Keep The Faith

Living Awake: Lessons from Luke 12 There are moments when Scripture doesn’t just speak — it gathers you, steadies you, and reminds you of what truly matters. Luke 12 is one of those chapters. When I revisited it after writing “ When Fear Stores What Faith Should Hold ,” I realized how much instruction, warning, comfort, and Kingdom perspective Yeshua packed into a single conversation. It is a chapter that calls us to live awake — spiritually honest, spiritually anchored, and spiritually ready. Scripture Luke 12 Reflection Luke 12 is a sweeping chapter — moving from warnings to encouragements, from parables to promises, from correction to comfort. Yeshua speaks plainly, directly, and lovingly. He exposes hypocrisy, confronts fear, dismantles greed, and calls His disciples into a life shaped by trust, readiness, and truth. As I read, I felt the weight of His words — not heavy in burden, but heavy in importance. These are teachings meant to shape the i...

Letting God Carry What We Cannot Sometimes the hardest part of loving others is watching them stay in places we’ve already been freed from. When their choices begin to weigh on our hearts, we’re reminded that true change doesn’t come from our effort — it comes from Father God’s timing and His gentle work within the soul. Reflection: Letting God Carry What We Cannot There are moments in life when we see people we care about held down by their own choices — habits that keep them stuck, patterns that dim their hope, and decisions that ripple outward into the lives of those who love them. It’s hard to watch. It’s even harder when their struggle begins to weigh on our own hearts and homes. But there comes a point when we realize something important: We cannot lift someone who is not ready to rise. And we cannot carry burdens that were never ours to hold. This truth echoes a moment in the book, The Shack by William P Young , when Mack...

Introduction Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the things we hold onto — the things we save, store, and protect because we’re afraid of what might come. It started with food, and now my thoughts have turned toward money. It’s surprising how easily these everyday things reveal what is happening inside the heart. Scripture Luke 12:16–21 (NIV) The Parable of the Rich Fool 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” 21 “This is h...

  For centuries, Israel waited for a Messiah who would rise from the line of David. The prophets guarded this promise, Mary carried it in her blood, and Joseph sealed it through the ancient power of Jewish adoption. In Yeshua, every strand of the covenant converges—prophetic, biological, and legal—revealing the true Son of David. The Promise: A King from David’s Line Israel’s hope began with a covenant. God pledged to David that a ruler from his own house would sit on an everlasting throne. The prophets echoed this promise across generations: Isaiah : a shoot from the stump of Jesse Jeremiah : a Righteous Branch from David Psalms : David’s throne will endure By the days of Yeshua, the expectation was clear and universal: The Messiah must come from David’s line. Mary’s Line: David’s Blood Preserved Luke’s genealogy traces a path back to David through Nathan , a line widely understood to represent Mary’s ancestry . Through her: Yeshua carries Davidic blood The promise of a Messiah fr...

  How Should Israel Treat Those in the Land Today? A Biblical Look at Return, Neighbors, and Covenant Ethics When Scripture speaks about Israel returning to the Promised Land, it never frames the issue in political terms. It frames it in covenant terms — G-d’s character, G-d’s promises, and G-d’s expectations for how His people treat others. To understand how Israel is to treat those who live in the land now, we must look at the three biblical eras of return , because each one gives a different kind of instruction. 1. The First Entry Under Joshua — A Unique Moment in History The conquest under Joshua was a one‑time, unrepeatable event . G-d used Israel as an instrument of judgment on nations whose practices included child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, and violence. This was not: a model for future generations a permanent policy or a pattern for how Israel should treat neighbors After Joshua, G-d never again commanded Israel to conquer the land by force. This means modern returns...

Can We Trust God to Protect Us? Can we trust that God will protect us no matter what we're going through? I believe we absolutely can. Many of us are facing moments that feel uncertain and frightening. We worry about our future, our children, our neighbors, our nation, and even the world around us. But when we belong to God, we don't face these fears alone. We stand under the care of a Father who sees, knows, and guards His own. Think about what it truly means to be God's children. He is our Father — steadfast, present, and unchanging. No matter how old we become or how complicated life feels, His role as our Father never shifts. And because He is our Father, His protection is not fragile or occasional. It is rooted in His character, His promises, and His love. God’s Protection in Acts: A Foundation of Certainty These passages don’t just show isolated miracles — they reveal a pattern of God safeg...

Giving Glory and Honor to Father God and His Son, Jesus How are we, as Americans, giving glory and honor to Father God and His only begotten Son, Yeshua (Jesus), in the midst of our current political and cultural climate? Yeshua endured unimaginable suffering so that we could be forgiven. But forgiveness is not passive—it requires a heart that longs for transformation. To honor Him, we must choose to turn away from division, fear, and hostility, and instead walk in the mercy He freely offers. The social shifts we see today echo patterns from the past, particularly the atmosphere of 1933 Germany. History teaches us that when people rely solely on human strength to resist destructive tides, their efforts often collapse. Our strength must come from a higher source. When Yeshua walked the earth, He loved without boundaries. He embraced the broken, the poor, the outcast, and the overlooked. If we are to endure what lies ahead, we must reflect that same love—not only in ...

Where Is God in All This? Our U.S. elections are coming up on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 . It’s possible that Donald J. Trump could be elected president again — and personally, I do not believe that would be good for our nation. Many observers have noted that Trump and his allies appear to be following a strategy reminiscent of authoritarian movements of the past: first securing enough popular support to win power, then working to weaken or eliminate opposition. Their Project 2025 blueprint outlines sweeping changes that could allow those in power to remove perceived threats, centralize control, and impose restrictions on freedoms — including the possibility of elevating a preferred national religion and tightening control over media and institutions. If you support him and his allies, you may be unknowingly helping advance this agenda. Right now, you may seem useful in their pursuit of power — but history shows that those who outlive their usefulness are ...

Does God Have a Native Language? This morning, a simple but intriguing thought surfaced. Across the world, every culture uses different names for the same divine reality. I call God “Father God” or simply “God.” I call Jesus “Jesus” or “Yeshua.” In Spanish, God is “Dios,” “Señor,” or “Padre,” and in Mexico the Child Jesus is affectionately called “Niño Dios,” “Chucho,” or “Chuy.” Different languages, different sounds — yet the same God. Despite our linguistic diversity, the image of God we hold in our hearts is often remarkably similar. The same is true of Jesus. It’s astonishing that God can speak to each of us in our own languages at the same time, and Jesus can do the same. The Question That Sparked the Meditation If God communicates through every human language, does He Himself have a native language? Jesus existed with Father God long before creation. If Jesus has a native language, is it the same as the Father’s? And if so, what ...

Why Do We Do Good Works? We talk often about faith, salvation, and obedience — but beneath all of it sits a deeper question: Why do we do good works at all? What motivates us? What shapes our understanding of righteousness, mercy, and love? Across different faith traditions, the answer varies. But Scripture invites us into something far more profound than duty, reward, or fear. Different Traditions, Different Motivations Many Muslims understand good works as part of the final judgment — where deeds are weighed, and reward or loss follows. Many Jews understand good works as obedience to Torah — a life shaped by covenant faithfulness. Christians, however, often find themselves caught between two strong scriptural currents: Salvation by grace through faith Faith proven genuine through works Both appear clearly in Scripture, and both must be held together. Saved by Grace — Not by Works Paul writes with unmistakable clarity: “For it is by grace you hav...

What does it really mean when Scripture says that God is “one”? Across the Bible, the Tanakh, and the Qur’an, this oneness points not to isolation but to a divine unity rooted in perfect love. From the plural language of creation to Yeshua’s prayer in John 17, the story of God reveals a relationship of shared glory, purpose, and oneness—a unity we are invited to enter. God Is One: A Oneness Rooted in Love In the Christian Bible, the Jewish Tanakh, and the Islamic Qur’an, God—Yahweh—Allah—is described as one . We often interpret this to mean a single, solitary Deity. But I’ve come to believe that “one” means something deeper than numerical singularity. I believe “one” means perfect unity—perfect love. Let me explain. The Plural Language of Creation In the creation accounts of all three traditions, the Creator sometimes speaks in the plural: we , us , our . If “one” simply meant a solitary being, why not use I and my ? Consider the creation of humanity in Genesis: Genesis 1:26–27 (NIV)...

Peace, Be Still — The Power That Calms the Storm A Reflection on Divine Energy and Faith In this Unity Series reflection, I explore the idea of God‑given power —the kind Jesus demonstrated, the apostles witnessed, and the Scriptures describe. This is not power that elevates us above Christ, but power that flows from Him and works through us. These thoughts are part testimony, part study, and part unfolding insight. The Power That Flows From Jesus In Mark 5:30 , Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him . This was not symbolic. It was real, measurable, and noticeable. Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 4:20 : “For the kingdom of God is not with talk, but with power.” The Quakers teach that there is “something of God in everyone.” Jesus Himself said in John 14:12 that those who believe in Him would do the works He did—and even greater ones. This does not mean we become greater than Jesus. It means His power can work through us when we...

Human beings talk about “owning” land, but the more we look at how land works—mortgages, taxes, and the power of governments—the more the question rises: Does anyone truly own land at all? Many cultures, including Native American nations, understood land not as property but as a sacred trust from God. Jesus also spoke about stewardship in His parable of the tenant farmers. Do you have land? Do you own it? If you have a mortgage on the land, then who really owns it? The lender can take it away if you stop making payments—so is it truly yours? Let’s say you’ve paid off your mortgage. Now who owns the land? You would think you do. But what happens if you don’t pay your property taxes? The government can seize the land. So again—who owns it? Does anyone really own land on this planet Earth? Here is something I found on the HERB website. It is what Sitting Bull, Lakota warrior, said in 1932: “Our land is more valuable than your money. It will last forever. It w...

Building a Peaceful, Self‑Sufficient World Reflecting on community, compassion, and the ways we can live more peacefully under Yeshua’s guidance. I’ve been thinking deeply about the homeless, the poor, and those living on the edge of survival. Many people prosper for a time, only to be devastated by disasters — wars, fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and cyclones. In a moment, everything can change. Consider an ant colony or a beehive. Every member plays a part, and the whole thrives because each one contributes. Humanity could learn much from that kind of unity. Our basic needs are simple: food, clean water, and shelter from the elements. Yet we’ve built systems that make even these essentials difficult to secure. What if we shifted our focus from money to Yeshua (Jesus)? The Quakers teach that there is God within each of us — we need only listen and act upon His guidance. When Yeshua is the Head and we see ourselves a...

I have said that I've learned to trust the Lord in all things. In my post " Salvation " I talked about how the Lord has saved me from great harm from a number of things throughout my life. That building of trust in the Lord has come from looking back at the many things that happened in my past. God had to have had a hand in them. Well, lately I have had thoughts of questioning the very existence of God. Maybe I've just talked myself into believing. (Satan working again) Why am I starting to question things you might ask. Back in August of 2015 I posted " Funny Dream ". In this dream, it was like God saying to me that the problems with my back will not be as bad as I envision, and we shook hands on it. I was telling God at the time that I will trust Him in whatever happens, but I said it in such a way as to try and build up my trust; "I WILL TRUST YOU LORD." There was no time frame when or how much better my back would get. At that time, I was ...

Jesus: Trusting Him in All Things Yeshua Jesus is the Son of the living God. Another name given Him is the Word of God. It is from Him we get knowledge and understanding of God. At the right time, a little over 2000 years ago, Yeshua Jesus came to earth in the form of a human, a baby born of a human mother but not of a human father. This was God's plan to save us, we humans. Jesus lived a life without sin so that He could take our place. He became that unblemished lamb that was sacrificed for our sins. All us humans have sinned, disobeyed God's laws. The Bible says that we are slaves to sin. Jesus fulfilled all prophesies proving Him to be the messiah, giving us a way to break free from the bondage of sin. He was beaten, spit on, scourged, cursed, mocked, and nailed to a cross to die. But He did not stay in the grave, that tomb. On the third day He arose from the dead. He appeared to many people for a period of 40 days until He went i...