Hey everyone, God has been doing something fresh and powerful in my life, and I feel Him shifting the direction of this ministry and bringing it into greater focus. I just wanted to share some of that with you and bare my heart on my sleeve a little. No fancy audio or video editing on this one, just raw and in the moment. I can't wait to share more with you. I hope you follow along and journey with me in discovering and exploring God's amazing grace together!Don't forget to like👍, share, SUBSCRIBE ✅and get alerts 🔔for new content!Follow me on the Socials:👉 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556820696091👉 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/eleventhhourcontent👉 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eleventhhourcontent👉 Threads - https://www.threads.net/@eleventhhourcontent

In this loaded episode, I continue along the topic of recognizing and navigating change and transition, and most importantly, returning to and staying in the place of rest, simplicity, intimacy and union with Christ. Let's move into our new season with great expectation of greater intimacy and fruitfulness!"The one I love calls to me: Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out. For now is the time, my beautiful one. The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended, and the season of hiding is over and gone. The rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land, filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth. Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flowers whispers, “There is change in the air.” Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now is the time to arise and come away with me. For you are my dove, hidden in the split-open rock. It was I who took you and hid you up high in the secret stairway of the sky. Let me see your radiant face and hear your sweet voice. How beautiful your eyes of worship and lovely your voice in prayer. You must catch the troubling foxes, those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship. For they raid our budding vineyard of love to ruin what I’ve planted within you. Will you catch them and remove them for me? We will do it together.'" (Song of Songs 2:10-15)

Is it possible you are you in a season of change or transition, and haven't fully recognized it yet? Like me, maybe you suddenly realize things around you aren't quite the same. Have you noticed that change is in the air, and you're beginning to notice signs that a shift has taken place, but haven't fully perceived the new that is upon you?If this resonates or relates to you in any way, I encourage you to go back to the start, return to the place of stillness, rest and simplicity. It is in this place that intimacy and clarity is found.In this candid episode, I share a story that may help you perceive and navigate seasons of change and transition. I hope it blesses you!“Stop dwelling on the past. Don’t even remember these former things. I am doing something brand new, something unheard of. Even now it sprouts and grows and matures. Don’t you perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and open up flowing streams in the desert." (Isaiah 43:18-19)

I believe the revelation of sonship, that we have been made sons of God, is one of the most understated and underemphasized, and possibly most misunderstood, truths revealed in scripture today!In this episode, I skim the surface and lay a basic foundation of the New Testament understanding of sonship and adoption as written by apostle Paul. It is a much broader subject than can be covered in one episode, so this is part one of what will likely be two or three parts.I hope this teaching blesses you and brings a greater revelation of who and what we are, and the incredible privilege we've been given as the “sons” (huioi) of God. As always, I highly encourage you to dig in deeper for yourself and study out what the Bible says about your identity in Christ!Strong's #5207: hyiós – properly, a son (by birth or adoption); (figuratively) anyone sharing the same nature as their Father. For the believer, becoming a son of God begins with being reborn (adopted) by the heavenly Father – through Christ (the work of the eternal Son). In the NT, 5207 /hyiós ("son") equally refers to female believers (Gal 3:28). It emphasizes likeness of the believer to the heavenly Father, i.e. resembling His character more and more by living in faith ("God's inwrought persuasons," see 4102 /pístis). It also highlights the (legal) right to the Father's inheritance, i.e. as the believer lives in conformity with the Father's nature (purpose).

Let's talk mysteries and revelation! This is one of my favorite topics and a passion of mine to study and meditate on. I hope you catch some of this passion and a deeper understanding of the "mysteries" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.Sadly, the biblical context of "mysteries" gets a bad rap, especially thanks to the English transliteration of the Greek word it was derived from: musterion (moos-tay’-ree-on). It is used 27 times in the New Testament and means: a sacred secret; something God has hidden from ancient times and that can only be revealed by God.Scholars and theologians throughout history have been stumped by difficult-to-grasp doctrines they considered “mysteries,” and therefore the concept of the “mysterious” things of God has become part of Christian doctrine. Thus many versions of the Bible translate the Greek word musterion as “mystery.” This is unfortunate because musterion does not mean “mystery.” “Mystery” is a transliteration of the word musterion, not a translation of it. A “transliteration” is when the letters of a word in one language are brought across into another language. Transliteration is literally “bringing across the letters.” In contrast, “translation” is bringing the meaning of a word in one language across into another language.The English word “mystery” means something that is incomprehensible, beyond understanding, unknowable. Thus it is common in religious circles to speak of things such as the “Trinity” as “mysteries” because they cannot be understood. In contrast, a “secret” is something that is known by someone but unknown by others. A surprise birthday party is a “secret” to the person having the birthday, but known by those who will attend it. The Greek word musterion means “sacred secret,” that is, a secret in the sacred or spiritual realm that must be made known by God.It is well documented by scholars that musterion refers to a secret, and not to our standard meaning of “mystery.” In the New Testament it denotes, not the mysterious (as with the English word), but that which, being outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by divine revelation, and is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and only by his Holy Spirit. Hidden truth in the Bible is not just revealed to anyone (Mark 4:9-12, 1 Cor 2:9-11, 13-15). A mystery which has been revealed is no longer a mystery to whom it has been revealed. It then becomes a truth. It is a mystery only to whom it has not been revealed. To them it is still hidden truth: a mystery.Whereas “mystery” may mean in contemporary usage a secret for which no answer can be found, this is not the connotation of the term mysterion in classical and biblical Greek. In the New Testament, mysterion signifies a secret which is being, or even has been, revealed, which is also divine in scope, and needs to be made known by God to men through his Spirit.In a biblical context, the term "revelation" refers to:• God's act of communicating unknown truths and facts about Himself to man.• God's disclosure of Himself through creation, history, the conscience of man, and Scripture.• An extraordinary and supernatural disclosure made by God, whether by dream, vision, ecstasy, or otherwise, of truths beyond man's unaided power to discover.• An uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times (Hebrews 1:1) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing.The Greek word we get our word “revelation” from is apokalupsis (ap-ok-al’-oop-sis), meaning an uncovering, an unveiling, a revealing. Similarly, the Greek word, apokalupto (ap-ok-al-oop-to) means appearance, to uncover, reveal what is hidden/veiled/obstructed, bring to light, make plain or manifest, particularly what is immaterial (invisible).

Distraction drives busyness and is a major cause of stress, burnout and anxiety, which leads to feelings of being overwhelmed, maxed-out and strained to the point of breaking or snapping, like a rubber band pulled too tightly.

One of the meanings of the word distraction comes from a French term related to a cruel form of torture. This medieval French torture was set aside for the very worst offenders. The offender had their four limbs tied to four horses… you can figure out what happened next; they got dis-tracted! Distraction must be conquered or it will conquer us! We inevitably move towards whatever we are focusing on. This is why and how focus equates to traction.Jesus tells us to have a “single” or “clear” eye in Matthew 6:22. It means whole, healthy, clear, undivided. Jesus is stressing the importance of focus and clear vision in fulfilling our divine purpose in life. We are not to give place to distractions that would deter, slow or hinder us in our race. When sending out the 70 disciples in Luke 10:4, he warns them, “And don’t get distracted from my purpose by anyone you meet along the way.” We must not allow anyone or anything to deter us, to pull us away from our primary purpose, our mission, our destiny. Paul gives us some keys to combatting distraction in Philippians 4:6-8: • continual/abiding prayer, speaking to God at all times, including Him in every detail and even mundane moments of your life, and especially in times of difficulty • overflowing gratitude, maintaining a posture of thankfulness in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18) • fixing/fastening our thoughts on heavenly things (summarized) • praising Him alwaysA “pure” heart is an undivided heart, a heart that has a single focus and desire, without divided loyalties or competing interests. In the same way gold is purified by melting and dredging the impurities that rise to the surface repeatedly until the gold becomes transparent and reflective, so our hearts are purified by the all-consuming fire of God’s love, until the impurities are completely removed and our hearts are fully his, without wavering, without compromise, and without dis-traction. We are given perhaps the greatest visual lesson in contrasting distraction and focus in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus visits the town of Bethany and is invited into the home of Martha, who has a sister named Mary.Depending on the bible translation, you will typically find these four terms describing Martha: distracted, much serving, worried, and troubled. We can likewise either get fooled into busyness, pulled apart and fragmented by the many distractions demanding our attention and stealing our restful focus on Jesus, or in contrast, we can discover the “one thing most important by choosing to sit at [Jesus’s] feet.” This restful posture of undistracted, undivided focus and attention at the feet of Jesus must be chosen. It must first be seen as the “good part”, the “most important thing”, the “one thing needed/necessary”, then we will be empowered to lay aside all earthly distractions and give the Lord our loving, affectionate, wholehearted attention and devotion, “absorbing every revelation he share[s]”. Obviously we have responsibilities and obligations, things that require our time, energy, and attention (work/jobs, raising children/family, household chores/duties, etc.), but even in the midst of all these things, it is possible and we are instructed to live with a single-mindedness, a wholehearted devotion, an undivided focus and attention on the Lord, on heavenly realities, and on His eternal purposes as we live out our time on earth as resident aliens and sojourners, with the revelation that we are citizens of heaven (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:9-10, 13-16, 24-27; 12:23; 13:14; Ephesians 2:18-19; Philippians 3:20) Let's determine to choose the "good part"!

In this episode, we continue our exploration of faith, building on what was covered in Part 1. "When we work hard to believe, we usually move away from faith. Faith is not obtained in striving, it's found in rest." - Bill JohnsonRomans chapter 4 explains that Abraham is our example. How is he our example? Genesis 15:6 tells us Abram believed God and it was accounted to him, or credited to him, as righteousness. His faith alone justified him before God, not obedience or the observance of religious practices. He is our example in that all who will come to salvation must do so on the basis of faith alone, not through the law. It must be received as a gift. Righteousness came by believing (i.e., trusting) in God and God’s promises rather than by doing works required by the Law.Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."All that’s required is to offer no resistance. Our role is to simply receive the benefit of his declaration of what He’s already accomplished. This is the faith-rest life described in Hebrews chapters 3-4, which I hope to cover more in-depth in a full-length teaching. For now, take some time and meditate on these amazing truths revealed in the scriptures, and the incomprehensible gift we’ve been given in Christ.

Let's explore the topic of faith! In this part one, I'll lay some foundational truths to understand faith, where it comes from and how we can grow in it. Here are a few notes to help as you watch the video:

"When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." (Genesis 5:21-24)

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:5-6)

Faith is of the heart; not the mind. Faith and trust originate in the heart and are not founded on the intellect or understanding.

"Our hearts will take us where our heads can't fit." - Bill Johnson

The understanding often comes later- it comes after our surrender and obedience. We have a tendency to want to understand first before we obey. We want to see the big picture and understand the why before we step out in obedience and rest in faith. But God has it set up so that when we step into faith and trust, the understanding often comes later, after the surrender, after the obedience.

"The heart that believes in him receives the gift of the righteousness of God- and then the mouth confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:10)

Our minds catch up with our heart eventually, but it originates in the heart.

"Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In all our ways, in all of our present situations and everyday circumstances, in every detail of our lives, we are to know God, perceive God, recognize God, be intimately acquainted with God and know Him experientially, as He reveals and makes Himself known to you in everyday life. This is what I believe it means to "walk with God", as Enoch did.

"So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!" (Hebrews 10:23)

Our faith is rooted and founded in the character and nature of God, who is good, faithful, and trustworthy. He never fails!

Key takeaway: Faith is the heart's response to the character of God. Our faith is founded in His faithfulness. Lean on the Person of God, on His character and nature, His faithfulness and ability. Not on what you understand, not on what you can explain or are comfortable with. Be filled with the faith OF God (Mark 11:22).