Keep The Faith

As I was sitting in my quit family room this morning drinking my coffee, I was thinking about “God is Love” and how His great love fits what we read in the Bible and with what is going on in our world today. It is difficult to piece this together but I believe I understand how it does fit. I thought about Adam and Eve. I don’t know if there was actually a fruit they ate that opened there eyes to know what is good and evil or if it is just a way to show our downfall. What happened was that man began to judge. This judgment was putting self at the top. It didn’t care about others; it only cared about self and what was good for self and believing that what is good for self is good for others. I guess this wanting to judge, or wanting to be god or be like God started with Satan or Lucifer as he was once called. Isaiah 14:12-14 New International Version (NIV) 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you wh...

We have had this idea of hell being a place of unending torment for so long it has become ingrained in us; it will be difficult to think of it in any other way. I know I have struggled with this for several years now and even today I ask myself sometimes, “Am I wrong? Am I not seeing this correctly?” I know that in my heart I believe that this hell talked about in the Bible is SHAME; shame that will come to most all of us when God judges justly. Because Father God knows me perfectly, whatever shame I must endure will be my just reward. I trust Him to judge me fairly. I know that there are many Christians who will disagree with me venomously and adhere to traditional teaching. I have a great burden in this and wish we could all see this in the same way but in my small faith, I don’t see that happening. God is bigger than my small faith and I know that whatever I do or say does not change His truths. I know He WILL accomplish His wonderful plan. When you study the scriptures,...

Great Joy for All People: Why Eternal Hell Cannot Be True The angel announced “good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” If hell is everlasting torment for multitudes, then this promise cannot truly be good news for all. In this post, we look at Scripture and the character of our loving Father God to ask a hard but necessary question: Can eternal torment really be His final plan? The angel’s promise of great joy Luke 2:10 (NIV) “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” If the traditional view of hell is correct—that countless souls suffer forever—then this announcement is not “great joy for all the people,” but joy for a few and horror for the rest. The gospel, by definition, must be truly good news for all, or we have misunderstood it. God’s revealed heart 1 Timothy 2:4 (KJV) “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Jeremia...

Intro: As I continue studying God’s Word, I’ve been reflecting on how our English language sometimes struggles to carry the depth, warmth, and nuance of God’s character. This post shares why I believe that happens, and why returning to the heart of Scripture—especially the Hebrew and Greek—can help us see our Father more clearly. Our English Language Seems So Inadequate As I’ve been studying God’s Word, I’ve come to feel that our English translations often fall short of what the original writers intended—especially when describing God’s character. Words like wrath , vengeance , hate , anger , and fear paint a picture that doesn’t seem to match the Father Jesus revealed to us. I don’t believe these English words always carry the meaning the Hebrew and Greek authors meant to convey. Yeshua Himself taught us to understand God as Father : “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” — Matthew 23:9 The Hebrew Scriptures say...

Who Do You Pray To? A short reflection on prayer, clarity, and the relationship between Yeshua and the Father. Christians often pray without ever stopping to consider who they are addressing. It may seem like a strange question, but for many believers, this is a very real point of confusion. I know it was for me. For years, I struggled with whether I was praying to Yeshua (Jesus) or to Father God. Sometimes my prayers felt directed toward Jesus; other times toward the Father. It wasn’t until a profound vision—an experience I’ve shared before—that I finally understood with clarity: I pray to Father God, YAHUAH, YAHWEH, HaAv. Scripture gives us a complex but beautiful picture of the relationship between Yeshua and the Father. Many passages teach their oneness— John 14:9–11 , John 10:38 , John 8:58 , John 5:17–18 , John 10:30–33 . Yet Yeshua Himself says the Father is greater than He ( John 14:28 ). In John 14:6–7 , we see both truths held together: unity and distinction...

Father God has been teaching me about giving; His giving to us and our giving to others. A few days ago, my wife talked with our young grandson, we’ll just call him Tim. After their conversation, my wife tells me that Tim heard from his mom that PopPop (me) could use some help cleaning out my garden beds and he was willing to help. My wife told Tim that it was very nice of him to offer his help and maybe PopPop would reward you. Tim perked up and asked, “Do you really think he would reward me, grandma?” Well, Tim had told me several days before that there was a new toy he wanted to buy and he was saving up his money, so I though he wanted to earn money to buy it. I asked my wife what she thought I should give him and she told me that it doesn’t matter that he was just wanting to help his PopPop; just give what I thought would be appropriate; he would accept any reward I give him. Now I’m starting to wander, was Tim’s original thought, help his PopPop and not expect anythin...

Our mother passed away recently, Feb. 1st to be exact. She left to my sister, my brother, and I an inheritance of equal portions of all that she had. Because of some things that happened in the past, my sister made a comment about not feeling deserving of her portion. It made me think a lot this morning about this whole inheritance thing. I think I understand more clearly now about the story in the Bible about Jacob and Esau . Esau didn't put much value on his birthright, same thing as inheritance . In a way I have not put much value in my inheritance from mom, so I count myself as not being deserving. You know, it was mom's good pleasure to give the three of us equal portions of all that she had. She could have given it to someone more deserving but she loved us equally to divide what she had equally. I think it matters most how I honor mom and dad (dad passed 44 years ago) by how much I value it or by what I do with it. This has taught me so much a...