Faithful Writers

When God listens in, and when He moves on. Picture this: you and a friend are sitting at your local coffee shop, catching up on each other’s lives. Who would be secretly listening in on your conversation? Not the barista behind the counter. They are too busy. Not the businessperson furiously clicking away at their open laptop. Perhaps the nosy person at the table beside you is pretending not to, but furtively leaning your way. Photo by Hümâ H. Yardım on Unsplash But what about God? Is there a time when He would be clandestinely listening to your conversation? When would He hear a few of your words and leave? And when would He pull up a chair and intently take in what you are discussing? First, can God listen to our conversation? Of course. Here’s what David wrote: “Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?” Psalm 94:9 NIV The New Living Translation states it this way: “Is he deaf — the one who made your ears? Is he blind — the one who formed your eyes?” Why would God visit a coffee shop? There are 8.2 billion people on Earth today, and 38,000 coffee shops worldwide . Since I live in the US, there are over 22,800 Java joints for Him to pop into and listen to Table #4. There is only one reason for Him to visit yours and not bounce to the next. It’s not for the prayers. Yes, God hears your prayers. “Father God, please bless this half-caf skinny mochaccino to the nourishment of our bodies, Amen.” He loves our thanksgiving acknowledgements of His provision. But prayers come to Him. Three times in Revelation, John wrote that the prayers of the saints are offered as a sweet savor to God. (5:8, 8:3, and 8:4) When we pray, it’s like God just drove by a bakery or a barbecue restaurant. He loves the scent. “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.” 1 Peter 3:12 But I’m not talking about our prayers. What about our daily conversations? Would God listen to the casual chats between you and your Christian bro or faith-filled gal pal? Yes. The proof comes from the Hebrew scriptures. “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.” Mal 3:16 The King James version says they “spoke OFTEN to one another.” Not to God. To each other. And how does God respond? He pulls up a chair and listens. Yes, He hears your prayers. But He also listens to your conversations with other believers. If it’s grumbling and complaining, He moves on. He’ll bounce if it glorifies doubt, fear, hate, or deconstructionism. There is not much whining in the presence of a holy and mighty God. If your conversation brings Him glory, He will listen and take notes. He wants it written down for eternity. “In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.” Mal 3:15 NLT There is a heavenly scribe taking notes and recording the minutes from your meeting at a coffee shop. The Message Version puts it this way: “Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God’s presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God’s name.” Who knew so much of the spiritual realm engaged in a group sitting in the corner booth, sharing a blueberry muffin, and talking about how God is showing up in their lives? God loves those gatherings. It’s why Jesus said: ”For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Mat 18:20 He doesn’t specify the location. He loves the gathering, the camaraderie, the fellowship, and the friendship. He starts taking notes if the conversation turns from politics and Netflix to Him. What Are Holy Words That Please God? You might think the next meet-up must look like a Pharisee convention. Nope. God delights when we dump the funk on our accountability partner. Our honesty and transparency about our lives will bust hypocrisy. The many scriptures about confessing secret sins to one another show how powerful a coffee shop meeting can be. What happens to the meeting notes? They are read back at the judgment. Most Christians fear the part about giving an account of every idle word at the judgment. (Mat 12:36) We’ve all been stupid with our mouths. But have you considered that every prayer at a meal, every “thank you” at narrowly avoiding a car accident, and every “God bless you” to a frazzled cashier will also be read back and rewarded? Books? Plural? Here’s where the “Book or Remembrance” will come into play. Most Christians know that when we devote our lives to Jesus, our names are written in “The Lamb’s Book of Life”. But that is not the only opened book. “ And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” Rev 20:12 Yes, dear friend, the “Book of Remembrance” is opened, and your reward is great because you met at a coffee shop and honored the One who created you. You might have thought it was just two friends catching up. But it was a powerful spiritual moment that affected your eternal destiny and reward. Here’s the rest of the story. The following two verses say: “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” Mal 3: 17–18 NLT The NLT calls you His treasured possession. Other translations call you His “special treasure” and “jewels”. Never underestimate the value of your chats. Many have entertained angels unaware. (Heb 13:2) And the God of the universe just might be smiling as He listens to your conversation. © I.M. Koen Stay tuned for part 2, “God and IKEA trains.” I’ll tell you how I learned this lesson. It wasn’t in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount . It was in a child’s bedroom in Denton, Texas. Thank you for reading this. May God reveal to you how precious you are to Him. And may you never forget how much you are loved. You sit protected and cherished among God’s special treasures. You are loved! -Issachar You might also enjoy reading: Jesus Wants to Make You Breakfast. Speaking These Four Words Can Kill You. What a Megachurch Can Learn from the Marines.

Chris Chow My Prompt Question : Describe your understanding of religion. During this course, how might you challenge yourself to expand your understanding of religion? My understanding of religion is very much based on my personal and limited academic experiences. I have always viewed religion as something someone believes and practices, and when I was younger, I thought that everyone believed in some sort of God or gods. It wasn’t until middle school that I learned more in-depth about the different types of belief systems and some of the main religions around the world. While I always understood that there were others with different beliefs, many of my experiences growing up were around differences in Christianity as opposed to other religions. My family is a mix of Christian denominations with some who choose not to practice any religion. Growing up with a single mother made it difficult for us to be accepted in certain churches, so for most of my life, I wasn’t involved in a church or even went to one. Despite this, my mom raised me as a Christian who read the Bible often and I learned to search for the answers to questions myself. Sometimes, I still find it hard to relate to other Christians who don’t do this, who don’t study the Bible’s original texts, compare translations, research the culture and history of the time period, or simply ask God to lead you to answers and understanding. My belief is solely based on Biblical texts, and I don’t put myself into a label of Christian; I feel that this divides us and prevents us from completing God’s calling effectively. Because of all of this, I know my understanding of religion is even different from someone else who practices Christianity, and I know my faith drives my perspective of other religions. As a Christian, I believe that God is the one true god, that we are not to worship other gods or have idols, and we are to minister and tell people the Good News about Jesus so they can turn to God and be saved. This leads to the point of view that I hold that other religions are people’s attempt to distance themself from God and the commands He has given us and as a way to justify their continuation of sinful behavior; people throughout history have used their imaginations, satan’s deception, spiritual experiences not from God, bits and pieces of the Bible, the strive for control and power, and many other things to create religious, or similar, beliefs to follow and practice. Some of these came as a way to explain the world around them while others were used to justify the position and power of rulers, such as with Egyptian pharaohs who were at first gods on Earth and then later the offspring of gods such as Amon, making them the son of the sun ruling over the affairs of Earth (Bentley et al., 2021, p. 50). Even Christianity has been used and changed to justify divine rule. With this said, I firmly believe in respecting others, honoring them, and not discriminating against them or treating them horribly because they believe in something different and act accordingly ( Holy Bible, New International Version , 1973/2011, 1 Pet. 2:17, Rom. 12:10, Rom. 13:7, Matt. 7:12, Matt. 5:43–48, Phil. 2:3–4). I imagine that this perspective is what will challenge me the most in terms of expanding my understanding of religion, as it is not the most conducive for approaching religion as an academic study. Similar to the struggles of early scholars, holding the Christian religion as the singular, “right” model is limiting and inaccurate of the world we live in (Brodd et al., 2021, pp. 4–5). That is not to say you can’t hold onto your own beliefs and religious practices in order to effectively study other world religions, but that it is something to be aware of to ensure a scholarly, sound approach to studying and understanding the religions being discussed. While being objective is something I can excel at, it is also sometimes hard, especially when it comes to something I feel strongly about. I know there are going to be topics discussed throughout this course that will challenge my ability to remain objective and empathetic, and I know some topics are going to be hard to understand on a personal level, however, I hope my hunger for knowledge as a whole will prevent me from letting this stop me from expanding my understanding as a whole. I already plan to challenge myself by not picking Christianity as one of the two religions to study for this course’s main project. Depending on the topic I decide to pursue, I may even decide to exclude Catholicism as well. My mother taught me that in order to defend your beliefs, you should one, know why it is you believe something and be able to give Biblical evidence for it, and two, know what the other arguments/beliefs are. I studied both evolution and creationism in high school, and while I admit to not enjoying evolution, it has helped me defend my own beliefs to others better. Understanding another perspective has, in turn, helped my own faith grow, and I look forward to learning more about other perspectives I know little about. © Maia Vashti References: Bentley, J. H., Ziegler, H. F., Streets-Salter, H. E., & Benjamin, C. (2021). Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past (7th ed., p. 50). McGraw Hill Education. Brodd, J., Little, L., Nystrom, B., Platzner, R., Shek, R., & Stiles, E. (2021). Invitation to World Religions (4th ed., pp. 4–5). Oxford University Press Academic US. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9780197570722 Holy Bible, New International Version . (2011). Biblica, Inc. (Original Work Published 1973). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

Omni Modal AI Have you ever heard someone say that they don’t believe in my God, because He’s judgmental and cruel? I’m sure most people have. I have for sure. Many times. Thing is, I didn’t know how to effectively respond. How do you square the God of plagues and punishments with the God who tells us to love our enemies? But the older I get, the more I realize I was missing the bigger picture. I was caught up in soundbites and skipping the story. Here’s the truth I’ve come to believe without flinching: God is not trapped in the Old Testament. He’s not stuck in the past. The God I read about in Genesis is the same God who walked the earth in Jesus. And that changed how I saw everything. Looking Back With Clearer Eyes When I was younger, I skimmed past a lot of the Old Testament. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? I wanted the “Jesus parts” — grace, kindness, healing, forgiveness. But eventually I went back and started reading with fresh eyes. Not hunting for verses to defend my faith. Just reading to understand. And what I saw surprised me. Yes, there’s judgment. God deals seriously with sin. But I also saw a God who is incredibly patient . Who keeps giving second chances, and third, and fourth. Who rescues people over and over again, even when they keep running away. God defends the poor, the foreigner, the outcast. And I realized I’d bought into a cartoon or Hollywood version of the Old Testament — a version that skipped the compassion, the faithfulness, and the love. When God introduces Himself to Moses, He doesn’t start with threats. He says: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6) That’s not the God of a horror story. That’s a God who sticks with people when they don’t deserve it. Judgment Isn’t Hatred One thing I’ve had to unlearn is the idea that judgment equals hatred. That it’s always punitive rather than redemptive. That’s not what I see anymore. When God brings judgment in the Old Testament — on Egypt, on Canaan, even on Israel — it’s never random. It’s always about justice. We’re talking about child sacrifice, slavery, rampant injustice. God doesn’t look the other way, and I’m glad He doesn’t. I wouldn’t want to follow a God who lets the powerful crush the weak and just shrugs. God’s judgment is hard — but it’s not heartless. Over and over, He warns people. He sends prophets, not armies. He pleads before He punishes. And when judgment comes, it’s not out of spite. It’s because love without justice isn’t love at all. God Hasn’t Changed For a long time, I treated the Old and New Testaments like two seasons of a show with a total reboot halfway through. Season One: fire and laws. Season Two: grace and sandals. But that’s not what the Bible actually shows. Jesus didn’t show up to reinvent God. He came to reveal Him. When I read the Gospels, I see Jesus calling out religious hypocrisy with the same fire I saw in the prophets. I see Him flipping tables, warning about judgment, talking about sin. But I also see Him eating with outcasts, healing the broken, forgiving the guilty. He isn’t less intense than the Old Testament God — He’s just as fierce, but His fierceness is full of purpose. He fights for people, not against them. Jesus didn’t tone God down. He showed us what God looks like in skin and bone. “I and the Father are one,” He said (John 10:30). That’s not metaphor. That’s a mirror. The Whole Story Matters Once I stopped splitting the Bible in two, it started to make more sense. The Old Testament isn’t some outdated mess we have to explain away. It’s the foundation. It’s the setup for the rescue mission. It shows the promises, the failures, the long wait for a Savior. And it shows just how much people need grace. It’s not just history — it’s a mirror. I see myself in those pages. I see my stubbornness in Israel’s rebellion. I see my selfishness in their idols. And I see God’s mercy right in the middle of it all. What This Means for Me Now Now when someone brings up the “Old Testament God,” I don’t dodge the question. I tell them what I’ve come to know: God is just as holy now as He was then. Just as full of love. Just as serious about sin. And just as committed to redemption. We don’t need to edit the Bible to make God more appealing. He’s not a brand. He’s not up for re-election. He’s the same God today as He was in Eden, in Egypt, in exile, and on the cross. I want a God I can trust. That means a God who doesn’t change with the wind. The God who thundered from Sinai is the same God who whispered forgiveness to the woman at the well. The same God who judged injustice then still sees every injustice now. And the same God who promised a Savior followed through. That’s not a contradiction. That’s consistency . I’ve Stopped Apologizing for God I’m not embarrassed by the Old Testament anymore. I used to try to explain it away, or soften it. Now I let it speak. I see the full story — creation, fall, covenant, rescue. A God who refuses to give up on people, even when they deserve it. A God who moves through history, not trapped in the past. So no, God isn’t stuck in some ancient book. He’s not locked in judgment mode, waiting to upgrade to grace. He’s always been both just and merciful. Always holy. Always loving. Always pursuing His people. The Old Testament doesn’t show a different God — it shows how far He’s willing to go to make things right. And that’s the kind of God I can follow — Old Testament, New Testament, today, and forever. © Gary L Ellis

You’ve clocked in for work, now what? Photo by Pablo Varela on Unsplash Imagine that the kingdom of Jesus is like a corporation. And you were hired to help the company be efficient and profitable. It is a massive multinational initiative with branch locations all over the world. Is it profitable? You bet! Is there a dark competitor always trying to steal your fellow employees to deconstruct and come work for them? Absolutely. Jesus is the CEO. There is never any doubt who runs things. He heads all programs, hiring, growth, and employee personal development. His name is on everything. It is a well-recognized brand that is timeless and strong. His logo speaks of power, success, and victory. It’s Monday. Where do you go? You woke up, showered, ate a hearty breakfast, and arrived at work ready to give your best to the company. You clock in. What’s next? Do you head to a small cubicle to faithfully perform your duties? Or do you stop by the CEO’s open office door, knock, stick your head in, and say, “Good morning, boss?” Do you give him a quick update on your life and ask what’s happening with him? Or immediately bury your head in your work? Do you let him know what you need to be successful that day? Or assume he knows, and HR will provide it when they are ready? Jesus loves the assembly line workers and the remote salespeople who only check in occasionally via Zoom . But he delights in the worker who knocks in person. Imagine his smile when you put a couple of donuts on his desk. That’s the difference between a friend and an employee. They both produce impressive results for the company. But you are due for a promotion. And Jesus might be asking you to be his friend today. Here’s what he told his twelve coworkers: “I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.” John 15:15 MSG The cultural context of that time hasn’t changed from what we understand today. A servant obeyed commands without necessarily understanding the master’s intentions. Jesus elevated His disciples from mere servants to a more intimate relationship. This shift signifies a deeper level of trust and intimacy. In the Hebrew scriptures, figures like Moses and David were called servants of God, highlighting their roles in God’s plan, but Jesus offers something greater. God spoke to Moses face to face. Moses climbed Mount Sinai several times, knocked on God’s office door, laid donuts on His desk, and had meetings that changed the world. Abraham is the VP of Faith and Obedience. His division has millions of employees, yet the CEO called Abraham his friend (Isaiah 41:8) . He was more than an acquaintance of God and more than a companion. He was a friend of God. Jesus had many followers. But how many of them did this: “Lying back on Jesus’ chest was one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” John 13:23 NASB How many employees lie their head on the chest of Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk during an executive meeting? Could you imagine sitting on the corner of Mark Zuckerberg’s or Tim Cook’s desk, telling them about your life? Would they even want to listen? I had to learn this lesson the hard way. I have only heard Jesus’s voice a couple of times. He said that His sheep hear His voice, right? (John 10:27) The first time was embarrassing, but a life-changing encounter. I was sitting in a men’s retreat when He visited me. I knew He was standing beside me, even though I couldn’t see Him with my physical eyes. Trust me: you just know. He told me clearly that He was proud of my service to the kingdom and then said something so startling I was stunned: “Now I’m asking you to be my friend.” My response brought out a darkness lying hidden and dormant within me. I said, “Jesus, if you really knew me, you wouldn’t ask me to become your friend.” Suddenly, He was gone. Poof! I don’t know if you have ever been in the presence of the Lord of Lords, and then suddenly not. But it is a sick feeling that cannot be put into words. I wish I could run Him down and apologize. But he seemed to be a million miles away. Ugh! I was a cubicle man. I clocked in and did my work to the best of my ability. But I saw myself as a broken man who had sinned so much that I could never have access to the top floor of the building, much less knock on the CEO’s door. Jesus saw me differently and knew what I could become if given the chance. I saw my rebellious past as a reason to stay distant. I didn’t want to get any of my dirt on his impeccable suit. He was watching me work with pure, heavenly eyes. He couldn’t even see my past. It had been removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) . He wanted to promote me, but I didn’t feel worthy. And I wasn’t…I never will be. But he made me worthy. (I’m tearing up as I write this.) You came across this article for a reason. You’re being promoted. You now have access to the executive floor. You will be friends with the CEO of a company that will never go out of business. He has always come down to your floor and knocked on the entrance to your cubicle. Now it is your turn to go up to the top floor and knock at the CEO’s door. He wants you to come in and sit down for a few minutes. Lay your donuts on his desk. He loves them. He’ll smile. Don’t forget to lay your head on his chest. And ask, “What do you have on the agenda for today, Boss?” You’ll strategize together. He loves your input. The same way God loved it when Adam named all the animals. (Gen 2:20) It is a team effort. Then it is time to leave and seize the day. The weekend is coming when we all get to rest and enjoy the company picnic. But for today, let’s go. You got this. God believes in you more than you believe in yourself. © I.M. Koen Thank you for reading this far. You might also like these articles: Jesus Wants to Make You Breakfast. Have You Looked at Your “Hineni” in the Mirror Lately? How Bright Are You? God loves you! -Issachar

I discovered some history, its impact, and a serious lack of critical thinking. © Jane Isley I got curious about the phrase “ right hand of God ” for two reasons. It came up one night in a Bible study, and my dad is left-handed and has alluded to a few things in his past. So, my curiosity led me down a few late-night rabbit holes, and boy, was I not disappointed in my quest for information. I knew some historical information on the matter, but admittedly not as much as I know now. This goes further back than I realized, to pre-Christian civilizations. My first thought when reading through everything was that being right-handed is simply more common than being left-handed. (The online consensus is 90%-ish of the population) This originates ultimately as a “people problem” right from the start. Ok, I can get my head around that. Simply put, people can be downright judgmental, biased, and critical in general to anyone “different” and cause problems where there were none to begin with. But that shouldn’t be a shocker for anyone reading this article. What does the Bible say about the “right hand?” There are countless references to the “right hand.” To me, this makes sense, it’s symbolism and one we would and should have understood because there was already that established cultural meaning and deference to the right hand. Symbolically , being on the right hand of God means being in His favor, it’s where Jesus sits beside God in equal power; it means authority, a place of honor, and strength. Then, of course, things were taken way too literally and abused. I won’t make this article heavy on theology or break down verses by translation, we all know being left-handed by now is not a sin. We have multiple factors that led to left-handed people getting a bad rap and going through abuse for it. There was a combination of cultures already being biased, superstitions, a serious lack of critical thinking, misreading of Scripture, and abuse of Scripture to perpetuate these injustices. This is an excellent example of bad theology that we should learn from. This horrible history in Christianity is an example of bad theology and people taking things too far simply because they thought they had an authoritative right to do so. I decided it was time to talk to my dad, I knew a little history just from an occasional comment here or there. What he told me surprised me; in 2nd and 3rd grade, he went through hell for being left-handed. No one stopped him or tried to retrain him, but he got picked on so badly by his teacher that he ended up despising school. He never went to college and still cringes at the thought of school. He told me the teacher was a “staunch Lutheran” and back then and in his area the Lutheran church saw being left-handed as being “retarded and mentally ill.” I don’t like that first word at all and debated using it, but ultimately, it’s the truth. That and more was what was taught by a Christian church in his area. I have no idea if this article is about what my dad went through, a history lesson, or an article demonstrating the severity of what happens when people refuse to read all of the Bible and only use certain verses as an excuse to abuse and persecute. Maybe it’s simply an article about all three things. Before I leave you with this odd article, I want to share two things. God created us in His image, and Jesus was born with a left hand and a right hand, hence why this is a symbolic reference, not a literal one. I think Jesus would have been born with two right hands if this was indeed an actual concern God had. This is what was conveniently ignored in the Bible. “in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;” 2 Corinthians 6:7 “Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.” Judges 20:16 “Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.” Judges 3: 21 “they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin):” 1 Chronicles 12:2 © Jane Isley First Published in Never Stop Writing on Medium. Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider  supporting my work . Your gift helps keep this work going, blesses others, and means the world to me. You can visit me at Faithful Writers  on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. You can also find me on   Tumblr  and   Facebook.

Girl With a Pearl Earring , painted by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer around 1665, is considered one of the most beautiful and priceless masterpieces in history. Now imagine someone taking that canvas and painting right over it, covering the unique brushstrokes, brilliant lighting, and her timeless expression.  The thought alone feels wrong to me. It would ruin everything unique about her and permanently erase the original. You don’t have to be an art lover or collector to know that would be a travesty. When we honor a masterpiece, we respect its story, its meaning, and its history. But when someone paints over it, they aren’t just adding their own “version.” They’re destroying the original and trying to replace it with something that never was. Now, to the point. Why is it that we wouldn’t dare do this to a painting, but so many are quick to hop on board and do this to the Bible? Scripture is being pulled apart, rewritten, and rebranded to suit feelings and modern taste buds. The truth is being stripped away, painted over with new ideas that are often unrecognizable from the original.  At this point, why not just write your own book and leave the Bible alone? If you dislike what it says so much, why attempt to rewrite history as though you can change God’s word and believe He’s going to let you? I’m baffled by it. I think people believe they can sanctify their sins by reshaping Scripture. Deep down, they still want the hope of Heaven, but don’t want to face the parts of God’s word that call for repentance and obedience. Then others use Christianity as a PR stunt, reshaping it for personal or political gain.  Whatever the reason, the result is the same: the truth is distorted, and what remains is no longer Christianity at all. The Bible is not meant to be cut up, relabeled, and stitched back together. That is what is called false teaching.  My faith cannot be rewritten. You can deny it, reject it, or ignore it, but you can’t change it into something it never was. If God’s word confronts you, that’s not a Bible issue; that’s a you issue. You can pander to feelings.  You can normalize sin.  You can try to bend truth into whatever shape makes you most comfortable.  But you can’t change the Bible and expect God to do a 👍🏻 © Jane Isley

There is probably confusion about why an intermediate state exists between the tribulation/wrath of God and the final heaven, as described in Revelation chapters 21 and 22. The description of the millennial period is given in Revelation 20 and called the Thousand Year Reign . Let’s face it, Israel has not had an easy time as a chosen people. They have faced many conflicts, oppositions, and rejections throughout the ages. Being a chosen people of God seems to have resulted in more of a “bull's eye” on their heads than any blessing. However, the promises of God cannot go unfulfilled. [1] God has made strong and affirming promises to Israel that have not come to pass. [2] For the serious bible student, the history of Israel in contrast to the promises doesn’t seem to match. This has caused some confusion among the Christian churches. Some believe the church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people — this is a BIG mistake! To the non-believer, such inconsistencies between the Old and New Testaments and the Bible itself seem like a bad joke. However, there is a pivot point, a prediction as seen in the Old Testament book of Isaiah 43: 1–25, these verses support the New Testament in the Apostle Paul’s vision in Romans chapters 9–11 — Israel’s rejection and scattering is not final. Israel will be restored! The Scattering of the Israelites Scattering Stock Photo Today, many Jews are secular, having no real belief in the Biblical story. This is thought to be due to the many years of persecution they faced and the near annihilation of the Jewish people. Sadly, the Christian church played a role in their devastation on many occasions. It’s a wonder Jews will listen or even fellowship with Christians today. But was some predictability of this happening in scripture? Yes — indeed this was foreseen. [3] Both the Old and New Testament forewarned the Jews of the consequences of rejection of God’s messenger. [4] Many of the references on God completing His plans for Israel were contingent on obedience and that was (and remains) the delay on the promises being fulfilled. Of the twelve original tribes, only two retained an identity with God, Judah and Benjamin, and a much smaller number from the tribe of Levi — the priests. We Gentiles call this remnant “Jews.” However, the Jews are not the total people that make up the people of Israel. The Old Testament describes a period when the nation of Israel became divided, ten tribes to the north called Israel, and the two tribes to the south called Judah. There is a considerable backstory on this that I will not cover in this writing. There is one aspect of that history that is important. The northern tribes and their kings were worried that their people might gravitate south because of the temple of God being in Jerusalem. This caused many of the northern tribe kings to invest in building substitute religions to distract their people away from Judah. The worship of the gods Baal and Astaroth became the primary idols of the north, with temples and holy sites developed in their honor. Little doubt this did not please God, so He allowed Assyria to conquer and take the northern ten tribes into captivity. In effect, we lose the trail of those ten tribes into history — scattered among the nations. Their identities as children of Israel vanished. In Ezekiel chapter 37, we see a valley of dry bones brought back to life. This vision is God restoring broken Israel. In verses 15–22 of the same chapter, we see Israel being reunited with Judah, gathered from the nations, and brought back to their land in Israel, never to be cast aside again. In verses 23–28, we see an early prediction of the Millennial kingdom to come. God establishes His King over them called the Branch, and David (Jesus), and under his rulership, the covenant God made with Abraham and the land promised to Jacob (Israel). So, what was the purpose of this occurrence? This takes discernment, but the purpose of the exile of the ten tribes was to gather to God a people called by His name from among the Gentiles ! You might say God sent out the ten tribes to gather and build their numbers. In turn, the Gentiles bring back to God the scattered tribes to their land . [5] This combination will become the New Nation of Israel , under Jesus as King and Lord. Paul describes this in Romans, chapter 11, where God combines the wild branches of the Gentiles into the tree of Israel. This implies that the “wild ones” within Israel were sent out to recruit the “wild ones” among the Gentiles, to combine and become one people under Christ. This was God’s plan all along. "He (God) took him (Abram) outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then He Said, “So shall your Offspring be.” — Genesis 15:5 “I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the gates of their enemies.” — Genesis 22:17 “Furthermore, through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you have obeyed my commands.” — Genesis 22:18 This is why in Christ there is no longer any Jew, Greek, or Gentile separation, because all who are called to Jesus become Israel! So, back to the original question: Why a Millennial Kingdom? To fulfill God’s promises and raise the combined nation of Israel, the children of Abraham, to become chief among the nations and experience the glory God promised. This is necessary to occur BEFORE the revelation of the final form of the Kingdom of God! © Bob Russell Sources and references: The Millennial Kingdom of Christ, part 25 The Millennial Kingdom of Christ, part 26 Transitions within the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, part 27 The Ending of the Millennial Age of Christ; part 28 [1] Numbers 30:1–2; Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 89:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:24 [2] Deuteronomy 28:1; Isaiah 41:10; Jeremiah 29:11; Jeremiah 30:17, 33:6; Genesis 12: 1–3; Joshua 1:3; Psalm 121:4–5; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6–7; Ezekiel 37:11–12; Isaiah 11: 12; Romans 11:26 [3] Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4: 23–27. 28: 25, 37, 64; Luke 21:20–24; John 2:19; Matthew 24; Mark 13:1–2; Daniel 9:24–26 [4] Malachi 4:5–6; Amos 5:1–3 [5] Isaiah 66:20; Luke 21:24; Romans 11:26

There are two events in the end-time that we must understand. Stephan H. I’ve also asked a serious question that every Christian must ask in their hearts and be prepared to defend in my article: Faith Beyond the Gloom: Make Your Election Sure! In these writings, I indicated the first of two signs — the great falling away of the church from the path of truth, the rise of many false prophets and church leaders, and this resulting in the revelation of the Man of Lawlessness (the first Beast) — the antichrist. I asked the questions — is there a current falling away from the Christian church today? Are we seeing a rise of false teaching and false leaders infecting the churches? The answer to those questions will greatly determine the future events yet to come. A good watchperson should be highly alert and ready to warn the saints and to urge them to prepare. My objective is to warn you, the reader, not to get too comfortable in the concept of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church BEFORE the coming tribulations. This is not assured and mostly made up of disassociated patches of scripture- to give hope of escape from the sever testing ahead for the world. We must also understand that there are two events in the end-time, the Great Tribulation under the antichrist, and the Wrath of God. While it is true the elect of God will be spared the Wrath; there is no assurance of escaping the Tribulation! Daniel 12:9–12 prepares us for what is coming: “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are to remain secret until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly, but the wise shall understand.” Purification is trial by fire, persecution, suffering, and death. [1] Revelation 7:14 sees a large number of people dressed in white approaching heaven, the angel of God asks John — “who are these?” John has no answer, then the angel said : “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and worship him day and night in His temple.” It is extremely important to focus on the words, “survived the times of great distress.” This survival isn’t about living, but holding on to their faith in persecution as these saints went through the tribulation. They all likely died from a form of persecution and followed the path set by Jesus. In Revelation 16:15 — we are again reminded that Jesus will come as a thief, when least expected. Blessed are those who keep watch and wait. It is interesting that this announcement is made between the pouring out of the 6th and 7th bowls of God’s wrath upon the earth. In an article I wrote on Medium titled: Easter: A Time to Prepare for a Transition in Kingdoms , I further discuss various rapture scenarios with the thought that the breaking of the Seventh Seal starts the period called the Wrath of God. Prior to that, six seals have already been broken, which occurs before and during the rise of the antichrist. This culminates with the destruction of Mystery Babylon as seen in Revelation, chapter 18. Revelation 16:6; 17: 5; 18:24; 19:2 each describe Babylon or those with the mark of the beast as the source of persecution and killing of the saints and prophets. The spilling of blood is repeated. As we look back in the Old Testament in the book of Daniel, we get further confirmation that the end times will be very hard on those holding on to the faith. [2] This is highlighted in Revelation 13:7–10 where it reads: “Also it (the Beast) was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. It was given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundations of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered (Jesus). Let anyone who has an ear listen: If you are to be taken captive, into captivity you will go; if you kill with the sword, with the sword you must be killed. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” Before the very foundations of the world, those who would give their lives or suffer persecution for the word of God had already been determined. Those who will follow the Lamb (Jesus) wherever he goes are those who follow Him into death for the sake of the gospel message. Any thought of the true church avoiding this time of great distress, and for those alive during those times, while still possible, I do not think it will be a very large number. For the true believer, one should not place their hopes on escape, but to face any possible sufferings with faith and to endure until we experience the glorious celebration together as described in Revelation 19: 1–9. You can also read more at: Beyond the Gloom: Preparing the Elect of God  & The Great Tribulation: Endurance of the Faithful . © Bob Russell Sources & References: [1] 1 Peter 4:17; Hebrews 12:3–17; Revelation 7:14 [2] Daniel 11:32–35; 12:10; Daniel 12:7 also see Revelation 13:10

Rimma Avcı “Anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever saves his life will lose it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the shole world and forfeit his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” — Matthew 16: 24–26 As time passed from when Jesus walked the earth and taught his disciples, the world view of Jesus has changed. Today, many see him more as an enlightened teacher, having good patterns to follow, but lacking any perspective of his spiritual identity. Unfortunately, this has continued in the churches where many read his teachings, and try to live good lives, but hardly experience any difference in their lives since and before accepting Jesus. Vai Da This is a critical flaw as Jesus instructs all that would follow him to give up their individual lives, pick up his hardships (the cross), but most important — to follow him! What does follow him mean? Well, for one we must be willing to give up our lives, give up our own ways. [1] It means counting the cost before choosing to follow him. It may in fact lead us to be homeless in this life as he was. [2] What this implies is the removal of distractions and to focus entirely on the ways of Jesus. In doing so, it takes you to a different level. You begin to sense things that are spiritual in nature. You see beyond the daily mundane world and sense what is shaping events behind the visible. Being born of the Spirit is precisely what Jesus desired for all that will follow him. [3] To be led by the Spirit is to learn the things of Jesus, it is what makes reading the Bible possible with understanding. However, we must not try to ignore or resist the Spirit, which is very possible in a world where spiritual is denied and considered ancient mythology useful to only primitive people. [4] Only by walking in the Spirit can we achieve the life Jesus desires of us. [5] However, no one receives the Spirit unless you sincerely believe and ask to receive. [6] It’s not an abstract concept that you simply imply that you receive because you confessed with your mouth to be a follower of Jesus. The urgency I feel in making this statement is because we are walking in spiritually dead times, filled with intense spiritual blindness! The church has lost its fire, and adrift with new leaders taking control that are not inspired by God. This causes the flock of believers to get further into the clutches of Satan and his parasites. Becoming involved in politics, money schemes, dominance, and focusing on grievances and seeking unholy alliances to fix the problem. These things are not the ways of Christ and the Spirit. To America’s politically conservative Evangelicals: Let’s make the most of this Trump admin. How can you hold on to changing a fallen world when you know this world is destined for destruction and fire? [7] The spiritual goal of those that truly follow Jesus is to snatch others out of this world in preparation for Jesus’ return and the ending of this evil age. Not for building resources, land, and wealth to remain in it. This is going the wrong and opposite way of Jesus! Today, history is being made which fits within the end period of biblical history. Those with the Spirit sense this and feel both excitement, and sorrow for those that will face the coming wrath of God. Even now, a transition is unfolding as the Catholic Church faced a change in leadership. Indeed, after I wrote this section of this writing, the death of pope Frances occurred on April 21, 2025, Easter Monday. The great church of Rome, the last visual remnant of ancient Rome, the iron legs of the colossus in Daniel 2, as of May 8, 2025, a new pope was elected — and he is America! Pope Leo XIV. Why is this significant? It’s not necessarily the person that is now pope; although no American as ever held that position before, but it is symbolic and another reason for the growing American pride in global dominance. While the American president has flirted with a desire to be both religious and political head of state, the new pope represents the next best possibility for further influence. In a spiritual sense, America has assumed the role of Rome/Babylon in the world order! Soon the rock that is Christ will strike the Iron and clay foot — the final world kingdom -which is in formation now! Keeping a close eye on the progress of papal transition, the growing global alliances, wars and rumors of coming wars, mysterious changes in weather patterns, and ongoing pivoting towards global conflict. Keep watch as we see pieces of the new world order shaping up. The god of Money has become the most powerful influencer and nearly all in the leading classes are seeking to build and stuff their pockets. Today, right now something amazing is taking shape. Only those with spiritual eyes can see and discern this happening, Those lacking spiritual insight will get caught up on the wrong side of the returning of our Lord and Savior soon to happen. © Bob Russell Sources: [1] Luke 9: 23–25 [2] Luke 9:57–62; Matthew 8:18–22 [3] John 16:13; Romans 8:26; John 14:26; Romans 8:14–17; Romans 8:9 [4] 1 Thessalonians 5:19 [5] Galatians 5:16 [6] Luke 11:13; Galatians 4:6 [7] 2 Peter 3:10; 2 Peter 3:6–7

Matt Walsh “God’s not afraid of our questions. He made our minds to wonder, and our hearts to seek.” — Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday There it is. For so long, I thought asking questions about my faith was risky at best. After all, who am I to question God or the pastor? The above quote by Rachel is so simple but profound. It helped me a great deal. In fact, I discovered my faith took on a new dimension of peace, confidence, and joy. Rachel wasn’t trying to sound clever. She was offering oxygen to the ones gasping under the weight of performative faith. She handed us a flashlight and said, “Go ahead. It’s okay to look around.” And maybe most shocking of all — she trusted that God would be there in the shadows, with us, too. Questioning is sacred work I grew up with the impression that doubt was something to repent of. Like it was mold on your spiritual fruit. Ask too many questions and people start to squint at you like you’re contagious. But when I look at scripture with fresh eyes, the ones God seemed to draw nearest were often full of questions. Abraham says, “How can I know?” Moses blurts out, “What if they don’t believe me?” Mary dares to ask, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And then there’s Job, who launches a huge complaint that spans over 30 chapters. If God were bothered by questions, He had plenty of chances to cut Job off. But instead, God joins the conversation — not with condemnation, but with more questions of His own. It’s like God’s message was, “I’m not offended by your ache. I’m right here in it with you.” Even Jesus, hanging on a Roman cross, cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). The Savior of the world, the embodiment of divine love, shouted a question into the silence. If Jesus can question and still be beloved, maybe we can too. Faith isn’t a formula The kind of faith that Rachel talked about — the one that seeks, stumbles, and still shows up — that’s not weak. That’s not lazy. That’s honest. And it might just be the deepest kind. There’s a great line in Ecclesiastes that says, “He has set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Eternity in our hearts…and mystery at the edges. We weren’t made to grasp it all — we were made to wonder . But somewhere along the way, we started treating theology like a math test. Get it all right, or you’re out. Faith became less about seeking and more about defending. Less about being transformed and more about being correct. Rachel flipped the script. She reminded us that God is not fragile. He doesn’t need protecting from our curiosity. In fact, Proverbs calls it “the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out” (Proverbs 25:2). God expects us to dig deeper, not just memorize the answers. The wilderness is holy, too When your faith starts unraveling, it doesn’t feel poetic. It feels like panic. Like everything you held onto suddenly slipped through your fingers, and now your palms are empty — and trembling. But maybe the unraveling is the point . Maybe the wilderness isn’t a punishment — it’s a pathway. After all, Israel didn’t meet God in a palace. They met Him in the desert. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 4:1), not because He’d sinned, but because transformation begins in the wild. And on that dusty road to Emmaus, two heartbroken disciples walked alongside Jesus and didn’t even recognize Him. He let them vent. He let them question. He didn’t interrupt or correct. He just walked with them, until they invited Him in. And when He broke the bread, their eyes were opened (Luke 24:30–31). Not in the moment of theological precision, but in the intimacy of breaking. You’re not by yourself in the asking If you’re in that space where you don’t know what you believe anymore, you’re not broken. You’re not the exception. You’re just human. And you’re in very good company. Brian McLaren once said , “Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it’s an element of faith.” Peter Enns reminds us, “God desires our trust, not our correct beliefs.” And Barbara Brown Taylor confesses, “I have learned to prize holy ignorance more than certainty.” None of these folks are trying to burn it all down. They’re just pointing out that faith with room to breathe is the kind that grows roots. Strong ones. James puts it this way: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault” (James 1:5). Read that again — without finding fault . God’s not rolling His eyes when you ask. He’s leaning in. The Gentle Rebuild Some of us have been taught that the goal of faith is certainty. But what if the goal is trust ? Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” That doesn’t sound like a God who barks orders from a distance. That sounds like a God who sticks around. Who teaches patiently. Who doesn’t bail when we ask for directions for the fourth time in the same prayer. And when you’re not sure where to go next — when you feel the fog closing in — there’s this promise from Jeremiah that has held me in my darkest nights: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Not when you figure it all out. Not when you clean yourself up. Just…when you seek. That’s it. Your questions aren’t a liability So here’s the thing: your questions aren’t disqualifying you. They’re drawing you closer. Closer to a God who can’t be reduced to a checklist. Closer to the Spirit who’s not boxed in by doctrine. Closer to Jesus, who never once said, “Blessed are the certain.” No — He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Hunger is not the absence of faith — it’s the beginning of it. A final word for the weary You don’t have to pretend anymore.You ’re allowed to outgrow what once fit.You ’re allowed to ask hard questions and still be held by grace. Faith that can’t survive doubt isn’t faith — it’s fear in disguise. But the faith that can hold doubt? That’s the kind that just might set you free. So go ahead. Ask. Wonder. Wrestle. Because God’s not afraid of your questions, nor is He offended . He made your mind to wonder.He made your heart to seek.And He’s not hiding. You’re seeking. And that’s a good thing. © Gary L Ellis