There is something all believers are called to! To be in intimate relationship with the God of the heavens and the earth! We were created for this -an intimacy so deep and so real. And through the cross of Christ, we have been given access to this intimacy. This was the thrust of a previous blog . We noted that one key factor limiting our pursuit of intimacy with the Lord is a lack of vision—when we fail to see that divine intimacy is His desire for us and that He has already given us the access needed to make it possible. In addition to lacking vision, many of us also struggle with the range or extent of our vision. Even when we accept that the Lord desires deep intimacy with us, we often remain limited by our vision of how far we believe that intimacy can actually go. But to what extent can we see? In other words, what is actually possible for us in this area? How close can a person truly walk with the Lord on this side of eternity? How much intimacy is available to us while we live on earth? Scripture gives us glimpses—real portraits—of what is possible. Consider Moses: The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). Consider Enoch: It is as though he walked with God so closely that one day he simply continued the walk into eternity. “He was not, for God took him” (Gen 5:24). How about Abraham: the Lord Himself referred to him as “Abraham, My friend” (Isaiah 41:18). These are a few snippets that reveal the heights mortals like us reached in fellowship with God. They provide a picture of what is possible. And Scripture assures us that God shows no favoritism (Romans 2:11); He is rich toward all who call on Him (Romans 10:12). So how close we can be to God experientially while we are still on earth? The answer: As close as we truly desire to be! We will experience intimacy with the Lord to the extent that we truly desire! And our true desire is reflected in the intensity of our pursuit. Not just what we wish for, but what we truly desire. Psalms 27:4 (NKJV) One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek : That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. We will seek that which we truly desire. Dear friends, the Lord yearns that you know Him intimately. In the beginning of human history, he walked in the garden of Eden to meet with Adam in the cool of the evening. Now, He seeks to walk in the garden of your heart to hang out with you. Are you interested? He gave His Son to make this possible. Now, it’s left to you to turn this possibility to a daily reality in your life. The intensity of your pursuit is determined by the strength of your desire. And your desire is shaped by the extent of your vision. So raise your expectation. Broaden your vision. Leave the valley of apathy behind. Set your heart to pursue the Lord. Draw me away! we will run after You (Song of Songs 1:4). I’ll see you on the journey into deeper intimacy with the One who loves us more than we could ever imagine (John 15:9, 1 John 3:1).

One of the biggest mysteries of all time is that the Maker of everything desires to be close to us humans. So close and intimate beyond our wildest imaginations. Pause and consider that for a moment. Out of all His creation—and despite our brokenness—God desires an intimate relationship with each one of us. And to make this possible, He has given us the gift of access to Himself through the sacrifice of the Son. But it is so puzzling that so few believers take advantage of this gift of access that we have to God so that His desire for intimacy with us can be a reality in our lives. Why is this so? I believe one key reason is lack of vision. Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:18 ASV) When we do not have the vision of intimacy with God, we find it hard to embrace and sustain the discipline that pursuing God requires. Vision does something to our hearts. When it grips us, it compels a response. Until then, God can wait. But…. Our entertainment. Our hobbies. Our vain idols of money and self-accomplishment and people pleasing. It feels like they can’t wait. When our hearts become captured by this amazing opportunity and privilege to be intimate with the King of kings, we become willing and ready to give whatever it takes to pursue intimacy with God. Then everything else can wait! May our eyes behold the King in His beauty and the land of intimacy that He is calling us to (Isaiah 33:17). May the beauty that we behold fill our hearts with passion for the King. And may our hearts be strengthened to pull away from all the distractions in our lives. Friends, God has provided the access that we need. It’s now left to us to respond by pursuing intimacy with Him. Intimacy must be cultivated. So set up a time in your schedule to meet with God. And show up consistently. Wondering what to do in that time? Read a passage of Scripture. Sing songs to God. Talk with Him and not at Him. Ask Hm questions and wait quietly in His presence. The Lord is waiting for you. Ready, set, go. PS: If you are interested in building more capacity on how to spend time with God (a.k.a prayer), you are invited to School of Prayer on April 18. Hope to see you there.

I was at a Friday night worship meeting at my church recently and the worship team sang this song ( You're beautiful ) by Phil Wickam. The first verse goes thus… I see Your face in every sunrise The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes The world awakens in the light of the day I look up to the sky and say You're beautiful (Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh) I love this song. We were doing the last verse which tries to depict what the marriage supper of the Lamb would look like. When we arrive at eternity's shore Where death is just a memory and tears are no more We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring Your bride will come together and we'll sing You're beautiful Oh, You're beautiful As we sang this verse, I felt like the Lord whispered to me “You are beautiful”. I began to reflect on that and then it struck me that typically, it is the bride that is described this way. Isn’t this the metaphor Paul uses in Eph 5:27? Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So now in time, the Lord prepares his church to be His bride. He gave himself for her. And now He prepares her by sanctification and cleansing with the water by His word. For the beauty that the Bridegroom seeks is not like that of this world. It is the beauty of holiness (Psalm 96:9). Of sanctification. And if you take Him as your Savior and Lord, you are part of His church that He is preparing to be His bride. He is preparing you for that day. Will you make yourself ready for Him? Will you respond to Him? Will you submit to the sanctification and cleansing by His word? Will you allow Him to remove every spot and straighten out every wrinkle? He is the One who is at work in you by His Spirit to will and to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13-14). All He needs is our full surrender. And by His power, He is able to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 1:24). I imagine that day, as His bride approaches Him and looks face to face on the One who gave Himself for her. And then He whispers to us: You're beautiful. Will you be there?

“Daddy, what are you doing?! What are you doing?! What are you doing?!” I was visiting my friends some time ago and their young daughter was out of sight but within earshot as our little ones often are. Her father had just left the room with her in tow, and she was obviously very excited about whatever he was going to do. The Lord highlighted this to me. The next morning, I heard her asking the same question: Daddy, what are you doing?!’ It was then that it became clear to me what the Lord was saying to me. First, there was the simple fact that she wanted to know what he was up to and she expected to join in. Given how often children look to their parents for help, I imagine they are aware of their limitations, but for my young friend, this knowledge was no discouragement. If her dad was cleaning, going for a walk or reading, she was going to do it with him, regardless of how ‘important’ her role was. Second, she asked repeatedly. I have not followed Jesus all my life, but even in the brief time that I have known Him, I have learned that I tend to seek longer term plans than He is willing to roll out. I just think knowing as much as I can is the better way. And, I mean, it would be easy for Him, seeing that He is omniscient. “Just tell me what it’s looking like over the next decade, for starters.” But though it would be easy for Him to do this, it would probably not help me be any less prideful. His plan for me deliberately includes me humbly asking lots of questions, staying close, checking in often, and talking through things A LOT otherwise known as prayer. It was my birthday recently and like many of us as we get older, we ask ourselves what we are doing with our lives and may experience anxiety, panic or dissatisfaction about the direction of our lives. Now, I am not dismissing those moments of panic or dissatisfaction, but I am saying that as a child of God, I should be satisfied in simply following the lead of the Father. In other words, my business is to do what I see my Father doing. Jesus saw it that way. He says, in John 5:19, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” Among other things, this verse surely applies to the point I am trying to make here. If Jesus did what the Father did and I have been called to follow Jesus, then I must do the same. I must do what the Father does. And that begins with seeing what the Father is doing. So, today, let’s ask the Lord: “Who are you bringing into your salvation…today?” “Who are you encouraging…today?” “Who are you delivering…today?” “For whom are you providing…today?” “To whom should I speak life…today?” You do not have to be confused about life. You never need to be unsure about what you are doing with your life. Do what He does and say what He says. To do these things, we must follow as closely as possible, and go back to him again and again. But that is the point!

Why did the Lord Jesus come to the earth? There are a number of ways His mission is presented in the Scriptures, each revealing a facet of His purpose. One of them is found in John 10:10. John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Who is the thief? The devil, the accuser of the brethren, the father of lies, Satan and by extension the vast army of evil spirits that do his bidding to circumvent the purpose of God for humanity! The thief comes with a singular purpose—not to offer a friendly greeting or take a casual stroll. His intent is clear: to steal, to kill, and to destroy. This is the threefold agenda of the kingdom of darkness. But there is good news! I have come… the Lord says to us. Jesus Christ the Lord came….t hat we may have life… When we encounter the Lord Jesus , it is an encounter with Life. We come alive truly. He reverses the stealing, killing and destruction of the enemy. He brings restoration, renewal and rebirth! Life here refers to Zoe, the absolute fullness of life which belongs to God. Life as God has in Himself. When we say yes to Jesus, we receive this life. Whoever has the Son has life (1 John 5:11-12). But the mission of Jesus goes beyond us simply having life……it is having His life more abundantly. To have this life of God more abundantly means to have it in abundance, extraordinarily, excessively, superabundantly. Is this the reality of your daily life? Many believers move through each day barely holding things together. Even though they carry the life of God within their spirits, yet live in defeat and despair. They survive—but they do not experience what it means to thrive in the abundant life Christ offers. What is the secret to having life more abundantly? Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life ("to make alive, cause to live, quicken) to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Through His Spirit! That life in our spirits is supposed to have an impact on our mortal bodies through the Spirit. Oh, how we need Him…the precious Holy Spirit! It is through Him that we can access and lay hold on all that is made available for us in Christ! So how does this work? Gal 6:8 (NIV) Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. The secret is yielding to the Spirit of God by investing in pleasing Him. Three key areas to highlight are with regards to our words, our thoughts and our actions. We have to learn to yield to the Spirit by speaking words that are consistent with the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures (Proverbs 18:21). We must learn to allow the Spirit to govern our minds (thinking), letting the truth of God be the standard for our thoughts (Romans 8:5-6). And in our actions, we need to learn to promptly obey the nudges and dictates of the Holy Spirit within us (Rom 8:13). The more abundant life…. the life of God in its fullness…. awaits you. Don’t linger on the margins, step in fully through complete surrender to the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus declares: I have come to give life—complete, full, and abundant—beginning here and now (John 10:10, Remedy). Yes, beginning here and now. Don’t wait until time on earth is over—embrace Life today.

After a 6-year break, I am back in the trenches with a newborn. While many aspects of taking care of a newborn are familiar, one that has surprised me all over again is how intensely babies can cry. My little guy, when he's hungry, cries as though you have not fed him in days. The moment he wakes up, he screams at the top of his lungs, with his arms shaking and his lips quivering. And then once, he begins to nurse, he totally calms down until the next couple of hours when the whole thing repeats itself. If his wailing wasn't stressful in the moment, it would be comical. During one of his recent crying moments, this verse from 1 Peter 2:2 hit me afresh. 1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, Or as TPT puts it: In the same way that nursing infants cry for milk, you must intensely crave the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word. For this “milk” will cause you to grow into maturity, fully nourished and strong for life. The only thing newborns consume is milk. It is essential to their survival, their growth. As a result, their desire for it is intense, it is earnest, it is desperate, it is frequent, it is insistent, it is all-consuming! In the first few weeks of a baby's life, medical providers and parents pay close attention to the baby's weight: have they regained their birth weight? Are they moving well along their growth curve? How well the baby feeds determines whether they grow as expected. On their part, it is as though babies get the memo that feeding well is their primary responsibility in life as they sure do their part in crying out for it. This scripture from 1 Peter describes the intensity of desire we must cultivate for God’s word if we want to grow up in our salvation, if we want to gain spiritual weight and thrive as believers. Sadly, due to inadequate nourishment, many believers fail to grow as expected. What does craving spiritual nourishment look like, especially in the midst of busyness and the distractions of living? It looks like waking up and immediately thinking, I need to be in the Word and reaching for the Bible. On the commute to school/ work, the thought continues: Let me listen to some Scripture or worship music or the message from church last Sunday. It looks like walking over to lunch and thinking, I’ve got five minutes; I can listen to one chapters on my phone. On the way back, instead of mindlessly scrolling on the phone, it would mean listening to a Christian podcast or engaging with other material that draws me closer to the Word. Friends, let’s ask the Lord to restore our craving for His word if we have lost it. And may we not become so ‘matured’ that we lose our craving. May our craving and dependence on the Word grow stronger and deeper as we grow into maturity. And may the Lord deliver us from fleshly cravings that choke out the true craving of our hearts for God’s word. Amen.

This is the third installment in a blog series exploring a vision in the 47th chapter of the book of Ezekiel. In the vision, water flows from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east. Ezekiel’s guide—likely an angel—measures specific distances along the water and leads Ezekiel through each stage. With every measurement, the water deepens: first to his ankles, then to his knees, and later to his waist. Eventually, it becomes a river so vast that it can only be crossed by swimming. In the two previous blogs, we discussed the importance of the prayer altar and the need to travel farther with God to step into greater depths in God. In this concluding blog, we draw another insight from verses Ezekiel 47:3-5. Eze 47:3-5 (NKJV) As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. We see in these verses that Ezekiel's guide measured a distance. And then came back to lead him through. And then measured another distance and then led him through. And he did the same two more times until the water had become a river that could not be crossed on foot. Friends, God desires to advance His Kingdom in and through you -bringing life to dead places and situations on earth. The agency of accomplishing this is through the rivers of the living waters -the rivers of the Holy Spirit - that are to flow forth from your heart (John 7:38-39). It is the honor of our lives to be part of what the Lord seeks to accomplish on earth. So, He invites us to join Him in this holy adventure-– to journey into greater depths until we bring life-giving waters into every sphere of influence He places us. But it is meant to be a joint mission with Him. He does not call us to do it alone. He does it with us. He comes alongside us. Have you ever gone on a road trip with close friends? How does it compare to going on a road trip alone? Isn’t the trip more special and memorable when we share the experience with friends. We respond to this invitation into the greater depths of God here in time, but the journey stretches into eternity. There are a lot of unknowns. We don’t have all the details. There is no detailed map of starts and stops. But our Gracious Co-traveler is Faithful and True! He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. He will bring us through every measure, phase and season. He is in it together with us. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the burdens of your journey? Then let this truth inspire and encourage your heart today. God is inviting us to journey with Him to learn His ways and make His ways known on the earth. Have you heard His invitation in your own soul? Have you responded and began your adventure with Him? If not, what are you waiting for? He is waiting for you! And for those of us who may have stopped our quest because of fear of losing control or the fear of the unknown or unbelief or an unpleasant turn of events. I encourage you today -Begin again! Pick yourself up again. Shake off the rust and inertia. Take the hands that the Eternal One extends to you. Let’s begin again! Let’s continue. Thank you, Lord, for inviting us to this journey of deeper intimacy and fulfilling our divine destiny. And for making the journey with us and bringing us through, for You are Emmanuel! On this beautiful Christmas morning—or whenever you read this—may you, precious child of God, be reminded that you are never alone. God is for you and He walks with you through every step of your journey toward His divine purpose and destiny for your life. For He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU." (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV) Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Emmanuel! P.S: If you would like to be equipped to walk in your divine purpose and destiny, consider joining us for our 18-week discipleship training intensive - Fullness Bible Bootcamp starting January 25, 2026. Your life will be transformed. Find more details here including testimonials from alumni.

In a previous blog , we began to explore Ezekiel 47:1-10. It describes Ezekiel’s vision of water flowing from the temple of God and becoming a life-giving river. We saw that we are the temples of the living God (1Corinthians 3:16) and that the Lord desires that rivers of living water will flow through us to the dead places of the earth – people, places or situations that are devoid of the life of Christ. These rivers represent the outflowing of the Spirit of God and his influence in and through every believer for the glory of God (John 7:38-39)! So amazing! In this blog, the key insight I want to share is from verses 3-5. Ezekiel 47:3-5 (NKJV) As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. Do you see what happened to the depth of the water as the journey continued? The water went from ankle deep to knee-deep and then to waist deep until one has to swim through to travel further. The farther the distance traveled, the deeper the water became! Do you desire a deeper flow of the rivers of the Spirit in and through your life? Do you desire to live out a stronger influence of God on, in and through you? Then you must be willing and ready to journey farther with God! Are you tired of shallowness? Are you fed up with lifeless religion? Have you had it with powerlessness in your life? Then you must be ready take your journey in God. Leave the shallow behind so you can embrace the freshness of new depths of intimacy with God. Forsake the hollowness so you can step into new vistas of the grace of the Hallowed One. The Lord invites you today to travel beyond where you have camped for so long. Like He said to ancient Israel in the wilderness: Deuteronomy 2:3 “You have circled around this mountain long enough; now turn north. (NET) It’s time to shake off the inertia and start moving. What might that look like for you? Perhaps it means returning to church, rekindling your times of prayer and study of God’s Word, joining that prayer group, or finally attending the retreat that’s been on your heart for so long. It could even be registering for that discipleship course you’ve been considering. Whatever it is, now is the time to take that first step toward deeper intimacy with God. And don’t stop until the influence of God in and through your life flows forth without hindrance and you lose control so He can take full control! P.S: If you would like to step into greater depths in your walk with God and divine purpose, consider joining us for our 18-week discipleship training intensive - Fullness Bible Bootcamp starting January 25, 2026. Your life will be transformed. Find more details here including testimonials from alumni.

Let’s start with a little history lesson: “What was going on in the United States when President Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving?” This was the question on one of our recent prayer calls. Someone guessed “the end of the civil war?” Close, but not quite. Lincoln’s proclamation was in 1863, smack in the middle of the civil war. Why then was he asking the nation to give thanks in the midst of what he described as “a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity?” President Lincoln identified several blessings from God, such as: No interference of foreign armies in the civil war Law and order maintained except in the battlefield Agricultural productivity Economic prosperity despite diversion of significant resources to the war Fertility which resulted in increased population despite many lives lost at war Where others may have stood overwhelmed with the loss and violence, he was able to identify the providence of God and give thanks. His attitude is similar to Jesus’ in face of the multitude with only 5 loaves and 2 fish. Andrew saw those loaves and asked “but how far will they go among so many?’ John 6:10 NIV Jesus took those same loaves, “gave thanks, and distributed them to the people.” John 6:11 NIV In reporting this story, the other gospels in different translations either say Jesus “gave thanks” or he “blessed” the loaves, using a Greek word that means he “spoke well” of the loaves. In the giving of thanks, the speaking well about what, from a human perspective, was a dire situation, Jesus released a blessing that led to multiplication. What would it look like for us to give thanks / speak well of / bless all the circumstances of our lives, even those that look contrary? This is particularly important in this year that for many of us has had a lot of loss, uncertainty, and many other challenges. Let us, by the grace of God, like Lincoln, carefully consider all that’s going on, and see the Lord’s ever-present care for us, and give thanks.