Streams in the desert

“The desert and the parched land will be glad, the wilderness will rejoice and blossom” (Isaiah 35 v 1).

We are starting to realise that we are made to encounter God more deeply than we ever imagined. We are made to encounter Him, to enjoy Him, to know Him in the very depths of our being and the invitation is open to all (Isaiah 55 v 1).

In her book, The Happy Intercessor, Benni Johnson describes what it is like for her to connect with the deep places of God. She says that “in that place, I experience a peace and warmth that can only be described as truly divine. It is almost like saying “ahhh” in my spirit, soul and body. There is nothing on earth that is like that feeling, it is pure ecstacy… I become fully engulfed in His presence, lost in a sea of His beauty, and captivated by His love. In that place is the fulness of joy, the fulness of peace, the fulness of love and the fulness of acceptance.”

King David describes similar experiences from his encounters with God in the sanctuary (the place where God’s presence dwelt); “Lord I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you” (Psalms 63 v 2-3); “In [God’s] presence there is fulness of joy and at [His] right hand are pleasures evermore” (Psalms 16 v 11); “better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalms 84 v 10).

The amazing thing is that David experienced this under the old, “inferior” covenant (Hebrews 8 v 6). God himself now dwells in us, through the Holy Spirit, which is a stream of living water that flows right from the throne room of heaven, to bring refreshing joy and to lead us into encounters with Jesus and the Father – to experience their love, joy, goodness, gentleness, grace, power – the list is endless.

We are not just made to know about God, we are made to know Him intimately, to experience Him, to encounter Him and this is not just head knowledge it is to be regular, ongoing spirit-to-Spirit encounters with the living God. The Apostle Paul described this when he prayed for the saints in Ephesus that they would “have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God (that’s full!!)”  (Ephesians 3 v 17-19). Jesus himself said that knowing God is eternal life (John 17 v 3) and he taught us to abide (linger; dwell) in His love (John 15).

Another experience that has taught us about the importance of drinking regularly and deeply of the Holy Spirit was a conversation that I (Tim) overheard last Friday evening when I was helping out at a conference that the church was hosting. I arrived early to help with car park duty and overheard the person who heads up the conferences at Bethel reminding some of the other key organisers that the “priority was drinking (i.e. being filled with the Holy Spirit) at 6 o’ clock“! She said that they were so busy that this was the only way that they could continue doing what they were doing without burning out. This sounded a lot like Paul’s encouragement to the saints in Ephesus not to get drunk on wine, but to “go on being filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5 v 18).

The sad thing is that since being here we have realised how little we know about drinking deeply from this fountain of life. Over the years we have experienced the occasional filling of the Holy Spirit, but we have become dry and hardened to the Spirit’s life-giving presence. The source of abundant life, love, joy, peace, power and strength lives within us and yet we have tapped into it so sparingly. Praise God, this is changing and streams are starting to flow in the desert (Isaiah 35 v 6). We have had a couple of wonderful encounters with God and our hearts are coming alive. We are starting to wonder what is possible if we make encountering God a lifestyle and not just an occasional tonic; if instead of settling for a trickle we tap into the reservoir of God’s love and Presence that lives within us?

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Back to the mountains we go

We couldn’t resist another visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park so back we went, this time to the burbling mud pots, stinky sulphur works and ‘Bumpass Hell’, where poor Mr Bumpass lost a leg in this steaming valley of boiling pools and vents. Once again, the views along the way were heavenly…

Mud pot

Bumpass Hell

View south over Lassen National Forest

Sunset over Lake Helen

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What a wonderful world!!

We have just got back from an amazing day out (with our friends Tom and Sarah who are over from the UK) at the Lassen National Volcanic Park. After a very cloudy start, the day cleared up revealing some breathtaking scenery and we thought you might like to see a couple of the 150 photos that we have taken. There is also a picture of our house which we have been meaning to put up for a while (sadly, the pickup belongs to our neighbour).

Mount Lassen

Dusk at Manzanita Lake

Our house

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We are born to ‘rock’!

“The biggest deception in the church is that we are sinners saved by grace!!” – and so began week two. Kris Vallotton continued “we were sinners saved by grace but now we are saints, royalty in the kingdom of God and we were born to ‘rock'” – this is the new reality for every believer!! “We are new creations” and “we have been made to be glorious”. Unbelievers are also born for greatness; created in God’s image to live as sons and daughters of the King, they just don’t know it yet.

You wouldn’t think that such great news would be so hard to hear, but it is. Tragically, religion has taught us that, even after you are saved, you are still a sinner (despite the fact that we have a totally new nature (2 Cor 5 v 17)), a servant who must try hard to please the King but without the relationship with a loving Father which transforms our experience from servanthood to sonship.

False humility also makes it hard (if not impossible) for us to accept and acknowledge that God has made us to be great and that he has put great things inside of us (such as gifts and abilities) which we are to display for His glory. True humility is not denying your greatness, it is delighting in it and recognising who it comes from.

The people in the church over here are comfortable to talk about and acknowledge their own greatness and the greatness in those around them – they are constantly trying to draw out the God-given treasures in everyone, including unbelievers. Kris recounted an incident where a man had opposed his teaching about greatness lying inside everybody on the basis that it was in danger of promoting arrogance. Kris made the point that it’s hard to feel arrogant when you’re surrounded by countless other champions. He then said to the man, “Do you see that picture on the wall over there? It is UGLY, in fact it is the worst painting I have ever seen in my life, it is horrible!!” And he asked, “Does me saying that about the painting give glory to the artist?”

If it does not give glory to an artist for someone to rubbish his painting, why do we so often think that it is ok (or even virtuous) to speak or think negatively about ourselves or others? Why is it ok to think that we are rubbish (or worse) and to play down or refuse to acknowledge or receive praise for the gifts that God has given us? Does this really bring glory to God who created us? Is He not truly glorified when our gifts are on full display and when we are able to recognise and acknowledge the greatness of His creation?

Why is it ok (and glorifying God) when we acknowledge and praise the beauty and splendour of the rest of creation (like the beauty of a flower or the majesty of a mountain) but it is not acceptable to acknowledge and praise the beauty and greatness that we see in other people and ourselves?

The importance of recognising who we are and who God has made us to be is highlighted by the fact that we become who we think we are (Proverbs 23 v 7 – “As a man thinks in his heart so he is“). So if we think we are a low life sinner, with nothing good to offer anyone, guess what we will become? Or if we think as a pauper, that’s how we will live. Whereas if you realise that you are royalty and that God has put great gifts inside you to bless others and bring Him glory, guess what you will do? Imagine what the church would look like if we got hold of this?

God also teaches us to “love our neighbour as we love ourselves” (Mark 12 v 31). So if you don’t love yourself, God help your neighbour! We are only able to love others to the extent that we love ourselves and (Kris added) we will only allow others to love us to the extent that we love ourselves.

The world is longing for God’s royal bride to arise. “The earth cannot bear under a pauper when he becomes a King” (Proverbs 30 v 21-22) and it is longing for the church to recognise and live out of its royal status; for the church to love and serve the world with the heart of a King. “Creation itself  [also] waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed” (Romans 8 v 29).

It is amazing that such great news can be so hard hitting and so difficult to fully receive. But we have at least caught a greater glimpse of how God sees us and how we are to see ourselves and others. We must destroy the religious lies that have kept us in hiding and start to live as sons and daughters of the King – all of creation is waiting…

[If you would like to read more about this we suggest that you read ‘The Supernatural Ways of Royalty’ by Kris Vallotton & Bill Johnson]

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