Keep The Faith

When God Opens the Eyes of the Heart Sometimes God awakens the human heart suddenly, and sometimes gently. The stories of Jonah and Jesus washing the disciples’ feet reveal two sides of God’s mercy: a warning that shakes us awake, and a humility that softens us. Both are invitations to return to Him. The Sign of Jonah Luke 11:29 (NASB) “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.” The Greek word for “generation” is genea , which can also mean “age.” Jesus may be saying, “This age is a wicked age…” The word for “sign” means a miracle, a token, a wonder — something that awakens awe. Jonah’s message to Nineveh was short and simple: Jonah 3:4 (CEB) “Just forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!” The Hebrew word for “overthrown” is haphak — meaning to turn, to change, to be converted, to return. Jonah’s warning was not only about destruction....

Doing What Is Right in the Sight of God These are stressful days for many people. As I was thinking about everything happening around us, my thoughts turned toward Father God. God is still the all-powerful God. He doesn’t change. He is the God we can call Father — the One who loves us so much that He sent His Son, Yeshua (Jesus), into this world to take our punishment for the sins we’ve committed. Think about that. What amazing love. And think about what Yeshua did when He was here on earth with us. He had compassion for all those He met. Matthew 9:35–38 (NABRE) Jesus went around to all the towns and villages… curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd… “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” For me right now, I pray that His will be done, that the laborers will go out, and I trust Him for whatever happens. I also pray ...

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 ...

This Unity Series reflection looks at James 4:1–10 and Luke 13 , two passages that call us to humility, repentance, and genuine transformation. They reveal the conflict within us, the urgency of change, and the heart of God longing to gather His people. Unity Series — When God Calls Us Back to the Narrow Way James 4:1–10 and Luke 13 stand together like two mirrors—one revealing the inner conflict of the human heart, the other revealing the outward consequences of a life that refuses to change. Both passages speak with urgency. Both confront us with truth. And both extend grace that is deeper than our failures. The War Within James does not soften his words. He names the conflict plainly: our disputes, our divisions, our broken relationships—they begin inside us. They rise from cravings that compete for the throne of our hearts. We want what we do not have. We grasp for what God has not given. We ask for blessings with motives that cannot carry His ...

Unity Series — When We Judge Without Seeing the Whole Story We humans judge quickly. We form opinions from headlines, fragments, and emotions. Yet Scripture reminds us that judgment belongs to God alone — because only He sees every angle, every motive, every moment that led to the one we think we understand. Why do we judge situations we were never part of? It’s hard enough to judge even when you are involved — or when you’re the one responsible for making the decision. But we all do it. We watch the news, hear a story, see a clip, and suddenly we’re experts. We decide who was right, who was wrong, and what “should have happened.” And when we voice those opinions, we often add to the unrest. We fuel anger. We deepen division. We contribute to the noise. Have you ever watched a football game and thought the referee made a terrible call? From the angle you saw on TV, there was no way he was ri...

Why wait until the day Father God lifts the veil and reveals our true selves — the way He sees us and the way others have seen us? Why carry baggage into that moment that we could lay down now? You and I still have time to work on these things while we are here. Ask Father God to soften your heart. Ask Him to reveal the wrongs you’ve done to others, and the wrongs others have done to you. Ask Him for the strength to go — while they are still alive — and seek forgiveness. And ask Him for the grace to forgive those who have wounded you. For those we have wronged who have already passed on, we will have to wait to see whether they forgave us. If not, we will bear that grief and shame ourselves. Better to settle matters now, while mercy is still within reach. Luke 12:57–59 Yeshua (Jesus) spoke directly to this, urging us to settle our accounts before we stand before the Judge. He warns that if we ref...