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...

The Tormentors — What Jesus Really Meant Matthew 18:32–35 Short Description: A clear look at Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18 and what the “tormentors” truly represent — not demons, not people, but the inner prison created by unforgiveness. Introduction — A Parable With a Warning for the Heart In Matthew 18, Jesus tells a story about a servant forgiven of an impossible debt who then refuses to forgive a much smaller one. When the master hears of it, he becomes angry and “delivers him to the tormentors” until the debt is paid. For many believers, this phrase raises fear and confusion. Who are these tormentors? Is God sending people into torture? Is this punishment? But Jesus is not describing God as cruel. He is describing what unforgiveness does to the human soul . The Text Itself Jesus ends the parable with these words: “And his lord being angry delivered him to the tormentors till he paid all that was owing to him.” The Greek word for “...

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 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...

Repentance — Scripture Study List When I study a theme in Scripture, I like to gather the passages in one place so I can see the pattern of God’s heart more clearly. These verses accompany my post “Forgiveness – Repentance – Restoration.” Old Testament Foundations 2 Chronicles 33:10 — Manasseh’s Repentance And Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not listen. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Job 42:1 — Job’s Repentance and Restoration Then Job answered Yahweh and said, In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Psalm 38:1 — A Prayer of Repentance O Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger or chastise me in your wrath. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Psalm 51:1 — A Prayer of Repentance and Plea for Mercy Be gracious to me, O God, according to your loyal love... In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Jeremiah 3:11 — A Call for Repentance Apostate Israel ...

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 ...

Cheap Grace This morning, as I often do, I found myself thinking about something that has been stirring in my heart — and Dietrich Bonhoeffer came to mind. Remembering Bonhoeffer I first learned about Bonhoeffer back in 2016 through a book that, in hindsight, I believe the Spirit placed in my hands at just the right time. I wrote about that experience in my earlier post “ The Prophecies. ” As I revisited his Wikipedia page today, one of his books caught my attention again: The Cost of Discipleship . Reading the summary reminded me how deeply his message aligns with the concerns I’ve been carrying about the modern church. Cheap Grace vs. Costly Grace Cheap grace is forgiveness without repentance, baptism without discipline, communion without confession. It is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. “Of course you’ve sinned, but everything is forgiven — so stay as you are an...

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...

A reflection on salvation, faith, and the transforming call to repentance. Salvation, Faith, and the Missing Piece Many Churches Overlook In many Protestant churches, we often hear the phrase: “Salvation is by faith, not by works.” And this is true. Scripture is clear that we cannot earn salvation, cannot work our way out of the wrath of God, and cannot contribute anything to the atonement Christ accomplished. Salvation is a gift. But somewhere along the way, many believers have absorbed a simplified version of the gospel: “Just believe in Jesus and you’re saved.” As if faith were merely agreeing with a set of facts — that Jesus died, that He rose, that He paid for our sins. I agree that salvation is by faith alone. But Scripture also teaches something else that must accompany genuine faith: We Must Repent Think about it. A person can say, “Yes, I believe Jesus died for my sins,” and yet never come face-to-face with the truth about who they are — never ...

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 ...

Lent and The Sign of Jonah As we enter the season of Lent, we are invited into a time of reflection, repentance, and returning to God. Lent is not simply a ritual or tradition — it is a spiritual journey where we examine our hearts and listen closely to the Lord’s call. One of the clearest messages Jesus gave about repentance is found in His teaching about the Sign of Jonah . Luke 11:29 (NASB) As the crowds were increasing, He (Yeshua Jesus) began to say, “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 translated “generation” is genea — which can also mean “age.” Jesus could be saying: “This age is a wicked age…” The Greek word for “sign” also means a supernatural miracle, a token, or a wonder — something that produces awe and admiration. In the Old Testament story of Jonah, God sent Jonah to the wicked city of Nineveh. When Jonah final...

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...