Keep The Faith

Becoming One: Learning to Hear the Spirit There are moments in our walk with God when His voice becomes clearer—not through volume, but through gentleness. Like Samuel awakening in the quiet hours of the night, we sometimes discover that the Lord has been calling us in ways we didn’t fully recognize at first. This reflection comes from one of those quiet awakenings, where the Spirit’s presence becomes unmistakable. Scripture 1 Samuel 3:2–11 — The Lord calls Samuel in the stillness of the night, awakening him to a new purpose and a deeper awareness of His voice. Samuel’s story reminds us that God often speaks in ways we only understand in hindsight. His call may come through early‑morning stirrings, unexpected clarity, or a gentle nudge toward reflection. Like Samuel, we learn to say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening,” as we recognize that the Spirit has been guiding us all along. Reflection As I look back over recent re...

The Slow Awakening — God’s Timing in the Hearts of Jews, Muslims, and the World A Unity Series reflection on identity, resistance, and God’s gentle work of awakening across the world. The sense that something is shifting There are moments when I look at the world and feel something shifting. Something subtle, something quiet, something slow — but unmistakably God‑driven. I see it in conversations with rabbis. I see it in Muslims who begin to question what they’ve always been told. I see it in Christians who are shedding old denominational walls. I see it in people everywhere who are starting to look toward Yeshua with new eyes. And I keep thinking: This is God’s work. This is His timing. This is His awakening. But I also feel the tension inside myself — the desire for it to happen faster. The longing for hearts to open now. The impatience of watching God move one grain of sand at a time. ...

As I continue searching for clearer ways to understand Father God, I’ve begun to realize how deeply language shapes the way we see Him. Recently, while reading Braiding Sweetgrass , I was struck by the author’s description of her native tongue—an animate language where the world is alive, relational, and filled with presence. It made me wonder how much our English, with its habit of turning everything into objects, has limited our ability to see God’s heart, His creation, and even one another. This reflection is my first step into exploring what happens when language itself becomes a doorway to knowing the Father more truthfully. Scripture and a Living World As I reflected on this difference between languages, I began thinking about how Scripture itself describes creation. Long before English existed, the Hebrew writers spoke of the world as something alive, responsive, and filled with God’s presence. The Psalms tell us that the heavens “declare” and the skies “proclaim...

There are moments when the Spirit teaches through the quiet rhythm of giving and receiving. Indigenous wisdom reminds us that the earth is not a possession but a living gift — one that calls us to gratitude and reciprocity. As I reflect on Jesus’ parable of the vineyard, I see how God’s Kingdom mirrors this same truth: everything entrusted to us is meant to be honored, shared, and returned in love. Land, Reciprocity, and the Kingdom of God When I read about Indigenous ways of seeing the earth — as a giver, a relative, a source of life that deserves gratitude — something in me slows down. It’s a worldview built on reciprocity : the earth gives, and we give back. A young Mescalero Apache man once told me how he pours out a little wine before drinking, offering it back to the earth. In Braiding Sweetgrass , the author describes her father pouring out a bit of coffee before serving it. These gestures are small, but they carry a deep truth: gifts must be ...

The Harmony of Heaven — Unity Series When we become One in the Kingdom, we are individually in harmony with each other.  Scripture John 17:20-23   NIV Jesus Prays for All Believers 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Reflection Unity Series The Harmony of Heaven When strings align, kingdoms shift. Harmony Is Not a Human Invention Before there was a first chord struck on earth, there was harmony in the nature of God Himself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — distinct in Person, unified in e...

After revisiting an older post I wrote years ago about the heart, I realized that God has been showing me even more about this subject. What began as a simple reflection has grown into a deeper understanding of why the Bible speaks of the heart so often and so directly. Instead of rewriting the old post, I felt led to create a new one—one that gathers both the original thoughts and the new insights Father God has been revealing. This Unity Series post continues that journey. It builds on what I once understood and adds the clarity, wonder, and awe that have come as I’ve looked again at Scripture, science, and the way God designed us. Sometimes revisiting something familiar opens a door to something brand new. The Mystery of the Heart — Unity Series Genesis 8:21 (NIV) “The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart…” Deuteronomy 4:29 (NASB) “…you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:39 (NASB) “…ta...

Water Baptism and Communion: Are They “Magical,” or Misunderstood? Introduction This morning I’ve been thinking about two familiar practices in the church — water baptism and communion. They’ve been part of my life since childhood, yet I find myself wondering again what they truly mean and whether they play any role in becoming One with the Father. Today I want to look at Scripture and reflect on their purpose. Scripture “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11 “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Luke 22:19 Reflection I’ve been thinking about water baptism and the Eucharist — how they started, and whether there is anything “magical” in them. Many churches treat them as requirements, almost like spiritual checkpoints. But when I look at Scri...

Foundations of Unity — Why Satan Cannot Influence Those Who Abide in the Spirit Understanding the difference between human thoughts and Spirit-led thoughts—and why abiding in Yeshua protects us from the enemy’s influence. Seeing the Difference Between Human Thoughts and Spirit-Guided Thoughts There is a moment in Scripture that often troubles people: when Yeshua turns to Peter and says, “Get behind Me, Satan.” Peter loved Yeshua, meant well, and wanted to protect Him. Yet Yeshua rebuked him sharply. Why? Because Peter was speaking from human thoughts , not God’s thoughts . And before the Holy Spirit was given, human thoughts were vulnerable to the enemy’s influence. This distinction matters deeply for unity with Father God. It reveals why believers today—those who abide in Yeshua and walk in the Spirit—are protected in a way the disciples were not before Pentecost. Before the Spirit Was Given: Human Minds Were Unprotected When Peter rebuked Yeshua, the c...

Not every prayer spoken aloud is a prayer God honors. Scripture teaches that the heart, motives, and posture behind our prayers matter deeply. This reflection explores what the Bible says about the kinds of prayers God receives—and the kinds He does not. Prayers God Does Not Honor 1. Prayers from a proud or self-exalting heart Luke 18:11–14 — The Pharisee prayed publicly with pride, yet Jesus said his prayer was not accepted. Only the humble man was heard. 2. Prayers asking God to bless sin, violence, or injustice Isaiah 1:15 — “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes… your hands are full of blood.” God does not bless what contradicts His righteousness. 3. Prayers with selfish or fleshly motives James 4:3 — “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Motives matter. 4. Prayers from a heart refusing obedience Proverbs 28:9 — “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, eve...

Returning to Our First Love Remembering our first love in Christ and learning to see others as God sees them. There are moments in life when the world’s noise grows so loud that it drowns out the quiet voice of our first love. When opinions, movements, and personalities rise to the center of our attention, it becomes easy to forget the One who called us, redeemed us, and taught us how to walk in love. I have heard many Christians speak with certainty about earthly leaders—as though God Himself had chosen them, endorsed them, or placed His seal upon them. But I often wonder: How do we know when something is truly from God? And how do we discern when something is simply from “the god of this world,” who is always eager to imitate, distract, and divide? Scripture gives us a simple test: If you love Him, obey His commandments. Love God. Love your neighbor. Do to others what you wish they would do to you. An...

God All in All : The Spirits Too This reflection pressed heavily on my heart early this morning. It came suddenly, connecting pieces from several older posts I’ve written over the years. I wanted to capture it while the thoughts were still fresh, because they form a picture of God’s final restoration that I had not seen quite this clearly before. Scripture “Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power… so that God may be all in all.” — 1 Corinthians 15:24, 28 Reflection Several of my past posts came to mind this morning, forming a picture of what it might mean for God to become all in all . I’ve often wondered whether this points to something far greater than we usually imagine — that even the fallen angels, even Satan himself, will ultimately be brought under God’s final authority in a way that restores peace to all creation. Not excused. Not justified. But fully subjected to Go...

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...

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...

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....