Life or Death is What You Set Your Heart Upon

by Thomas Denegre

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How we identify ourselves in life is not done through our performance, but by whom we are through God. What we believe in our heart can bring us either life or death, "for the heart is the wellspring of life."  (Proverbs 4:20)

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Take for example a young man named Jacob. Raised as a Christian he sought his identity through his performance lifestyle. Whether it was through sports, religion, or the party scene; popularity was his idol.  Drugs and alcohol gripped him early in life.  In college he lost two sports scholarships when he flunked a drug test, and then things spiraled downward. As the old saying goes, he was looking for love in all the wrong places.  He found short success as a martial arts fighter, but that too failed from drug addiction.  Down to 119 pounds his parents found him living in their backyard shed. As Jesus once said, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” John 10:10 

We find a similar destructive path during the reign of Jeroboam II.  The nation of Israel was prosperous, but the people no longer trusted, loved, nor depended on God. Idols took over their hearts. They went into a moral and spiritual decay. Materialism and secularism captured their hearts allowing the full force of their sins to be manifested.  If you didn’t know any better, you think the list of sins was from today’s newspapers such as; killing, sexual immorality, lying, drunkenness, perversion, perjury, deceit, swearing, falsehoods, and deceptions. What grieved the heart of God more than anything else was idolatry as they placed their hearts on something else besides God. 

At this time God spoke to his prophet Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman named Gomer.  The short story is that Hosea fell madly in love with Gomer and had two children.  While Hosea prophesied to Israel to return to God, Gomer was left to her own devices by seeking a better life and a new lover.  Betrayed by his wife, Hosea felt his heart being ripped away by her rejection and distrust.  Similarly, God felt the pains of rejection from his chosen bride, the nation of Israel. While God can be jealous, he is also filled with justice, mercy, and an unstoppable love. He also has a long-term plan. 

While humans will naturally want to seek retaliation when they are betrayed, consider what God said through Isaiah. 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,  

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.  

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,  

So are My ways higher than your ways  

And My thoughts than your thoughts.’  Isaiah 55:8-9 

Hosea never stopped loving Gomer and neither did God stop loving Israel; despite the betrayal.  Both were consumed with the love of their bride.  Hosea eventually finds Gomer being sold at a slave auction. Clearly, a life of sin put a great downfall on Gomer. Filled with love and compassion, Hosea purchased Gomer for the cheap price of fifteen shekels. In a merciful act of love, Hosea restores Gomer to be his bride, his beloved, and his wife. This is the way of God too. 

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Going back to Jacob’s fallen life, his parents had great love and concern for him, so they placed him in a Christian based recovery program. One day Jacob woke up to find 30 men laying hands on him.   Just as Gomer was purchased for a price and delivered from bondage, so too was Jacob.  The love and the movement of the Holy Spirit touched Jacob’s heart. It was his first experience to taste the authentic love of God.  Later, he humbled himself, opened his heart, and truly surrender his life to Jesus.  As Jesus once said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) 

Just as the relentless love of Hosea rescued Gomer, the divine radical love of Jesus poured mercy and healing into Jacob to transform and restore his life.  To complete the final statement, Jesus said, “I came to bring life and bring it abundantly.” John 10:10 

Jacob now preaches at recovery centers to spread the authentic hope and love of Jesus.  Being the hero of his own story, Jacob carries the identity as a son of God and through love carries the authority of Jesus through his right of inheritance.  As Jesus once said, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt: 6:9-10) 

By restoring Jacob to be in life union with Jesus, (John 15:7) God not only blesses Jacob to go to heaven, but more importantly to live in that heaven now by living with intimacy and affection with the Lord. Jacob has become a divine instrument of God’s love and affection. For it is written, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25) 

“Therefore, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matt 5:16). 

Elijah and the Great Mystery of God

by Thomas Denegre

I can see Elijah, the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, standing on Mt. Tabor with Moses, watching Jesus pray and seeing “the appearance of Jesus change, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” (Luke 9:29) Before his eyes Elijah witnessed Jesus being transfigured into his true nature of God.  The glory and brilliance of God flooded through Elijah while the pouring waves of liquid love filled him.   

Out of a distant memory the prophesy of Malachi whispered into his mind, “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” (Malachi 4:5) One could imagine Elijah pondering this momentous event. “Here I stood,” thought Elijah, “being part of the greatest milestone in the history of mankind, the coming out of God to restore his family.” It was also a time to give courage to Jesus as he prepares to enter the great suffering to give life to his family, as a mother gives birth to her child. Just as one man separated mankind from God, one man was giving back the ability for man to be in life union with Him.

Great awe swept through Elijah’s heart realizing the presence of Moses and himself represented the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophecies through the coming of the Messiah. The time arrived for the salvation of man.    Elijah was awestruck and humbled to be part of the convergence of God to witness the great fulfillment and to see how the Great Mystery unfolded. 

Soaked into the presence of God, he realized the events of his life foreshadowed the life of Jesus. Just as he rebuked the leaders of Israel against idolatry, so too did Jesus rebuke the religious leaders of Jerusalem.  He prophesied the stopping and starting of the rains, while Jesus calmed the storm. While living with the widow he multiplied the oil and flour for months to eat, just as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the thousands. He raised the widow’s son from death.  Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  Lastly, he saw how he passed his mantle to Elisha for a greater outcome, and Jesus is now claiming, “That they (the believers) will do greater works than He did.” John 14:12   

In an instant, Elijah saw the great plan of God that was to remain silent for only a short time more. St. Paul wrote about “the riches of the glory of this mystery,” and how this “secret” was “hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.” (Col. 1:26-27).  Later he talked how the “mystery” was “hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.” (Romans 16;25). Later St. Paul explained that his purposed was to, “became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. (Ephesians 3:7-9)  

The great mystery or secret, “is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:6)  

In a fusion of thought with God, Elijah realized the entire plan of God was to unite all of man into one body of Christ by being rightful sons of the Most-High God.  If the enemy knew of this plan, they would have never killed Jesus.  Instead of just visiting man, God will inhabit them.  By believing in Jesus as God and their Savior, when man humbles himself to open his heart to God’s love, so too, will the Spirit of God pour into him.  Just as water permeates into a sponge to become one, so too, will God’s spirit pour into man’s spirit to become one.   Just as the son and the father are one, so too will man become one with God in spirit.

By living in life union with Jesus, (John 15:7) we open our hearts to the Lord to receive his authority, love, power and wisdom.  “It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:30-31) 

When you believe in Jesus as your savior and have been anointed (filled) by His Holy Spirit, you become a son of the Most-High God.  You can share the intimacy and love of God that all the kings and prophets before Jesus desired to have. What a mighty blessing and favor we have received. Don’t take it for granted.  Savor it.  Cherish it. Rest in it.  We can now reside with God in the secret place of the Most-High and know him intimately and affectionately.  We call him Dad.  By resting within the intimacy of God, what you behold, you become.  What you become you release. You received love, therefore release love. By being God’s love (John 15), His wisdom and revelation will give you the knowledge to influence the world around you. 

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Fulfilling Your Destiny as a Son or Daughter of God

By Thomas Denegre

The kings who ruined Israel after King David (1 Kings 12-18) not only failed because of their disobedience, but more importantly they failed to understand their identity in God; also called an orphan spirit.  Sadly, this pattern repeats itself with many of us in the church today.

God is calling many of us to move from being orphans, those who must prove their self-worth and feeling of being unloved and rejected through works, to being true sons of God

Jesus once said,"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." (John 14:18)

As St. Paul wrote, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:14-17)

God is calling many of us to move from being orphans to being true sons of God. Just as David entered his secret place of the Most-High (Psalm 91:1) to know God intimately, God too brought me into his secret place to know Him deeply and affectionately.  So, can you. It’s available to all believers filled with the Holy Spirit.  God has given us the ability to envision things not seen in the natural. While in prayer the Holy Spirit guides us into a restful (secret) place with Jesus, and looking eye-to-eye with Him, he tells you;

“(Insert your own name) you are a delight to my eyes.  Just as a I saw Mathew in pain from guilt and shame in his den of tax thievery, out of my compassion and mercy I called him to me. His heart received and accepted my love. Dropping everything he followed me. That is why I left the ninety-nine to save the one.  I want you to do the same; follow me.  

I love you 100% all the time.  Your performance means nothing to me.  It is you that I am in love with. I want to spend time with you. I want you to know you are not an orphan, but my son, with all the rights and privileges to inherit everything I have.  You now have everything I have, so stop trying to get something you already have.  You are called to be my son and know you have everything you need to do my will.  

Know that my perfect love casts out at all fear. Therefore, live in my love and my blessings. Stop comparing yourself to other people, because I only made one of you. Isn’t that marvelous! You are brilliant, beautiful, loving, kind, gentle, compassionate and merciful.  You are successfully growing into the person I destined you to become as written in Psalm 139:16. My love will guide you into all things. I am so delighted in you!”

As St. Paul wrote, “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5)

In this way, God lets his children know they are loved, wanted, and accepted as they are.  By having an intimate relationship with Jesus, we become his adopted children with full inheritance (Romans 8:14-17).  As a son of God our priorities change whereby, we seek first; (1) To be – identified and accepted as a son of God.  Knowing you are a spiritual being, not a spiritual doing, (2) You have the resources from God to carry out the mission.  So, stop trying to get stuff you already have, and (3) To do his works from authentic love by which you will naturally do His will just as a dog wags its tail.

Here are some guidelines to transform you from an orphan into a powerful son or daughter of God. 

• Find a quiet (secret) place that is comfortable but not sleepy.  “Be still and know he is God.”
• Enter the secret place with thanksgiving and praise towards God.
• As you rest with the Holy Spirit, envision your secret place and see yourself with Jesus.  
• Allow the Holy Spirit to bring in bible stories and scripture.  Let His Word saturate your heart.
• Learn to be in alignment with God’s loving will
• See his face, hear his voice, feel his love, experience his presence, live in his pleasure.
• Learn to think what God thinks
• Feel what God feels
• Hear what God says
• Then repeat back to yourself what God thinks, feels, says, and sees.
• By having these seeds planted in your heart, you’ll be rooted in His love.  By being in life union with Jesus, you’ll find that His love will give you the compassion and vision to see and act as God does.  
• Like every good habit to develop, this should be a loving and joyful practice done regularly. 

 By resting within the intimacy of God, what you behold, you become.  What you become you release. You received love, therefore release love. By being God’s love (John 15), His wisdom and revelation will give you the knowledge to influence the world around you.