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7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-25-2023 August 25, 2023 Stay Focused Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” One possible metaphoric meaning to these words is very interesting and very pertinent today. The word “ways,” is translated from the Hebrew word derek, which can be used for a “way, road, journey, manner, work.”(1) More often than not, however, it is used metaphorically, referring to the actions and behavior of people.(2) It “has the unusual sense of ‘sexual favors’ in Jeremiah 3:13 and Proverbs 31:3.” Derek is the word chosen for the act of courting in Proverbs 30:19.(3) To court someone is to seek their affection or love. Courting God would mean pursuing spiritual intimacy with Him. Imagine that, courting God. Consistent with this relational theme, the word “acknowledge” in the above verses comes from yada, which is the Old Testament word for knowing someone intimately.(4) Adam knew (yada) Eve, and she conceived (see Genesis 4:1). Because of this, the Passion Translation translates verse 6: “Become intimate with Him in whatever you do, and He will lead you wherever you go.” People “court” many things: success, advancement, fame, other people, glory, money, favor, and a myriad of other goals we humans strive to reach. Gordon Dahl aptly said, “Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship.”(5) Seeking and loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength is often lost in life’s melee. When this occurs, the source of our spiritual life and strength is cut off. We must drink daily from the fountain flowing from Christ. Sometimes I feel like the small child in the “Family Circus” cartoon who ran up to his mother exclaiming, “I need a hug, Mommy. I used up the last one.”(6) It doesn’t take long to use up our spiritual hugs. Just as physical intimacy leads to conception, spiritual intimacy with God leads to spiritual conception. Jesus referred to our spirit as a womb, koilia(7) (John 7:38). He said this is where His life resides in us and the place from which it flows. He referred to His words as spiritual seeds (1 Peter 1:23, Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8), meaning they reproduce, multiply, and bring forth life in our spiritual wombs. When we are “intimate” with God, spending time in worship and in His Word, He speaks to us, planting seeds that reproduce His thoughts, plans, and ways. As this occurs, our vision, actions, methods, strategies, etc., are born of God, not just ourselves. Where our spiritual lives are concerned, God isn’t into “surrogate parenting” - someone else carrying His seed of revelation for us. He wants to sow His Word into us personally. Insights we receive from others are good and valid, but if that is the only way we receive revelation, we’re living far below our privileges. Nor does He want to reproduce in us through “artificial insemination” - placing His “seed” in us without relational connection. Podcasts, conferences, and books are all appropriate, but they must not take the place of hearing from God personally and directly. Conferences, where the Word of God is flowing wonderfully, can become nothing more than a sterile laboratory of information. Under the guise of not reinventing the wheel, we sometimes don’t regenerate revelation, either, endeavoring to live on what someone else has birthed. The problem is not that we receive insights from others - this is obviously one of the ways God teaches us; the problem is when this becomes the primary source of our information. We cannot live life solely on someone else’s revelation. We must hear from God ourselves. And when He does speak to us through another, we still should pray and meditate over the information (courting God) until it becomes a personal word of revelation to us. As strange as it may sound, people often become “pregnant” with someone else’s revelation and, yes, even birth another person’s spiritual child. The church is filled with individuals trying to walk out someone else’s revelation, vision, ideas, and methods. And we sometimes wonder why so much of what we do produces so little fruit. We may clone church growth, but we can’t clone spiritual life, and we certainly cannot clone revival. Revival is the release of God’s life; it is not produced, but reproduced - born of the Spirit! We often run our churches and ministries from the boardroom instead of the prayer room. The first one produces the works of man; the other births a move of God. Going Around in Circles I get a little nervous when God sends me to the gospel of Luke, chapter 10. My response is usually, “Uh-oh.” I know what He said there. Luke 10:38-42 is the story of Mary and Martha - or should I say, the story of Mary and most of the leadership of the church. As I feel drawn to or am reminded of this passage, I know Father is about to correct me for prioritizing ministry for Him over ministry to Him. “Now, as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover, was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. “But Martha was distracted with all her preparations, and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ “But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42) Mary was seated at the feet of the Lord, and Martha was busy in the kitchen, ‘distracted with all her preparations’ (v. 40). The word “distracted” comes from the Greek verb perispao. It means to literally “drag around in circles.”(8) The word for “preparations” is the New Testament word for “ministry,” diakonia, the same word we would use for service to God. Even ministry for Jesus can become a weight we drag around! I call this the “treadmill anointing.” In this passage, God isn’t glorifying laziness. He is prioritizing listening to Him and receiving His “seeds.” In an interview for Today’s Christian Woman, writer and speaker Carol Kent says: “One day when [my son] Jason was young, we were eating breakfast together. I had on an old pair of slacks and a fuzzy old sweater. He flashed his baby blues at me over his cereal bowl and said, ‘Mommy, you look so pretty today.’ “I didn’t even have makeup on! So I said, “Honey, why would you say I look pretty today? Normally, I’m dressed up in a suit and heels.’ “And he said, ‘When you look like that, I know you’re going someplace; but when you look like this, I know you’re all mine.”(9) I love praying in the outdoors. I usually wear grubby jeans or shorts, old shoes, T-shirt, a ballcap, and other casual, non-professional attire. When I go to the office, I change into my nicer clothes. Somehow, I think God prefers me in my non-professional uniform. When He sees me dressed that way, He knows I’m all His. Courting God is always essential. In seasons such as the one we are now in, however, it becomes critical. When Joshua was about to lead Israel into war to possess the promised land, one of God’s commands to him was, “Meditate on My words” (Joshua 1:8). This was not to make Joshua religious! Settle forever the fact that God is not religious! He desires relationship, not religion; family, not hirelings and organizations. He told Joshua to do this, not to make him a good Jew - or, in today’s language, a good Christian. Yahweh told him this because His words produce life, faith, divine strategy, and strength. “You're gonna need Me, Joshua. And here’s how you’ll find Me!” God wants to talk to you. Court Him! Pray with me: Father, as we live life in this confused and unstable world, remind us to remain tethered to our lifeline. May our spiritual wombs be ever-pregnant with Your plans and vision, causing us to birth Your life and actions. Like Joshua, help us to keep first things first, so that we can prosper and be successful. We pray also today for those on the front lines of the legal battle being waged for America. We intercede for those being unjustly persecuted and charged with crimes by our corrupt justice system. For President Trump, those who served him, and those who appropriately questioned election activities, we ask for speedy justice. We also ask that justice be served to those operating in unjust ways. Expose and shake down their evil systems in our land. Shatter the teeth of the wicked (Psalm 3:7, 58:6). We ask You to give provision to these individuals being unjustly charged, one of the goals being to drain them financially. We also ask that boldness and courage be given them, as one of the purposes of these charges is to stop people from questioning elections in the future, and from speaking out against the evil in our government. They want righteous people to stay out of government for fear of slander and financial drain. Give strength against this intimidation from Jezebel. We ask that strength be given to the righteous and for the shaking of the wicked and their activities. We ask for all these things in Jesus’ name, amen. Our decree: We decree that evil structures in America are being judged and destroyed, and that we will stay connected to our source during this time of shaking. ************************ Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------------------- R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Workbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), p. 196. Ibid., p. 197. Ibid., p. 198. Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Kay Study Bible - New American Standard, p. 1720. Rowell, Quotes & Idea Starters for Preaching and Teaching, p. 181. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc. 1996), p. 99. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 2836. Ibid. Ref. no 4049. Craig Brian Larson, Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996) p. 70.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-18-2023 May 18, 2023 The Search I have many great memories of times with the three ladies in my life: Ceci, my wife; my oldest daughter, Sarah; and Hannah, my youngest. The pleasure of their company has always been special to me. Of the thousands of memorable days I’ve spent with Ceci, one exciting excursion on a beautiful Saturday in the spring of ‘77 stands out. We had gone to picturesque White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas, where we enjoyed a wonderful picnic. Ceci cooked some of her great fried chicken and prepared potato salad for the occasion. After eating, we sat on a blanket not far from the lake - the setting was absolutely perfect - and enjoyed some pleasant conversation. She had brought along her guitar, and we enjoyed singing a few worship songs; the presence of Holy Spirit was sweet. In this beautiful setting, on this beautiful day, totally mesmerized by this beautiful lady, I asked her to marry me. Finding me irresistible, she said yes. Of the memories made with Sarah, her wedding is certainly one of the preeminent. I recall the pride and satisfaction I felt when she and I danced at her reception. Actually, as you might have guessed from yesterday’s post, shifting my weight from one foot to the other while holding her hand and shoulder was about as creative as the dancing got. But that didn’t matter. The important part was looking into her eyes, telling her how beautiful she was and how proud her mother and I were. I spent a fortune that day. “Thank you, Daddy,” was all the return I needed. In regards to Hannah, I love to recall the camping trip she and I embarked on in Colorado several years ago. We found a beautiful spot on a stream and spent the weekend enjoying nature and nature’s God. As we drove through Rocky Mountain National Park one morning, a park with views that rival any in the world, we were also listening to anointed worship songs she and I love. I’ll never forget the tears that flowed down Hannah’s cheeks at one point as she marveled at God’s majesty and reveled in His love. Happy tears. Peaceful tears. “I’m in love with God, and He’s in love with me” tears. What was it that made those days so memorable for me? With Ceci, was it a lake, a guitar, a blanket, and some good food? Of course not; those were simply adornments that created a helpful ambiance. With Sarah, was it the uniqueness and joy of a celebrative wedding atmosphere? Not really. I’ve been to many weddings that hold no such memories for me. With Hannah, was it the beauty and majesty of the Colorado Rockies? As amazing as they are, and as much as they “garnished” the day, it wasn’t the mountains. It was the company. Sparkling eyes, smiles, embraces, laughter, happy tears, and hearts I connected with at a deep level - these made the memories special. It was the lady, not the lake; the girl I was dancing with, not the dance; the passenger, not the drive. Whom you’re with matters most in life. I’ve made some great memories with God, just as I have with my three ladies. He and I have laughed and cried together; and yes, we’ve danced a time or two. We have sat, walked, ridden, and bicycled in each other’s company. I’ve crawled up in His lap and napped, sang Him songs, and watched a few movies with Him. He is more than a “being” to me. He’s a companion and friend. Not making His acquaintance would have been life’s greatest injustice. Does He feel the same way about us? Of course, He does. God loves being with us. Consider the following invitation: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:10 KJV). The Almighty, the Creator, the Everlasting God of heaven and earth requests the pleasure of your company tonight for dinner. What an invitation! Do you, like me, find it interesting that He knocks on the door? I suppose God could simply knock it down. Or just walk through it! But that would be an intrusion, and God doesn’t intrude into our space; He waits to be invited in. Like anyone, He wants to be celebrated, not tolerated. The word sup in this verse is not a generic word for eating. This is the word in biblical times for the main evening meal. The Jewish new day began in the evening, at sunset. At this evening meal, the family would discuss the day’s events, and the new day would begin and be planned. Jesus is saying to us in this verse, “Let me into your world. Let’s dine, fellowship, and plan the day.” We must learn to commune with the Lord as a real person and on a personal level. Hearing and discerning God’s voice is not a gift, but rather a learned art. When you take the time to wait and listen, you learn to allow God into your thinking. His thoughts become yours. In this verse, the Lord said, “If any man hears my voice . . .” The obvious insinuation is that our actions, not His, will determine whether or not we hear Him. Again, sensitivity is learned and developed. Like the frequencies on a radio, our minds and hearts must tune in. One of my employees a few years back related the following humorous episode about listening. “While my sister-in-law was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner and planning for various family and church activities, her young daughter continued to talk to her about several different and important things in her life, to which her mother would periodically mumble, ‘Uh-huh.’ Finally, wanting to do something to make this more of a two-sided conversation, the little girl tugged on her mother’s arm to get her full attention. Once she knew her mother was really listening, she said, ‘Mom, why don’t you talk for a while now, and I’ll say Uh-huh.’” (1) I can’t help but wonder how often God is knocking and calling, only to find us so busy we really aren’t listening. He will never treat us this way. You’ll never find Him so busy with others or so distracted running the universe that He feigns attentiveness to you, mumbling “uh-huh” while actually thinking about something else. He has plenty of undistracted time for you, and He’d like some in return. The Scriptures tell us God is “searching” for this kind of relationship. From the moment we were separated from Him by Adam’s sin, He began the search. “Where are you?” He called to Adam and Eve as they hid from Him (Genesis 3:9). We’re told that His eyes “move to and fro” throughout the earth looking for those whose hearts are fully His (2 Chronicles 16:9). One of my favorite Bible stories as a young kid was of a man named Zaccheus. He was a hated tax collector and had become wealthy, most likely by defrauding people, charging them more than they actually owed. Somehow this man had become enamored with Jesus, so much so that he climbed a tree to get a good look at Him as He passed through his village. Jesus wanted Zaccheus to get more than a look, however; He invited Himself over for dinner! “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). Jesus knocked and Zaccheus opened. The visit was obviously impactful - it always is when Jesus comes over for dinner. “Lord, half of my possessions I’ll give to the poor,” he promised before the meeting ended, “and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much” (Luke 19:8). When challenged as to why He would be the guest of this thieving “sinner,” Jesus merely referenced His searching heart. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost,” (v. 10, italics mine). Christ simply has an insatiable desire to eat and fellowship with friends, family, and seekers. Jesus was on a mission then; He’s on the same mission now. He wants some time and conversation with you. The next time He knocks, open the door. Make your house one of the regular stops for His searching eyes. Let no distraction, interfere. May your heart always remain an open door to Jesus, as you seek to mature in the art of discerning His knock and voice. As His eyes search this world for a surrendered heart with which to commune, may His gaze stop with you. Welcome Him to sit at the supper table of your soul to dine and dialogue with you. He would love to receive the pleasure of your company today. Pray with me: Father, it’s time we made some memories with You. Your thoughts toward us are many. We want to be able to say the same about You. Forgive us for making You an impersonal God, an unloving Father. Adam hid from You, fearing Your heart toward his weaknesses. Yet, You pursued him. And You pursue us. Thank You! We cast aside the lies telling us You are distant, cruel, judgmental, impossible to please. We accept You as Abba, Papa, and we want to make some memories, walking, talking, and dreaming with You. Today we dream with You of the billion future kids of Yours, our soon-to-be brothers and sisters. We partner with You, calling them home. We break off of them the bondages of idolatry, addiction, pride, rebellion, and pain - in the name of Jesus! We release angel armies to gather them in. We declare that the gospel of the kingdom has in it Your power, and that this glorious gospel will go forth in tidal waves around the world. Millions will know Your love! They will kiss the Son and find the missing piece of their heart. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen. Our decree: We decree that this harvest will not be stopped! Abba is coming for His family! *********************** Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company and is published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ----------------------------------------------------- Dutch Sheets, Watchman Prayer (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2000), 47.

* 5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/october-10-202 October 10, 2022 The Rewarding Pursuit Ceci loves to garden. While living in Colorado, her painstaking efforts were challenged, at best. Long winters, the ground never really warming up while living at 7500 feet, and summer nights always being in the 50-60’s - even during the months of July and August - made gardening nearly impossible. Therefore, tomato plants and potted herbs lined our back deck. It was a bit frustrating to a Mississippi farm girl not to be able to have her own garden with fresh-grown vegetables. She tells me there’s something about having your hands in the dirt, smelling it, feeling it flow through your fingers, and knowing it can bring life that feeds her soul. I don’t get it. I grew up playing sports, not living on a farm, as she did. Publix seems to work for me. Upon moving to the South, Ceci quickly scouted out the best “plot” for her small vegetable and herb garden. I would see her there early in the mornings, on hands and knees pulling weeds, staking tomato plants, and hoeing maverick grass that was trying to encroach upon her beloved garden. After a while, she would return to the house with dirty gloves (yes, she protects those nails), sweaty clothes, a bit sunburned, with dirt on her face. Except for the fight with rabbits who wanted to nibble the tomatoes, her gardening efforts were successful. “In the book First Things First, A. Roger Merrill tells of a business consultant who was moving into a new home. He decided to hire a friend of his to landscape the grounds. She had a doctorate in horticulture and was extremely bright and knowledgeable. . . Because [the business consultant] was very busy and traveled a lot, he kept emphasizing to her the need to create his garden in a way that would require little or no maintenance on his part. He pointed out the absolute necessity of automatic sprinklers and other labor-saving devices. “Finally, she stopped and said, ‘There’s one thing you need to deal with before we go any further. If there’s no gardener, there’s no garden!’”(1) As I continue to think about David and his desire to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (as mentioned in yesterday’s post), I thought about the tiring process of carrying the Ark. Then I realized, if there are no tired shoulders, there will be no Ark. Some things, however, are worth long hours, sweat, substantial effort. . . and even splinters. Our world has become obsessed with convenience. Whether it be our food, travel, communication, or gardens, we’re determined to live “new cart” lifestyles. The trend has finally made it into the Church. We offer many convenient times, styles, locations, and even the choice to watch from home in your pajamas. Because our lives are so busy, we even offer condensed and abbreviated versions. Some congregations are now so efficiently convenient, they can serve you your weekly God-connection in forty-five minutes, less time than it takes to watch your favorite television show: fifteen minutes of worship, fifteen minutes of announcements and fellowship, and a fifteen-minute message. “And by the way, we promise not to mention anything that might convict or sadden you. There’ll be no sin talked about, no grieving over the lost, and no mention of social and moral injustices such as abortion, human trafficking, or the state of our nation. We strive to make it quick, easy, and pleasant.” I don’t believe our new-cart version of Christianity is God-honoring or biblical. The pleasure of His company is readily available, but it’s not cheap or convenient. It will cost you time and effort. God wants intimacy with us, but He isn’t an easy score. He expects marriage and covenant, not one-night stands. But I assure you, He is more than worth the price. David and his leaders decided to give it another try - the inconvenient way. “Let’s carry Him ourselves, on our shoulders and next to our hearts. It will be hard work and will take all day, but having His presence and glory nearby will be worth it.” “Now it was told King David, saying, ‘The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.’ David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And so it was that when the bearers of the Ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the Ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.” (2 Samuel 6:12-15) In the book of Chronicles’ account of this, we’re told that “God was helping the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 15:26). Isn’t that encouraging and so typical of God’s heart? When we honor Him by seeking His presence in the appropriate manner, He makes it easier to find Him. Our Father wants our company. He desires to spend time with us. For David, it had finally happened. The presence junkie would have unfettered access to Yahweh and His glory. He placed the Ark in a tent, called simply the “tent [or tabernacle] of David,” and filled it with 24/7 worship. (Mind you, there were no non-stop digital players; this was 24/7 worship done by individuals.) History tells us David himself spent hours at a time lingering inside. The inconvenience of the process had been rewarded with the enjoyment of His presence. Persistence, pursuit, and presence had won. This can be your story, as well. On this side of the Cross, our hearts are the tent. Wow! As unfathomable as it may seem, we are now the Holy of Holies. His presence is always with us and in us. You be the cart - that’s what He really wants. Carry Him everywhere you go. Reach for Him; He’ll reach back. Make Christ your magnificent obsession, Yahweh your papa, and Holy Spirit your daily companion. Never again settle for the substandard existence of life lived without the pleasure of His company. “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT) Pray with me: Father, You are worthy of the highest praise and adoration, and the furthest possible reaches of our love. Jesus, there is nothing we could ever give or do or say that would be equivalent to Your great sacrifice. You’ve paid the price in full that we might have salvation, and yet, to freely bask in Your glory, there is still a price that must be paid. How can we bring You an offering that costs us nothing? Father, we repent for doing this very thing - trying to access the most exquisite of blessings while limiting You by wanting it to be easy and convenient. We confess that at times, we have been casual seekers of convenience instead of constant lovers of Your presence. Today we purpose in our hearts to give our time and effort toward fueling an intentional, passionate pursuit. May we become an Ark of Your glory and Your presence. You are worth it all. As we have been reminded today, we now refuse to live without experiencing the great pleasure of Your company, the depths of Your compassion, and the power of Your resurrection. We ask the same for our great nation. Come and visit our land. Jesus, be our magnificent obsession. In Christ’s name...amen. Decree: I pledge to live underneath the shadow of His presence and to be a passionate pursuer of His will. ******************* Portions of today’s post were taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________ Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995), p 77

4 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-17-2022 March 17, 2022 God Meetings It is telling that the primary concept behind the Hebrew word for intercession (paga) is for two or more entities to meet or connect. The Hebrew language is a pictorial language. Rather than being a technical language like Greek, a Hebrew word paints a picture. Regarding paga, the picture is of two or more things coming together, thus, it is “a meeting.” This meeting can be between individuals, but includes anything coming together: people, sections of land (a boundary or border), the horizon (earth meeting sky) and any number of other things. Though paga is occasionally translated intercession, it is clear from the definition that it may have nothing whatsoever to do with prayer. It is also translated as meet, encounter, light or land upon, attack, fall upon (in battle), lay upon (a burden or load), strike (lightning), reaches to (a boundary), and more. Do you find it fascinating that the word for intercession in scripture pictures a meeting? I do. I find it very telling that God chose a word for prayer that, at its most basic concept, means to meet with Him. Not just petition Him, which we must do. Not first and foremost to represent Him, though we absolutely do this, as well. Not attack the enemy and his plans, though we are also called to involve ourselves in spiritual warfare. Nope. God says, “I want you to know that intercession is connecting with Me.” Prayer meetings are aptly named. On my journey of discovering what prayer and intercession are all about, the biggest breakthrough came when I realized it was first to be a time of connecting with God, communing with Him. A relationship first, a responsibility second. A friendship, not a job. God’s motive for creating us was to produce a family and friends, not workers. If more servants had been His motivation, He would have made more angels. Early in my prayer journey, I realized Abba was telling me, “Let’s visit, hang out. In the process, you can let Me know what you need/want; I’ll do the same. We’ll walk together, and work together. Co-laborers. You’ll work with Me, not for Me.” As we connect with God, meeting with Him creates other meetings. Connecting with God creates God-connections. While communing with Him, we then ask Him to meet with a friend, connect with a loved one, visit a nation or encounter our enemy. Meetings. As you pray for America, commune/dialogue with God about our nation; allow Him to share His heart with you. When You agree in prayer with me regarding Ukraine, ask Holy Spirit to share with you what He may need you to add to the prayers. Yes, Give Him 15 along with myself and others - the prayer of agreement is powerful and important - but don’t stop with 15. Give your Father and Friend time throughout the day. Walk with Him. Talk with Him. Think with Him. He wants you to know Him. At the end of his life, Paul, the apostle who wrote more of scripture than any other person, said he was endeavoring to “know” God (Philippians 3:10). One would think that if anyone knew Him, Paul definitely did. However, the Greek word he used in this verse (ginosko) has a threefold meeting, which explains fully what Paul was saying: Ginosko is a relational knowledge. It is not a generic knowledge, as in knowing about a place or person.This word suggests there is an intimate relationship with the object known. It is actually used of a man “knowing” a woman sexually. Paul was saying, “Even after all these years and all of this revelation, I want an even more intimate relationship with God.” Ginosko is a progressive knowledge. It does not start as a complete knowledge but grows as the relationship or learning progresses. Paul was stating, “Even though I know God, I want to know Him more.” Ginosko is an impactful knowledge. This type of knowing changes the knower; it impacts, affects, transforms. Paul realized that although he had been conformed to the image of Christ, he could become even more like Him. Get to know your Abba. If you will draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). If you desire to meet with Him, He WILL meet with you. And through the connection, He will meet with other people and situations. He will. Let’s do it now. Pray with me: Father, it is a great pleasure to be with and commune with You. Thank You for wanting to be with us. We are thrilled that You wanted more sons and daughters. Thank You for wanting friendship with us. We meet with You now to satisfy Your longing, and ours. We love to be with You and we want to know You more. Unveil Yourself to us more and more; show us Your heart and ways. Reveal to us just how profound our partnership with You can be. Help us to understand that You want to meet/connect with people through us; that You want to invade situations through us; that You want to partner with us to change the world. Even now, we ask You to meet with those who don’t know You. [You may want to pause the video or pause in your reading and call out the name/s of family members or friends.] We ask You to encounter them. Cause Your Holy Spirit to hover around them with His holy presence until they are saturated with You. Create hunger in them. Remove the veil from their eyes so they can see You clearly. And Father, we pray regarding the Dobbs abortion case. Meet with the Supreme Court Justices, causing them to align their hearts and minds with Yours. Save those who do not know You. Break deception and darkness off of them. Encounter them, just as You did Saul when You transformed him into Paul. And reverse Roe versus Wade. We pray these things in Christ’s name, Amen. Our decree: We decree that our meetings with God are creating many meetings between Him and others. ****************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-7-2022 January 7, 2022 Hello, thank you so much for joining us again today. As you can see, we are still out of town. Ceci is improving gradually each day and we really appreciate your prayers. We are unable to fly at this point, so we rented an RV and are driving back to South Carolina. Until we get there, of course, we cannot get to the studio and do a normal 15. But we have chosen two of our most liked Pleasure of His Company posts, which we did a few months ago, to show you again. We will be replaying those. I know you will enjoy them and I will see you on Monday. Thank you for joining us. The Friendship I called myself a Christian for seventeen years before I discovered I could have a truly personal relationship with God. Prior to this, I certainly knew Him as God and I definitely knew Him as my Savior. I didn’t, however, really know Him as my Father, and walking with Him as a friend wasn’t even in the field of view. Satan and his team, with lots of help from religion, have painted God as a very distant, non-relational being. If thought of at all, our Creator is primarily considered the Judge or, in times of crisis, a possible but unlikely means of help. Our adversary is nothing if not a very skilled deceiver. The thought of friendship with God is more than simply intriguing to me. It messes with me! It tugs at my heart and calls out to me. Like the natal homing of a sea turtle experiencing the invisible but irresistible pull to the place of its birth, it woos me. Somehow I know in the deepest part of my nature that it is my destination, my home. His desire for friendship was the place in His heart where we were conceived. Our quest and destiny should be to find it again. A few years ago I was elk hunting in the mountains of Colorado when I saw a monument to friendship. High on a mountain, near the edge, where one of the most majestic views imaginable could be seen, was a plaque attached to a rock. Tears came to my eyes as I read the words carved into the plaque. In memory of my friend and hunting partner, [name], with whom I roamed these mountains from 1963-2003. He loved these mountains, streams, snow-packed peaks and beautiful valleys. I miss him. [Name] 1930-2003 It may sound overly dramatic, but I removed my hat and stood in silence, saluting the friendship enjoyed by these men. I tried to imagine the joys and memories created, as well as the pain of the loss he must have felt as the old, surviving warrior climbed this hill, memorial in hand, to honor the memory of a true friend. One can only imagine the hours they shared together. The only way to truly understand the camaraderie that develops when friends share the wonder and awe of creation together is to experience it. I thought of this as I stood looking over the vastness of the Rocky Mountains. Then I thought how much greater is the awesomeness of sharing moments such as these with the Creator Himself. A friendship implies closeness and takes time to develop. It is comprised of trust, compatibility, affection, and, of course, a high level of interpersonal knowledge. I have many acquaintances but very few people I call my friends. The few I classify as such are those I enjoy spending time with, sharing life’s experiences together. We’re vulnerable with one another, freely communicating our hopes and dreams. I celebrate my victories with them and am comforted by them when I’m hurting, and vice versa. We keep it real. My walls are down when we’re together; I am unguarded and transparent, unafraid to let them see the real me – the unpolished version. I know they will always “be there” for me and I for them. Many more defining characteristics of friendship could be stated, but this much is clear: Friendship defines the highest level of relationship. Even higher than family. I’m sometimes amused when I hear the average Christian reference God as his or her “friend.” There was a popular chorus a few years back about being God's friend. I liked the song, but as I listened to crowds singing it, I couldn’t help but think how untrue it was for most of them. I suppose it’s good to sing it as a reminder of God‘s offer to us, just as my parents used to sing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” These songs may be reality for those who wrote them, but for the average person singing them, they simply aren’t true. Most Christians have no true intimacy with God, spend very little time with Him, and have a very limited knowledge of His heart and ways. “A casual acquaintance” would best define their relationship with Him. We mustn’t cheapen friendship by lowering the standard. I want to quickly point out, however, that friendship with God is possible for every believer and is His desire for us. Abraham’s walk with God was an example of this level of relationship. Three times in Scripture God called him His friend – and it’s what He desires with each one of us. This is not only a part of our destiny, it’s part of God’s dream. In exposing our shallow understanding of friendship with God and the fact that so few experience it, I don’t mean to impugn our intentions and motives. The fact is, we are much like Abraham at the beginning of his journey with the Lord. Most of us begin our walk with God just as he did - wanting the benefits He offers. We aren’t terribly interested in His dreams; we probably aren’t even consciously aware He has any. But we are aware that He can help us with our dreams, so we cut deals with Him, talk to Him primarily on the basis of our needs, and remind Him that He is our Father, meaning our source of provision.1 In a sermon called “The Disciple’s Prayer,“ Haddon Robinson tells the following story, which pictures the unenlightening and inappropriate beginning of our relationship with God. When our children were small, we played a game. I’d take some coins in my fist. They’d sit on my lap and work to get my fingers open. According to the international rules of finger opening, once the finger was open it couldn’t be closed again. They would work at it, until they got to the pennies in my hand. They would jump down and run away, filled with glee and delight. Just kids. Just a game. Sometimes when we come to God, we come for the pennies in His hand. “Lord, I need a passing grade. Help me remember this material.” “Lord, I need a job.” “Lord, I need a car.” We reach for the pennies. Then we walk away.2 Sadly, we’re all so human. We see God primarily as our Provider. Do we really know Him as a friend? No, not at the beginning of our journey. God understands this, however, and in His love and humility is willing to meet us where we are. “He first loved us,” the Scripture tells us (1 John 4:19), not the other way around. His love embraces us and makes us His child. And just as a natural child doesn’t begin its relationship on a friendship level with Mom and Dad, our heavenly Father knows we won’t with Him, either. It’s all about us. Most of us, when younger and in our parents’ home, trusted them to provide for us. Appropriately so. But for most of us the day arrived when we wanted to be more than just well-cared-for children. I know I did – I wanted to be my parents’ friend. At that point I cared more about their happiness, well-being, and dreams than I did their money. I wanted to give them more than I wanted to take from them. We no longer talked only about my happiness; we discussed things that interested them, as well. Over the years their faith had been transferred to me, and we dreamed together about making a difference for God. Our relationship had matured into a friendship. The same is true of Abraham. He started his journey with God looking for lands, blessings, and greatness. He embraced the promise of a biological son through whom he would produce a great nation. But thankfully, the relationship grew. There were even some rough spots along the way. When God didn’t provide the son He promised Abraham and Sarah in the way they expected, they demonstrated their lack of trust by choosing to have a son through Hagar, Sarah’s maid. Still, though Abraham demonstrated humanness, in the end he proved his trust in God had grown to a level few people ever attain. He was even willing to sacrifice Isaac, his long-awaited son, believing if he did so, God would raise Isaac from the dead. What a trust! Yahweh so cherished his friendship with Abraham that, when Abraham died, He saw to it Abraham was buried at Hebron, which actually means “friendship.” I can’t help but believe that, like the hunting friends mountain top plaque, this was God’s tribute to their friendship. Upon Abraham’s arrival in heaven, I like to think Yehweh stood, got everyone’s attention, and honored the old patriarch: “This is Abraham, my friend. We dreamed together, and enjoyed the pleasure of one another’s company.” When God is looking for someone He can be vulnerable with, a friend with whom He can share His hopes, dreams, and, yes, even His disappointments, I hope He feels He can look to me. And when my earthly life is over and my body laid to rest, if it can be said that He and I were friends, I will have been a success. Pray with me: We are grateful, Father, that friendship with You is Your desire for us. Thank You, Jesus, for restoring the potential for friendship with God to every believer; fulfilling our destiny and the dream of God’s heart. Thank You for lovingly receiving our child-like interactions as genuine offerings, though they come at times from immature hearts. Your love is so great that You meet us there and woo us tenderly toward the place of deep intimacy and trust. May the quest of our lives be to find this place of true friendship and walk with You. God, when You are looking for someone in Your family You can be vulnerable with, a friend with whom You can share Your hopes, dreams, and, yes, even Your disappointments, we want You to feel You can look to us. We want to enjoy the pleasure of Your company, and we want You to enjoy the pleasure of our company. In Your name we pray, Amen. ******************************** Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Click the link below to watch the full video: 1. Adapted from Dutch Sheets, Dream (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2012), pp 101-106. 2. Haddon Robinson, “The Disciple’s Prayer,” Preaching Today no. 117, quoted in Greg Herrick, “Knowing God and Prayer,” https://bible.org/book/export/html/6336