Oceans in the Desert

By Kathi Pelton

When guests come to our front door I want them to feel as though they’ve come home. Not merely coming as a visitor but as a member of our family. I intentionally create a welcoming walkway, front porch and front door. Then, when they enter I want them greeted with honor, warmth, love and beauty. I go to great lengths to make every part of our home inviting to all who enter— both physically and spiritually.

As I slept last night I kept hearing the words in my spirit, “Enter in.” Then I would see the beauty of Jesus opened up like a doorway into being received by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I knew that all were welcome, all were wanted and all were honored within this perfect union of home, family and love.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus is a refuge and through Him everyone has a home, a family and a place of honor at His table. There is no favoritism and no conditions— only acceptance and the invitation to come in.

Having been raised in a broken home with a lot of chaos and disunity, I remember being invited into some of my friend’s homes where their family made me feel like I was not only welcome— but wanted. They made sure that I knew that “their family was my family.” It was in those homes and within those families that I would begin to dream that I, too, could one day have a beautiful family and home that would be a refuge and hope to all who came in.

One thing that grieves my heart deeply (and grieves the heart of God even more) is when I hear Christians who live gripped in condemnation and fear (not the true fear of the Lord but fear of not being accepted). These individuals often avoid intimacy with God or entering into the depths of love that He has invited them into because they feel unworthy or condemned.

Yet, this is absolutely contradicting of “Who He is!” When we believe in Jesus as our Savior and surrender our lives to Him we are immediately covered and clothed in His righteousness. The filthy– sin stained– garments are removed and we are clothed in new white garments; garments of mercy and grace through the shed blood and broken body of Jesus. He paid for it all.

Yet, still many stay far off. The beautiful thing is that if you will take Jesus at His word and enter in you will find that His beauty and His righteousness will begin to transform you. Staying outside (afar) and trying to “clean yourself up” will merely take you only as far as your own strength— which is very limited— will go. Fighting the flesh with flesh will only take you back to the fallen flesh.

When you receive, by faith, the white garments of salvation and enter into Christ as your home, your family and your refuge then you begin to experience the depth, width, height and length of His love which is continuously transformational! It is where we go “from glory to glory” as we discover day by day His mercies, His beauty, His wonder and His love. This is where true change occurs.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Some translations say, “being transformed from glory to glory.” Why then are so many believers living with veiled faces— veiled with shame, insecurities, condemnation and an orphan spirit?

When Jesus died in the cross the veil was torn and all were invited to enter in through His sacrifice. No longer do we need a high priest need to go in for us with a rope tied around his waist in case he is struck dead! We can enter in through the righteousness of the One who paid the penalty for our sin— once and for all! We do not have to keep paying because He paid for it in full.

“And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭

Hebrews 10 goes on to say,

“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:14-18‬ ‭

NO LONGER NECESSARY! Some of you are living under the law rather than the grace that the blood of Jesus provides. You can be confident that when you “come as you are”, clothed in His righteousness, that you will be transformed by His Spirit at work in you. But when you stay back, trying to make sacrifices to please or approach the Lord, you have returned to the law that Jesus already fulfilled. It becomes like a dog chasing his own tail— you go round and round but never catch that which you are chasing.

Jesus is calling to you, “Come— enter in!” His inheritance has become yours. All that He has now is yours as well. You can confidently and boldly enter in knowing that you are accepted and loved with a love that has no boundaries. Remember, there is no favoritism or one more righteous than another.

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans‬ ‭3:21-24‬ ‭

ALL have sinned and fall short— and ALL who receive Jesus are justified and redeemed completely! ALL!

It is time to draw near to God. Just as I can open up the door of my home to you— it is up to you to decided whether to enter in or not— the same is true with Jesus. He has opened up the door of heaven and made a way for you to enter in but He will not force you— He waits like the father in the story of the prodigal son. He’s waiting, longing and desiring to celebrate you! He longs for you to enter where He will send His Spirit and His angels to minister to you, transform you into His image and pour out upon you His love without measure. You cannot truly be transformed before entering in— the law proved that throughout the Old Testiment. But the law of grace, where you are freely pardoned and set free, has opened the way for you to enter in just as you are.

“…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22

He is calling to you, “Enter in!”

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