Advent, my Friend!

“The Son of God lays down his privileges, wraps himself in flesh and comes as a babe in a manger.”

The world awaited a Savior. Many prophecies and 400 years later, there was still no answer.

But then, He came.

He did not come as one would expect. No. Not with pomp and show, but rather with a humility and fragility that almost takes us by surprise.

The King of glory redeines and revolutionizes our concept of ‘Kingship’ by authenticating it through ‘Servanthood’ and translating this unique hybrid into the language, the identity and reality of “Sonship.”

Friends, we have a Savior in Jesus because we need relationship with the Father. We are not orphans or strangers with respect to the Father, but rather closely held, delightfully known and tenderly loved Children of the most high God who is Perfect in His heart towards us, and it was to reveal the height, the depth, the length, the width of this magnanimous heart that Jesus came.

Not as a military dictator – because that’s not who the Father is. But rather as a helpless babe in a manger – to identify with us so that we could identify with Him, for compassion is who the Father truly is.

Slowly growing up in wisdom and stature, the Son of God modelled for us the “Perfect Servant-King.” And the Bible tells me that as He is, so are we in this world.

I don’t know what your story is, friend. But mine has seen me discovering the truth of my identity as a Daughter of the King of kings and then also the beauty of my role through my relationship with the Father in the earth. What that means every single day is the hope that I awaken with and awaken to every single day.

So for the string of days leading upto Christmas beginning with Advent, I feel like we have a fresh invitation & opportunity from the Lord to seek to know Him – as a Father so that we can be known as much loved Children.

There is no fear in love, but Perfect Love casts out all fear. In a day and age where there is so much temptation to live in fear, anxiety or dread; I’d rather be defined by the Love of my Father and let His Love transform the story of my life.

Because He came, I’m going.

Straight into the arms of my Father. For who was once a helpless babe in a manger is now the Risen King of glory who is the Savior of the world, but also my personal, perfect, intimately connected and hugely involved – “Father.”

In response, its only natural to want to press in to know Christ this Christmas, friend.

So let’s do that!

He is our Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace.

To discover Him is to unwrap the gift of Christmas.

🎁

So as I knit my heart with yours, I hope and pray that the winter snow kisses you afresh and awakens you to the desire of the Father.

For to make you known to Him was also why Jesus came, and I’m guessing we’re going to make it count this season.

Cheerio!

🎄☃️🎅🏻🌲❄

Come to the Table

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

(Revelation 3:20, KJV)

I will talk about the Table today, friends. But let me start with the door.

When we open the door of our hearts to receive the Lord, He enters in and from that moment on, we are His home, His very own dwelling place. A lifestyle of communion – intimacy, fellowship and family has been ushered in and we are no longer orphans, but cherished Sons & Daughters in the family of God.

We belong at the Table.

The Lord’s Table.

The Lord himself spreads the Table out for us and offers us a seat. We each have our own reserved space and unique place at the Table. There is a six course meal for each child of God every single time we go to Him as He calls us close to dine full at His Table.

As I eat, I recognize that my portion is entirely mine and your portion is entirely yours. Mine does not take away from yours, and yours does not take away from mine. What is mine is mine, and yours – yours.

The place that is in the Father’s heart for each child is equally unique. The place He has in His heart for me is uniquely mine and only I can ever take it. And the same holds true for you, my friend.

The place that He has in His heart for you is uniquely yours too.

This pattern of wholeness plays out not only in the matter of our identity as God’s very own children, but also in the realm of our destiny. We each have a unique gift mix and set of skills, talents and abilities that God spins together in His masterplan for our lives. For His plan for every single one of us is as unique as is our design.

God is a Master Creator, and He paints as He wills, with our best interests at heart,  on the canvass of our lives. He made us, redeemed us and only He can use us for His glory in the right way.

The value He places on each child of His is infinite, and at our best, I do not think we can even comprehend it. But what I am learning is that what we cannot comprehend, we can always trust simply because we know who our Father is.

Our Father sits at the Table and calls His children together to feast in fullness. Here at the Table, there is no striving to be more for each child is aware of their own unique significance in the Father’s eyes. They know that they are the apple of their Father’s eyes, and the grand setting of the Table is only a revelation of that great love.

Here at the Table, there is no comparison or competition. Each child sits enthroned at the Father’s right hand as royalty. They not only know their own value, but also that of their neighbour. Any need to be ‘better than’ is done away with as each child is secure in the Father’s Love, and is only motivated by how well they can love one another in response.

In fact, the level of internal security within the hearts of God’s children is so intact that they are looking around to see who they can share their extra portion of fresh oranges and strawberries with!

There is truly no dearth at the Father’s Table.

For this is a place of abundance of resources and generosity of spirit.

Jealousy and envy have no share at the Table either. The abundance of love and the supply of riches is so extravagant that there is a remarkable internal rest among the children of God here. They are dining full at their Father’s Table and know deep within their hearts that what is for them, is only for them.

They know that their Father does not compromise on His love, His power or His faithfulness. He is a man of honor who keeps every word he speaks. He has written the screenplay of their lives in the blood stained ink of Calvary, and is going to supply them with everything they need to walk in the fullness of who their Father has created and called them to be.

Here at the Table, every Child of God’s story is copyrighted by the Lord. It’s script is uniquely written for each and its set to the soundtrack of authenticity. God did this so that each child of His would have the blessed privilege to discover what it is that the Father has for them – what it is that has their name on it.

God will never deliver our mail to our neighbour. He is faithful, and will always deliver our goods to the right address, in the right way and at the right time. And quite honestly, truth be told, He doesn’t  need our help in manifesting our destiny. He only needs our obedience.

Children at the Table therefore, have a revelation that any manner of strategizing and striving to fulfill their destiny is not needed. Let me repeat myself here –

They know who their Father is.

A deep experience of their Father’s Love, His impeccable nature and character has assured these children  that  their Father is faithful. He is worthy of their complete trust and come what may, He will never leave them nor betray their confidence. On the contrary, He promises to richly reward their faith in Him. So they wholeheartedly comply because they trust that He who promised is faithful.

In response to the outcomes of victory that their beautiful Father has promised them, these beloved children have decided to  give themselves over to the power of the process that their Father has laid out for them. They know where their hope and strength lies, and they press in more and more.

Not to accomplish more or accumulate more.

No.

They press in to know Him more. Their beloved Father who is so worthy of it all.

And the funny thing is that the more they press in to know their Father, the more secure they get. Eating full and drinking deep, they are both – completely satisfied yet longing for the more of Him.

For their thirst for the things of this world has been replaced with an appetite for the Kingdom.

They know the value of dining full at the Father’s Table where their portions are always to the point of overflow. They are content in what they receive and no longer distracted by the temptations of the world. In fact, should they find themselves wanting, they look only to their Father.

A counterfeit won’t do for these blessed ones, for they have tasted and seen that the Lord is good.

And the Good News for us here is that we are those children.

Yes.

You and me.

We are these blessed children that are called to sit at the Table for we are the absolute desire of the Father’s heart. It is us who get to dine full here, feast on the abundant supply of His riches in glory and find ourselves both – completely satisfied yet longing for more.

Because every need we have is met only in Him and He never disappoints.

So the next time we are tempted to feed on the lesser things of this world, whether its the snare of worldly validation, vain glory or selfish ambition, may we do but one thing.

May we take our seat at the Table.

🪑👑🍰

Your Victory Song

Friends, it was earlier this year that the Lord laid this verse on my heart.

Coming out of a year most unprecedented, this new wave of His Spirit found me seeking and soaking up Truth like a dry sponge. Though I don’t think we ever ‘arrive,’ I certainly am in a better place than I ever have been before.

Praise God!

So as the Lord began unearthing areas of my heart that needed healing, what I realised was that a lot of brokenness in my life was the result of the lies I had believed –

Lies about the nature & character of God, which led me to believe lies about my identity, worth and value.

Looking back, I realise that though I have come a long way since the beginning of this year, I still have to be intentional about guarding my heart against lies and renewing my mind with Truth, if I am going to continue to walk in Freedom.

I still have to be careful about not letting my worth and value be defined by anything other than the Cross of Jesus Christ. If God saw me so valuable, that He sent His one and only begotten Son to die for me, then yes – I am quite valuable, and that’s a truth I can stake my life on, regardless of how poorly or well I am doing.

It has since become the cry of my heart to resist the temptation to be defined by the opinions of man or the strength of my works. Instead, I now seek to be defined only and only by the words of authority that Christ declares over me, words that call me healed and made whole as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

And yes. Though it seems paradoxical, it is true. As I ascend the mountain of the Lord, He continues to unearth deeper and deeper areas of pain and brokenness in my heart that I perhaps thought were already dealt with!

But I reckon that we are more mysteriously complex than we realise. Our souls are a fragile part of us, and need more care and attention than we realise.

Much like a garden actually. I am learning that for a garden to flourish, it must be tended to, watered well, dug up, fertilised and cultivated. And the same holds true for the condition of our hearts.

So how do we cultivate this tender garden deep within?

I do it by letting it soak in the Presence of God, letting it receive Truth and correction through the Word of God and letting it breathe in the Freedom that Jesus died for it to receive.

After all, He paid more than enough a price for my heart to remain alive, teeming with life and free!

Journeying hence with the Lord, friends; but as I do, I also wanted to chime in here for a bit and speak Truth over you. You, my friend, are more worthy and valuable than you realise. You are imago dei – an image bearer of God himself. He knows you, loves you and cares deeply for you.

And that thought you just had? That thing that seems to be blocking your access to Him?

It’s time to check it and thwart it. For whatever tries to threaten your relationship with the Father, must cease to exist.

So that you can be set free to become, heal, develop and flourish into the image of the Wonderful One who created you, knows you by name, and calls you –

“Beloved.”

But again – it is only the Truth that we know that can help us do that, for it is only Truth that makes us free.

So I declare that its time now. It’s time for you to encounter Truth in a way that lets His finger prints run through your mess, and rewrite the rest of your story with the echo of love, life and liberty.

The best is yet to come.

💙

Pinterest Invite

Hey friends! I’m popping in to say that should you want to download the quotes that the Holy Spirit gives me from time to time, then please feel free to follow my newly made Pinterest account –

https://pin.it/xdwmKoD

My user name is – soulandsubstance27.home.blog

My name on the account is – Gursimran

I hope to see you there sometime!

Signed with love
💙🧡

A Unique Paradox

“If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.”

(Matthew 10:38-39, MSG)

Setting our hearts on Jesus, and letting His heart pulsate through, what say?

I’m learning its more playful than we think!

😀🥳🤍

Sons & Daughters

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”

(Romans 8:17)

Honesty Hour – A key nugget in being made whole through Christ

Entitlement is an offspring of the orphaned spirit, whereas contentment and gratitude are the hallmark of the Spirit of Sonship.

Father, take us higher in our awareness of the Truth that we are not orphans any more, but your Sons & Daughters. You are not the care taker of an orphanage who gives us barely enough to just get by, rather You are a Perfect Father who delights in us, celebrates our gifts and always provides MORE THAN ENOUGH to empower us to fulfill our destiny.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen 👑❤