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The Encounter That Breaks the Cage

The Encounter That Breaks the Cage

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In this Unity Series reflection, I want to share how my own story, a simple experiment with rats, and the way of Yeshua all point to the same truth: everything begins with an encounter that breaks isolation and opens the door to real community and oneness. The Encounter That Breaks the Cage When I look back over my life, I can see a pattern I didn’t understand at the time — a pattern that reveals how the Kingdom actually begins in a person. It doesn’t start with doctrine. It doesn’t start with effort. It doesn’t start with trying to be better. It starts with an encounter — a moment when Yeshua Jesus steps into the isolation of a human life and opens the door to connection, healing, and community. For me, that moment came after Vietnam. When I returned home from the service, I didn’t feel welcomed. I didn’t feel understood. I didn’t feel safe. I felt isolated — cut off from the world I had left behind. Whether people truly didn’t want to associate with me o...
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Whatever you did for me, you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine

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Welcome! Pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee. Today, I want to share a reflection that hit me deeply during my morning quiet time—one that challenged the way I think about faith, everyday distractions, and how we love those around us. Scripture Matthew 25:40 (NIV) “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Reflection I was drinking coffee this morning, as usual, when these words came to mind: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” As I thought about them, I wanted to go back and read the full parable in Scripture. I began reading through several chapters around this verse, and the weight of what Jesus was teaching hit me hard. Here is what stood out during my study: 1. The Immediate Context: Matthew 25 The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats serves as the climax of a three-part teaching on spiritual r...
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Where Knowing God Truly Begins

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There are moments in our walk with God when questions rise to the surface—questions about how we come to know Him, how He draws us, and how His love reaches us long before we understand it. These reflections often come through Scripture, but also through conversations, books, and the quiet leading of the Spirit. This post gathers those threads into one simple, clear picture of where knowing God truly begins. 1. The Father’s Eternal Love: Where Knowing God Begins (A simple foundation: God’s love comes first.) Before creation, before time, before humanity existed, Scripture shows us something astonishing: the Father loved the Son. Yeshua says: “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” — John 17:24 This is the starting point of everything. Knowing God begins with the Father’s love, not human discovery. It begins in heaven, not on earth. In the same chapter, Yeshua speaks of those whom the Father “gave” to Him: “Yours they were, and You...
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What is more important, righteousness or repentance?

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Unity Series: This image comes from the Hammer Story — a picture of returning, surrendering, and trusting the Son. It reminds us that unity with Father God begins not with our righteousness, but with repentance that brings us back into His hands. This Unity reflection explores a question that touches salvation, holiness, and the heart of the Father: What is more important, righteousness or repentance? As we walk through Scripture together, we’ll see how being born again, becoming like little children, genuine repentance, and even the Hammer Story all weave together into entering the Kingdom of God. What Is More Important: Righteousness or Repentance? There is a Scripture that says, “Be righteous, for I am righteous.” This echoes God’s call in 1 Peter 1:16 — “Be holy, because I am holy.” But can we truly do that? Maybe for a season we walk in a righteous character. Maybe for a time our choices align w...
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Lying and Deception in All Things

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Lying and Deception in All Things Lying and deception are not confined to any one sphere of life. They appear in nonprofits, politics, business, media, and even in the quiet places of our own hearts. Scripture teaches that deception is never a small matter. It is a sin that grieves God, harms people, and corrodes trust wherever it is allowed to grow. Many nonprofit organizations do beautiful, sacrificial work. Yet behind polished mission statements and emotional appeals, deception can still take root. The same is true in politics, where truth is often buried beneath strategy, fear, and manipulation. And in business, greed and self‑interest can twist numbers, messaging, and motives. Deception is not limited to “bad places.” It is a temptation everywhere human beings exist. As believers, we cannot assume that any institution, cause, or leader is automatically trustworthy. We are called to walk in truth, test...
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Unity Series — The Language of the Kingdom

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Unity Series — The Language of the Kingdom Intro As I continue reflecting on the unity of Father God’s kingdom, I find myself drawn deeper into how communication truly works there. Not through the limits of human language, but through the Living Word Himself — Yeshua. This post follows the powerful realization that He is the Word of God, and therefore the very source of all true communication. The Word Who Communicates In one of my last posts, I wrote about The Word of God — Yeshua . Not just the written word, not just the spoken word, but the Living Word . The One through whom the Father communicates Himself. If Yeshua is the Word, and the Word is communication, then communication in Father God’s kingdom is not a system of grammar or vocabulary. It is a Person . Communication in the kingdom flows through Him, not around Him. It is shared life, shared heart, shared spirit, and shared presence. The Word is not a language; the Word is a Person. The Limits of Hu...
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When the Branches Burn: What Yeshua Meant by the Fire

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Opening There are moments when the words of Yeshua open the soul like morning light. His teaching about vines, branches, pruning, and fire is one of those moments. It is simple on the surface, yet it carries a depth that speaks directly to the way God works within us. When the Branches Burn: What Yeshua Meant by the Fire Yeshua’s teaching in John 15 gives us a picture of the Vineyard Keeper at work: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it may bear more fruit.” “If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.” This is not a lesson in agriculture. It is a revelation of how God tends the human heart. Pruning Is Preparation, Not Punishment Gardeners prune healthy branches so they can produce more fruit. Yeshua uses this image to show how God removes what drains us, trims what distrac...
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