Keep The Faith

A Journey I Could Not Have Written Alone Every now and then, the Spirit invites us to pause and look back—not with regret, but with wonder. This morning was one of those moments. As I reflected on the path behind me, I realized again that this journey has never been mine alone. The fingerprints of Father God have been on every step, every insight, every word. Scripture “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” — Psalm 118:23 (KJV) Reflection I was thinking about this blog again this morning. I started it on June 6, 2011 — fifteen years ago now. As I look back and read the things I’ve written over the years, I realize something very clearly: this could not have been just me. These reflections, these insights, these moments of clarity… they have been the Spirit’s work through me, far more than my own ability. Everything I’ve learned over these years is now coming together in the Unity Series Hub page and in the book The Road Into Father God’s King...

[Where We See Brokenness, Yeshua Sees What’s Possible] Some mornings, reflections come from several directions at once — a sermon, a memory, a conversation, even an older post that rises back to the surface. Today was one of those mornings. As I listened to the message from John 9 and later talked with my wife about her own family’s story, something settled deeply in me about how we see suffering, disability, and the quiet dignity of those who carry burdens they never chose. Scripture John 9:1–2 “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” Reflection I was thinking about several posts I’ve written, this morning’s sermon, and something my wife shared afterward. The sermon centered on John 9 , where Yeshua heals a man who had been blind from birth — and He does it on the Sabbath. The disciples’ first reaction wasn’t compassio...

Lead Us Not Into Temptation I was thinking about something in the Lord’s Prayer the other day—something I’ve prayed thousands of times without really stopping to ask what it means. Jesus teaches us to pray: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” And I found myself asking a simple question: Does God tempt us? Would a loving Father ever lead His children toward sin? Scripture gives a clear answer: “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” — James 1:13 So why would Jesus tell us to pray this? The meaning is deeper than the English words The Greek word Jesus uses— peirasmos —can mean temptation, testing, trial, pressure, or a situation that reveals what’s inside a person. So the prayer isn’t saying, “Father, don’t tempt us.” God never would. It’s saying: “Father, don’t let us be taken into a trial that overwhelms us.” “Don’t let us be drawn into situations where we might fall.” “Protect us from th...

Chapter 5 — God All in All There is a promise woven through Scripture that is so vast, so beautiful, and so complete that it almost feels beyond imagination. It is the promise that one day, when the story of this age is finished, when every enemy has been defeated, when every heart has been restored, and when every tear has been wiped away… God will be all in all. This is not a poetic phrase. It is not symbolic language. It is the final declaration of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:28 — the moment when the Kingdom reaches its fullness and the purpose of God is revealed in its entirety. Everything in this book has been leading toward this truth. The Hammer Story showed the beginning of restoration. Entering the Kingdom showed the doorway. Life in the Kingdom showed the transformation. Becoming One showed the unity Yeshua prayed for. But “God all in all” is the completion — the fulfillment of oneness, the restoration of all things, the moment when heaven and earth ar...

Chapter 2 — Entering God’s Kingdom Entering God’s Kingdom is not something we earn, discover, or achieve. It is something offered — freely, lovingly, and at great cost. The Kingdom is open to us because Yeshua opened it. His life, His death, and His resurrection are the doorway through which every person may enter. Before Yeshua came, humanity lived with bent nails — brokenness we could not fix, patterns we could not escape, and a separation from God we could not bridge. We were like the Hammer in the story: trying, failing, choosing the wrong hands, and not understanding why our projects kept collapsing. But the Father did not leave us there. Out of love, He sent His Son — not to condemn the world, but to restore it. Yeshua took upon Himself everything that kept us from the Kingdom: our sin, our shame, our rebellion, our bent nails. Through His sacrifice, He removed the barrier between God and humanity. Through His resurrection, He opened the way into a new kind of l...

Chapter 3 — Life in the Kingdom Life in God’s Kingdom is not simply a new belief system or a new set of behaviors. It is a new way of living — a life shaped by the Father, centered in Yeshua, and empowered by the Spirit. When we enter the Kingdom through repentance and trust, something begins to change inside us. The change is gentle, steady, and deeply personal. The first thing that changes is how we see. We begin to see God differently. Not distant. Not angry. Not waiting for us to fail. But present, patient, and full of compassion. We begin to see ourselves differently. Not as broken tools trying to fix ourselves, but as sons and daughters being restored by the Master Craftsman. And we begin to see others differently. Not as obstacles, threats, or competitors, but as people loved by God, people Yeshua died for, people the Spirit is drawing. This new way of seeing leads to a new way of living. Life in the Kingdom is not lived by our strength. It is ...

Chapter 4 — Becoming One Becoming one is not something we achieve by effort, discipline, or spiritual performance. It is something the Father desires, the Son prays for, and the Spirit accomplishes within us. Oneness is the heartbeat of the Kingdom. It is the purpose behind restoration, the fruit of life in the Kingdom, and the direction toward which all things are moving. Yeshua revealed this in His prayer on the night before His crucifixion. He prayed not only for His disciples, but for all who would believe in Him through their message. And His prayer was simple, profound, and world-shaking: “Father, make them one, just as You and I are one.” This was not a metaphor. It was not poetry. It was not symbolic language. It was the deepest desire of Yeshua’s heart. He prayed that we would share in the unity He has with the Father — a unity of love, purpose, heart, and life. A unity that is not forced, not artificial, not based on agreement or sameness, but rooted in...

Chapter 1 — About The Hammer Story: A Parable of Restoration I did not begin my walk with God as a man who understood His heart. I came to Him the way many of us do — carrying the weight of my own history, my own habits, my own ways of thinking. I came with the tools I had always used to survive. I came with the hammer. The hammer was familiar. It was the way I had learned to deal with life: force, effort, self-reliance, fixing things on my own, shaping my world with my own strength. It was the only way I knew. And like any tool used long enough, it had become part of me. I didn’t question it. I didn’t examine it. I simply lived by it. When I was young, I tried to build things with a hammer I didn’t yet understand. I swung with all the strength I had, but instead of driving nails straight, I bent them. At the time, I thought the problem was the nails. Later I learned the truth: the problem was my understanding. I was using strength without skill, effort without alignment,...

The Kingdom Within A Journey of Restoration, Life, and Oneness in God Written by Wayne A. Koch with help of The Spirit For the glory of God and the expansion of His Kingdom “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” — Isaiah 11 Chapters Prologue — The Hammer Story Chapter 1 — The Hammer Story: A Parable of Restoration Chapter 2 — Entering God’s Kingdom Chapter 3 — Life in the Kingdom Chapter 4 — Becoming One Chapter 5 — God All in All Navigation ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Back to Beginning

The baptistry at Ephesus — where stone and light meet, revealing the journey into the life of God. The Baptistry at Ephesus and the Journey into God From Stone to Story: The Baptistry and the Life of God In the ruins of St. John’s Basilica at Ephesus, the baptistry still preaches a silent sermon. Its octagonal pool, with two sets of steps descending and ascending, is a stone-carved picture of the journey into the life of God. Becoming One The steps down into the water speak of surrender. The catechumen descends, leaving behind the old life and self-rule, and is immersed into Christ. The steps up on the other side speak of rising into a new identity, joined to His life. Baptism is not just a ritual; it is the first great “yes” to unity with God – a person stepping into His life so that His life may fill them. Restoration The octagon of the pool has long been a symbol of the “eighth day” – the day of new creation. In that shape, the Church confessed tha...

The Seven Churches of Revelation Before we explore the Seven Churches of Revelation, it is important to understand the life of the man through whom Jesus delivered this message — John the Apostle. His journey from fisherman to beloved disciple to exiled prophet shapes the tone and urgency of the letters to the churches. The Life of John the Apostle A detailed look at the man through whom God gave us the Gospel of John, the Epistles, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. ← Read: The Life of John the Apostle The Seven Churches of Revelation With John’s life in view, we now turn to the seven churches he wrote to — real congregations in real cities, each facing unique pressures and receiving a specific message from Jesus Christ. 1. Ephesus — Revelation 2:1–7 Main takeaway: A church strong in doctrine and endurance, but drifting from its first love. Revelation 2:4–6 (NIV) 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the...

The Life of John the Apostle A detailed look at the man through whom God gave us the Gospel of John, the Epistles, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. 1. Early Life and Calling John was born around 6 AD in Bethsaida, a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the younger brother of James. Together they worked as fishermen and were partners with Peter and Andrew. Their family business was stable and respected, suggesting they were not poor but hardworking and established. Jesus called John while he was mending nets. Without hesitation, he left the boat, the nets, and the family business to follow the Messiah. This immediate obedience reveals the depth of his devotion from the very beginning. 2. A “Son of Thunder” Transformed Jesus gave John and his brother James the nickname “Boanerges,” meaning “sons of thunder.” This tells us John was originally fiery, bold, and intense. He once wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan vill...

Reincarnation or Restoration — The Fire That Heals (Revisited) The Ache Behind the Question Every generation asks what happens to a life that ends too soon. We feel the ache of unfinished stories, interrupted childhoods, sudden tragedies, and souls who never had the chance to grow into the fullness of who they were meant to be. Some traditions answer this ache with reincarnation. Scripture answers it with restoration. Both are trying to heal the same wound: the longing for completion. What Reincarnation Claims Reincarnation teaches that a soul returns in a new body, often many times, usually without memory of the previous life. The purpose is to work off karma, learn lessons, and eventually escape the cycle. It is a system of repetition — life after life, body after body — until the soul reaches some form of enlightenment. It is an attempt to explain why life feels unfinished. What Scripture Shows Instead: Restoration The biblical pattern is not cyclical. It i...

Understanding the Hammer Story: God’s Work in Us There are moments when God shows us something about ourselves that we didn’t expect. The Hammer Story was one of those moments for me. It revealed not just where I had been, but how God was inviting me into something better. It wasn’t about the hammer itself. It was about the heart behind it, and the transformation God was working in me. As I reflected on that story, a question rose up in me — one that has lingered for a long time: Is this really God’s work? And does He truly allow us to be part of it? Part of that question came from something my daughter once said: “God doesn’t use us.” Her words stayed with me. They made me pause. They made me examine the way I talk about God’s work in my life. And they made me want to write this post. Does God “Use” Us — or Work Through Us? Some people struggle with the phrase “God uses us.” And I understand why. In human relationships, being “used” me...

The Hammer Story By Wayne Koch (Pop Pop) Dedicated to my grandson Here is a story that I told my grandson when trying to get him to go to sleep. It began as a much simpler version, but over time it grew — and now reflects my own life and how God has shown Himself to me. The Story Once upon a time there was a hammer. Now, this hammer was a very special hammer. Its Creator gave it a brain. It could choose what project to work on and who would use it to build the project. There was just one problem: it often bent nails. At first, Hammer chose easy projects — step stools, tables, birdhouses, and treehouses. When it came to treehouses, he chose only the simplest ones or only wanted to do the ladder. As for who would use him, he would choose just anyone. Over time, he saw some of his projects turn out pretty good, some just so-so, and others really bad. When he bent a nail, the person using him would usually just bend the nail the rest of the way over t...

The Citizen’s Mandate: Kingdom Responsibility in the Face of Power When leadership turns toward control or harm, people naturally feel like victims of a “taking” energy. But citizens of the Kingdom of God are not passive observers of history. Our responsibility is not limited to the next election cycle; it is to actively give life wherever earthly power is being used to take it. 1. The Stewardship of Truth In cultures shaped by fear or control, truth is often the first casualty. Kingdom citizens must remain anchored in reality rather than rhetoric. The Action: Refuse to participate in propaganda, manipulation, or the “Way of the Flesh” that distorts perception and enslaves the mind. The Scripture: Paul urges us to “speak the truth in love” ( Ephesians 4:15 ). Truth is a giving energy —it liberates. Lies are a taking energy —they bind and diminish. 2. Protecting the “Least of These” When leaders use power to harm, they create a vacuum of care. Kingdom citizens ...