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Showing posts with the label Spiritual Growth

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A Journey I Could Not Have Written Alone

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A Journey I Could Not Have Written Alone Every now and then, the Spirit invites us to pause and look back—not with regret, but with wonder. This morning was one of those moments. As I reflected on the path behind me, I realized again that this journey has never been mine alone. The fingerprints of Father God have been on every step, every insight, every word. Scripture “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” — Psalm 118:23 (KJV) Reflection I was thinking about this blog again this morning. I started it on June 6, 2011 — fifteen years ago now. As I look back and read the things I’ve written over the years, I realize something very clearly: this could not have been just me. These reflections, these insights, these moments of clarity… they have been the Spirit’s work through me, far more than my own ability. Everything I’ve learned over these years is now coming together in the Unity Series Hub and in the book The Road Into Father God’s Kingdom ...
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Revisiting 2016: A Testimony of Protection and Clarity

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As I look back on something I wrote in 2016, I’m seeing it with clearer eyes today. Not because the events have changed, but because I have. The Lord has been patient with me, steady with me, and protective in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. Reading my own words from ten years ago feels like opening a window into a younger version of myself — one who was trying to make sense of spiritual conflict, fear, and the weight of responsibility that comes with writing publicly about faith. In that old post, I wrote about the demonic activity I experienced in 1999 and how boldly — maybe naively — I declared that I intended to be “a thorn in Satan’s side.” I didn’t realize then that those words weren’t really mine. They were the Lord’s. The blog wasn’t mine either. It was His. I also wrote about the fear that followed — the sense that every time I tried to post something meaningful, something disruptive happened. The most frightening moments were when we temporarily lost...
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Living Awake: Lessons from Luke 12

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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...
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Father God's Kingdom, or This World's Kingdom

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Father God's Kingdom, or This World's Kingdom Father God's Kingdom, or This World's Kingdom Introduction There are moments when something small — a headline, a story, a memory — becomes a doorway into deeper truth. This morning was one of those moments. A simple news story stirred my heart and reminded me how often we walk too close to danger even when God lovingly warns us to stay away. Scripture Matthew 6:24 (NIV) “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Reflection I was on Facebook this morning and read about buffalo attacks in Yellowstone National Park. There are signs everywhere telling people to keep their distance, yet some still walk right up to these massive animals. It’s the same old story we know well: “Don’t touch th...
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Why Clinging to This Life Keeps Us From the Life We Want

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The Shepherd who restores every soul Why Clinging to This Life Keeps Us From the Life We Want Most of us hold tightly to the life we know. We cling to our routines, our habits, our ways of thinking, our sense of control. We call it “normal,” and we assume it’s the safest place to be. But if we’re honest, this life we protect so fiercely is the very life that keeps us tired, anxious, and searching for relief. We keep trying to escape the weight of this life while refusing to let go of the life that creates the weight. There’s a quiet truth we rarely stop long enough to see: The life we cling to is the life that hurts us. The life God offers is the life that heals us. But because we don’t talk much about the Kingdom, we don’t recognize the difference. We assume surrender means loss. We assume God’s rule means restriction. We assume the Kingdom will take something from us that we need to survive. Y...
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My Journey Through Shame, Discipline, and Father God’s Mercy

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My Journey Through Shame, Discipline, and Father God’s Mercy My life has been a long road of learning, stumbling, and being restored by Father God. I grew up in the Lutheran faith, doing everything I thought made me a “good person.” Yet beneath the surface, I struggled with sin, shame, and confusion about who God truly was. Early Years and Misunderstandings I viewed sin on a scale—small sins and big sins—never realizing that the heart behind them mattered more than the size. Lust, shame, and hidden thoughts followed me into adulthood, even as I tried to live rightly. Military Life and Deep Failure During the Vietnam era, I entered the Army hoping for a safe path. Instead, I found myself drifting spiritually. Drinking, pornography, masturbation, and other sins became part of my life. A painful betrayal by someone I trusted brought me to bitter tears and deep grief over who I had become. Father God’s Gentle Intervention In my darkest moment, I asked Jesus b...
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Trust in the Midst of Trials: Looking Back, Looking Up

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Trust in the Midst of Trials: Looking Back, Looking Up There are seasons when faith feels strong and unshakable, and seasons when questions rise to the surface. As I look back over the years — through pain, surgeries, healing, setbacks, and unexpected blessings — I can see how Father God has shaped my trust in Him. This reflection is part of that journey. December 2017 I’ve often said that I’ve learned to trust the Lord in all things. In my post Salvation , I wrote about the many times the Lord has saved me from harm throughout my life. That trust was built by looking back and realizing that God had His hand on me again and again. But during this time, I also had moments where I questioned even the existence of God. Maybe it was the enemy whispering. Maybe it was the weariness of a long journey. Maybe it was simply being human. Back in August of 2015, I wrote a post called “Funny Dream” (now titled " A Divine Handshake… With Dog Paws ").  In that dream...
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Unity Series — The Deception of Fear and the Call Back to Yeshua

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Unity Series — The Deception of Fear and the Call Back to Yeshua There are things happening in the world today that echo patterns we’ve seen throughout history, and I’ve been wrestling with how to speak about them in a way that reflects Yeshua’s heart rather than fear or division. Through prayer, reflection, and the help of a tool that clarified my thoughts, the Spirit brought this message into focus. The pattern of deception Whenever fear rises, whenever people begin to divide into “us” and “them,” whenever leaders use fear to gain trust, the same spiritual forces are at work. Scripture shows us that Satan has always used fear, deception, and even the written word to turn people away from the heart of God. This isn’t new, but it is happening again. Scripture without the Spirit When Yeshua was led into the wilderness, Satan tempted Him using Scripture—not lies, not obvious falsehoods, but the written word of God itself ( Matthew 4:1–10 ). The enemy has always kn...
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Unity Series – Belief Systems and the Day of Judgment

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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...
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Doing What is Right in the Sight of God

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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 ...
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The Kingdom Way: When People Only Take and Never Give

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The Kingdom Way: When People Only Take and Never Give There are moments in our walk with God when His Word gently exposes the patterns that drain our strength and disturb our peace. One of those patterns is the presence of people who only take and never give—souls who draw from others without ever offering themselves in return. The Scriptures speak to this with clarity and compassion, inviting us to walk in wisdom, love, and the steady heart of the Kingdom. The Pattern of a Taker Proverbs gives us a picture that is hard to forget: “The leech has two daughters: ‘Give! Give!’” ( Proverbs 30:15 ) It is the image of a life turned inward—always craving, never contributing. A taker drains the strength of others while refusing to lift their own hand. This is not the way of the righteous, who “give and do not hold back.” Wisdom From the Apostles Paul addresses this same spirit in the early church...
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When Fear Stores What Faith Should Hold

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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...
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The Tormentors — What Jesus Really Meant

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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 “...
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Reincarnation or Restoration — The Fire That Heals

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Reincarnation or Restoration — The Fire That Heals (Revisited) The Ache Behind the Question Every generation asks what happens to a life that ends too soon. We feel the ache of unfinished stories, interrupted childhoods, sudden tragedies, and souls who never had the chance to grow into the fullness of who they were meant to be. Some traditions answer this ache with reincarnation. Scripture answers it with restoration. Both are trying to heal the same wound: the longing for completion. What Reincarnation Claims Reincarnation teaches that a soul returns in a new body, often many times, usually without memory of the previous life. The purpose is to work off karma, learn lessons, and eventually escape the cycle. It is a system of repetition — life after life, body after body — until the soul reaches some form of enlightenment. It is an attempt to explain why life feels unfinished. What Scripture Shows Instead: Restoration The biblical pattern is not cyclical. It i...
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Becoming Like Little Children to Enter the Kingdom

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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 ...
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