by the blood of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is whispering to you today, “ How many safety nets do you have before you only rely on His grace?”

Jesus said, “I only do what the Father tells Me.” When did the Father counsel Him? It was in the secret place of prayer and in the stillness of His Presence. He was “still” on the mountaintop listening. He was “still” on the sea and in the heat of the desert. He was “still” when Judas betrayed Him and then lifted His face to the Father. He was “still” under arrest by Pontius Pilate when He was asked, “What is truth?”

Stillness released our Savior’s purpose and stillness released His miracles. We are to follow Him in everything.

What comes up when you are still?

Surrender it.

Surrender the thorn. 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us when we do, God’s grace flows into the weakness as perfect power.

Stillness leads to surrender because of God’s overwhelming love for you. Surrender leads to an abundance of grace. And grace leads to gratitude…and that leads us to supernatural JOY!

Access JOY. You will go deeper into God’s glorious Kingdom Realm within.

Joy is not happiness. It is a supernatural gift released from heaven. The atmosphere of heaven is first and foremost JOY. The face of the Father lights up heaven and His joy pours from His countenance. There is a parable Jesus told regarding the Kingdom of God and a distributed inheritance (Matthew 25:21). The servant in the parable who invested the inheritance was rewarded with these words, “Well done good and faithful servant! Enter in to the JOY of your Master!” Heaven’s atmosphere is joy. We are the ones who bring heaven to earth.

In John 15, Jesus tells us we are in life-union with Him and to live nourished in the love of God. He then says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My JOY may remain in you, and that your JOY may be full.” (John 15:11)

He also prays this for us in John 17: 13 (TPT), “I pray they experience and enter into My JOYous delight in You, so that IT is fulfilled in them and overflows!”

The church has been comfortable with tears of repentance but we are not to stay there. God’s purpose is that we would be still, surrender everything that we do apart from Him, and then enter into the joy of our salvation. Our face glowing with the Image of our Savior and our body jumping for joy! In this world only a fool leaps for joy, but God tells us in His word that this should be our immediate response to all that He is and all that He does for us!

“We can do nothing but leap for joy all day long for we KNOW who You are and what You do and you’ve exalted us on high!” Psalm 89:16

Joy is a weapon against oppression and darkness. If the enemy can’t steal your joy, he can’t take anything that belongs to you! Joy is in the nuclear arsenal of the Kingdom of Light here on earth. Even God laughs on His throne at what the enemy tries to do.

We have a joyful God and He wants to bring us into the center of His heart. Here, we are more than conquerors.

When Jesus was born the Messenger of God spoke, “I have good news of great JOY!” Everything Jesus is joy.

It is time for us to position ourselves in stillness before the One we love, move through surrender, and then into the joy of our salvation. Leap, dance, shout, and rejoice for what He has already done!

If we desire to glorify God we must be acquainted with His JOY.

Thank you for listening.

There won’t be a session to post next week because our church will be praying continuously for the nations. We will also be praying for each believer to move beyond the tears of repentance and into activation of their purpose.

I will be praying for each of you.

Pastor Teresa

Holy Ground Life with Teresa L. Hoffman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Jesus taught us to declare in prayer,

“Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

The Passion Translation: “Manifest Your Kingdom Realm and cause Your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth.”

Jesus is clearly letting us know that God’s Kingdom is not just in heaven, but ready to invade the earth realm, and this is God’s will.

Then He taught us,

“God’s Kingdom does not come simply by obeying principles or waiting for signs. The Kingdom is not discovered in one place or another, for God’s Kingdom Realm is already expanding within some of you.” (Luke 17:20-21 TPT)

The Kingdom has come. And it is up to the believer to seek it and receive it. God has released His Kingdom, through His Son Jesus, to us.

Jesus tells us this, regarding the heart of the Father,

“As you passionately seek His Kingdom, above all else, He will supply your needs. So don’t ever be afraid, dearest friends!

Your loving Father joyously gives you His Kingdom with all its promises.” (Luke 12:31-32 TPT)

And the Holy Spirit teaches us this,

“Now the promise of entering into God’s rest [His Kingdom Realm with all its promises] is… for us today.

So we must be extremely careful to ensure that we all embrace the fullness of that promise and not fail to experience it.” (Hebrews 4:1 TPT)

Experience it, here on earth. Today.

With the privilege of knowing there is more to experience comes an obligation to pursue it.

If you were given entrance to a theme park like Disneyland and stayed the entire day on Main St. but never explored and experienced the many different lands within the park, you would be free to do that. But you would have failed to experience all that was available to see and enjoy. The same applies to God’s kingdom Realm on earth.

Remember, we studied Matthew 11:12 and Jesus tells us that passionate people are the ones who take hold of Kingdom power. Will you take hold?

Our teacher, Paul the apostle, says it like this, “I have heard of your devoted lives of faith in Christ Jesus and your tender love toward all His holy believers. Your faith and love rise within you as you access all the treasures of your inheritance stored up in the heavenly realm” (Colossians 1:4-5 TPT). Access is given, it is our choice to walk into it.

Remember, you were translated (Colossians 1:12-13) from a shakable kingdom of darkness; one that shutters in darkness waiting to be destroyed by God’s Light.

From that kingdom you were translated into the Kingdom of God’s Son, Jesus. This Kingdom is unshakable. This Kingdom holds no uncertainty.

“Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by His divine power.

For all of this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing Him who has called us by name and invited us to come to Him through a glorious manifestation of His goodness (Kingdom of God manifested).

As a result of this, He has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises we can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.” (2 Peter 1:3-4 TPT)

You can experience partnership…you can partake…How? Access.

In the natural realm AND in the spirit realm keys give you access. Let’s look together at the keys that unlock God’s Kingdom Realm here on earth.

#1 Key

This is the master key to God’s Kingdom Realm: Jesus Christ. Jesus is the center of God’s Kingdom. Without Jesus there is no access.

“I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If you unlock the door, I will come in and sit with you at the table of your heart. I will eat with you and you with Me.”

-Jesus, Revelations 3:20.

The amazing mystery is that when God gave you human life, He gave you a key. It is our choice to use this key. It is the key of faith in the Word of God. If you accepted the invitation to let Jesus into your heart, you had to unlock the door of your own heart to let Him in. That door was unlocked by faith.

When you did, the Master Key of Abundant Life walked in. The Gateway to Life and Truth walked through the door of your heart!

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

When Jesus sits at the table of your heart, you have full access to experience the Father’s Kingdom Realm here on earth.

“Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and He now declares us flawless in His eyes. (wow!) This means we can enjoy true and lasting peace with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us.

Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us perfect relationship with God.” (Romans 5:1-2 TPT)

Permanent access…Jesus Christ within.

While seated in the center of your heart, Jesus holds a ring of keys to release to you one at a time. These keys will take you deeper into His Kingdom Realm. Embrace each one.

Key #2

The Key of David.

“These are the Words of the Holy One, the true one, who has David’s key, who opens the doors that none can shut and who closes doors that none can open…”.

(Revelations 3:7).

In the Passion Translation notes regarding this scripture it reveals the meaning of the Key of David: “The key of David unlocks intimacy and prayer. David was a man who lived in grace centuries before the gospel of God’s grace was unveiled.”

Intimacy and prayer. This opens wide a door to come into God’s fullness, where there is joy and power in the Holy Spirit.

It is a key to unlock God’s Personal Realm.

It is a key to unlock understanding of His character and His will.

This key is not necessary to be “saved”, but is essential for you to ascend into God’s Realm. It is a key to experiential and relational intimacy with your Creator. When you access this place, you enter deeper knowledge of who Jesus is, understanding of the heart of the Father, and a place where you are known by the Father and the Son as family.

David didn’t defeat the giant because of a supernatural influx of courage and ability. He defeated the giant before he even met him… in the secret place of intimate prayer. This is not a place of religious prayers of repetition but rather, access to divine friendship with God.

When Jesus sealed His believers with the Holy Spirit in John 20:21, He released this access to friendship with God.

Important: To receive this key gives you the responsibility to use it daily.

Key #3

Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus sealed you with the Holy Spirit, He said to intimately pray and wait to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit…power from heaven to move you to be His messenger (Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4). Each key leads to an experience, which leads to access to another key. Intimacy and prayer lead to the baptism (infilling) of the Holy Spirit.

This key gives you access to the power of the heavenly realm.

“We are not living by the standards of the world, but by the Spirit’s wisdom and power.

For though we are walking by the flesh, we are not waging war in the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:2-5)

This key gives us access to the armory of God.

This key gives us access to perfect spiritual sight.

This key unlocks ALL Truth.

This key is a personal key to unlock our own heart and reveal why we do what we do.

This key unlocks our mind of personal strongholds (and opinions that hurt us)… (Please read 1 Corinthians 2:10-12).

The Key of the Infilling of the Holy Spirit will give you access to this revelation: The weight of this world is nothing in the light of His glory!

Key #4

Revelation from the Words of the Bible.

This key unlocks the scriptures so that we can read and understand the deeper.. and progressively deeper meaning of God’s Word. The scriptures are breathed by the Spirit of God. The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives us access to being able to experience the Bible as a Person.

This key takes us into an experience with deeper understanding and a more intense light of revelation. You do not need a person to interpret God’s Word for you. You have the key. Jesus is releasing it to you.

This key gives you the ability to eat more complex meanings in scripture. With it we can advance into the rich soil of God’s Word.

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom.” (Colossians 3:16 TPT)

This key gives you access to ALL Wisdom. Embrace wisdom and it will visibly be seen in your life (Matthew 11:19).

“What is stored in your heart will be heard in the overflow of your words.” (Matthew 12:34)

This key allows you to store up the treasure of God’s Word in your heart and produce the fruit that gives God pleasure… in your own words.

Key #5

This Key unlocks God’s authority and power to flow in your own words.

The keys that Jesus gives us are offered sequentially to lead you into deeper experiences in God’s Kingdom Realm on earth. Each one makes you ready for the next. Remember, “ Your Father joyously gives you the Kingdom and all of its promises” so this access gives God great pleasure.

When the Word of God becomes a part of you, it transforms your thoughts and perspectives. When this happens you begin to speak differently.

If you have been around the believers who believe in the power of our words, you have heard, “You need to be better about what you say! Your words have creative power!” This can become annoying! lol.

The truth is, if you have explored where the previous keys have taken you, it isn’t your self discipline that will change your words. Your words will begin to transform under the influence of God’s Kingdom within.

This key gives you access to authority. Jesus hands you it.

In the secret place of prayer, under the loving influence of the Holy Spirit, soaked in the living Word of God, we are learning what is possible from our Master Key, Jesus.

“If you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!‘ And do not doubt in your heart, but you believe that what you say will be done, you will have whatever you say!” (Mark 11:23)

Jesus, on the cross, released His voice and then released His Spirit to the Father. Our experience is to receive the Spirit from Jesus and then release our voice filled with the Spirit’s power!

Our words unlock God’s possible on the earth. His authority is activated by our words. Look at Peter and John at the Gate of Beautiful in the book of Acts when they saw the crippled man. If they had not spoken these words, “ Silver and gold we do not have. But, in The Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk!” (Acts 3:6) the crippled man would not have received his miracle.

“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)

We are those who are citizens of God’s Kingdom Realm on earth, and we bring what is a reality in heaven to the earth. We do this through access given to us by Jesus and the gift of His GREAT name. We drive out darkness with the power and authority of His name.

“They [those who believe in Jesus and have invited Him to sit at the table of their heart] will drive out demons in the power of My name. They will speak in tongues.” (Mark 16:17)

You will speak in tongues. The words will flow from the Holy Spirit who fills you. A perfect spiritual language. Do not let the enemy rob this from you because men who fear an unknown language. Jesus said if you ask for all the gifts of the Holy Spirit your Father will give you them all! (Please read Luke 11:12-13). When you pray in your God-given spiritual language you pray the perfect will of God for your life and for those you love.

This key unlocks the authority of God’s Kingdom on the earth through your words.

“The Spirit of God hovered over the waters and spoke…”LIGHT BE!”… and light was.” (Genesis 1:2-3)

You are made in God’s image and that means you can speak light over the darkness!

That is all for today. There will be more keys in the next session.

Thank you for listening. Praying for each of you to receive all the keys that unlock the adventure of God’s Kingdom Realm here on earth!

Pastor Teresa

Holy Ground Life with Teresa L. Hoffman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

How do we experience the Kingdom of God within us? It begins with a choice.

Let’s start with Luke 17:20-21.

“Now having been asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, [Jesus] replied, ‘The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed or with a visible display. Nor will people say, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or ‘ There it is!’ For the Kingdom of God is among you because of My Presence.” (Luke 17:20-21 AMP)

“The Kingdom of God is in your midst.” (v :21, NIV)

“The Kingdom of God is already expanding within some of you.” (v: 21, TPT)

The original text uses a Greek word that can either mean “in your midst” or “within you”. I believe we can hear the gentle invitation of our Savior-Jesus, in this difficult to translate word, asking if we will be one who believes Jesus is in the midst of our church, or if we are the ones who live a life of trusting and believing in the Christ within.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with Me.” (Revelations 3:20)

Your choice.

The Gateway to Life and Truth has come to the door of your heart and asks for entrance!

The Kingdom Realm of God is a person and He is Jesus Christ.

Have you answered His knock and let Him enter your heart? He will live in the midst of you and sit at the table of your control center; the place where your thoughts reside and your will is formed… or transformed. When we join our life with Jesus, we experience the Kingdom of God within.

We carry a reality that far exceeds any other reality. It is a deep, relational, experiential reality not to be taken lightly. We don’t live on a entirely human level, but we think by the thoughts and secrets of the Spirit within. It is a great treasure to be able to live this way. This is a season for you and I to recognize the Kingdom of God within our heart. It must be a treasured reality.

Let’s remember that Jesus never said, “Above all be a good Christian” or “Above all use the energy of your being to to preach, teach, and feed the world”. He never said, “Be good enough to call yourself a Christ-follower by doing many good deeds.”

He did say, above all, “Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you. This is the greatest and supreme commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).

For God, it has always been about your heart.

Loving God beautifully begins with loving Jesus…letting Him enter our heart, then sit down at the table of our heart, and daily take up residence in the middle of our thoughts.

“The Lord doesn’t look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Your heart is more important to God than anything great you can do for Him.

Jesus came to heal the human heart according to Isaiah 61. He came to restore our relationship with our Creator and He came to restore our souls. A perfect life is a life lived with the One Who Is Perfect.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart” (Matthew 6:21). What do you treasure? Be honest.

When our hearts treasure the living Words of Jesus, He has taken up residence within. When Jesus sits at the table of our heart and feeds us the Words of truth and life in the scriptures, the Kingdom of God has taken residence within us.

Our relationship with Jesus cannot advance without knowledge of His Words. We need to eat to remain at His table. Our relationship with scripture is reflective of how much we treasure the Kingdom of God within.

His heavenly wisdom is magnificent. When our heart is centered on Jesus we have a foundation that will never fail.

“Let the Word of Christ live in you richly , flooding you with all wisdom.” (Colossians 3:16 TPT)

What happens at the table of your heart?

There is a washing…pouring…flooding…outflow.

“The love of God is poured into your heart through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to you.” (Romans 5:5)

Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Jesus said to us,

The water I give you [in your heart’s center] will become in you a well of water springing up into eternal life.” (John 4:14)

But the water that I give [you] will become in [you] a spring of water [satisfying your thirst for God} welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within you] to eternal life.” (John 4:14 AMP)

Thoughts well up in the heart center and bubble up as words which affect the atmosphere around you. When the Kingdom is experienced within you, you drink in the thoughts of Jesus, which is the mind of Christ, and they flow out as words and they have miraculous, life-changing power. As a result, the Kingdom of God is seen flowing from your life.

Something is always flowing out of your heart.

What is flowing out of yours?

The original blueprint for the human heart (our believing center) was that the active, flowing , life-giving LOVE of God would flow into it and flow out…to others.

Before you believed in Jesus there was one flow and it was the never ending flow of the knowledge of good and evil. A river independent of God that began when sin entered the world. Self protection was the first response of Adam and Eve from that flow and it is the same for us. It leads to broken hearts which lead to grief and self-awareness and eventually fear. This leads to self-preservation, provision, and weariness.

But Jesus came to heal our heart and restore the well. Amen.

When the Kingdom of God is active within you there is peace. It is a peace that guards your heart. The Prince of Peace sits at the table and His peace has overcome the world. We no longer need to police the rivers that flow -His peace guards our heart (Philippians 4:7, John 14:27, Colossians 3:15). His love flows in and out. Jesus makes it so. It is a place of rest in Him. The original blueprint restored.

Our part is to actively allow God to reign in our heart.

Eat a diet of the Spirit’s perceptions. The way to do that is to read the bible. Consume God’s Words every day. Believe His Words and act on His Word. Soak your thoughts with God thoughts. Fill the table of your heart with God’s promises. Go to bed with His promises flowing… wave after wave over your heart. Treasure His voice.

Moments of doubt come toward every believer like a dark river. The unbelief, offence, or fear will try to return to a dry riverbed. The darkness tries to make you return to an old familiar way of self-preservation, self-protection, self-awareness, self-comfort and weariness. There is no condemnation when this happens, but there is a choice.

Where will you return? Will it be a return to the old habit or addiction or control? Or will you return to Jesus and the Secret Place within?

The best experience I have had in the Kingdom of God within has been when darkness is at the door of my heart and I choose Jesus and His voice instead. When His river of kindness flows, I am secure…and I grow in the Kingdom.

Do not be afraid of the deep places. You are not alone. To experience the Kingdom of God within is to exchange what you “know” for knowing Him.

The more I know Jesus, the more I know it is about Him and His promises, and not about me.

I hope this blessed you.

Thank you for listening,

Pastor Teresa

Holy Ground Life with Teresa L. Hoffman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

God said of David, “I have found someone who pursues My heart and he will accomplish all I have destined him to do.” (Acts 13:22 TPT)

God is saying of you, “I see how you are pursuing My heart…continue and you will accomplish everything I have destined you to do.” Amen.

Kingdom School is about strengthening one another, encouraging one another to go deeper in our faith and into the center of God’s Kingdom Realm. It is about being delivered entirely from oppression and not tolerating anything less than the freedom Jesus promised us. It is taking a moment to breathe deeply the atmosphere of Heaven, here on earth, and sit down together to partake in all of God’s goodness.

The table is set for us in the center of the Kingdom of God, here on earth.

Humanity is facing daunting things as a global community. There is a fierceness that is not for the faint of heart. But joined in life union and in covenant with Jesus we are more than conquerors.

We are pressing into the ultimate victory, every day, by wrapping our believing hearts tightly around His truth. He has found in you a heart for Him and your heart will not fail. He will never let you fail! Our heart in His Presence is healed.

“Then He said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage feast of the LAMB!” (Revelations 19:9)

Who is the LAMB?

“The very next day John saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, and John cried out, ‘ Look! There He is- God’s Lamb! He will take away the sins of the world!’” (John 1:29 TPT)

How do we receive an invite to His marriage feast?

“ Behold I (Jesus Christ) stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and DINE with him and he with Me.” (Revelations 3:20)

What are we to eat?

“The bread of God is the One who came out of Heaven to give His life to feed the world.” (John 6:33)

God set the table with His very best:

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

Jesus Christ.

“Your Word was found, and I ate it. And Your Word was to me the joy and delight of my heart…for I am called by Your Name.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

When we eat the Kingdom feast we receive His victorious Name over our spirit, soul, and every cell of our body.

“ I am the Bread of Life. Come everyday to Me and you will never be hungry. Believe in Me and you will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

Every day we are invited to wrap our lives around His Truth and make it a part of us. It is a feast that fulfills the meaning of life. We can partake in the fullness of Jesus. He is the One who invites us, the One who sits with us, the One we partake. As He is, we receive the same. It is a blessing indeed!

The table He prepared is set on earth, right now, not in the great by and by. It is the table of Psalm 23, “He sets a table for you in the presence of your enemies” (v. 5). Your enemy is not in Heaven-he roams this world, for now. But that table is glorious and darkness has no part of it. Jesus sits with you. He pours an anointing of identity with His name over your head-healing your mind. He fills the cup of covenant wine and never lets it go dry. He speaks what is true about who you are, wrapped in His garment of righteousness, “Goodness and mercy will follow you today and all of your days. You are a part of My family. Everything you need is here.”

The communion table is a sacred place available to each of us every day. It is a Kingdom of God reality inside the natural realm reality. While preparing this study, I have been so inspired to take communion more often. “Blessed are those who are called to the wedding feast of Jesus!”

Listen to what Jesus says when He explains the Kingdom Realm Marriage Feast:

As was His custom, Jesus continued to teach the people by using allegories. He illustrated the REALITY OF THE KINGDOM REALM by saying,

“There once was a king who arranged an extravagant wedding feast for His son. On the day the festivities were set to begin, He sent His servants to summon all the invited guests, but they chose not to come.

So the king sent even more servants…saying…”Come to the wedding feast for my son and his bride!”

But the invited guests were not impressed. One was preoccupied with his business; another went off to his farming enterprise….Then the king said to his servants, “The wedding feast is READY, yet those who have been invited to attend didn’t deserve the honor. Now I want you to go to into the streets and alleyways and invite anyone and everyone you find to come and enjoy the wedding feast in honor of my son.”

So the servants went out into the city streets and invited everyone to come to the wedding feast, good and bad alike, until the banquet hall was crammed with people!

Now when the king entered the banquet hall, he looked with glee over all his guests. But he noticed a guest who was not wearing the wedding robe provided for him. So he said, “My friend, how is it that you are here and you’re not wearing your wedding garment?

But the man was speechless.

Then the king turned to his servants and said, “Tie him up and throw him out into the outer darkness where there will be great sorrow, with weeping and grinding of teeth,

For everyone in invited to enter in, but few respond in excellence.” (Matthew 22:1-14 TPT)

Jesus shared this parable to illustrate the reality of the Kingdom Realm of God on earth.

The KING gave an invite and it was declined by those who were distracted by earthly cares. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches will stop you from the greatest feast ever offered to men. They did not recognize their spiritual poverty because they were deceived into believing they were perfectly self-sustaining.

The poor and lame recognized their poverty and received the honor of the invitation.

The guests could bring nothing because they had nothing to bring to a King’s feast.

The Kingdom Feast is about the capacity to fully receive what has already been prepared.

The guest that refused to wear the wedding garment given to him was addressed as “Friend” by the King. The response to this kind word was total silence. The guest had refused the gift of a new garment and refused to have a conversation with his gracious Host. He brought his familiar “shame” in the form of old ragged clothes into the feast and refused to partake and be made whole. He refused to even discuss what he believed as “religiously” right with the Righteousness of God who stood before him or simply repent...

The self-wealthy and the stubborn resisted. The poor received.

“Blessed are the poor, they will inherit the Kingdom of God.”(Matthew 5:3)

“What happiness [prosperity, delight, abundance, overwhelming goodness] comes to you when you feel your spiritual poverty. For theirs is the realm of Heaven’s Kingdom.” (Matthew 5:3,TPT)

Do you remember when Jesus told His listeners how to invite guests to your home for dinner? He was letting you and I know who He invites to His dinner:

“It is better to invite those who never get an invitation. Invite the poor to your banquet, along with the outcast, the handicapped, the blind—those who could never repay you the favor.” (Luke 14:13-14)

Have you ever expected a little child to bring a dish to your home for dinner?

Jesus said, “Whoever continually humbles himself to become like this gentle child is the greatest one in Heaven’s Kingdom Realm.” (Matthew 18:4)

It is about the capacity to fully receive. Are you hungry? “Blessed are the ones who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!” You will be filled.

This is the Last Supper before the cross of Christ and the First Supper of the wedding feast of the Lamb in God’s Kingdom Reality on earth:

Jesus said to them,

“My heart longs with great desire to eat this Passover meal with you…”

Jesus took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to His disciples. He said to them, “This is My body. Eat it.”

Then taking the cup of wine and giving praise to the Father, He entered covenant with them, saying, “This is My blood. Each of you must drink it in fulfillment of the covenant. It will be poured out for many for the complete forgiveness of sins.

The next time we drink this, I will be with you and we will drink it together with a new understanding in the Kingdom Realm of My Father.” (Matthew 36:18, 26-29 TPT)

This promise of drinking the cup of covenant with Him again was fulfilled in Acts 10:41. This is not a promise for when we see Jesus in Heaven after we die. It is a meal enjoyed here on earth in the Kingdom Realm…..and in the Heavenly Realm.

In the center of the Kingdom Feast of the Kingdom Realm is JESUS Himself: He invites you, He rejoices over your attendance, He sits with you, and it is His life that we partake of.

The source of our lives is found wholly in Jesus Christ. When we celebrate our Communion with Him we are in the center of the Kingdom of God on earth. He is your source. (Please read that until it drops into your heart.)

He is the source of all that we are. We are a three part being: spirit, soul, and body. 1 Peter 2:24 says, 1) “He bore your grief”. This was for your spirit. It was cut off from God because of sin that led to death. Whenever there is separation there is grief. Jesus restored you to the Father. 2)”He carried your sorrow”. Jesus restores your soul, where sorrow lives. He absorbed in His body all of your sorrow. He restored you to His joy. 3) “By His wounds, you were healed”. Your physical body is healed because your life is joined to the Healer. It is His blood that paid for your healing. By taking communion, we remember that all these truths supersede what we see, feel, or hear on this earth.

When we partake of His body and His blood through the bread and the cup, we enjoy the most valuable treasure this earth has ever held…Kingdom of God treasure….peace with the Living God for all humanity.

Can we take the bread and the cup of Christ unworthily as believers?

(Paul tells us, by direct revelation from the Spirit how to take Holy Communion:)

‘The same night He was betrayed, He took the bread and gave thanks. Then He distributed it to the disciples and said, ”Take it and eat your fill. It is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.”

He did the same with the cup of wine after supper and said, “This cup seals the new covenant with My blood. Drink it- and whenever you drink this, do it to remember Me.”

(Paul teaches….)

Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are retelling the story, proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.

For this reason, whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in the wrong spirit will be guilty of dishonoring the body and blood of the Lord…evaluate your own attitude…for continually eating and drinking with the wrong spirit will bring judgement upon yourself by not recognizing the body.

This insensitivity is why many of you are weak, chronically ill, and some even dying. If you do not sit in judgement of others, you will avoid judgement yourself. ( 1 Corinthians 11:23-31)

Let’s dig into this and understand what it is to have a “wrong spirit”. First of all, it is definitely a spirit of division. If you have something against another believer you need to forgive them. If you are offended, angry, jealous, or even filled with hatred take care of this before you take communion. Your sins were forgiven by the work of Jesus, forgive your brother or sister as easily as you receive His forgiveness. The body of Christ was not broken…do not break the body of Christ through a spirit of division.

A distracted spirit is a wrong spirit. The wealthy of the land rejected the Kings invitation to the Wedding Feast because they were distracted by the cares of this world. Elijah asked the people of God in 1 Kings 18:21, “Why do you waver between two opinions? You worship God and you worship the God of this world” (wealth, fame, self provision, etc.).

A religious spirit is a wrong spirit. The self-rising yeast of the Pharisees was to be avoided at all costs. Take no pride in your “holy works” they are rubbish. They are the self-made garment of the guest who didn’t humble himself to wear the gift of the King’s garment. A religious spirit is unaffected by the power of the King’s sacrifice.

A lazy spirit without expectation of being wholly affected by the bread and the cup of Jesus is a wrong spirit.

A spirit that tolerates a lifestyle of sin and disobedience and relies on the gift of the grace of God, without making an effort to change, is a wrong spirit. Sin breaks your fellowship with Jesus and the Father. Sin breaks your heart. Sin breaks God’s heart. Sin breaks the hearts of those around you. You are either for Jesus or against Him and if you are breaking that which is whole, you are against Him. How can you receive forgiveness when you take sin so lightly?

A spirit of fear tolerated is the wrong spirit; allowing anxiety to be a garment you wear. God never gave you a spirit of fear so who did? Don’t bring something into the perfect feast that is unholy. Surrender your fear. There are demonic strongholds but there are also things that we hold strongly to. Let go and come to the feast ready to receive. 1 John 4:8 is a promise Jesus gave you: ”Perfect love casts out fear.”

If there is a spirit of holding back something you call your own-even if it is shame-it is a wrong spirit.

A right spirit sits down at the communion table expecting to receive complete deliverance from every earthly care. His blood and body were enough. I have nothing to bring.

The Original Passover

The original Passover in Exodus 12 teaches us some very important foundations for the Kingdom Feast (Exodus 12:7-46).

* They were instructed to take the blood of the sacrificed lamb and put it over the entrance of their dwelling (V. 7). It was sign to God they were covered in covenant protection. Death could not take them.

* They were instructed to roast the lamb and not to leave anything on the table (v. 9-10). When we come to the communion table we partake of the entire sacrifice Jesus paid for on the cross: forgiveness of sin, restoration of our soul, promises of provision in all areas, protection, healing in our physical body, freedom from oppression and addiction, and salvation in every area of our life.

* They were instructed to put on their “get-up-and-go” clothes before they ate the meal (v. 11). We prepare to receive ALL of our deliverance even before we eat the Communion meal.

* They were instructed to sacrifice the entire lamb, nothing left out, and to not break any of the bones of the lamb (v. 46). Not one of Jesus’ bones were broken when they took Him down from the cross…no bones were broken so that our broken-ness would be made whole. Jesus body was put on the cross for our redemption. He paid the entire sum, in total. We are made whole because of Him; nothing missing and nothing broken. Shalom. Shalom. Thank you Jesus.

* Pharoah told them to get out of Egypt and never come back (v. 31-32). Be prepared to be released from your bondage and have the enemy cower and run from you because of the VICTORY of the cross and resurrection.

* When you enter your land of promises don’t forget to remember this ceremony (v.25). We also partake of the Communion table as often as possible to put ourselves in remembrance of where we live, who we are, and Whose we are. We receive our Source.

Let’s Take Communion Together

Please open your bible to 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26. Get something to drink and something to eat. A cracker and grape juice is ideal but a friend of mine once took communion in a car dealership with coffee and a protein bar! This isn’t about the elements, it is about your heart. You do not need someone holier than you to bless it. You can’t bring anything to this feast that is apart from Jesus’ gift of righteousness.

When we take Communion we are remembering that we are joined now in life union with Jesus. All that He is, we now are (1 John 4:17). We are united with Christ, possessing His forgiveness , His Victory, His love, His authority, his peace of mind, and all His promises. Take Communion when there is a storm in your life, take it when sickness needs to be put under the cross, take it for your family, take it when you need a miracle, take it for your loved ones, take it anytime the oppression in this world seems to come into your atmosphere and take it as often as you like.

Forgive those who have hurt you, repent of having a wrong spirit, see yourself as a guest of the King, and fully expect your deliverance. Now follow Jesus’ directions in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

His body brings life to your body and healing to your heart.

His blood seals God’s protection over you and your household.

Say this with me, “Your blood and your body have overcome! I am joined to you, Jesus.”

There will be a new study of Living in God’s Kingdom Realm on earth every week. If you subscribe it will be in your inbox when it comes out.

Thank you for listening,

Pastor Teresa Hoffman

Holy Ground Life with Teresa L. Hoffman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Believer in Jesus, you are a citizen of God’s Kingdom in heaven and on the earth. Your name is written on the pages of the registry of His Kingdom. He personally knows your name.

When we made Jesus Lord of our life we were eternally translated into the Kingdom of God. You have been born from above into a whole new reality. You have been born from the Spirit of God! Stop and think of that!

Therefore, our primary identity is spirit. As a new creation being we are called to walk the journey of life led by the Spirit in everything. Although we stumble at times, we are growing up in this knowledge and maturing everyday in this ability. Thank you for joining me on this journey of discovering who God made us to be.

Now that we are born again through Jesus, we are walking the “time-line” of our life as a journey that is guaranteed to end in the center of the Kingdom, which is the heart of the Father. Our journey may not be perfect, but we won’t miss the Father’s heart as long as we live in life-union with Jesus Christ.

But our journey has a question:

Will you allow life’s pressures to dominate you?

Or, will you walk with a singular focus on Jesus Christ, holding tightly to His Word? (Better!)

Or, will you run with passion and determination to lay hold of the beautiful prize of your God-given purpose? (Best!)

Even after we become children of God through Jesus, our lives are made up of our choices. Your will is important to God. You can stumble, stop, beg for things God has already given, feel like a victim of fate, walk like the world, and fear everything an unbeliever fears. You can miss your purpose because of distraction. And in the end you will still find your life in the Father’s embrace. His goodness will always overwhelm our ignorance.

Jesus isn’t going to judge you on how you take the journey. He said He came to not judge, but save you.

Jesus won’t leave you to “journey” alone. He said He would never leave you or forsake you.

But our desire is to live our lives with the excellence available to all believers, so that when it is over here on earth we hear, “Well done”.

In every believer in Jesus there is a power source that is available every day. There is a power in your inner spirit man that can be “tapped” into. Some live their entire lives on earth never accessing that power. This is power from a heavenly source for great acceleration. The source of that power is the Holy Spirit…and every believer in Jesus has the Holy Spirit living in the center of their being.

He is a gentle Counsellor, Comforter, and Helper…yes…but He is also RESURRECTION POWER.

“If the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living inside of you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give LIFE to your mortal bodies because of the Spirit that lives in you.” (Romans 8:11 NIV)

When you choose to yield to the Holy Spirit, resurrection power begins to flow and you will accelerate toward your perfect purpose. We see, in this living word from Romans 8:11, that this isn’t just in spiritual realm reality but in the natural realm as well…affecting strength and life in our “mortal bodies”. Yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit allows us to experience running strong with supernatural power directly into the center of God’s Kingdom reality.

What does it look like when a man or woman is running full speed into the heart of the Father? It has everything to do with mindset. When circumstances weigh us down…(and they will!) we make the choice to set our mind on what God says…a life that lays hold of TRUTH, everyday.

Bad reports, worry, anger, frustration close in on every believer. Confusion, grief, troubles, disappointment, and weariness cross all of our paths. Life’s pressures move in to dominate our experience. The overwhelming atmosphere of these pressures try to push us into a mental space that says, “I am alone…locked in with no way out…a failure…my mistakes have chained me to a reality”.

This is the work of the enemy of God to move you off your appointed purpose and course.

But there is a Person inside of you heavy with a weight of a higher authority. The Holy Spirit is in you and life’s pressures don’t move Him.

Jesus tells us,

“Your Father [gives] you a Savior (Helper, Advocate, Rescuer), the Holy Spirit of Truth who will be to you a friend…and He will never leave you.

The world won’t receive Him because they can’t see Him or KNOW Him…but you KNOW Him intimately because He remains with you and will live inside you.” (John 14:15-17)

Also…

Everything we could ever need for life and godliness (acceleration) has already been deposited in us by His divine power.

For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of KNOWING Him who called us by name and invited us to come to Him (running to the heart of the Father) through a glorious manifestation of His goodness.

As a result of this, He has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership WITH the Divine Nature (!) , by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world. (2 Peter 1: 3-4 TPT)

His Divine Power is available and in you. Partnership with the Holy Spirit is available for you to experience. When we partner with the power of the Holy Spirit, the anointing of God flows into us.

The Anointing of the Holy Spirit

The anointing of God is the burden removing, yoke destroying power of God (Isaiah 10:27). The anointing of God flows from the Holy Spirit through you. And the anointing is the pure fuel needed to run into the center of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

When the anointing of the Holy Spirit flows through your life, you have a deeper hunger for God, you have clarity of purpose, you have a passion to serve others, you participate in spiritual warfare ,and your life manifests the spiritual fruit of living life with the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

When we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit, the anointing of God flows through us.

The only way to escape the oppression of this world is to passionately lay hold of the Kingdom Realm.

“From the moment John (the Baptist) stepped onto the scene until now, the realm of Heaven’s Kingdom is bursting forth and passionate people have taken hold of its’ power.” (Matthew 11:12 TPT)

Take hold. Grasp tightly. Embrace. Hold with bulldog tenacity. Fasten your heart. What do you believe?

To lay hold of something means you need to lay aside something. You can’t grasp if your hand is full.

There is a superpower released in you through simple surrender. Strongholds hold us back but what is it you are you holding strongly to? God needs you to release it so you can accelerate into perfect purpose?

God says,

“My grace is all you need…your weakness becomes a portal to My power.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)

We run best, on this life journey into the heart of our Father, weightless. Heavy runners quit. Those who rely on their own abilities and strength run weighed down with their own extra muscle (think of a bodybuilder running a marathon).

Running powered by faith, believing God, having a clear and focused mind gives you the victory. When your mind is distracted or wrapped tightly with the pressures of life you run wild. When you try to run to the Father pulling worldly expectations along, it all becomes too much.

But when you wrap your thoughts diligently around the truth of what God says, you run easy and light.

Jesus says,

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart (humble) and you will find rest for your soul.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 KJV)

A life joined to Jesus is easy and light.

I think some of the greatest burdens we carry are our own expectations tied to our identity. Expectations formed in childhood, by worldly media, the culture we live in…Expectations of what it looks like to be a good Christian, be a good parent, have a good marriage, be successful, be healed…

We release the burden of our identity and take up Jesus’ identity…rest for your soul. His work is finished.

In a relay race the baton is passed between runners and they are expected to run their best for their leg of the race. Running into the heart of the Kingdom does not mean Jesus ran His race and now has passed the baton to us. He has not handed over His promises and sent you ahead to run your race alone by believing “hard”. Jesus runs with us. He didn’t leave us to run our race alone.

Paul says,

“I continually long to KNOW the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of His resurrection working in me.” (Philippians 3:10 TPT)

“Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I PRESS ON, that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12 NKJV)

The most amazing truth: Jesus ran His race to obtain you as His prize!

Why? Because the God-kind of love must be released. The nature of His love pours out and expands. The heart of God is relationship, family, friendship, and union. His resurrection power IS His love.

Running into the heart of the Father is a result of the Father’s love chasing after us and love must move.

This will never be about your individual performance as a believer. It is about the joy that lives between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God wants us to enter into His joy.

Jesus prayed,

“I pray that they (the ones who believe in Me) will experience and ENTER INTO My joyous delight in You (Father) so that it is fulfilled in them and overflows!” (John 17:13 TPT)

Exhilarating joy. Exciting joy. We are running into an intimate place where we know God and are fully known and loved.

This is not an exhausting marathon. The perfect pace of joy allows us to run at rest.

Yahweh speaks,

“The wise must not boast in their wisdom.

The mighty must not boast in their power.

The wealthy must not boast in their riches.

If you are going to boast, then boast about this: that you understand My ways and KNOW My heart, you KNOW that I AM Yahweh.

Let the wise boast in KNOWING how I demonstrate infinite love, true justice, and righteousness, for these are the things that delight My heart.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 TPT)

We are running into the center of God’s heart when we run into the center of God’s Kingdom Realm. When we do, we experience His love, His justice, and His righteousness. The heart of the Father is Jesus.

Thank you for joining me. There will be a new session every week.

Until next time,

Pastor Teresa

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But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

How do we, as Kingdom citizens, “seek first” the Kingdom of God?

Our answer begins with Jesus’ teaching in John 3:3-8.

Listen to this eternal truth: Before a person can even perceive God’s Kingdom, they must first experience a rebirth…

I speak to you an eternal truth: Unless you are born of water and the Spirit, you will never enter God’s Kingdom. For the natural realm only gives birth to things that are natural, but the spiritual realm gives birth to supernatural life!

You shouldn’t be amazed by my statement, “You all must be born from above!” For the Spirit-Wind blows as it chooses. You can hear its sound, but you don’t know where it came from or where it’s going.

So it is the same with those who are Spirit-born! John 3:3, 5-7

To be able to “seek” you must first have “sight”. You need a spirit that can perceive spiritual realities. You can’t “seek first” the Kingdom of God with natural eyes. Your natural eyes are of no help whatsoever. It is by spiritual eyes we can see the Kingdom of God on earth.

It is important for us to understand the spiritual reality of your new creation identity. When you believed Jesus died for you and rose to give you new life you were reborn. Your natural being did not change, but something eternal inside of you came alive, your spirit. Your spirit did not get washed clean and restored…that was your soul. Your spirit was dead and buried in the sin of Adam and Eve along with all of humanity. A choice rocked that grave. Your choice to believe opened the door and your spirit was resurrected to life through Jesus.

You are now a spirit that has a soul and you live in a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23 says “May your whole being be made holy: spirit, soul, and body.”). Your spirit, in the sight of God, is your primary identity. Your spirit was born through Jesus’ own spirit. The same glory on Jesus is found in the DNA of your spirit. God sees you perfect and holy. Let that sink in!

{He chose you} for salvation through the Spirit, who then set you apart to be holy…{all because you believed the Truth}…so that you would have the glory of Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

The GLORY of God in and on Jesus is now in and on you. Now your spirit is alive as Jesus is alive.

Your spirit is designed to lead your entire being; be spirit-led in everything, my friend. When we passionately seek God’s Kingdom realm on earth, it is the spirit that presses us into the high calling of our Christ identity. The body and soul (mind, will, emotional response) of a believer is constantly being renewed to join the freedom of your spirit. The body should not be leading a person with its desires and hungers. The soul should not be leading with its emotional highs and lows. But a perfect person is united, spirit, soul, and body, in the Truth of Christ.

If we are to “seek first” the Kingdom, we must understand this. The Kingdom of God is not a location for the body to run to. Likewise, the Kingdom of God is not a feeling our soul can discover.

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual inheritance and because your spirit is reborn you are qualified to receive it!

Seek “first” God’s Kingdom, right now where you sit, because you were made for this!

Glory to Glory.

We can all draw close to Him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we become like mirrors that brightly reflect the GLORY of the Lord Jesus.

We are being transfigured into His very image as we move from one brighter level of GLORY to another.

And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord…who is Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3: 18 TPT

Spirit to spirit. Like unto like. Glory unto glory. Child to Father.

We are in a sliver of time where the invitation is for all is to come to Jesus. As we make the choice to believe (Romans 10:10), our spirit is born through Him. The GLORY our spirit is made of comes face to face with His GLORY…like unto like. We can raise our hands and His affection and mercy overwhelm us and we are transformed. This is living!

Raise your hands right now to Him. Experience the weight of His GLORY breaking off all the burdens, dissolving the problems, destroying the yokes of bondage. Allow the greatness of His GLORY to cause everything not made with the GLORY of God to bow low. Take a moment to focus on the beauty and person of His Presence.

To be a persistent seeker of the Kingdom you need to be familiar with the GLORY of God.

There will come a time when His GLORY will come down and the natural realm will bow down under the weight of God’s GLORY. Nothing will be able to stand. In that day, His GLORY will not be for transformation but for judgement to an unbelieving world.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth (demonic realm). Philippians 2:10 KJV

The GLORY of God is a spiritual reality. Remember our scripture from last session, “Set your mind on spiritual realities not on the distractions of the natural realm” (Colossians 3:2-3). The natural realm has no capacity to understand it.

The GLORY is His name; His dominion, power, and authority. The GLORY is His excellence and beauty. It is His superseding greatness (NOTHING can stand against Him). The GLORY is the LOVE of God in all of its eternal depth-a depth that can never be reached. The GLORY is His Presence.

Right now He is filling the earth with His GLORY and He is doing it by filling us!

His GLORY is His Kingdom.

Do you sense His Glory over and in you right now?

This is seeking first. This is allowing your born-again spirit to see and perceive heavenly realities here on earth.

When you fasten your thoughts on Jesus…choosing to not let life’s pressures dominate you, but let the reality of His GLORY to dominate you, you have found the Kingdom realm.

And you become a part of its expansion on earth.

Sometimes it is easier for me, when I am learning, to know how not to do something, so…

How NOT to seek the Kingdom of God

* Worry

-Jesus commanded you to not worry (Matthew 6).

-The Holy Spirit commanded you to not worry (Philippians 4:6-9).

-To worry is to meditate on natural realm power and, as a result, you give it a voice of authority.

How NOT to seek the Kingdom of God…

* Focus on Church Rules and Regulations

-Romans 14:17 very clearly states the Kingdom of God is not rules and regulations but revelation of righteousness, peace, and joy given by the Holy Spirit.

-Galatians 2:4-5 talks about the evil of legalistic religious thinking which leads to bondage.

-This includes putting up doctrinal walls and comparing your works with other Christians…

-Leader worship and denomination worship.

-It can even include taking pleasure in your own “right-ness”.

How NOT to seek the Kingdom of God…

* Performance Christianity

-A sure way to not find or experience the Kingdom of God is to perform to please God.

-Giving that leads to “giving up”.

-Pursuing positions in the church.

-Pleasing others before pleasing God.

-Lives that announce our presence and not HIS Presence.

How NOT to seek the Kingdom of God…

* Living in the Past

-Working around mountains of offence and bitterness that grow.

-Self-help and trauma study leading you into labels and away from freedom.

-Remembering all the great Christian things you have done in the past.

How NOT to seek the Kingdom of God…

* Letting the Culture Influence You.

-Researching worldly ideas of a well-balanced and healthy life (marriage, parenting, protection).

-Letting culture and social media define success.

-Letting the culture define productivity and achievement.

-Letting the culture define stability.

-Letting the culture shape your expectations.

This is a short list of how NOT to seek the Kingdom of God on earth and it isn’t conclusive but I believe the Holy Spirit gave it to me to adjust our spiritual focus. It is time to not lean so heavily on natural realm focus.

Remember, the result of listening to Jesus and Seeking First His Kingdom is all the goodies of life will be added to you as well…blessings that come upon your soul and body.

As I wrap up, I want to bring our attention to a man who perfectly sought God’s Kingdom Realm on earth. As humans we love to have a good example of how to do something. What is so wonderful about this man is he left us his writings so that we could listen and see what it is like to have a perfectly focused Kingdom perspective.

His name is Paul and he wrote two thirds of the New Testament. God thought he was skilled enough in Kingdom living that he allowed Paul’s letters to be living WORD. Paul lived by believing. He clung to God’s Word and nothing else. The Holy Spirit was his only navigator.

Paul teaches us that life, true life, is not of this world, but it is in the heavenly calling, the heavenly realm, and in our heavenly life given to us through Jesus Christ. He teaches us that we were born again to be heavenly lights in this dark world as witnesses of Christ’s power to change lives.

-Brian Simmons in his notes on the book of Philippians, TPT.

When God personally told Paul he was going to Rome to testify about Jesus, there wasn’t a person or storm that could stop him. Even well-meaning Christians said they saw in a vision he would be bound up in chains in hopes to warn him and have him change course. He wasn’t moved and kept his God given course. He kept the Word God gave him in a tight embrace. Fear never dictated his actions.

When he was bound and put on a prison ship, the ship was caught in a two week long hurricane. Everyone on the ship was gripped in the fear of death, prisoners and soldiers alike. Paul told them, “Keep up your courage! I know that God will protect you as He told me He would.” Focus on the Kingdom of God is focus on His Word..

He held the Word of God and never let it go. This is passionately seeking the Kingdom of God on earth, first.

Here is the voice of a Kingdom citizen seeking the fullness of the Kingdom with all his heart:

“{My goal is} that I may be enriched in the REALITY of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace Him as Lord in all His greatness”.

My passion is to be consumed with Him and not cling to my own “righteousness” based in keeping the written Law. My only “righteousness” will be His, based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ-the very righteousness that comes from God.

And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus more fully and to experience the overflowing power of His resurrection working in me…

I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into His abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make His own.

I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this: however I do have one compelling focus; I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.

Paul, Philippians 3: 8, 9-13 TPT

He desired everyday to be enriched (make life more valuable, abundant, and a life of quality) in the reality of KNOWING Jesus more fully.

I am going to end with that. Take a minute and answer for yourself, “What does knowing Jesus mean to me”.

Listen to the podcast to hear my answer.

Until next time,

Thank you for listening, Pastor Teresa

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