The latest coming out from Christianity is the Old Testament God vs the New Testament God argument. That somehow they are different gods, and people are now declaring they are following the “God of Love,” not the “God of Wrath,” to get away with want they want to get away with. Well, here's the thing you’ll never be able to argue your way out of: "I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 (That’s OT and NT, by the way, just to cover my bases.) How do you think you’re going to argue your way out of that one? Your “God of the New Testament” is telling you He doesn’t change. You either accept all of Him or none of Him. There is no room between those two options. If you can’t accept all of Him, then you can not call yourself a Christian, because you are removing vital parts of God that are necessary for your understanding, salvation, and heaven. Once you start cherry-picking the parts you like, then you are guilty of creating a false religion; it is no longer Christianity. Society might have you duped into thinking you can make changes to the natural order of things, but an apple is still an apple even if you call it an orange. You may think you are strong for believing in yourself and deciding your own religion by declaring which Biblical God you’re following, but I say it is weakness and laziness. The loving Jesus you follow, and cling to certain teachings of, said this about the Old Testament: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17 Additionally, Jesus also stated, “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30. Then in Hebrews 13:8 we see, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!” You can’t get around that one, or the next one either. Your God of Love is also that God of wrath you don’t want to follow. Just read Revelation, you’ll be quite surprised. “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” Revelation 22:15 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 Here’s the link to look at the original Greek translation of Revelation 21:8, and here for Revelation 22:15, just in case you’re going with a translation error defense. If you do not know God, He will not know you. You know deep down I speak the truth, you just don’t want to hear it. You know what is real strength? Your willingness to obey God. And part of that is reading the Bible, learning the ins and outs because there is no contradiction of God’s character; to learn requires work, willingness, acceptance of new information, and being committed to following Him. When you follow Him, truly follow Him, something beautiful happens: you get a new heart. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 When you obey God, you start changing and growing, and the fruits of the Spirit naturally begin to come out of you. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22–23 Most people are familiar with these verses, or at least the gist of it —  But you want to see the first part for full context? The part that people conveniently ignore. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5 © Jane Isley You might also like: 📖 The Attributes of God in the Bible 📖 What Is False Teaching? Painting Over the Bible Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

We all do it. We pick verses. That in itself isn’t a bad thing. I’ve got verses tacked all over my office walls for references and research. The issue comes when a verse is cherry-picked, yanked out of its context, and treated as a complete thought or command, and is used to fuel an opinion, personal agenda, or doctrine that’s not Biblical. Then everything else around that verse is conveniently ignored. That’s the problem here. How We Got The Two Testements 1445 — Mordecai Nathan Jewish teacher who divided the Old Testament into either chapters or verses (can’t figure out which for sure). Long before that, though, scribes were already making divisions in the text to mark sections for teaching or public reading. 1205 or 1227 — Stephen Langton He was a professor and an Archbishop, credited with the chapter system we currently use today. He added chapters to the Latin Vulgate. 1244 & 1248 — Hugo of Sancto Caro He was the first person believed to have attempted to divide the Bible into chapters (thinking this was for the NT, by the sounds of it). He did this twice while revising the Latin Vulgate, and in 1236, he also gave us the first concordance. 16th Century — Back to Langton His chapter arrangement was put into Greek manuscripts of the New Testament sometime during this period. 1551 — Robert Estienne He was the one who numbered the verses within the chapters, and they were printed in his Greek New Testament edition. 1553 — Hebrew Bible — Robert Estienne Here we get the complete French Bible (OT & NT) printed with chapters and verses. 1557 — Geneva Translation First complete English New Testament translation with chapters and verses. 1560 — Geneva Translation We get the full English Bible (OT & NT) printed with chapters and verses. That is definitely not the complete history. But I’m not burning more brain cells on Google today. Why The History Lesson? Because it was people who applied chapters and verses only to assist in studying and teaching both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It was not done to permit people to pick one line, slap it on a bumper sticker, and die on that hill. All the writers, all their words, were inspired by God. He wouldn’t hand us this incredible book just for us to slice it into isolated fortune-cookie quotes. And nowhere did Jesus ever say, “Yeah, just ignore the Old Testament now.” The Old Testament didn’t die when Christ died. To prove that point, when Jesus was teaching and reading, guess what He was referencing and reading from? The texts we call the “Old” Testament. Also, so did the apostles after Christ died. God’s Perspective God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are outside of time; humanity has time because we need it, God doesn’t. He doesn’t see “Old” and “New,” like we do. He sees only His words on paper. Words that are interconnected between books written decades apart from each other. He saw what was written before His Son came and died for us, and what is written afterward. His one complete message to us. And We Should Too The more I study, the more I come to see these complex interconnections within the entire Bible, and the absolute need to not die on any cherry-picked hill that leads to unbiblical doctrine or teachings. We are to lead the world to Christ by example. So when you’re busy out there cherry-picking, why can't an unbeliever? You just fed them their permission. Think about what that looks like from the outside. An unbeliever watches one Christian quote a single verse to win an argument, then watches another Christian quote a different single verse to win the opposite one. Both walk away certain. The unbeliever concludes the book can be made to say anything, so why take it seriously? That is not a failure of the Bible. It is a failure of the people handling it. That history lesson above points to the fix. Chapters and verses are an index, a way to find your place on the page. They were never the message. The message is the whole book, one story from Genesis to Revelation, and God sees it as one. So when you find a verse, read the paragraph above it and the paragraph below it. Then ask what the rest of Scripture says on the same subject. If the verse still says what you thought, good. If it does not, better to find that out now than to build a doctrine on it. You cannot hang your entire theology on a handful of cherry-picked verses, use them to justify sinful behavior, unbiblical teaching, and personal agendas, and still expect to stroll through the pearly gates. The Bible is and always was one complete book. Read it that way, and let the people watching see you do it. © Jane Isley

Why You Can’t Choose Only the Ones You Like Many only want one piece of God’s character, saying they choose the “loving God”, but then ignore the rest of Him in an effort to justify their belief system. Let me provide an example. My husband: he is sweet, kind, loving, happy, crabby, serious, annoying, stubborn, cheerful, fun, defensive, smart, etc… I can’t just choose one or even two of his characteristics to love and converse with for the rest of my life; I have to choose all of him or none because he’s a package deal, and they are all equally a part of him. That would lead to a rather dull and disappointing relationship if I only interacted with one or two of his characteristics for the rest of my life. I believe most sane people can agree that to love someone is to accept all of their characteristics, even the ones you aren’t particularly fond of. It’s All-Or-Nothing This idea that you can pick and choose what characteristics of God you want to believe in and focus on is disastrous for your faith. You can’t select, elevate, and revere one above the others and expect a rich and abundant relationship with Him. www.studocu.com It really is an all-or-nothing situation. To cut God’s characteristics up like a pizza, then pick one piece to eat for the rest of your life, will leave you starving. I Do Not Change Here’s the thing: God does not change, and in turn, you can not change God either and expect Him to go along with that nonsense. You have to accept all of Him, even the “God of the Old Testament” that so many have an issue with. Some will call as defense that the Old Testament God is not the same God of the New Testament and that they simply can not believe in that kind of God, yet they happily say they believe in “The God of the New Testament.” Which is quite oxymoronic because they are one and the same. "I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6 (OT) "These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of heavenly lights, in whose character this is no change as all." James 1:17 (NT) Additionally, we have Jesus stating, “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30. Then in Hebrews 13:8 we see, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!” Your God Of Love Is Also The God Of Wrath Attempting to separate the two, or any of the characteristics of God, leaves you at a disadvantage where you begin to adjust your thinking to the ways of man and not the ways of God. When you remove a characteristic(s) you don’t like or understand, then you simply do not know God. It would be an impossibly, because you are removing key elements and pressing the mute button on both yourself and God. You, and only you, are responsible for that. If you are capable of accepting your spouse, parents, siblings, child, best friend, etc, as a whole, then you are fully capable of doing that with the God of both the Old and New Testament because they are indeed one and the same, whether you want to accept that or not. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it — not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it — they will be blessed in what they do.” James 1:22–25 “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16 Acceptance is and always will be your choice. But it goes both ways; acceptance into Heaven is also God’s choice as well, if you turn from Him, He will not let you enter. Understanding the attributes of God in the Bible reminds us that knowing Him means embracing His whole character, not just the parts that feel comfortable. “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:20–24 © Jane Isley Sources, References & Recommended Reads: Malachi 3:6, James 1:17 & Romans 8:13 GotQuestions.org: Why is God so different in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament? Overemphasizing One Attribute of God by: David Norczyk Bible Study Tools: The Attributes of God: What They Mean and Why They Matter

This will be my wrap-up article addressing this whole Old Testament vs New Testament God ridiculousness going on out there. I wish people would realize that the Bible is ONE whole book; people added the term “Old” Testament, not God. Since so many like to cherry-pick their form of Christianity these days to believe in, let's reconcile this. They hate the God of the Old Testament (God of Wrath) and choose to follow the God of the New Testament (God of Love). What would you do if you found out you were wrong about this? The Loving God of the Old Testament I’m dropping a comment by I. M. Koen that sums up what I would list out about God’s love in the Old Testament. “God is so angry! Except for the manna, water, sea splitting, dropping Jericho, cloud and pillar of fire, healing foreign lepers, miraculously feeding his people during famines, saving from plagues, shutting lions’ mouths, showing up in a furnace, speaking to myriads face to face, saving Lot, forgiving sin, giving His people their own land, hearing cries, writing our names on the palms of His hands, using women to save entire races, confusin our enemies, feeding with ravens, bringing dry bones back to life, bringing victory against overwhelming odds, forgiving Nineveh (much to Jonah’s chagrin), guiding a stone to Goliath, opening wombs, demanding we rest one day a week, making the sun to stand still, giving Samson supernatural strength right after he had been with a hooker, sowing skins to replace fig leaves, decreeing clothes don’t wear out for 40 years, restoring fortunes, promoting and exalting the unworthy, warning Cain, delighting in prosperity, hearing prayers, multiplying oil and grain, making a borrowed axe head swim, sending angels many times to help people, and watching His son be mutilated for OUR sakes….I can go on for hours. But OTHER THAN THAT, God is so angry.” That is your “God of Wrath,” you hate so much, that you fight against and try to ignore. But what would happen to your belief system when confronted with the “God of the New Testament?” The God of Love Still Judges “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15 That’s your “God of Love,” your “God of the New Testament” that you prefer and built your belief system on. He is the same God who has always held people accountable for their actions; the message has never changed. "I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6 (OT) "These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of heavenly lights, in whose character this is no change as all." James 1:17 (NT) © Jane Isley Recommended Further Reading: New Testament God vs the Old Testament God The Attributes of God in the Bible Is the Old Testament God the Same as the New Testament God?

When life hurts, silence can feel like the worst possible answer. You pray, you cry, you ask God for help, and the only thing you hear is nothing. That can feel like abandonment, or punishment, or some kind of spiritual failure you don’t understand. It can make you wonder if you’ve done something wrong or if God is upset with you. But that is far from the truth. God is never silent. He is present, even when He is quiet. Quiet is not the same as absence, and it is not the same as God stepping away from you. Quiet is often His way of staying close when your heart is too overwhelmed to process more words. I learned this in a very real way one night when my daughter was struggling. As her caregiver, I’ve seen her go through more storms than most people ever will, and that night was one of the hard ones. I tried everything I could think of, talking, comforting, joking, distracting, encouraging, and nothing worked. She was hurting, and every word I offered was simply falling on tired ears and and a tired mind. After a while, I stopped trying to fix it with sentences. I shifted over, made space, and asked her to come sit with me. She curled up beside me the way she used to when she was little, and I held her. I rubbed her back. I squeezed her hand. I stayed right there with her. I didn’t say a word, but I was never silent. My presence was the communication. My love was the communication. My heartbeat was the communication. She didn’t need more words. She needed me to just be there. That moment changed the way I understand God’s quiet. Scripture never describes God abandoning His people during their storms. Instead, it shows Him as present, even when He isn’t speaking. Jesus said, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). The psalmist wrote, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). Hebrews reminds us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (13:5). If God were truly silent — utterly silent — His presence would have to disappear and our entire world and existence would also disappear. That would mean He left you. Scripture says He doesn’t. So if He’s quiet, it’s not because He’s gone. It’s because He’s sitting next to you holding you steady. When you’re hurting, your mind can’t always process teaching, instruction, or direction. God knows this. He meets you with presence instead of pressure. Quiet is a form of comfort, the same way a parent holds a child who is too overwhelmed to hear anything more. Many storms in life happen simply because life is hard, not because God is testing you or withholding Himself until you “listen better.” Those phrases can damage your relationship with Him, especially when you’re already fragile. Storms are part of being human, and God walks through them with you. His comfort shows up in small, steady ways — the blanket you wrap around yourself, the friend who checks in, the moment your breathing slows, the strength to get through one more day. Presence is communication, even when it doesn’t come in sentences. If you’re hurting right now and God feels silent, remember HIS truth: He is holding you. He is staying with you. He is respecting your heart. Quiet is not rejection. Quiet is not punishment. Quiet is not distance. Quiet is love. Look for the communication that is beyond words. Picture Him holding you the way I held my daughter that night, steady, present, and unmovable. Sometimes the most beautiful gift God gives in our storms is His quiet, present presence. © Jane Isley Recommended Reads: What Does It Mean Jesus Died for Our Sins? What Is Sin & Where Pride Fits In?

“What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come to torment us before the time?” Matthew 8:29 We read that line too quickly. We imagine little cartoon devils trembling. But first-century Jews did not imagine cartoonish imps. When a Jew heard the word daimonion, “demon," they did not picture Disney villains, red tights, or pitchforks. They heard something older, they heard elohim. And when an Israelite used the word elohim, they did not mean “the one true God.” They meant any inhabitant of the spiritual realm ,  any being whose nature was non-human, non-corporeal, powerful, and divine in rank. Yahweh is Elohim ,  but not the only elohim. And when the New Testament says Jesus cast out daimónia, the connection is deliberate. Jesus was driving out rival spiritual beings ,  rival gods. This is the story beneath the story. This is what makes the Gospels electric. This is why the spirits screamed. Because when Jesus stepped onto the scene, the gods panicked. This is the story of when the gods bowed. Understanding the Old Testament Elohim and New Testament Demons We have been taught to think too small. Modern Christianity inherited a tiny demonology. We’ve reduced “demon” to: ✔️ a fallen angel ✔️ a mischievous imp ✔️ a tempter ✔️ a nuisance But Scripture presents something far more staggering. If the Old Testament calls members of Yahweh’s heavenly host elohim, and the New Testament calls those same entities daimonia, then the Gospels are not stories of Jesus chasing away annoying spirits. The Gospels record Jesus waging open war on the gods of the nations. When Jesus rebukes a demon, He is not flicking away a mosquito. He is overthrowing another power. He is dethroning a spiritual prince. He is reversing Genesis 11. He is invading Psalm 82 territory. We have been reading a multiverse battle in black-and-white. The Old Testament Context: Elohim Means More Than ‘God’ Let’s clear the ground. The word elohim in Hebrew is not a name. It is a category. It means: a resident of the spiritual realm. Here are biblical examples: • “You shall have no other elohim before Me.” (Exod 20:3) ~ There are other elohim, but they are not Yahweh. • “For Yahweh is the great God above all elohim.” (Ps 95:3) ~ If Yahweh is “above” them, they exist, but He outranks them infinitely. • “The sons of God (bene elohim) came before Yahweh.” (Job 1:6) ~ These are divine beings. • “God takes His stand in the council of elohim.” (Ps 82:1) ~ There is a divine council of spiritual rulers. Every one of these beings is an elohim. Yahweh alone is haElohim , the Most High God, uncreated, eternal. The biblical writers were not polytheists. They simply recognized the supernatural world as populated, structured, and hierarchical. Yahweh is in a class of His own. But other elohim exist,  and they rule nations (Deut 32:8 — 9). When Israel turned to idols, they weren’t just turning to statues. They were turning to the spiritual beings behind the idols (Deut 32:16 — 17; Ps 106:36 — 37; 1 Cor 10:20). These beings ,  the elohim of the nations ,  became rebel powers. In the New Testament, these same beings appear under a Greek label: daimonia — demons A Shift From Elohim to Daimonia: Not a New Category, Just a New Language When Jews in Jesus’ day spoke Greek, they needed a word that matched the Old Testament’s elohim category. They used daimonion. In Greek literature, a daimon is not necessarily evil. It is a powerful spiritual being — divine, intermediary, ruling, influencing. The first-century audience understood daimónia = spiritual powers. So the New Testament did not shrink the unseen realm. Christians did. The apostles simply used the Greek word that captured the same conceptual world as elohim. Thus: • Psalm 96:5 (LXX): “All the gods (elohim) of the nations are daimonia.” • Deuteronomy 32:17 (LXX): “They sacrificed to daimonia, not to God.” There it is ,  front and center. The New Testament’s “demons” are the Old Testament’s “gods.” They are elohim, dethroned by Yahweh, condemned in Psalm 82, but still influential until the Messiah comes. This is why the Gospel narratives explode with supernatural warfare. Jesus isn’t just healing bodies. He is reclaiming territory. He isn’t just telling demons to leave. He is forcing gods to kneel. The Birth of Jesus Was a Declaration of War From the moment Jesus is born, the elohim realm knows something has shifted. Angels fill the sky not with lullabies, but with military announcements: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth…” (Luke 2:14) Peace does not come unless a stronger kingdom arrives to break the power of the old. The spiritual realm trembles. Herod ,  not just a wicked king, but a pawn of spiritual rulers , goes into a murderous frenzy. Simeon and Anna prophecy because heaven is stirring. Something is happening that threatens every power, throne, principality, and dominion. The Son of God has entered the turf of the enemy. Why the Demons Recognize Jesus Before the Humans Do Humans are slow. The disciples need years. Crowds misunderstand. Pharisees resist. But the spiritual beings? They understand instantly. They cry out: “We know who You are!” “Have You come to destroy us?” “Son of the Most High God!” Why? Because they know Psalm 2. They know Psalm 82. They know Daniel 7. They know the prophecy of the Son of Man who would take dominion and strip the nations’ rulers of authority. They know the seed of the woman has arrived. They know the One who will crush the serpent’s head is walking toward them. So they bow ,  not in worship, but in terror. Jesus terrifies demons because He outranks them. He commands the elohim realm by nature, not by delegation. When Jesus speaks, the gods obey. Every Exorcism Is a Throne Room Event Watch carefully what happens in every Gospel exorcism. The pattern is unmistakable: 1. The demon sees Jesus. 2. The demon reacts violently. 3. The demon acknowledges Jesus’ authority. 4. Jesus commands. 5. The demon obeys. This is courtroom language. Legal language. Throne-room language. They shrink back because He carries the authority of the Most High. This is why the crowds say: “What new teaching is this? With authority He commands unclean spirits, and they obey Him!” (Mark 1:27) No one had ever done this. Israel had exorcists, yes. But Israel never had a King who could walk into a region and empty it of its gods. Jesus’ command is not magical. Not ritual. Not formulaic. It is ontological. He commands because He is Lord. This is Yahweh in flesh stepping into the domain of the lesser gods and stripping them of power. Every exorcism is a dethronement ceremony. The Gerasene Demoniac: The Gods Beg Permission Mark 5 is the clearest example. A man possessed by a legion of daimónia lives among tombs, territory of the dead, the domain of dark powers. Jesus steps off the boat. Instantly the powers react: “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Notice the title: Son of the Most High God. This is language used by non-Israelite nations to speak of Yahweh. The gods are confessing: “We know who Your Father is. We know You outrank us. We know You have arrived as Judge.” Then the unthinkable happens: They beg Him for permission. The elohim of the nations — fallen, corrupt, territorial rulers — stand before Jesus and ask: “Please do not torment us.” “Please do not send us out of the region.” “Please send us into the pigs.” They cannot move without His word. They cannot relocate without His approval. This is the moment when the veil tears. This is the moment that reveals the cosmic hierarchy: Jesus is Lord. Every other spiritual being is creature. The pigs rush into the sea,  the symbolic reversal of Egypt’s army drowned in judgment , and Jesus stands victorious on Gentile soil. The gods have bowed. Why Jesus’ Ministry Is Filled With Exorcism, But the Old Testament Isn’t Here is a mystery that confused readers for centuries: Why are there almost no exorcisms in the Old Testament? Why do they explode in the New Testament? The answer: Because the King had not yet arrived to reclaim the nations. Until Jesus came, the rebellious gods,  the elohim of the nations,  still held legal jurisdiction. God had disinherited the nations at Babel (Deut 32:8 — 9). He gave them over to lesser rulers. Israel alone was Yahweh’s inheritance. But when the Messiah comes, the boundaries shift. When Jesus appears, He invades Gentile turf. He begins reclaiming what was lost. He binds the “strong man” (Mark 3:27). He spoils his goods. This is why Jesus’ ministry is filled with exorcisms. It is a sign: The Most High has come to take back the world. Jesus Isn’t Casting Out Demons  He’s Rewriting the Cosmic Map. Every time Jesus casts out a demon, He is not performing a trick. He is redrawing the spiritual geography of earth. He is doing Psalm 82 in real time: “Arise, O God, judge the elohim…” He is throwing down the rulers of the nations: • He heals the sick → reversing death • He cleanses lepers → reversing impurity • He casts out demons → reversing the dominion of foreign gods • He announces the Kingdom → reversing the exile of humanity The cross is the climax. The resurrection is the victory shout. Pentecost is the global takeover. The Gospel going to the Gentiles is the invasion of the nations formerly ruled by rebel elohim. This is why Paul calls them: • principalities • powers • thrones • dominions • rulers of this age And then says: Christ is above every one of them. (Ephesians 1:20 — 23) When the gods Bowed: The Temptation Narrative The temptation in the wilderness is not about Jesus resisting a few sinful ideas. It is about Jesus being confronted by the god of this world. A ruler offering kingdoms he actually governs. Satan shows Him all the kingdoms of the earth. He says: “They are mine to give.” Jesus does not disagree. Because they were, in a limited sense, under his and other elohim’s rule. But when the Son refuses the shortcut, the path is set: He will take the nations back not by compromise, but by conquest. Not through worshipping a lesser elohim, but through destroying them. Not by bowing to a creature, but by making creatures bow to Him. The Cross: The Public Humiliation of the Gods Paul says something wild in Colossians 2:15:“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, triumphing over them in the cross.” This is courtroom language. This is military parade language. The cross looks like defeat to humans. It looked like victory to the powers. But it was their undoing. The cross was the moment Yahweh in flesh bound the gods of the nations, took away their legal authority, and stripped them publicly. They lost: • the right to accuse • the right to rule • the right to control nations • the right to blind minds • the right to enslave humanity They bowed. Because the Son of God had triumphed. The resurrection is the declaration: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” (Matt 28:18) Not some. Not partial. All. Every elohim knows it. Pentecost: The Nations Are Reclaimed Pentecost is not a random holiday. It is the reversal of Babel. At Babel: God divided the nations. At Pentecost: God reunites them under Christ. Tongues are not a charismatic party trick. They are a military signal: Messiah is taking back the nations once ruled by the gods. The nations previously under the administration of lesser elohim (per Deut 32) are now hearing the Gospel. The gods are losing territory. Their reign is ending. They bow because they cannot stop the Kingdom. The Early Church: Living Proof the Gods Have Fallen Why did exorcism continue as one of the most expected signs of the Kingdom in the early church? Because the church is the embassy of the new King. Wherever Christians go, idols fall. Wherever the Gospel goes, the gods lose jurisdiction. Wherever the Spirit goes, the rival powers retreat. Paul says: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers…” We wrestle. But we win. Because Christ sits above them. Because the gods have bowed. Because their authority has been broken. The Christian is not fighting for victory. The Christian fights from victory. What It Means Today Your Struggle Is Not Psychological Only, But Cosmic. This theology is not academic. It is not theoretical. You feel it when: • you wrestle with generational patterns • you feel spiritual heaviness over a city • you encounter idolatrous systems • you meet people tormented by dark forces • you confront the demonic in addiction, hatred, or oppression You are not dealing with cartoons. You are dealing with spiritual powers,  lesser elohim ,  who resist the rule of God. But the good news is the same: Jesus already made them bow. He is Lord. They are subject. You belong to the King. The Final Scene: Every Elohim Will Bow in Judgment Psalm 82 ends with the death sentence of the gods: “You will die like men…” This is not a metaphor. They will lose their immortality. They will be judged. They will be cast down permanently. Revelation shows the end: • The dragon cast into the lake of fire • The beast destroyed • The false prophet judged • The nations reclaimed • The New Jerusalem ruling over all Christ reigns. Humanity ,  redeemed, resurrected, glorified ,  rules with Him. The gods that once oppressed humanity are gone. The Kingdom is restored. Eden is restored. The world is restored. And Yahweh alone is worshiped. Conclusion: Jesus Is Not Exorcising Demons — He Is Expelling gods We have read the Gospels as if Jesus were doing small things. But He is doing the biggest thing imaginable. He is unseating the spiritual rulers of the world. He is taking back the nations. He is forcing the gods to kneel before Him. Every exorcism is a coronation. Every healing is a sign of a new Eden. Every word He speaks echoes through the unseen realm. The gods bow because they must. The gods bow because they fear Him. The gods bow because He is Yahweh in flesh, and He has come to reclaim His world. And today? They still bow. Because Jesus Christ is Lord  of heaven, of earth, and of all the elohim. Seeing the connection between Old Testament elohim and New Testament demons reveals the cosmic scale of Jesus’ authority. Amen. © 2026 Jeff Barlatier (Doctoral Candidate)MDiv candidate Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

A reflection on burdens, Scripture, and supernatural rest Psalm 51 hit me especially hard last night. I have already written to you about how I started with a gloomy mindset recently. (link below) Even though my actions were better than my thoughts and feelings, a grey storm cloud remained over my head, surrounding my downcast soul despite my best efforts to keep it at bay. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5, 11 and Psalm 43:5 (NIV) The Breaking Point When I wrote “Psalm 51 hit me especially hard last night,” I meant that the emotional heaviness that had collected like rain in my storm cloud throughout the day suddenly burst. It leveled me into an inconsolable puddle of tears as I sat upon a large boulder overlooking a beautiful sunset with my husband, reading Psalm 51 together. The only two words I managed to utter through the uncontrollable weeping were, “I can’t…” You can imagine my husband’s surprise as he wondered what was happening and what words might complete that heavy sentence. Quick Multiple Choice Options: a) “… be married to you anymore.” b) “… live like this anymore.” c) “… do this life any longer.” d) Other:___________________ A Supportive Presence He patiently wrapped his arm around me to comfort my heaving shoulders and gently whispered, “You can’t what?” At that point, I mustered two more words between quiet sobs: “…read anymore.” Fortunately, he intuitively knew exactly what to do; he finished reading the rest of the chapter out loud for both of us. To give you more context, we normally take turns reading five verses each from our Chronological Bible Reading Plan, a method I grew up using with my family. Reflecting on the Struggle After finishing the readings and our sunset walk, we debriefed what had happened. We discussed the reasons the emotional dam had broken wide open, flooding over us on that rock. While there were various contributing factors (including past sins forgiven, but not forgotten), it ultimately came down to this verse: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) Finding Comfort in Scripture After processing those thoughts and feelings through prayer, and taking a few deep, cleansing breaths, I felt a major weight lift off my shoulders. I felt carried safely back home by my Savior once again. Isaiah 46:4 ~“Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 40:11 ~“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom.” Psalm 68:19 ~ “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Matthew 11:28 ~“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Deuteronomy 1:31 ~ “In the wilderness you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went.” Reflections and Next Steps Finding comfort in scripture during emotional turmoil is a profound experience that reminds us we are not alone in our struggles. When the weight of life feels unbearable, turning to the timeless truths of the Bible can provide a sanctuary of peace, offering a perspective that transcends our immediate circumstances and anchors our souls in God’s unwavering love and strength. When have you felt emotionally overwhelmed, and how did you seek peace? How can you more effectively invite a partner or trusted friend into your struggles when you feel unable to express yourself? Which of the scriptures shared provides you with the most comfort, and why? The subtitle about Philippians 4 Peace is real. May you experience that supernatural healing as needed my beloved sisters and brothers. © Nora Gwen 🌻 Recommended Read by Nora Gwen 🌻 🌱 The Power of Choice: Why Actions Speak Louder Than Words — on choosing integrity and steady action over fleeting feelings, even when your mindset feels foggy. ☕ If Nora's words offered you comfort today, consider supporting her writing over a coffee. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

After being prompted by Jane Isley, to interview a fellow Christian for a future story idea, I put on my thinking cap. I agreed that an interview piece would make an interesting essay, so I put together a list of interview questions based on a wilderness theme. Several people kindly said they were willing to be interviewed, but busy seasons of life made it hard for anyone to follow through. I understand completely, and that experience may become a story of its own someday. Maybe I am a bit impatient, or maybe I just don’t like to nag people. I am also something of a DIY personality who tends to go it alone, so I decided to get started on my own. To get the conversation started, I will share the questions here along with some of my own answers. If you would like to be interviewed about your own spiritual wilderness, visit my Medium page and send me a message. 1. Entering the Wilderness Q. Can you describe a season in your life when you felt as though you were in a proverbial “wilderness” — a place of uncertainty, isolation, loss, waiting, or spiritual struggle? What was happening in your life at that time? A. Yes, for me the most profound wilderness experience happened during COVID; at a time, I had moved back home with my mother while going through a divorce after a 27+ year marriage, and was quarantined on lockdown along with the rest of the world. I was waiting to see what The Lord had for me next. And I was suffering from the added heartbreak of a couple of friends in recovery who, from my perception, had betrayed me in a way I would rather not explain in greater detail here. 2. Experiencing God in the Wilderness Q. During that wilderness season, how did you experience God — or, perhaps, how did you struggle to experience Him? Were there particular moments when you sensed His presence, guidance, provision, or silence? A. Quite literally, it felt like I was taking nature walks with Jesus every single day during that lockdown life. I definitely felt his presence with provision and guidance as he helped me save up money to eventually get my own place, and he guided me through what it means to be healthy and whole with or without another marriage relationship in my life. 3. What the Wilderness Revealed Q. Looking back, what did your wilderness experience reveal to you about yourself, your faith, and your relationship with God that you might not have discovered under different circumstances? A. Having the time and quiet environment to grieve, heal, and let go of those I needed to place in God’s loving hands (including myself) was on an incredible level that may not have been possible under any other circumstances. Investing quality time with my mother while her mental and physical capabilities were still as strong and competent as they were at that time, relatively speaking, was also undoubtedly by divine appointment. 4. The Impact on Your Relationship with God Q. How did going through the wilderness change your relationship with God? Did it affect the way you pray, read Scripture, trust Him, worship, or understand His character? A. One hundred and fifty-five percent! My relationship had never been as close and intimate with my Jesus prior to that COVID wilderness experience as it is now, as a direct result of that season of isolation and intense recovery. Regarding reading scripture more, that is a big YES as well. Specifically, Philippians 4 has been my life chapter for a long time now to remind me to meditate on whatever things are pure, lovely, noble, and of good report. In recent years, God also gave me an additional life verse so relevant to the approval-seeking little girl in me that I still have not fully outgrown, unfortunately. That verse is Galatians 1:10: Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 5. Looking Back from the Other Side Q. Now that you have some distance from that experience, how do you understand your wilderness season differently? Is there anything you would say to another Christian who is currently walking through their own wilderness? A. Hindsight truly is 20/20, so looking back on that time now, I tremendously value it as precious quality time with The Lord. At the time it felt like frustration, suffering, and broken-hearted loneliness. But now I know God was faithfully doing a healing, transformational work in my heart. To the fellow Christian who is in a season of waiting or suffering, I want to encourage you with Philippians 1:6: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. In conclusion, while seasons in the wilderness often feel lonely, painful, and filled with uncertainty, they are rarely without purpose. When we surrender our timelines to God and allow Him to refine our hearts in the quiet places, our isolation transforms into a sacred space of personal growth and spiritual deepening. Trusting His perfect timing through every valley ultimately reminds us that He is faithfully using every season to shape us for what lies ahead. © Nora Gwen 🌻

How Psalm 37 Answers that Question The claim that Jesus quoted the Book of Enoch is all over the internet, but it doesn't hold up when you look at the historical timeline. A side-by-side comparison of Matthew 5:5 and 1 Enoch 5:7 looks convincing at first glance. But Psalm 37:11 predates both, and changes everything. This article walks through the evidence and explains why the Book of Enoch doesn't carry the authority many people assume it does. What you'll learn Why the Psalm 37 timeline matters and what it proves What Jude was actually doing when he referenced Enoch Why the Books of Enoch disqualify themselves as inspired Scripture What to make of extrabiblical texts and why the Bible remains the standard Scripture Comparison Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth,” 1 Enoch 5:7:“But for the chosen, there will be light, joy, and peace, and they shall inherit the earth.” At first glance, this can look like convincing evidence that Jesus was quoting Enoch, even I scratched my head for a moment until I remembered: "But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Psalms 37:11 Psalms were written long before the Books of Enoch. Although the entire collection took centuries to complete, all of it predates the birth of Jesus. Blue Letter Bible provides estimated dates for each section, with Psalm 37 being written during the Babylonian Captivity around 539 B.C. Concerns About the Books of Enoch When evaluating the authority of the Books of Enoch, several issues stand out, and I understand this topic stirs strong feelings. But the evidence matters more than the emotion. First, the books were written during the Intertestamental period and after. Second, they contain numerous contradictions with Scripture (Some sources to check out: 1, 2, 3, and 4,). Third, Jesus and the apostles never validated the unusual and often bizarre subject matter found in Enoch. The narrative presented in these books does not align with the teachings found in the rest of the Bible. The books are attributed to Enoch, but this is an example of pseudepigrapha, a common practice in which writings were assigned to notable biblical figures. Enoch was certainly noteworthy, as he walked with God and was taken by Him, but that does not mean he authored these texts. When comparing sources, the order is clear, and this is historically and academically established. Psalms came first. → Jesus quoted Psalms. → Enoch quoted Psalms. Understanding Jude’s Reference to Enoch Another argument often raised is Jude 14, which says, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones.’” Some use this to claim that Jude validated the Book of Enoch as inspired Scripture. A closer look shows otherwise. Jude mentioned the name of Enoch, not the Book of Enoch. He did not say he was quoting from an authoritative text. Quoting any outside source does not make that source inspired. Jesus quoted Caesar, but that did not make Caesar’s words authoritative and Paul quoted pagan Greek poets and that did not make their works authoritative. Jude was fighting back against people who had renounced Christianity (apostates), people who were using 1 Enoch. Jude was making a rather sassy and clever point by using the religious material that was familiar to them. That judgment would come to the ungodly and all false teachers. By using this to make his point, he was able to engage the Apostates directly and more effectively. The Issue Now Instead of this being about the Apostates and the point he was getting across to them, it has turned into him “validating” 1 Enoch as being somehow authoritative Scripture. Again, Jude never stated it was authoritative; the Books of Enoch (and the other ones) invalidate themselves as authoritative all on their own, and if people want to go that far, then they might as well go after Jesus and Paul, too. No one denies that the books exist, and no one denies that there is some historical truth contained in them, but that does not make them authoritative or inspired. The Books of Enoch were written by people who wanted to believe certain things because they didn’t like what they were hearing, no different then certain books written in my modern times that we understand are not inspired by God, example, the Book of Mormon. Believe what you will, but ask yourself, why is there a need to put faith in these books that are proven to be unbiblical, inaccurate, and uninspired? I also want to plainly state, if it was meant to be in the Bible, it would be in all of them, just like Acts, Titus, Hebrews, Esther etc.... “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.” Deut 4:2 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.” Rom 16:17 © Jane Isley Continue Reading: 📜 Apocrypha & the Bible: The Danger of Unlocking Hidden Secrets Explains why the hunt for "hidden" spiritual secrets, new revelations, secret texts, and hidden knowledge comes from a heart deficiency, not a Bible deficiency. Warns that satan preys on curiosity and the desire to feel spiritually "in the know." Calls readers back to grounding in Scripture alone. 📜 The so-called "Lost Gospels" Argues that books like Enoch, Maccabees, Tobit, and Judith were never actually "lost", they were known and deliberately excluded from the canon for real reasons (doctrinal contradictions, late authorship, works-based salvation, etc.). Makes the case that using non-canonical texts to challenge Scripture is standing on shaky ground. I also recommend reading the article “Why Does the New Testament Cite Extrabiblical Sources?” It is very informative on the topic of Jude and extrabiblical sources and talks about Paul doing the same thing as well. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

The question isn't if they're real. It's what they are. Ask most people whether the Bible mentions aliens and they'll say no. But that answer is only true if you let Hollywood define the word for you. Picture small grey visitors, abductions, and saucers, and you're right, Scripture never mentions those, because that image was built by the entertainment world, not by God. Change the definition to what the word can actually mean, a being not of this world, an intelligence operating beyond human limits, and the Bible is not silent at all. It has been speaking about exactly that the whole time. It simply uses different language: rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). So the honest question isn't really "are aliens demons." It's "what am I actually asking about, and does Scripture already have a name for it?" And once you ask it that way, the fog clears fast. The Bible describes a spiritual dimension populated by real, intelligent, non-human beings, some faithful, some fallen. It warns, repeatedly, that as time wears on, deception will intensify, that satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and that lying signs and wonders will be used to mislead even the sincere. The question of the hour was never whether something is out there. It's whether we can recognize what it is when it shows up wearing a costume our culture finally finds believable. That's the thread running through the four articles below. Read them, process them, and pray on them. One reframes the question, one brings the scholarship, one exposes the deeper deception underneath all of it, and one gives you the biblical foundation the rest stand on. Whatever brought you here, curiosity, a headline, a UAP report, or a genuine unease, this is where discernment starts. Start by fixing the question itself. Before you can answer whether aliens are demons, you have to stop letting the media define your terms. Begin with Aliens and the Bible: Before You Go Chasing Them. Its point is bracing: the crisis isn't what may or may not exist beyond Earth, it's how little of Scripture the average believer knows well enough to interpret any of it. When only a fraction of Christians hold a biblical worldview, a generation walks into signs and wonders spiritually unarmed. This is the piece that clears the ground, define the word, test the spirits, and refuse to be moved by what you can't explain. Then bring in what the scholars have documented. For the reader who wants the research rather than just the principle, Debra Hodges' Are Aliens Demons? A Biblical Look at What's Really Affecting Us lays out the case that respected Christian thinkers, Hugh Ross, Chuck Missler, Michael Heiser, have made for years. It walks through why the reported phenomena, the sudden appearances, the sleep paralysis, the encounters that stop cold at the name of Jesus, fit an interdimensional and demonic model far better than a extraterrestrial one. Most striking is the pattern in the messages themselves: deny the deity of Christ, dismiss sin and judgment, offer a counterfeit gospel. The source gives itself away. See the wider deception these encounters belong to. The alien question is one face of a larger one: the hunger to reach the spiritual realm on our own terms. Mikiyas Astatke's A Christian Response to New Age Spirituality traces that hunger through his own drift into the new age, the meditation, the books, the endless chase for one more secret, and shows how Ephesians dismantles it. The promise of hidden knowledge always keeps the prize just out of reach. The gospel ends the chase, not because you finally arrived, but because the One you were searching for already reached you. Whether the packaging is a tarot deck, a frequency, or a saucer, the counterfeit is the same, and so is the answer. Then get the foundation the whole thing rests on. Under every one of these conversations sits a single question: what are these beings, actually? New Testament Demons Are the Old Testament Elohim is the word study that grounds the rest, showing how the language Scripture uses for these spiritual powers threads across both Testaments and describes the same entities Jesus confronted face to face. This is the piece think on with when you want your discernment built on the text itself rather than on speculation. Start here if you're new to the topic, or end here to anchor everything the other three raised. Where this leaves you. Put the four together and the takeaway is steadying instread of frightening. Scripture already answered the question that keeps the people up at night. We are not alone, we never were, and the beings the Bible describes are not new arrivals from distant galaxies but powers it named long ago. The believer grounded in the Word doesn't panic at a headline or a disclosure or a light in the sky, because the real question was never "are we alone." It's whose voice you'll trust when something impressive asks for your attention. Test the spirits. Know the Shepherd's voice. And you will not be moved by what you cannot explain. © Jane Isley