The Essential Jesus – Isaiah 9:6-7 – A Son is Given

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

Though I wasn’t due to write about Isaiah 9 for quite some time, I figured it was fitting to write about it during the month of December, as it is a key prophecy about the birth of Jesus. I’ve actually been in this passage for over a month already, as there is simply so much contained in just these 2 verses, so I will be splitting it up into several posts that each focus on a certain phrase, today’s being “A Son Is Given”.

Isaiah 9:6-7

To you a child was born and to you a Son was given.

I am the child who was born. Though the Mighty God, I became a helpless infant. Though the Everlasting Father, I stepped out of eternity and into time. I took on flesh and took on Your nature, humbling and emptying myself to be born into your world. For you, that day, I was born and came as your God and your Savior. Though in the form of a baby, my identity and name was unchanged – Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

My Father gave me to you as the most precious and valuable gift that has ever been or could ever be given. He did not keep me only to Himself, but considered it worth the cost to give His only begotten Son as an offering to and for you, that He could purchase you for Himself.

Yet, not only did my Father give me to you, but I gave myself to you. I came willingly and with great desire burning in me to show the depths of my love for you by giving myself completely to you, pouring my very life out for you, holding nothing back. I want you to know and to be confident in my love for you, because I am the Son who was given to you. I love to give myself to my Bride! I delight to give myself to you, to reveal myself to you, to serve you, to give my heart and love to you, holding nothing back . It’s who I am and what I love to do – to give to you!

But it didn’t stop there, for I also gave my very own Spirit to you, to be with you and to be your Helper, Comforter, Friend and Teacher after I returned to my Father. What a joy and delight to give my Spirit to you, for I love Him and take pleasure in my relationship with Him and I knew you would too! Besides my very own life and blood that I gave for you, there was no greater gift than to give you my Spirit. He loves you so deeply and He loves to give you gifts of His own. He loves to reveal my heart to you and to reveal my Father to you.

And that’s another incredible gift I could go on and on about – by giving me to you, my Father was truly giving to you the gift of Himself, for I came to show you the Father and to give you insight into His heart like never before. I came to give you His Word, His love, His mercy, adoption into His family – I came to give you the Father Himself, for we are all One we all give each other to you! We all love to give to you!

There are so many gifts in our heart for you – may you receive each and every one of them! For though I gave my body for you once, I have always been and will never stop giving myself to you.

** This post was influenced by the following scriptures: Philippians 2:5-8; John 3:16; Luke 11:13; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 1 John 4:13; John 17:6-8, 22-26 **

Naming Baby #3

I am just over 28 weeks in my pregnancy with our third child and at my 20 week ultrasound, I greatly anticipated the possibility of finding out our baby’s gender, as we had with our first two children. However, I was sent to a different hospital this time where they have a different policy about this and they would not tell me the gender at the appointment, though they would put it in the report that they sent to my obstetrician. I was totally bummed, because I really wanted to know right then and now I’d have to wait a couple more weeks to find out!

However, I believe the Lord designed it this way, because a few days later, Joe and I went on a trip to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and I had the opportunity to pray for our baby and listen to the Lord speak to me about him/her without any preconceived ideas about the baby based on gender. I really wanted the Lord to speak to me about our baby’s identity and possibly about their name and He was faithful to show me some things.

Now, you’ll have to forgive me, but this is going to be a slightly lengthy story of how our baby’s name came to be chosen…

As I was praying, I recalled how many times in the Bible, babies were named based upon something that the Lord was doing personally in the life of the mother or even what He was saying corporately to His people. So I began to think about what the Lord had been speaking to us and putting on our hearts and He led me to Psalm 132:1-9…

¹ LORD, remember David…
² How he swore to the LORD,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
³ “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
⁴ I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵ Until I find a place for the LORD,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob”…
⁷ Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.
⁸ Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
⁹ Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.

Something we have been longing for in this season is for a greater realization of the reality of God dwelling with us. There are multiple facets and levels to the dwelling place of God, the first being the incredible truth that God desires to dwell and abide in us (John 15:4-11; John 14:16, 23; 1 John 4:13-14; 2 Cor. 4:6-7). We are carriers of His presence through the indwelling of His Spirit – jars of clay containing the infinite treasure of Jesus within us!

Secondly, we desire for God to have a dwelling place in our city, that there would be a literal, physical place where He could come and rest and manifest His presence and receive worship and adoration from His people. We long to see a house of prayer established in our city where we could go to worship and pray at any time of the day or night. We long to have His presence in our city, to enjoy being with Him and feeling Him in a tangible way, and so that our city could be transformed by His power to save, heal and deliver the people who live here.

Thirdly, we are eagerly anticipating the day when Jesus returns to the earth and we get to see Him face to face! When He comes, He is going to purge the earth from all sin and wickedness and He is going to make all things new so that He can once again reconcile heaven and earth, that God the Father may come and make His dwelling place on the earth permanently, bringing the New Jerusalem to earth so that we can dwell with God for eternity! (Revelation 21:1-7; Revelation 22:1-5)

As I was praying, I also kept hearing the word “joy”, but didn’t know how it fit in with the idea of God’s dwelling place. But as I read these various passages I mentioned above, I began to notice a common thread of joy throughout them all. When we abide in Jesus and He abides in us, we experience the fullness of His joy in us (John 15:11), when we are in His tabernacle and in His house of prayer, we shout aloud for joy (Psalm 132:9, 16; Isaiah 56:7), and when He comes to dwell on the earth, there will never be sorrow or crying every again – only the sweet, inexpressible joy of being with our God forever (Revelation 21:4)!

My prayer for our baby became that he/she would know the joy of God dwelling in their inner man, but who would also long for the dwelling place of God here on earth, and who would experience joy in the house of prayer as a priest who ministers before Him, as one who simply loves His presence.

A couple weeks later we finally did get to find out the gender of our baby, which is “inconclusively” a BOY!! While the ultrasound technician’s confidence in their opinion leaves something to be desired, we are thrilled and our son Justice is very excited to be getting a baby brother! However, this news presented somewhat of a dilemma in the naming department. We had a name that we liked for a girl, but nothing for a boy. Joe kept trying to convince me that the name could be used for a boy as well, but I was not budging. I was stubbornly insisting that it was strictly a girl’s name and I simply could not imagine naming our son this. Finally he gave up and threw up a prayer to God to speak to me if this was the name for our baby.

The very next day after he prayed that prayer (without me knowing it), I sat down during my morning devotions and I specifically set out to talk to the Lord about this name and ask Him to show me if this was the name He had chosen for our baby. I decided to look up the meaning of the name in the Hebrew, since it comes from the Bible. The name actually means “delight” or “pleasure”, which certainly seemed to fit with what the Lord had spoken to me about the word joy.

I then began to look at all the scriptures in the Bible where this name appears, and since it is actually the name of a place, I only discovered one person in the Bible who had been given this name. It just so happens that it was a man (a point for Joe’s argument), but also a priest who served in the temple! When I went to read the scripture in context, I found myself in 2 Chronicles 29, which is the story of King Hezekiah, who ushered in a season of revival, especially regarding the restoration of the priestly service. The temple was in disrepair and ministry to the Lord had been neglected, so King Hezekiah reopened and repaired the temple and then issued a call to all of the priests to consecrate themselves and the temple and return to the Lord. His charge to them was this,

“My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”

Coincidentally (I think not), this verse has been a prominent one that the Lord has given to us corporately at Sanctuary House of Prayer, where we attend. We have prayed this verse countless times, asking God to raise up men and women who would love Him wholeheartedly and who would be called to stand, serve, minister and burn before Him. I was stunned when in the very next verse it lists the priest with this name – Eden. He was one of the very first to respond to the call and to consecrate himself to God and who was among those who worshiped the Lord with the instruments of King David’s tabernacle. They worshiped, played music and presented offerings to God, praising Him with gladness and calling the entire nation to return to God as well.

Wow!! I was blown away that the one person in the entire Bible who is named Eden was a priest who also longed for the dwelling place of God to be established in his nation and who desired to minister to Him there. It quickly became obvious to me that this was in fact the name that God had chosen for our child and it also confirmed all the things He had spoken to me earlier.

Not only this, but the Garden of Eden also happens to be the original dwelling place of God where He first lived and walked with mankind before sin entered the world. Eden was truly a place of delight and pleasure, where man walked with God in unhindered, unbroken, perfect communion and this is exactly what Jesus is returning to the earth to restore!

If our baby had been a girl, I may have never searched out the name so thoroughly and discovered these things! But, an added bonus is that if the ultrasound technician’s prediction is wrong, our baby will still be named Eden.

The name is continually growing on me and I am falling in love with my little boy Eden and can’t wait to meet him! Another fun little tidbit is that my initials are JRE and the first initial of my three children – Justice, Rayah, and Eden – match my initials! So, that’s just a special little gift from my Father to me.

My First Advent Calendar

I’ve never had an advent calendar before or celebrated it, besides perhaps one of those cardboard boxes with the punch out holes with chocolates inside as a kid. However, when I got the chance to review Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands, I got really excited about counting down the days to Christmas with scriptures and crafts with my kids. Amanda, the author of Truth in the Tinsel, included clues that could either be chained together or ones that could be placed in an existing advent calendar. When Amanda posted several great ideas for advent calendars, I was drawn to one that required a bit of work, but looked like fun!

I chose to make the Recycle Bin Advent Calendar, though I modified the materials slightly based on what I could find. I didn’t have any large paper bags, so when I was at my local dollar store, I managed to finagle a large box for free that was being used to hold big Christmas gift bags and I cut it up to use as my backdrop – score!

I also don’t buy magazines or get flyers, so I had nothing to cut up for creating the pockets. When my mom’s place didn’t turn out to be a good source of material, we went to the thrift store in her smaller town, which is actually a very large and busy place, and I managed to snag some old Christmas themed magazines and Christmas cards for 25 cents a piece – another score! While I was there, I also found these large rolls of paper that are actually donated by the local newspaper and they are so perfect for doing crafts with the kids – this is what I used for creating the pockets themselves.

After much cutting, folding, gluing and taping, I am very happy with the final product and can’t wait to begin using it. Each pocket contains the clues from Truth in the Tinsel, as well as some green and red gummy bears for the kids. I even managed to match a few of the pockets’ pictures to the clue for that day. We also set up the small artificial tree that we borrowed from a friend today (we’ve been afraid to have a tree past Christmases with the little ones) and we are all set to begin our advent experience!

I am praying that this will be a memorable month of learning the story of how Jesus came to the earth to save us and to show us His love. If you want to join with the many other moms and dads who are going through Truth in the Tinsel, grab Amanda’s ebook for just $4.99 and join her Facebook page, where we’ll all be encouraging each other and sharing pictures and stories along the way!

**Note: Because I think Truth in the Tinsel is so great, I decided to become an affiliate, so if you buy the eBook after clicking one of the links in this post or by clicking the button in my sidebar, I will receive a percentage from the sale. If you buy it and love it as much as I do, consider becoming an affiliate too!**

eBook Review: Truth in the Tinsel

This is probably the most excited I’ve been to do a book review on a my blog! I got the opportunity to review Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands by Amanda White from ImpressYourKids.com (a great blog, by the way!), which is a 24-day eBook that counts you and your kids down to Christmas Day with an interactive telling of the Christmas story through crafts and scriptures and ideas for talking with your kids about Jesus’ birth.

This book is designed for preschool to early elementary school kids with a scripture passage, a Christmas tree decoration craft, and a simple guide for discussing it with them for each day. There’s also some resources for creating a simple Advent Calendar with clues that go with the story you’re reading. Amanda even blogged recently about some great advent calendar ideas, if you don’t have one already, but the advent calendar is totally optional.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that I’m not a super-crafty mom and only recently have I begun to stock up on some crafty supplies. My 3 1/2 year old son just began attending the children’s program at our church a few months ago, since we’re small and only just started having a children’s program. Well, usually each class has a craft for the kids and he got bit with the craft bug and now all he wants to do is color and cut and glue things ALL THE TIME, so I know he’s going to LOVE these activities! The book has a master list of all the supplies you’ll need & I found I had the majority of them at home and will only need to buy a few things (most of which I could find at the dollar store or the local thrift store) and I was even able to borrow or get many of the items by scavenging from my mom. There are also many ways to improvise and make these crafts your own if you don’t have all the supplies at hand.

Of course, the real goal is not to make perfect Christmas tree decorations, but to engage your kids in the Christmas story in a way that causes them to love Jesus more! I really enjoyed the simple explanations that Amanda wrote in the “Talk about it together” section, as well as the ideas she provided for ways to go deeper into the story, other scriptures to read, or other fun activities to do to help your child apply the story to their own life.

Now, if the idea of doing 24 crafts in 24 days overwhelms you, don’t worry! There are also alternate schedules for ways you can incorporate certain themes or days into the month that will touch on the key ideas, characters, etc. Regardless of how you choose to use the book, it is a fantastic tool for helping you to teach your child about how Jesus came to the earth for them, about His love, and the gift of eternal life.

So, not only do I want to highly recommend this eBook to you, but I want to let you know that for TODAY ONLY (November 25th – Black Friday in the States – just a regular day for us here in Canada), Amanda is selling Truth in the Tinsel for only $2.99 (regular price $4.99)!! Let me tell you it is more than worth the price and you and your kids will love it!

I am so excited to get started on this and if you get the eBook now, you’ll still have 6 days to get your craft supplies together in time for December 1st! However, I don’t just want you to buy it – I want to invite you moms and dads out there to join the Truth in the Tinsel Challenge! If you go and “Like” Truth in the Tinsel on Facebook, we want to come together to encourage each other to give our kids these first 24 days in December by posting pictures of the crafts we’ve made, sharing tips and ideas, sharing stories of funny or touching things our kids have said, etc.

I really want my kids to understand the true meaning of Christmas and that it isn’t all about Santa Claus or getting presents. I want them to know Jesus and to have the Word of God impressed upon their hearts and I think this is a great tool to accomplish that!

I’m joining the challenge – will you come along with me??

**Note: Because I think Truth in the Tinsel is so great, I decided to become an affiliate, so if you buy the eBook after clicking one of the links in this post or by clicking the button in my sidebar, I will receive a percentage from the sale. If you buy it and love it as much as I do, consider becoming an affiliate too!**

Compassion Highlight: The Philippines

It’s been a while since I’ve written about Compassion on my blog, but if you know me, you know that I love this ministry and I love supporting them in what they’re doing for kids in poverty around the world! Our three Compassion kids are growing up so fast and it’s such a joy to see their hearts growing in love for Jesus and knowing that we get to play a small role in providing for their educations and their futures.

I recently found out about a new organization called Missions in Action which has created an interactive video series highlighting areas of need around the world, the ministries who are working there and how you can join in to help. Their first episode features Compassion International’s work in the Philippines, where they are seeking to bring hope and aid to those suffering the effects of the annual flooding in Northern Manila.

It’s moving and heart-wrenching to watch these clips of the living conditions of these families, yet joyful to see the hope that Compassion does give them for their children. I watched the video with my 3 1/2 year old son Justice and it was a great opportunity to talk to him about the needs of kids around the world who don’t have all of the comforts that we do.

I encourage you to watch this video and the others as they air and to consider how you can help children in poverty this holiday season. Whether it’s sponsoring a child or giving a Christmas gift or helping out poor families in your own city, this is an area that is close to the heart of Jesus and which is therefore one that I want to hold dear as well.

The Essential Jesus – Colossians 1:15-23

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

Colossians 1:15-23

I am the express image of my Father – I look just like Him! Though He is invisible, I became a visible likeness of Him for you to behold. Not so much in my physical appearance, but in my nature and character, I came to portray His heart to you. When you look at me, see Him! I am a perfect reflection of all that He is. I am His firstborn Son – though uncreated, I hold the position of firstborn over all creation and stand to inherit it all, since I am His image and one with Him.

As His very Word, it was by me that all things were created – everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. I created every angelic and heavenly creature from the highest to the lowest and every thing on the earth from the mightiest king to the seemingly most insignificant insect. All things were created through me and for me and it is by me that all things are held together.

As I created and brought forth all of the universe and everything in it, I made it all for my pleasure and enjoyment. It all exists for me – you exist for me! I formed you and brought you into existence because I delight in you and enjoy you! You are for me! You are my Bride, my Church, and I am your Husband, the Head of my body.

Yet even as your Creator and as Head over you, I do not treat you as an overbearing master treats a slave beneath him. You do not need to fear my leadership, for though I am powerful, I am also meek. Though I fashioned the stars and planets, I am tender and kind and I care about your heart.

Not only am I firstborn over all my creation, but I am the firstborn from the dead – the first one to experience the resurrection of my human body to its eternal, glorified state! I am the firstfruits of those who have died, for this same new life is in store for you! I experienced death for your sakes, but I did not stay in the grave as every other man before and after me – I am fully alive by the resurrection power of my own Spirit and clothed in my glorified body, that in all things I may have the preeminence.

In every area, I am superior and outstanding in my position, my power, my authority, my purity, my beauty, my perfection and my nature. For it pleased my Father that all the fullness should dwell in me – that being fully man, I would also contain the fullness of deity. There is nothing lacking in me!

My Father was also pleased to reconcile all things to Himself through me – whether things on earth or things in heaven – having made peace through my blood that I shed on the cross. Heaven and earth will be brought back together into unity in me – all that was lost will be restored! And though you were once alienated and separated from us, our enemy in your mind by your wicked works, I have now reconciled you to my Father and to myself in the body of my flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in my sight.

Truly, my death was such a glorious thing in the power of what it accomplished! By my blood, I restored the relationship with us that was lost through sin in the garden. I snatched you from the kingdom of darkness, rescued you from the punishment of eternal suffering and separation from God, brought you into my very own family, and then purified and sanctified you, cleansing you from all your sin and every compromise that taints your love! No wonder my Father was so pleased, so overjoyed to reconcile you to Himself through me – it was a fantastic and wonderful work that we did!

And all you need to do is believe it and receive it by faith – it’s yours!

** This post was influenced by Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Colossians 1 and the following scriptures: Hebrews 1:2-4; John 14:7-11; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Ephesians 1:7-10 **

The Essential Jesus – Philippians 2:1-11

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

Philippians 2:1-11

I never have nor ever will do anything from selfish ambition or conceit. I am lowly of mind and I esteem others as better than myself. I am not primarily concerned with looking out for my own interests, but I am always thinking of others and how I can serve them. I am so consumed with love for people, so joyful in my communion with my Father and the Holy Spirit, and so full of affection and mercy, that I am compelled to lay myself down for the sake of others, even when it is painful to do so.

Though I enjoyed the majesty and splendor and glory I shared with my Father for eternity past, I did not by any means feel robbed or cheated to lay all of that down in order to become like a lowly servant. This is because I was already humble in heart and I loved to serve my Father and the Holy Spirit, and they love to serve me! I didn’t need to become a man in order to become humble, for I have always been lowly and selfless in all that I do.

Yet, it was my delight to reveal my heart for you and my character by making myself of no reputation and taking on the form of a bondservant and coming in your likeness. I came to show you the depths to which the High and Lofty One was willing to go for the sake of winning your heart. And I chose it willingly and voluntarily! It was not forced upon me, but I embraced it and chose obedience to my Father’s will and plan, even to the point of death on a cross.

Can you see it? Can you see my heart as I gave it all up? Can you see the delight my Father took in me as I joyfully received this honor of portraying His heart to you? Can you sense our excitement that you would finally see all that was burning within us towards humanity? Yes, there was an excruciating price to pay and real pain and anguish to endure, but we had full assurance in our plan and that the final result was worth the cost.

I realize that sometimes you are called to serve and to choose lowliness and meekness without the vision of the end result or even any guarantee of an earthly reward for your sacrifice, but if you can tap into our joy as we chose humility and if you learn from me, even that won’t matter and you will do it simply for feeling the delight we take in you!

Oh and my Father loved how I showed His love for the world! He could barely contain Himself, for as I humbled myself, He turned it around and exalted me and gave me gifts and lavished me with glory and honor. It makes me smile just to think of His joyful extravagance. He gave me the name which is above every name that at my name, every knee would bow – in heaven, on earth and under the earth – and that every tongue would confess that I am Lord, all for the glory of my Father. I did it all for Him anyways and my reward is that I receive you as my inheritance – which is a greater treasure than you realize!

And it will be the same for you. As you humble yourself and serve and put others before yourself in this life, your reward in the age to come will blow your mind with its extravagance! We love to give good gifts and to lavish you with all the treasures that are laying up in heaven. I promise you it will be worth the price you pay now, which will seem so small in comparison.

But I pray that you will also know and experience the reward of our love and rejoicing over you in this age and that it will more than satisfy your heart! I really, really like you and enjoy you as I see the heart of my Father becoming more and more evident in you! We truly love this journey of being joined and united with you in heart and spirit and we trust our Spirit as He works in you in partnership with us. You can trust Him – He really likes you too!

** This post was influenced by the following scriptures: Isaiah 57:15; John 13:12-17; Matthew 11:28-29; Psalm 2:8; Ephesians 1:18; Matthew 7:11; James 1:17; Zephaniah 3:17 **

Book Review: Behind the Veils of Yemen by Audra Grace Shelby

With only prayer and a faith that always seemed too small, Audra Grace Shelby departed with her husband and children on a one-way flight to Yemen…deep into the heart of conservative Islam.

With honesty and passion, she shares her harrowing journey as a Christian woman thrust into a culture dangerously different from her own. From the friendships she forged, to her gnawing doubt and fear, to her offers of hope when her new friends’ religion failed them, she gives us glimpses of a world most have never seen: behind the veils of real Muslim women–and how the grace of God touches lives in the midst of an Islamic stronghold.

I was definitely intrigued by the opportunity to read Behind the Veils of Yemen by Audra Grace Shelby, as I have heard very little about the lives of Muslim women, especially of those living in the Middle East. This book really opened by eyes to the struggles that these women face as a result of their culture, their religion, their environment and the economic situation. It was difficult to read about their trials, their pain, and their acceptance of the oppression they suffer as normative. I felt my emotions pulled at over and over again at the stories shared.

Shelby’s writing style was easy and enjoyable to read, feeling more like a beautiful descriptive tale than a factual autobiography, though the realness of the stories make it obvious that it’s no fiction creation. I’m not sure what Shelby’s goal was in writing this book, but if she desired to awaken awareness and a burden to pray for these women, then she definitely succeeded. The fact that she also only tells of the first three years out of nine that her family spent in missionary service in the Middle East, leaves you wanting to know more and to find out about the fate of these women she ministered to. Yet she may not even have that answer to share, as many times she had to trust the Lord to water and bring to maturity the simple seeds she sowed in their hearts.

I would absolutely recommend this book as an excellent read, for the person who already has a burden for the mission field, yet perhaps more for the person who is still searching for God’s heart for the lost people of the world. I found that my own heart cried out along with Shelby’s and I was challenged and inspired by the revelations that God gave to her in her own journey.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Essential Jesus – John 1

You can read about the origins of this blog series on The Essential Jesus here and catch up on previous posts here.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning, I was. I am the Word of my Father and I’ve always been with Him and I am just like Him. I am with my Father, and therefore a distinct person within the Godhead, yet I also am God and share His exact substance. My Father and I are One – we are God and in the beginning, we were together, enjoying the depths of our perfect union with each other and our shared Spirit. As the manifestation of my Father’s Word, I was ever with Him, the perfect expression of His will and emotions.

Nobody knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God, yet my Father chose to reveal Himself to you by sending me as the Word to declare to you what He was thinking, and by sending you the Holy Spirit, that you might know what is on our mind. My Father is speaking to you through me! His thoughts, which would otherwise never be known, can be discovered and searched out by listening to me and to our Spirit.

I am still speaking today! Are you listening?

All things were made through me. Without me, nothing was made that was made. For when my Father spoke creation into being, I was the Word that went forth and accomplished it. All of creation is upheld and kept together by the word of my power – I sustain it all! Together, out of the depth of love in our being, we made you in our image, according to our likeness, and we delighted in the beauty of what we had created. We took great joy in forming mankind, that we might share the love and fellowship and communion we enjoyed in the Godhead with you.

For in me is life, and this life is the light of men. I am the true Light shining in the darkness, giving light to every man on the earth and darkness cannot overcome me. I am light and there is no darkness in me at all – there is no grip of sin that is able to take hold of me. The light of my countenance and the glory of my character completely shatters the darkness and causes wickedness to flee! I came to set you free from death, to expose and expel the darkness that exists in your own heart and to fill your being with my life and light.

If you will receive me, I will give you the right to become a child of my Father. If you believe in my Name, you will be His child, born of the Spirit by His will and desire. Through me, you are adopted into our family and you become my brother, my sister!

I became a man and took on flesh and dwelt right among you. I humbled myself and took on your weak and broken form, coming as a lowly servant. Yet, I showed you my glory as the one and only begotten Son of my Father, for I am the very brightness of His glory and the express image of His person. My Father has shone in your hearts to give you the light of the knowledge of His glory in my face! I, God, was with you, to see and to touch in a way that had never happened before! I revealed myself to you and walked among you and shared life with you, coming to you in grace and truth.

I gave the fullness of myself to you and allowed you to see God in me. For even though no one has seen my Father, I am dwelling in His very bosom – I am in the center of His heart, sharing His every thought and emotion – and I have declared Him to you! When you look at me, see my Father! Everything I do and say is to reveal Him to you.

I love my Father more than you can ever comprehend this side of eternity, so it is my greatest and deepest joy and delight to tell you why I love Him so much and to share with you the thrill and satisfaction of communion with Him. To know Him and to love Him and to be one with Him is the fullness of life – there is nothing greater than this!

I love to exalt my Father and He in turn exalts me – we can’t help but declare our love and honor for each other. But what’s truly wonderful is that we invite you to share in the joy and fullness of our love by the power of the Holy Spirit, whom I sent to you for this very purpose.

Will you?

** This post was influenced by Matthew Henry’s Commentary on John 1, as well as the following scriptures: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; Genesis 1:1-3, 26; Hebrews 1:1-4; Proverbs 8:22-31; 1 John 1:5; Ephesians 1:4-6; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 4:6; John 14:7-11; John 17 **

The Essential Jesus

A couple months ago, I signed up for “The Essential Jesus” Bible-reading plan on YouVersion.com, which was created by Scripture Union, where they also have a book that you can purchase to help guide you through the readings. As described on the website, “In 100 carefully selected passages from the Bible you will discover who Jesus is and why he is so significant — even life transforming. Through both Old and New Testament readings you will discover why God sent Jesus, what Jesus taught, how he treated people, why he did miracles, and the meaning of his death, the significance of his resurrection, and what the Bible says about his second coming.”

As I had previously been on a very intense reading plan of reading through the New Testament each month for the previous six months, I wanted to change things up this time and really take my time reading through, meditating on and studying these passages about Jesus. So while it is a 100-day plan, I know it’s going to take me much longer to get through it.

On the first day I sat down with my Bible and my journal and I was about to start writing a journal entry in prayer form, with me talking to Jesus about the passage. This is a common approach to meditating on scripture and one that I fully enjoy. But as I was about to begin writing, I felt a prompting from the Holy Spirit to change the perspective and write as though Jesus was speaking to me personally about Himself. While I have written letters to myself from God before, this was a little different, because this was Jesus telling me about Jesus!

I have found this method of journaling the scripture to be extremely life-giving to my spirit, but it is also a little intimidating. I go forward with some fear and trembling, for who am I to put words in Jesus’ mouth?? I feel I have such limited revelation and understanding on Who He really is and that I am sort of stumbling my way through this. But at the same time, I need to trust that the Holy Spirit really does dwell inside of me and that He will lead me into all truth and that He will reveal Jesus to my heart (John 14:17; John 15:26; John 16:13; Ephesians 1:17).

Of course, I write using the scripture as my basis for everything, as much as I am able, and when I have been at a loss for the meaning of a passage, I have been finding much helpful instruction from Bible commentaries (especially Matthew Henry’s Commentary, which I love). I pray that I am not writing anything that is completely untrue, but I am certainly not the expert on God, so I am completely open to being corrected and having my extremely basic understanding of Jesus brought continually into greater fullness.

So, I have decided to start a new series on my blog to share my journal entries with you – Jesus talking to us about Himself and His heart towards us. I’m not sure how long this will go for or how regularly I’ll post and I may not always follow the Essential Jesus reading plan exactly, but I pray that it will be life-giving and encouraging and challenging to those of you who read them. Feel free to challenge or question me and to add your own insights and revelation in the comments, that we could all go together in discovering who Jesus is.

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