Monthly Archives: June 2025

Service

The Pulse of the Kingdom

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Serving as the Lifeblood of the Body

Beloved, hear what the Spirit says to the Body: If serving is not flowing through you, then the heartbeat of the Kingdom is not in you. Let us examine ourselves—not to despair, but to return quickly to His side. It does not matter what we build, what we declare, or how loudly we sing—if the blood of the Lamb is in us, then the love of the Lamb must flow out of us. Serving as the pulse of the Kingdom is not a ministry—it is identity. It is not an action—it is a manifestation of union with Messiah.

“By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” — John 13:35, NASB

We cannot be in Him and remain unmoved by need. We cannot abide in the Vine and bear no fruit. The moment the pulse stops, the Body collapses. So it is with every soul that ceases to serve. God is love. And love serves. This truth is not seasonal. It is eternal. It flows from the throne of God like a river, and wherever that river flows, it gives life.

Serving in Love

Serving in love and humility

A Servant King Rules the Kingdom

The Kingdom has a King—and He is not seated on a throne demanding honor. He is robed in humility, kneeling with a towel. Yeshua, Son of the Living God, stooped to wash feet not once but forever. And all who walk with Him will take the basin and follow. The true glory of God is revealed in this: He serves.

“If I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” — John 13:14, NASB

There is no crown without a cross, and there is no greatness without service. In the Kingdom, the lowest place is the nearest place to God. We descend to ascend. We give all to gain Him. If you have truly seen His face, you will long to pour yourself out for others. You will not ask, “Should I serve?” You will cry, “How can I love Him more?”

The Pulse Does Not Stop

Serving as the pulse of the Kingdom means it cannot be occasional. You cannot schedule a heartbeat. You cannot decide when it flows. This is why true service must be born of the Spirit—not pressure, not pride, not position. Only intimacy sustains the pulse.

“The love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all…so that those who live would no longer live for themselves.” — 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, NASB

When you walk with the Servant-King, His love compels you. It moves in you like blood, pulsing life into the Church. It nourishes the Body. It warms cold hearts. It revives what religion has dried out. It finds the feet no one else will touch. It carries burdens no one else will see. Beloved, this is not a burden—it is the joy of those who dwell in Him.

The Church Lives When It Bleeds Love

The Church does not thrive by strategy or spectacle. She lives when she bleeds. Not with empty effort, but with the precious pulse of Heaven flowing through her members. When each one gives, when each one moves with the rhythm of the Spirit, the Body becomes radiant and whole.

“From Him the whole body…causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” — Ephesians 4:16, NASB

You were not redeemed to rest in apathy—but to rest in Him, and rise in love. You were redeemed to rise and serve. He did not rescue you so you could observe—He saved you so that His life would become your own. This is not religion. This is resurrection. This is what it means to carry the pulse of the Kingdom within your chest.

We Are People of the Blood and the Basin

Do you not know? The blood that saved you is the same blood that calls you. He poured out everything—now He invites you to do the same. We are not people who admire the cross; we are people who take it up daily. We are not servants once—we are servants always.

Serving as the pulse of the Kingdom means we do not need recognition. We do not need applause. We only need Him. He is our portion. And if He stooped low, we will stoop lower still. The towel is not a lesser ministry. It is the ministry of Heaven. When we serve, we bear His likeness.

Flow through me, O pulse of grace, where mercy must be born—
Let every beat I offer serve the lost, the crushed, the torn.
If You have knelt, then so will I, until I see Your face—
And lift the low with nail-scarred hands, sustained by sacred pace.

The pulse of Heaven beats with love, and those who walk with Him cannot help but move.

Prayer

O Yeshua, Servant and King, awaken our hearts again to the holy call to serve. Forgive us when we have made worship about sound but not sacrifice. Let Your pulse be felt in us again—strong, steady, unstoppable. Make us people who wash feet in secret, who carry burdens with joy, and who serve not from duty but from love. Strip us of pride. Fill us with fire. Until Your whole Body lives and breathes and moves in the power of love. In Your holy Name, amen.

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See Also

Weakness

The Wounded Walk and the Whole Hide

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True Healing Begins with Honesty

I saw it today—what felt like a living parable. A man with a pronounced limp slowly walked into a fast-food chicken place. He took no shortcuts. No complaints. No shame. Just a man, moving forward with visible pain. Right next door, someone seemingly without any visible issue stepped briskly into urgent care. No limp. No cast. But urgent nonetheless.

That moment stayed with me. The contrast between the limping man pressing on and the physically sound man seeking help revealed something deeper: we cannot judge a person’s need by what we see. The wounds we carry are not always on the surface. And those who limp into life may be the ones who’ve already learned how to survive what others still refuse to confront.

True healing begins with honesty. It doesn’t start in the absence of pain. It begins in the presence of truth.

Yeshua said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31–32, NASB). But He spoke these words to those who didn’t believe they were sick. The religious elite, full of knowledge and empty of repentance, looked whole. But they were broken. Diseased in soul. Blind to their need.

Spiritual healing is not for those who hide—it’s for those who confess.

The Church too often reverses the Kingdom pattern. We praise those who seem put together, who never cry too loudly or falter in prayer. We misunderstand the bruised and the weary, asking them to perform rather than rest. Yet Scripture makes it plain: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NASB).

What does God see when He looks at us?

He sees the man who limps with dignity. He sees the one hiding their spiritual emergency behind a polished exterior. He sees the brokenness that doesn’t show up on x-rays. And He invites us into a greater honesty—not for shame’s sake, but for healing.

True healing begins with honesty. That’s not just a phrase—it’s the posture of those who truly encounter God. In the Gospels, it was the ones who shouted, stretched, or knelt who received healing. A blind man cried out. A woman with an issue of blood reached through the crowd. A leper ran to Him. They did not hide their condition. They brought it to Yeshua. They didn’t wait until they looked better. They came as they were.

By contrast, the Pharisees never asked for healing. They wore religious garments but were inwardly sick. They trusted their status but refused the cure. And so they missed the Savior standing in front of them.

There’s a lesson here for the Church today.

We’ve learned how to hide well. We dress for Sunday, smile at the right times, quote Scripture fluently—but do we bring our sickness to the altar? Or do we carry our limp into the week without ever laying it down before the Lord?

David prayed, “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me” (Psalm 51:6, AMP). There is wisdom in exposing what hurts. There is grace waiting on the other side of confession. God doesn’t heal what we won’t reveal.

I confess I’ve hidden before. I’ve walked into the sanctuary with a limp in my soul, pretending it wasn’t there. I’ve lifted my hands while dragging unseen chains. But pretending doesn’t heal. Only the truth sets free.

Paul wrote, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB). Not in strength. Not in performance. In weakness. The place where we limp is the place where His grace floods in.

So let the Church be a place where limps are not covered but welcomed. Let it be a sanctuary where spiritual urgent care doesn’t happen next door—but in the house of God itself. Let us come not as those who have it all together, but as those who need the touch of the Savior.

And let us walk—honestly. Boldly. Limping if we must.

Because true healing begins with honesty.

Prayer

O Lord,

I come to You just as I am—broken, tired, and unable to pretend anymore. I’ve walked through life hiding my wounds, but today I bring them into Your light. You see me. You know me. Nothing is hidden from You.

Forgive me for the times I’ve tried to appear strong when I should have fallen to my knees. Forgive me for running to the wrong places for healing. I confess that I’ve carried pain I didn’t bring to You and guilt I never should have worn. You said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NASB)—and Lord, I come.

Heal what I cannot fix. Cleanse what I cannot make clean. Strengthen what I cannot carry alone. I place my trust in Your Son, Jesus Christ—my Savior, my Healer, my Lord. Thank You for the cross. Thank You for the blood that washes sin away. Thank You for rising again to offer me new life.

Let me walk forward, even if I limp, with faith that You are enough. Use even my weakness to glorify Your Name. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, and teach me to live honestly before You and before others. Not in shame—but in grace.

I give You my life, my story, and my limp.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

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See Also

Devotion to God

The Savior and the Kingdom 

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Rejoicing in the One Who Saves

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
— Luke 2:11, NASB

We rejoice because we have a Savior—not a concept, not a symbol, but a Person: Yeshua, the Son of the Living God. He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17). He entered into time, took on flesh, and came for you. Let that truth sink in. Before you ever sought Him, He came seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10). Indeed, we find true joy when rejoicing in the Savior.

Throughout Scripture, this mission of salvation is declared, echoed, and fulfilled. From the angel’s announcement to Joseph (“He will save His people from their sins,” Matthew 1:21), to the bold declarations of Paul (“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” 1 Timothy 1:15), the heart of heaven beats with one glorious theme: rescue. This is not temporary relief. This is eternal transformation, a transformation that evokes rejoicing in the Savior’s redemption.

“But rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
— Luke 10:20, NASB

The reason for our rejoicing is not in signs, wonders, or works—but in the assurance of our salvation. Heaven knows your name. The Son has brought you near. You were once far off, an enemy of God by sin and nature. But now, through Yeshua’s blood, you are reconciled (Romans 5:10). When we are reconciled, we embrace rejoicing in the Savior, who holds our future secure in the Father’s house, where many rooms await (John 14:2).

You don’t merely survive this life—you belong to another Kingdom. “Our citizenship is in heaven,” Paul wrote (Philippians 3:20). You are not waiting for escape—you are waiting for the King. And when He appears, He brings reward (Matthew 6:1), inheritance (1 Peter 1:4), and the restoration of all things (Romans 11:26).

“He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him.”
— Hebrews 7:25, NASB

The salvation Yeshua offers is not a one-time transaction—it is eternal, active, and ongoing. He not only saved you—He keeps you. He not only forgave your sin—He intercedes for you now (Hebrews 7:25). He is the Good Shepherd who carries you when you are weak. He is the Head of the Body (Ephesians 5:23), the One in whom all the promises of God find their yes (2 Corinthians 1:20). His grace sustains, His mercy restores, and His Spirit empowers you daily.

Walking According to the Spirit
Walking in reverent surrender as the Spirit leads, bathed in the light of His presence.

Even now, as you read these words, He is drawing you deeper—into trust, into holiness, into love. Because this is not only about being saved from something—it is about being saved for something: for communion, for glory, for everlasting joy in Him.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
— 2 Peter 3:18, NASB

So how do we respond? By growing in grace. By letting go of hollow religion and pressing into the Person of Christ. He is not a distant figure from ancient texts—He is your Savior today. And He invites you to grow in Him, to walk by the Spirit, to rejoice in the hope of glory, rejoicing continually in the Savior’s presence and his promise never to leave or forsake us.

This world will fade, but the name of Jesus will never fade. Nations rise and fall, but “the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14) reigns forever. You are not alone. You are not forgotten. You are redeemed.

O Savior King, the skies declare
The mercy seated in Your stare.
You lift the poor, You heal the shame,
And heaven knows Your holy Name.
My joy is not in what I do,
But in the One who carries through.

Prayer

Father, thank You for sending Yeshua—my Savior, my Lord, my King. I rejoice that my name is written in heaven. Let me never grow numb to the miracle of Your mercy. Grow me in grace, anchor me in truth, and set my feet firm in the hope of salvation. Keep me close. Teach me to rejoice not just in blessings, but in Your presence alone. Yeshua be glorified in me today. Amen.

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See Also

Holy Spirit, Power

Fire Shut Up in My Bones

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A Holy Fire That Cannot Be Contained

Beloved, there is a fire that does not come from man. It cannot be stirred up by music or forced by emotion. It descends from heaven. It rests on those who tremble at the Word. It burns in the soul of those who have seen the face of God and cannot remain silent. It is the fire shut up in the bones.

The prophet Jeremiah cried out in anguish, “But if I say, ‘I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,’ then my heart becomes a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am tired of holding it in, and I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9, NASB). This was not the complaint of a man seeking attention. This was the groan of one possessed by the Word of the Lord. The message was not something he carried—it carried him.

When the Spirit of God dwells in you, He does not come to sit quietly. He comes with flame. He comes with weight. He is not an accessory to your life—He is your life. “In Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28, NASB). If He does not breathe into us, we are dust. If He does not speak, we are lost. If He does not move, we are powerless. We are utterly dependent on Him for all things.

This holy fire reveals our nothingness apart from Him and fills us with the fullness of His presence. And oh, the joy of knowing we are His! Not because we are strong, but because He is faithful. Not because we are worthy, but because He is rich in mercy.

The Power of the Word

And when that fire takes hold of you, you cannot help but overflow.

Like David, who cried, “My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue” (Psalm 39:3, NASB), you will not contain the praise. The praise will contain you. Like the apostles, who declared, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20, NASB), your life will become a living testimony. Not because you try to evangelize—but because the flame in you draws the cold and the broken near.

Unbelievers will be pulled by the light. They will ask, “What is this joy that burns in you? What is this peace that does not flicker? What is this love that consumes fear?” And you will tell them: It is Yeshua, the Lamb who was slain and now reigns in glory. He set me ablaze. He is my fire, my breath, my song.

This fire is not a passing feeling. It is not a temporary high. It is the mark of those who have been with Jesus. It is the seal of those who are crucified with Him and yet live—not they themselves, but Messiah in them. (Galatians 2:20)

When God sets you on fire, you will burn with love that intercedes, with truth that pierces, and with mercy that welcomes. You will long not only to dwell in the secret place but to call others into it. The fire in your bones is not only for you—it is for the nations.

And that fire will not be quenched. The more you give, the more He fills. The more you pour, the more you overflow. And what you cannot contain becomes your witness. It becomes your worship. It becomes the sound of heaven through a yielded vessel.

So cry out if you must. Shout if you must. Dance if you must. Let the fire speak. Let it be said of you, “This one burns for God.”

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You lit a fire I cannot still,
It burns through flesh and breaks my will.
It roars with love and speaks Your name—
Until the world beholds Your flame.

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Closing Prayer:

Yeshua, You alone are life. I have no breath apart from You. No strength. No hope. No light. Set me ablaze with holy fire, that my bones may not rest until You are glorified in all the earth. Let the overflow of Your Spirit in me draw the lost, heal the broken, and exalt Your name. I lay myself at Your feet in total dependence—consume me with Your presence. In the name of the Risen One, amen.

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See Also

Holy Spirit

The Spirit’s Judgment

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Walking in the Light Beyond Human Opinion

“But the one who is spiritual evaluates all things, yet he himself is evaluated by no one.” — 1 Corinthians 2:15, NASB

The man or woman filled with the Holy Spirit is governed not by the opinions of this world, but by the mind of Christ. “We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12, NASB). This Spirit-illumined life allows us to see, discern, and judge—not by fleshly instinct, but by eternal truth.

This means our worldview must be shaped not by culture or consensus, but by the Word of God applied through the Spirit of God. The Spirit’s judgment is not mere intellect—it is illumination. It is the light of the Lord causing our hearts to perceive what cannot be seen by human eyes. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NASB)

The Spiritual Man Is a Miracle

Scripture makes it clear: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, NASB) The one who walks in the Spirit is a mystery to the world. Their decisions seem odd, their standards strange. But they are living by a different wisdom—a wisdom from above. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits…” (James 3:17, NASB)

This is not a self-made man, but a Spirit-born one. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6, NASB) He is a stranger to the world because he has been made new—“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB)

Beyond the Veil, at the Feet of Jesus

We cannot walk in the Spirit’s judgment unless we press beyond the veil into intimacy with God. The old man cannot enter there. “Who may ascend onto the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? One who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Psalm 24:3–4, NASB)

There, in the secret place, the Spirit teaches us. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…” (John 14:26, NASB). We begin to see people, situations, even our own hearts with fresh clarity. The Spirit’s judgment gives us God’s perspective. “For the Lord does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, NASB)

The Warning and the Comfort

Some wrestle with deep fear—“Have I committed the unpardonable sin?” Yeshua warned the Pharisees in Mark 3:29 that “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness.” But what marked them? Hardness. Pride. A refusal to acknowledge the work of God. Their eyes were blind, their hearts cold.

If you tremble, if you weep, if you worry—that very fear is proof that the Spirit is still working in you. “A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17, NASB) Conviction is a gift; apathy is the danger. As Hebrews reminds us, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Hebrews 3:15, NASB)

The Spirit doesn’t come to condemn the believer, but to correct, lead, and restore. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17, NASB) If you are convicted of sin, rejoice: God is still drawing you. Run to Him.

The world may speak, but I will stand,
With eyes alight by Spirit’s hand.
Their wisdom fades, their words grow dim,
For I have learned to walk with Him.

Prayer

Holy God, thank You for the Spirit who searches all things—even the deep things of You. I repent of leaning on my own understanding. Teach me to live by the Spirit’s judgment, not by what is seen, but by what You have revealed. May my life reflect heaven’s values and not earth’s applause. Let the mind of Christ dwell richly in me. Strengthen me to walk as one set apart—full of mercy, truth, and light. In the name of Yeshua, amen.

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Glory

Feet That Carry Glory

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“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
—Romans 10:15, NASB

This image does not merely show bare feet on scorched earth. It proclaims a holy invitation—a call to surrender all and follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These are not the feet of the comfortable. They are the feet of the commissioned, marked by dust, by obedience, and by the presence of Yeshua.

Our God stepped into flesh. Yeshua walked among us, not as a king on polished marble, but as a servant on dusty roads. The King of Glory stooped to wash feet, not to be honored, but to show us that only those who bend low will walk high in the Spirit. “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” —John 13:14, NASB

And then He said, “Follow Me.”

Gospel of Peace
Walking the ancient paths — feet fitted with readiness, following the call of God to go wherever He leads.

To follow Yeshua is to walk with nothing in our hands but His name. It is to live with hearts wholly emptied of pride and feet wholly yielded to His leading. The Gospel demands not partial loyalty, but full abandonment. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” —Luke 14:27, NASB

A.W. Tozer once wrote, “The only safe place for a sheep is by the side of his shepherd, because the devil does not fear sheep; he just fears the Shepherd.” That is why we walk. Not to prove ourselves, but to stay near the Shepherd. We are safe only when we are close to Him.

These feet—yours and mine—were made to carry the fire of Heaven into the wilderness of this world. But not by might, not by strategy. Only by the Holy Spirit. The apostles were not told to plan, but to wait. And when the fire fell, they walked—into danger, into persecution, into glory.

“Take nothing for your journey…” —Luke 9:3, NASB

Why? Because God alone must be our portion. Anything we carry in our strength becomes a hindrance. We are not called to carry baggage—we are called to carry the Gospel.

Do not be deceived by comfort. The road of Christ is not wide or easy. But it is holy. And He walks it first.

“Where I am, there My servant will be also.” —John 12:26, NASB

Let us walk then, not as wanderers but as witnesses. Let the dust cling to our feet as a sign of our consecration. Let every step cry out: “Not my will, but Yours be done.” For our lives are not our own—we were bought with a price. Our steps are not our own—they were ordered by the King.

This is the walk of the crucified. This is the path of the pure. This is the journey of the remnant who live by the Spirit alone.

Closing Prayer

Lord Yeshua, we abandon every comfort and every claim. We take off the sandals of pride and place our feet into the dust where You walked. Lead us where You will. Be our only strength. Be our only aim. We trust in nothing but You. Teach us to walk by the Spirit, with eyes fixed on Your glory and hearts completely Yours. Amen.

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Peace

The Gospel of Peace and the Power of Pursuit

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In a world ruled by domination, where kingdoms are claimed by violence and the strong prevail, Yeshua introduced a kingdom unlike any other—a kingdom that spreads not by swords, but by surrender. While the world trusts in force, the Gospel of peace calls us into a kingdom where the power flows from humility, not hostility.

Yet this peace is not passive. It is fiercely pursued, not flippantly received.

The King is Here
The King is Here

📜 The World’s Way: Force and Control

From the moment sin entered the world, human history has been marked by the pursuit of control. Nations have risen not through righteousness, but through conquest. Cain built a city; Nimrod built an empire; Pharaoh built a slave state.The kingdoms of men are almost always established by dominance—by outwitting, outlasting, or overpowering others. This is the language the world understands: strength wins, weakness loses.

A Roman soldier enforces imperial rule as a weary Jewish crowd looks on, longing for the promised Messiah—expecting a conqueror, yet unaware that peace was coming on a donkey.

In the time of Yeshua, this pattern was fully alive. The Roman Empire ruled by intimidation and military force, crushing dissent and exalting Caesar as lord. The sword defined justice, and peace came at the edge of a spear. Beneath that brutal regime, the Jewish people—oppressed, taxed, and scattered—longed for deliverance. Their prophets had spoken of a coming Messiah, a King from David’s line, and they naturally envisioned a political liberator, one who would overthrow Rome and restore national sovereignty.

They wanted someone like David—a warrior who would slay Goliath and drive out the enemies of God. They looked for one who would rally an army, march on Jerusalem, cleanse the temple, and set up a throne of earthly justice. Their hope was sincere—but their expectation was misaligned with Heaven.

Then came Yeshua.

No sword. No war horse. No army.

“Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey.” —Matthew 21:5 (NASB)

He entered not as a conqueror, but as a servant. He did not challenge Caesar with steel, but disarmed principalities through the cross. His enemies expected a revolution by force. Instead, they saw a Redeemer by grace. And because He did not match their vision of power, many missed Him entirely.

The world has always worshiped power—but God reveals His glory through weakness, His victory through surrender, and His kingdom through peace.

An exhausted Moses, Aaron and Hur in Prayer
An exhausted Moses, Aaron and Hur in Prayer

🕊️ The Gospel of Peace

The Gospel is called the “Gospel of Peace” for a reason. It is not only the message of reconciliation between man and God—it is the method by which the Kingdom advances. The peace of God is not weakness. It is power on a completely different plane.

Paul writes,

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” —Romans 5:1 (NASB)

This peace isn’t circumstantial. It is not the fragile quiet that comes from avoiding conflict. It is the deep restoration of fellowship between the Creator and His creation. It silences condemnation. It heals the wounds of sin. It brings wholeness where there was division. The Hebrew concept is shalom—a peace that makes complete.

When Paul describes the armor of God in Ephesians 6, he says:

“…and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace…” —Ephesians 6:15 (NASB)

This detail matters. The Roman soldier’s sandals were studded for grip in battle. In the same way, the Gospel of peace gives believers sure footing in a world that is hostile to holiness. We do not advance the Kingdom by force—but we do stand firm, and we move forward, led by the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18–20).

The early church modeled this. They didn’t fight Rome—they outlived it. They didn’t rebel with arms—they radiated Christ. They overcame not by domination but by devotion, enduring ridicule, prison, and martyrdom with a joy rooted in peace the world could not touch.

Even Jesus, who could have called legions of angels (Matthew 26:53), chose instead to be the Lamb who was slain. His greatest victory came not from resisting the cross, but embracing it.

This is the strange paradox of the Gospel:
The more the world pressed against the Church, the stronger she stood.The more they took from her, the more she gave.
The more they reviled her, the more she loved.
Why? Because she carried the Gospel of peace.

Made meek by the spirit
A weathered wooden cross stands silhouetted against a glowing sunset, marking the place where pride ends and surrender begins.

⚔️ Misunderstood Force: “The Kingdom Suffers Violence”

Some stumble over Jesus’ words:

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.”
— Matthew 11:12 NASB

At first glance, this seems to contradict the peaceful nature of the Gospel. But this passage is not a call to arms—it is a call to urgency. The word translated “violent” can also imply fervent, forceful, resolute. Yeshua is describing those who are spiritually desperate, those who will not be satisfied with anything less than the fullness of God’s reign.

It is echoed in Luke 16:16:

“The gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” —NASB

This isn’t about human violence—it’s about spiritual pursuit. Think of the woman with the issue of blood, who pressed through the crowd to touch Jesus’ garment (Mark 5:27–28). Think of Bartimaeus, who cried out all the more when the crowd tried to silence him (Mark 10:48). Think of the paralytic’s friends who tore open a roof to lower him before Jesus (Mark 2:4).

They were forceful—but not with weapons. They were desperate for the King, and they refused to be denied.

🔄 Peace and Force in Contrast

Here is a simple table to illustrate the difference:

The Way of Force (World)The Way of Peace (Gospel)
Wins by dominationTriumphs through surrender
Exalts strengthGlorifies meekness
Rules by fearLeads through love
Guards territoryInvites transformation
Uses compulsionMoves by conviction
Trusts in the swordTrusts in the Spirit
Interpretation of Tongues
A congregation in worship, hands raised in prayer, seeking the presence and voice of God in unity and reverence.

✝️ The Gospel in Action

The early church did not conquer the world by force, numbers, or strategy—they triumphed by carrying the presence of Yeshua, the Prince of Peace. In a hostile world, their strength was not political influence or cultural sway, but the indwelling Spirit of God, alive and active within them. They were living temples—walking vessels of peace, power, and purpose.

When threatened by authorities, Peter and John did not retreat or retaliate. They declared with holy defiance, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20, NASB). Their boldness came not from bravado, but from having been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). When Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, was dragged outside the city and stoned to death, he looked to Heaven and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:60, NASB). Even as the stones struck his body, peace reigned in his spirit.

Paul and Silas, unjustly beaten and locked in the depths of a Philippian prison, did not curse the darkness—they sang hymns at midnight (Acts 16:25). Bound in chains, they released the fragrance of Heaven. The peace of God guarded their hearts, and the power of their praise shook the prison foundations.

The Gospel of peace is not the absence of conflict—it is the manifest presence of Christ in the center of it. It is light that shines in darkness and cannot be overcome. It is the Spirit within us that makes us more than conquerors—not by removing trials, but by sustaining us through them.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” —Romans 12:21 (NASB)

This is the power of a surrendered life. This is the victory of peace over force. This is the Gospel in action.

🧎 A Call to the Church

Beloved, the temptation is strong to take up the tools of the world to fight the battles of the Kingdom. But we must not trade the power of the cross for the illusion of control. We do not need louder voices—we need purer hearts. We do not need sharper swords—we need deeper wells.

Let us be a people who carry the Gospel of peace with fire in our bones. Let us be forceful in faith, fervent in prayer, and peaceful in our witness.

The world does not need a church that imitates its aggression. It needs a church that reveals its Savior.

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The warrior rides with sword in hand,
But You, O Lord, with nail-pierced palm.
Your voice is peace across the land—
A King who conquers hearts with calm.

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Holy Spirit

Hold Fast to the Lord

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Walking in Spirit-Revealed Obedience

“It is the LORD your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him.”
—Deuteronomy 13:4 (NASB)*

Beloved, we who have tasted the goodness of the Lord are not called to casual devotion, but to Spirit-revealed obedience. When El Shaddai breathes life into our dead spirits and awakens us by regeneration, He begins a holy preparation that lasts a lifetime. This journey is not fueled by fear but by reverent love—a response to the One who made us new.

Yeshua told Nicodemus that no one could enter the Kingdom unless they were born from above. And once born of the Spirit, we must no longer walk according to the flesh. The call is clear: Follow the LORD, revere Him, obey Him, serve Him, and hold fast to Him. Each phrase in Deuteronomy 13:4 is a step along the ancient path. But this path is hidden from the proud and self-sufficient. It is only visible to those whose eyes have been opened by the Spirit of God.

“To this John replied, ‘A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.’”
—John 3:27 (NASB)*

This is the humility that opens the door to divine encounter. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Messiah, knew his place. He did not grasp at position or power. He received what was given. So must we. The mysteries of God are not unlocked by cleverness or seminary degrees but by Spirit-revealed insight. Many stand before a wall of theology—doctrine stacked high like bricks—yet never find the gate. Without the Spirit, knowledge becomes cold and heavy. With the Spirit, truth becomes living fire.

Return to the Lord in brokenness
Return to the Lord in brokenness

God’s Kingdom is not a showcase of mediocrity, nor a democracy of lukewarm hearts. It is a throne room filled with glory, where only the holy dare tread. And we are made holy—not by our effort—but by the blood of the Lamb and the fire of His Spirit. This is why we must hold fast. Not to our plans. Not to tradition. Not to mere form. But to God Himself. His commands are not burdensome when His Spirit writes them on our hearts. His service becomes our joy when love compels us.

Why, then, would we resist such a path? Why would we lower the high call of God to fit our comfort? God’s intentions for us are always rooted in His eternal love and creative power. He sees potential in us that sin buried. But the Spirit awakens it. We were not made for the shallow waters of religion. We were made to walk in the deep, where God speaks, moves, and dwells with His people.

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the human heart,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
—1 Corinthians 2:9 (NASB)

This is our inheritance: Spirit-revealed truth, Spirit-empowered obedience, Spirit-filled life. Let us not settle for surface knowledge. Let us seek the fire that reveals the face of Yeshua. Let us cling to the LORD—not casually, but with the grip of holy desperation. Hold fast. Follow. Revere. Obey. Serve.

The Spirit is still speaking. Will you listen?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
— Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, and 3:22 (NASB)

Prayer

Loving Lord, thank You for making me new by the power of Your Spirit. Awaken every buried promise and every slumbering gift within me. I want to walk in Spirit-revealed obedience. I long to know You not only in mind but in truth. Keep me close, Lord. Let me not wander or grow numb. Instead, draw me deeper, that I may hold fast to You in every season. In the name of Yeshua, I pray. Amen.

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Devotion to God

Only By the Spirit Can We Truly Say, “Jesus Is Lord”

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Beloved, as you rise to meet this day, pause and consider this one staggering truth: “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3, NASB). These are not idle words. This is the line in the sand between dead religion and living faith. You can recite creeds and attend services, but unless the Spirit of God has breathed life into your soul, the name of Yeshua will never ring out as Lord from the depths of your heart.

Jesus Is Lord—this is not mere doctrine. It is the thunderous confession of a heart conquered by grace. It cannot be manufactured by intellect or emotion. It is born of spiritual rebirth. The flesh recoils at His Lordship. The natural man demands autonomy, but the Spirit reveals a better way: surrender that leads to life.

And yet, many churches today strain under the weight of programs and productions that attempt to create love for Christ without confronting the heart’s need for regeneration. They preach morality without the cross, motivation without repentance, and Jesus as model instead of Jesus as Master. But Jesus is Lord, and that means He is King, Sovereign, and worthy of your total allegiance. No gimmick can produce true devotion. Only the Spirit can draw the soul to kneel in awe and cry out, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, NASB).

This confession—Jesus is Lord—is the Spirit’s work in you. If you can say it with reverence and love, then rejoice! The Spirit has opened your eyes. He has shown you the crucified, risen Savior, and planted within you a hunger for His presence. But if your heart feels cold, pray this morning: Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus to me. Strip away the veil. Let me see the One who died and rose for me, and in seeing Him, may I love Him with all my soul.

Right now, at this moment, heaven is listening.
Right now, at this moment, heaven is listening.

But there is more. If we truly confess Jesus as Lord, we must dethrone another master—ourselves. Romans 6:19 calls us to offer ourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. The self-life—the proud, stubborn “I”—must be crucified. It cannot co-reign with Christ. God will not share His glory with the ego of man.

The Holy Spirit deals violently with the flesh, but always for the sake of love. He says, “This selfish I cannot live.” The ego is anti-Christ at the root. It loves attention. It craves control. It demands credit. But the Spirit leads us into a deeper surrender, where we echo John the Baptist’s cry, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, NASB).

This morning, offer no defense for your pride. Do not make peace with your self-centered ambitions. Invite the Spirit to burn away everything in you that resists the Lordship of Christ. Say aloud, “Jesus is Lord”—and mean it with your life.

Let it shape how you speak to your family.
Let it guide how you work and serve today.
Let it determine what you love and what you leave behind.

Create in Me a Pure Heart
A quiet moment of prayer at sunset, offering thanks to God in all circumstances—finding peace and strength in every season.

Jesus is Lord—not just of your Sunday mornings, but of your thoughts, your body, your finances, your affections, your future. You cannot make Him Lord by your own strength. But the Spirit within you can. And He will, if you yield.

Your Spirit whispered truth to me,
And scales fell from my eyes.
You lit the fire that made me free,
And taught my soul to rise.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, awaken in me again the awe and wonder of who Yeshua is. Let me not speak His name lightly, nor serve Him halfway. Destroy in me the selfish ego that exalts itself, and plant instead a deep-rooted humility that treasures Christ above all. Today, may my every word and action confess: Jesus is Lord. Amen.

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Holiness and Revival

Testimonies that Glorify God

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Let God Be Glorified

Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul (Psalm 66:16, NASB).

This is the voice of one who has tasted the mercy of El Elyon and cannot remain silent. He does not draw attention to himself, but to the power of God. Every true testimony flows from this fountain—it glorifies God alone, not the one who speaks.

The Apostle John, who leaned against Yeshua’s chest and saw the glory of the Word made flesh, heard these words from Heaven: They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11, NASB). Notice where the victory rests. Not in strategy, eloquence, or charisma—but in the Lamb and what He has done. The testimony is not a platform for self—it is a declaration of God’s faithfulness and mercy.

Even our Savior warned, Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them (Matthew 6:1, NASB). The danger is not just in falsehood, but in misdirected truth—when we say the right things for the wrong reasons, and shift the spotlight onto ourselves.

Let Boasting Die at the Cross

The Apostle Paul could have boasted. His résumé was unmatched—zealous, learned, bold. Yet he said, Far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14, NASB). The cross is where all pride dies. It is where we remember that we were nothing, and He gave us everything. Any story that begins with “I did” must be reexamined. Let every true testimony begin with “God moved.”

Paul reminded the Corinthians, So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3:7, NASB). We are nothing more than vessels—fragile, breakable, and utterly dependent on El Shaddai to fill us. Testimonies should cause awe, not applause. They should humble, not elevate. If we speak of answered prayers or miracles, let us speak as those trembling in the presence of a holy God.

Break you jar before the Lord
Before the healing comes, the jar must break. This is where revival begins—on our faces, with nothing held back.

Where Is the Power We Preach?

We have the Word. We memorize the verses. We know what to say. But where is the power? Where is the Presence? We talk about revival, but do we carry it? Yeshua said:

I assure you and most solemnly declare to you that anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also perform the same actions as I do. Moreover, they will accomplish even greater feats in scope and reach, for I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name [as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it (John 14:12–14, AMP).

We love to quote verse 15—If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments—but are we living verses 12 through 14? We say we follow Him, but where is the fruit? Where is the unmistakable evidence of His power and Presence moving through us?

If we are honest, we must ask: Have we crafted denominations, doctrinal statements, and creeds to soothe our lack of faith? Are we building altars of reason because we have forgotten the fire of God? When Peter was in the Upper Room before Pentecost, he probably cried out, “Lord, we have nothing left but You.” Have we reached that place? Have we truly died to self?

Truly Dying to Self: A Forgotten Cry

What does it mean to truly die to self? We speak of it often, but do we live it? Picking up our crosses daily sounds poetic until obedience costs us something. Listening to His voice is inspiring until He asks us to release our comfort, our pride, or our reputation. Is there anyone alive today who can say, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, NASB)?

If our hearts were truly right with God, these things would happen. Miracles would follow our prayers. Deliverance would spring from our declarations. Revival would not be a hope—it would be a holy eruption. The reason it doesn’t happen is not that God has changed. He is being true to His Word. He tests hearts. He purifies motives. He waits for a people who will make Him the center of their testimony, not themselves.

We need to keep pressing into Him, asking Him to search us and refine us. We must return to the altar, not to tell God what we’ve done, but to ask Him to reveal our motives so that we may be pure vessels. Our testimonies should reflect the cry of John the Baptist: He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30, NASB).

She broke her jar—and with it, her pride, her plans, her past. Only in surrender can the fragrance rise. This is where healing begins.

Let Testimonies Burn with His Glory

Even our best obedience is not a trophy—it is a response. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10, NASB). We are not the authors of greatness. We are the canvas upon which the Master Artist paints His glory.

Let every testimony burn with the truth: It was God. All of it. The mercy. The healing. The change. If He used us, it was not because we were worthy—it was because He is good.

Do not share to impress. Share to exalt. Let your testimony be a trembling offering that points upward, not inward. Speak not of how much faith you had, but how faithful El Olam was to you. Let the story glorify the Name above all names—Yeshua, the Lamb who was slain.

Let Us Pray

O El Shaddai, Mighty and All-Sufficient One,

We come before You with broken hearts, confessing how often we have spoken to be seen, shared to be praised, and testified to exalt ourselves. Forgive us, Lord. Purify our hearts, cleanse our lips, and strip away every hidden motive that does not glorify You.

Teach us what it means to truly die daily—to applause, to recognition, to the craving for man’s approval. Let our testimonies rise like holy incense—fragrant only because You have been faithful. Let them carry the weight of Your glory, not the weight of our names.

We lay our words at Your feet. Sanctify them. Let every syllable exalt the Name above all names—Yeshua, our Redeemer. Let our stories become songs of Your mercy, drawing hearts not to us, but to Your throne.

Burn away pride, expose every imitation, and silence the flesh. Let the fire of Your Spirit purify our witness until only Your power remains. And when we speak, let the world see not us, but You living through us.

We join with the saints, with the seraphim, and with all creation in one cry:

You alone are worthy.

Amen.

Made meek by the spirit
A weathered wooden cross stands silhouetted against a glowing sunset, marking the place where pride ends and surrender begins.

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