Keep The Faith

Unity Series Belief Systems and the Day of Judgment We all have a belief system. What I mean by this is that we all believe or trust a great many things to be true. You may have a certain faith you believe is the true religion; you go along with most if not all the doctrines which make up that religion. Even if you are agnostic, that is part of your belief system. There are many areas which make up our belief system — health, monetary, security, religion, probably others which I can't think of right now. In each of these areas, you believe that if you can only reach or maintain a place in each one, that your life will be as good as it can get. You may not have reached that perfect place yet, but you still believe that if you ever get there, you will be happy; things will be good. "Belief systems are the stories we tell ourselves to define our personal sense of 'reality'. Every human being has a belief system th...

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...

✨ Why Judaism and Christianity See the Messiah Differently A Guide for Readers Seeking Understanding, Not Argument When Christians talk about Jesus as the Messiah, we usually begin with fulfilled prophecies, the lineage of David, and the spiritual mission of salvation. But Judaism approaches the Messiah from a very different angle — one shaped by centuries of interpretation, legal tradition, and lived experience. Understanding these differences doesn’t weaken Christian faith; it simply helps us see how another ancient faith reads the same Scriptures through a different lens. Below are the four major reasons Judaism does not accept Jesus as the Messiah. 🕊️ 1. Judaism Expects a World‑Transforming Messiah In Jewish thought, the Messiah’s arrival is marked by visible, global change , not spiritual fulfillment alone. Classical Jewish sources describe a world where: War ends All nations acknowledge the God of Israel The Temple is rebuilt The...

Becoming Like Little Children to Enter the Kingdom Matthew 18:3 (NIV) ( Mattityahu 18:3 OJB ): “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4 (NKJV) ( Mattityahu 18:4 OJB ): “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Mark 10:15 (NASB) ( Markos 10:15 OJB ): “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” Luke 18:17 (NIV) ( Lukas 18:17 OJB ): “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” I also like looking at what the book of John says. I explain why in my post, “ Why the Gospel of John Is Essential to Study .” John’s Perspective on Entering the Kingdom John mentions the “kingdom of God” explicitly only twice, both in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus: John 3:3 ( Yochanan 3:3 OJB ) — You cannot see ...

  God Is Constantly Drawing Us to Himself There is a beautiful truth woven throughout the entire Bible: God is not distant, passive, or waiting for us to make the first move. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals a God who is continually reaching, calling, inviting, and drawing people to Himself. His heart has always been turned toward humanity. Even when we wander, He pursues. Even when we resist, He calls. Even when we fail, He draws us back with love that refuses to let go. Let’s look at the powerful ways Scripture shows this ongoing, relentless pursuit. 🌿 Drawn by Everlasting Love “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” — Jeremiah 31:3 God’s drawing begins with love — not judgment, not pressure, not fear. His love is everlasting , which means His drawing is continual. He doesn’t stop reaching for us because His love doesn’t stop. ✝️ Drawn to Christ Through the Cross Jesus made this promise: “No one can come to Me u...

Why We All Need Yeshua (Jesus): Understanding Sin and the Kingdom of God Sin is more than breaking rules — it is stepping outside the life God designed for us. The Ten Commandments reveal God’s heart, but they also reveal our failure to live as we should. Scripture tells us that the law exposes our sin, not to condemn us forever, but to lead us to the One who can heal us. Through Jesus, God opens the way back into His Kingdom, where repentance becomes transformation, and faith becomes unity with the Father, the Son, and one another. What Is Sin? At its core, sin is disobeying God’s precepts — turning away from the way of life He set before us. God gave humanity ten foundational commandments, ten principles meant to shape how we live with Him and with one another. In Exodus 20 , He speaks directly to His people, revealing His heart, His holiness, and His expectations. But Scripture also tells us something sobering: The law doesn’t make us righteous—...

Exploring the meaning of “eternal life” as Jesus described it — a life of knowing God. I’ve been thinking about something this morning. In John chapter 17, Jesus gives us one of the clearest definitions of eternal life found anywhere in Scripture. John 17:3 (NIV) “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” For a long time, the English phrase “eternal life” has felt a little vague to me — almost like a distant, abstract idea. But when Yeshua (Jesus) describes it, He doesn’t talk about endless time at all. He talks about knowing God . That made me wonder: What do the original Greek words actually say? And why do we translate them as “eternal life” or “life eternal”? I was going to open my Ultimate Bible Study Suite on my Kindle, but I came across something even more helpful: a detailed Greek breakdown from Abarim Publications. Looking at the Greek Text In John 17:3, the phrase tran...

Forgiving Each Other – Part 2 Forgiveness is not only for the one doing the forgiving — it is also for the one being forgiven. When we forgive, we reflect the heart of God, who never gives up on anyone. His love pursues, restores, and rejoices when even one person turns back to Him. God Never Gives Up on the One Who Strays “What man among you… does not leave the ninety‑nine and go after the one that is lost?” (Luke 15:3–7) Jesus paints a picture of a shepherd who refuses to abandon even one lost sheep. He searches until he finds it. He lifts it onto his shoulders. He rejoices. Heaven celebrates when a sinner repents — because God’s love does not quit. “It is not the will of your Father… that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:12–14) If God refuses to give up on people, then we — His children — must learn to reflect that same mercy. Forgiveness is not approval of sin. It is participation in God’s heart. Nothing Can Separate Us From God’...

Forgiving Each Other – Part 1 Forgiveness has been on my mind lately. It’s something Jesus spoke about often, yet it’s not a topic I remember hearing many sermons on. And yet, in the Lord’s Prayer, forgiveness sits right at the center of how we are taught to pray. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” ( Matthew 6:12 ) Jesus doesn’t leave forgiveness optional. He makes it clear: “For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your sins.” ( Matthew 6:14–15 ) Why is forgiveness so important to God? Why does He command something that can feel so painful, so costly, and sometimes so impossible? A Personal Story Let me explain through a personal story — something unpleasant, but something that helped me understand forgiveness in a deeper way. Back in August, I began experiencing severe pain in my lower body. Sitting hurt. Sleepin...

The Kingdom of God is more than a distant realm—it is a living reality entered through repentance and the door of forgiveness Yeshua opened for us. Here we discover what it means to be born of the Spirit and welcomed into God’s eternal counsel. What Is the Kingdom of God Like? If I were to ask you what the kingdom of God is like, how would you explain it? Scripture tells us that the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are the same reality. Yet it is difficult for us to describe, because we have never seen it with our natural eyes. It exists in a realm that is invisible to us. Yeshua—Jesus—knows this realm perfectly. He came from it, lived among us for a short time, and then returned to His place there: “We speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen…” ( John 3:11 ) In John 3 , Jesus explains to Nicodemus how a human being can see and enter the kingdom of God: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are bo...

Unity Series — Stepping Out of the Boat A reflection on faith, fear, and Father God’s unifying work in our lives. There are moments in Scripture that don’t just teach us—they meet us. They step into our present life and reveal where we stand, where we fear, and where Father God is calling us next. This reflection brings together Peter’s trembling steps on the water and Elijah’s unwavering stand on Mount Carmel, showing how unity with God strengthens faith in every season. Walking on the Water — Matthew 14:22–33 Peter’s moment of courage, fear, and rescue. There is a moment in Peter’s life that feels uncomfortably familiar to anyone who has ever tried to follow Jesus with trembling hands. Peter steps out of the boat—full of courage, full of faith—and for a few miraculous seconds, he actually walks on the water. But then the wind rises, fear rises with it, and he begins to sink. I’ve been thinking about that moment, not as a distant story, but as a mirror. T...

The New Covenant of the Heart A reflection on God’s promise to transform our hearts, unite us with Him, and empower us to walk in His ways. Many Christians believe the New Covenant replaces the old one, as if God discarded everything He had spoken before. But that is not so. Every covenant God made builds upon the ones before it. Each one reveals more of His heart, His purpose, and His desire to bring us into unity with Himself. The New Covenant is not a replacement. It is the fulfillment —the moment when God does inside of us what we could never do on our own. In the New Covenant, God does something remarkable: He forgives our sins. He breaks the power of our sin nature through Yeshua Jesus. He gives us the Holy Spirit—Living Water—to help us walk in obedience. He writes His instructions on our hearts. He teaches us Truth from within. This is not a covenant of stone tablets. This is a covenant of the heart. Foretold by t...

In this Unity Series reflection, we look again at Abraham’s faith—what made it genuine, what God saw in him, and what this means for our own walk of trust today. The Faith That Justified Abraham Genesis 22 — Abraham Tested (NIV) “Some time later God tested Abraham… ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac… Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering…’” ( Genesis 22:1–2 ) Abraham obeyed. He told his servants, “We will worship and then we will come back to you.” He told Isaac, “God himself will provide the lamb.” When Abraham raised the knife, the angel of the Lord stopped him: “Do not lay a hand on the boy… Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” ( Genesis 22:12 ) A ram was provided, and Abraham named the place: “The Lord Will Provide.” What Justified Abraham? Paul explains the heart of it: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ( Romans 4:3 ) Abraham’s faith...