Keep The Faith

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...

Rethinking Hell: Why Grief and Sorrow May Be the Real Fire For years, I believed hell was a place of physical torment. But through Scripture, study, and personal experience, I’ve come to see something different. I believe hell is the deep grief and sorrow we feel when Father God lifts the veil and we finally see the truth about ourselves. Grief as Fire When I saw the ugliness inside myself, the grief was overwhelming—like being consumed. Scripture describes grief and sorrow with words like anguish, torment, woe, and heartbreak. These same words are used in descriptions of hell. Even Jesus is called “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” ( Isaiah 53:3 ) The Worm That Never Dies When grief eats at a person, we sometimes say they are “eaten up inside.” Scripture says, “where their worm never dies.” This imagery aligns with internal anguish, not external torture. Everlasting Judgment Many things in Scripture are called “everlasting,” yet clearly did not...

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 ...

Temptation is something every believer faces, and Jesus taught us to pray about it directly. This morning I found myself thinking more deeply about the line, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” and what it truly means for our daily walk with God. I was thinking about something this morning that connects with my last post, Test the Spirits . Satan tempts us to sin and do evil. I was thinking about the Lord’s Prayer, where it says, “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil,” and I wanted a deeper understanding of that phrase. I looked it up, and the explanation I found expressed it well, so I’m sharing it here. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” ( Matthew 6:13 ) This line from the Lord’s Prayer is deeply meaningful, and Christians have reflected on it for centuries. “Lead us not into temptation” At first, it can sound confusing—why would God lead anyone into temptation? But in the original Greek, the word peirasmo...

Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen? Most of us have wondered at some point: “Why does God let bad things happen to good people? Why doesn’t He just get rid of those who do evil?” These questions are honest, human, and deeply spiritual. Years ago, I read The Shack by William P. Young and later watched the film. Both helped me see certain things from a different angle — not perfectly, but in ways that opened my heart to God’s perspective. In Chapter 10 , Mack asks Jesus why God doesn’t simply take control of the world to protect its beauty. Jesus explains that God refuses to impose His will because true relationships must be built on love, not force. Love cannot be coerced. “Here Come Da Judge” — A Deeper Look When Mack enters the cavern, he is still carrying unbearable grief and anger. The loss of his daughter has left him questioning everything — God’s goodness, justice, and love. He wants answers, but what he receives is something far de...

Elijah Must Come and Restore All Things Short Introduction Throughout Scripture, God sends voices of warning, mercy, and restoration before moments of great change. Jesus’ words about Elijah remind us that God still calls His people to return to Him with humble hearts. This message is both ancient and present—an invitation to prepare ourselves for what He is doing in our day. Opening Scripture Matthew 17:10–11 (NIV) 10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.” Introduction Jesus spoke these words during His first coming, when He came to take away the sins of the world. In this moment, He hinted that John the Baptist had come in the spirit of Elijah—preaching repentance, confronting corruption, and ultimately facing martyrdom. Prophetic Fulfillment Malachi 4:5–6 (NIV) “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before...

Forgiveness — A Scripture Study When I study a specific subject in Scripture, I like to gather all the passages in one place. Seeing them together helps reveal the heart of God and the consistency of His character. This study accompanies my post “Forgiveness – Repentance – Restoration.” Old Testament Foundations Nehemiah 9:17 “But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abundant in loyal love…” In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Psalm 6:1 — An Appeal for Forgiveness and Deliverance O Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger, and do not discipline me in your wrath. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Psalm 25:1 — A Prayer for Guidance, Deliverance, and Forgiveness To you, O Yahweh, I lift up my soul. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Psalm 32:1 — Thanksgiving for Forgiveness Happy is he whose transgression is taken away, whose sin is covered. In Context ...

The Lord’s Protection Through the Storms Reflections on Hurricane Harvey, compassion in crisis, and trusting God’s plan. In my previous post, Jesus , I shared how I’ve learned to trust the Lord in all things and how I received salvation when I accepted Yeshua—Jesus—into my life. I’ve mentioned before that I live in the Houston, Texas area, and if you’ve followed the news, you’ve seen the destructive flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. Once again, the Lord protected us. We did not get water in our home, though many in our neighborhood did. I don’t know why we were spared. We’ve lived here nearly 30 years and have never flooded, and even during Hurricane Ike we received only very minor damage. Added 10/19/17 — More of the Lord’s Protection We are fortunate to have two properties. Our second home is a little over an hour away, closer to the coast, and that area was also hit ha...

The Grape Harvest and the Day of Judgment A reflection on violence, true faith, God’s mercy, and a surprising lesson from this year’s grape harvest. What I am about to say is not meant to put down the Muslim faith. Every religion has groups who interpret their holy books differently. But to those who believe that God desires you to kill others, I must ask: Are you truly serving the One True God? Killing people simply because they are Jews, Christians, Muslims, Palestinians, Americans, Black, white—whoever it may be—is not righteousness. You cannot force others to believe what you believe. Fear‑based conversion always leads to suspicion, tests, and eventually violence. History shows this has happened even within Christianity. I call myself a Christian, and I believe the One True Living God is a God of peace and love. He gave us laws knowing we would break them, and instead of destroying us, He sent His Son to take our punishment willingly. J...