The Stone, the Water, and the Sequence

The narrative of Simon Bar-Jona, whom our beloved Yah’shua called Peter, is one of the New Testament’s most vivid demonstrations of the finished work of Christ. It is a story that brilliantly captures the essence of God’s lavish grace—a grace that triumphs beyond human comprehension over human nature, that elevates the weak, and is the sole foundation for walking in the miraculous. The Holy Spirit daily reminds us of this goodness, love, and truth, transforming our understanding from performance based theology to an awakening for receiving the fullness of the New Testament provision. The whole of the Bible is about Yah’shua, and all of Yah’shua is about His beloved.

The Name of the Stone

Simon’s original name was changed

Response-map, Not Rules!

In a world constantly demanding performance, rules, and self-improvement—a world often stuck in the rut of "do more to be more"—the New Testament offers a strikingly different, counter-cultural message.

The concluding section of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 provides a beautiful and practical guide for Christian living. Yet, to truly grasp its profound depth and liberating power, we must understand these verses not as a rigid rulebook, but as powerful encouragements for those already set free and eternally secured by the finished and fully accomplished work of Jesus Christ.

The exhortations are not performance-based, law-driven demands aimed at earning or maintaining God's favour; rather,

Vibe Check

This post is all about How to Know the Real Deal. It is about Yah'shua, Love, and Discernment, all to be found in our new identity in Christ!

So hey, if you’ve been following our blog post journey, you know everything comes back to the One and Only King, Yah'shua (the Hebrew name for Jesus). It’s all about His finished work—the ultimate, accomplished, mic-drop act of love that changed everything forever.

We live in a world of filters, deepfakes, and confusing signals. You’re constantly being told what to believe, how to feel, and who you should be. You've got to have a spiritual "Vibe Check" running 24/7.

The One Who Prepares the Way

Whenever we are faced with a challenge so daunting that it feels like an insurmountable wall stands between us and our inheritance, that feeling of needing to "go out and come in" to conquer a land, a financial mountain, or a health struggle, often leaves the human heart paralysed by fear and inadequacy. But for the beloved of Christ, this is not our reality!

The Holy Spirit, abiding within, reminds us that we do not walk a path yet to be cleared. We walk a path already conquered and prepared by our King-Lover. The truth that "YHVH goes before you" is not an Old Covenant hope; it is a New Testament declaration of Christ's finished work that secures our complete, righteous and victorious dominion.

The Context of the Limits of the Law’s and the Judge’s Limitless Leadership

Unmixable Truth

 

Why Old Skins Can't Hold New Wine

Have you ever encountered a truth so profound, so liberating, that it utterly transforms your understanding? Yet, often, our age-old drawback comes from religion – the man-made traditions, rules, and needless works we bind ourselves to without even considering their true origin. Just like the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus' day, we can inadvertently "make the word of God of none effect through your tradition" (Mark 7:13, KJV).

Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, often taught through parables, simple stories designed to cut through this religious fog and reveal layers of divine wisdom. Today, we're diving into one such profound parable from Luke 5:36-39 (KJV), a passage that brilliantly illustrates the radical, unmixable difference between the Old Covenant of Law and the New Testament of Grace.

Wives and Submission, Husbands and Heading

The Divine Pattern of Marriage

What may be corrupted as a military instruction, is actually a divine guideline for sensible living in a marriage. The Apostle Paul's words in Ephesians chapter five, particularly the part for wives to “submit” to their husbands and for husbands to be the "head" of the wife, present a profound and often misunderstood picture of the marital relationship. To truly grasp this divine pattern, we must go beyond a modern-day, surface-level reading and examine the original Greek, focusing on the finished work of Christ, which transforms all human relationships and ultimately finds its glorious consummation in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The Eye as the Window to the Soul Exploration

The saying, "The eyes are the window to the soul," is a perpetual expression (alliteration intended) we’ve all heard. It suggests that a person’s eyes reveal their deepest feelings, intentions, and character. While this exact phrase is not found in the Bible, it does capture a profound spiritual truth that Jesus Himself taught in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

In this blog post I will delve into the biblical foundation of this idea, exploring what Jesus meant by the "lamp of the body," and how this concept is directly connected to the finished work of Christ and the glorious Gospel of Grace.

The Almond Tree Perspective

Have you ever read a familiar Bible verse and had its meaning completely transformed by a new understanding? The book of Jeremiah offers one of these moments. When we connect Jeremiah 1:12 with the New Testament revelation that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God from the very beginning, a simple promise becomes a profound, personal declaration of God's love and absolute grace. The focus shifts from a generic promise to the person of Jesus Himself.

The verse in question reads: "Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it." (Jeremiah 1:12, KJV).

The Holiest Day Fulfilled

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is revered as the holiest day of the year in Jewish tradition. For followers of Jesus, this is a profound truth, but not in the way that many might think. This is not a day to be observed, but a day to be celebrated as a shadow completely fulfilled by the reality of Jesus Christ.

Many people, including Christians, feel obliged to follow Jewish traditions and celebrate these feasts. However, this comes down to a fundamental choice: do you celebrate the shadow, or do you embrace the Person? The Old Covenant law and its festivals were given to Israel to point them to their need for a Savior, not as a means of salvation. They are a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). You are either under the law, striving to do the works of men to achieve your own salvation, or you choose to receive the free gift of grace—Jesus Christ Himself.

The Yom Kippur Context

Final Feasts Fulfilled

It's incredible how many believers feel a need to celebrate the Jewish feasts, seemingly missing a crucial point. What’s even more amazing is how perfectly and completely Jesus fulfilled every one of these festivals. They are but a shadow, with Christ as the substance.

Each year, around September, the Jewish feast of Rosh Hashanah is celebrated. The date changes annually on our Western calendar because it's not synchronized with the Hebrew calendar. This observance, along with the others, points to a deeper reality now found in Jesus Christ.

What Is Rosh Hashanah?

All things pertaining to Life and Godliness

Have you ever considered the sheer magnitude of what Christ accomplished for us? It's not merely a "get out of hell free" card, but an invitation into a life of profound partnership with the Divine, marked by dominion and infused with divine virtue. Peter's opening words in his second epistle are a stunning declaration of this reality, anchored firmly in the finished work of Jesus.

The End of Formlessness

Have you ever been told that sin is a non-issue and there is no need for a saviour because? It's a common challenge in the secular world, and it highlights a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Bible teaches about sin and salvation. To truly grasp the Gospel message, we may need to delve into the most profound declaration ever made by the greatest prophet that ever lived, John the Baptist (Luke 7:28). And perhaps it's time to accept that our part is all about receiving (lambano), that comes with the afforded righteousness and gloriousness of the absolute Grace extended onto us, shed abroad from before the foundation of the earth.

So, imagine the scene on the dusty banks of the Jordan River, a crowd gathered around John the Baptist, a wild-looking prophet whose life's mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah. People from all walks of life came to him, confessing their sins and seeking a cleansing baptism. John's ministry was powerful, yet he consistently pointed beyond himself to the One who was to come.

Wholeness and Healing Inheritance

Have you ever considered the meticulous precision of God's Word? It's far more than a collection of stories or laws; it's a divinely inspired blueprint, a living revelation. Nothing within its sacred pages is there merely to fill space or for an insignificant reason. Every single word and letter, every sentence and sequence, is purposefully placed in its appropriate and appointed spot to unveil Yah'shua (Jesus), our Christ, and to give Him glory. He is the Living Word. As Jesus Himself declared in John 5:39 (KJV), "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." And after His resurrection, He opened the understanding of His disciples: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27, KJV). HalleluYAH!

This divine precision extends even to the sequence of God's words when He speaks of blessings. Have you noticed it?

Perfect Liberty

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25, KJV). This profound declaration from the Apostle James introduces a concept that, at first glance, might seem paradoxical: one "perfect law" that brings "liberty." How can the very idea of 'law,' which often conjures images of restriction, rules, and bondage, be synonymous with 'perfect' and 'liberty'?

Wholeness and Healing the Inheritance for those Called

God the Healer: Receiving Wholeness Through Christ's Finished Work for the Ekklēsia

In the vast tapestry of divine revelation, one of the most comforting and profound truths is that God is our Healer. From the earliest covenants to the glorious finished work of Christ, the Lord consistently reveals Himself as the one who restores, makes whole, and delivers from sickness and infirmity. This isn't a peripheral aspect of His character, but a central declaration of His benevolent heart towards humanity. Understanding God as our Healer is not merely an intellectual exercise; it is an invitation for His beloved Ekklēsia—the called of God—to experience His boundless compassion and the complete provision made for us in Jesus Christ.

The Christ Reflection

 

As He Is, So Are We in This World: Unveiling the Radical Reality of Hyper-Grace and Christ's Finished Work – Operating in Dominion Authority

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17). This profound declaration from the Apostle John stands as one of the boldest statements in the entire New Testament. It is not a hopeful wish or a distant aspiration; it is a radical, present-tense reality. But how can mere mortals, prone to struggle and imperfection, be genuinely likened to the glorified Son of God, even now and here, and what does this have to do with boldness in the face of judgment? The answer lies wholly within the majestic truth of

Many are called … few are chosen. Are You?

For Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen: The Message of Grace

Jesus uses a phrase that often causes confusion, if not condemnation, in the hearts of believers. In Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:14, He says, "...for many be called, but few chosen."

This phrase follows two of His most powerful parables: the parable of the workers in the vineyard who are all paid the same wage regardless of when they started, and the parable of the wedding feast where one guest is cast out for not wearing the proper garment.

Is this phrase a warning of exclusion, a looming threat that implies our salvation is conditional upon our performance? Or is it a profound revelation of God's unchanging nature and His redemptive plan?

Legalistic preachers often use this text to condemn their audience, preaching, "Get right with God or get left behind!" or "Repent, or you won't be chosen!" This mindset forces people into a law-abiding, Pharisee-like way of thinking. In doing so, they miss the very heart of the Gospel and risk causing believers to fall from grace by returning to a works-based system (Galatians 5:4).

So, what is the true meaning behind Jesus's words?

The Case for Hyper-Grace

Unpacking "Hyper-Grace": Beyond Measure, Beyond Doubt, All Because of Christ's Finished Work

Someone asks the question:

"Is this new 'hyper grace' movement OK?"

Mmmmm, well, firstly, let's establish that the concept of abundant grace is certainly not new; it's as ancient as the Gospel itself! The term "Hyper-Grace" is a modern label, often used to describe teachings that emphasize God's grace to such an extent that critics sometimes argue it neglects other biblical truths (denominational and religious dogma) like personal responsibility, repentance for believers, or the pursuit of holiness. However, when understood biblically, "hyper-grace" simply points to the immeasurable, overflowing, and radical nature of God's favour given to us in Christ. It is God’s Gift from which we cannot subtract, nor add to make our salvation and position in Christ even better.

So, let's see. We know that Grace is God's unmerited, unearned favour. It's the divine kindness extended to humanity, not because of what we do, but because of who God is and what He has done for us. In the New Testament, the primary Greek word for grace is χάρις (charis). This word signifies God's benevolent disposition and the divine enablement that empowers believers. It is in Jesus Christ that we see Grace personified and perfectly demonstrated!

Hyper? A Biblical Super-Abundance

Baruch Ha Ba Ba Shem Adonai - Revisited

Baruch Ha Ba Ba Shem Adonai: Embracing Wholeness in the Name of Jesus

One of my earliest memories when I became intimately aware of the love and presence of Christ was the ancient Hebrew blessing, Baruch ha ba ha Schem Adonai (בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה)? It's a phrase bursting with deep and intuitive meaning: 

"Blessed be He who cometh in the Name of the LORD."

The original Hebrew text cuts right to the heart of it: "Blessed be He who cometh in the Name of Yahveh." This isn't just a greeting; it's a deep declaration of authority, identity, and divine purpose. It is a very personal statement, using the Personal Name of the Blesser Himself.

But who is it that comes in His Name?

The Lover's Intimate Whisper to the Ekklēsia

Don't you just love the Message translation when it comes to conveying feelings,  emotions and truth, the very heart of Jesus? There is something about love-language that instantly focuses your attention. It draws you in, inviting you into an intimate embrace with the Divine. This deep, personal connection is the very wellspring from which God desires to reveal all truth, including profound insights into His people, His beloved ekklēsia.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

 

There's a subtle, yet dangerous, distortion of a powerful biblical truth propagated in most Christian circles: the idea that the Body of Christ should embrace complacency because "the battle belongs to the Lord." This notion, often spread by well-meaning songwriters and leaders of religious institutions, can unfortunately lead believers to believe they have zero dominion, power, and authority. This is precisely what the enemy desires – for us to believe this lie so he can prance onto the battlefield with pride and joy, unhindered.

Let's unpack this crucial truth, not by dismissing "the battle belongs to the Lord," but by understanding it within the full context and counsel of God's Word, especially through the lens of the fully accomplished work of Christ.

Fullness of Christ as the day breaks trough

Growing into the Fullness of Christ

The Christian journey, for many, often feels like a relentless striving towards an elusive ideal. We hear calls to spiritual maturity, to be "more like Jesus," and sometimes, these calls can subtly morph into a burdensome checklist of performance. WWJD. Yet, tucked away in the New Testament in clear sight, is a profound declaration of our destiny, particularly in Ephesians 4:13 (NKJV): "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

From a grace perspective, this isn't a command to labour tirelessly to achieve something we lack. Instead, it's a glorious invitation to manifest the divine reality that is already complete within us through the finished work of Jesus Christ. This verse, when seen through the lens of God's lavish grace and its surrounding context, reveals spiritual growth not as a demanding climb, but as a beautiful, effortless unfolding of Christ's life within the united Body of Christ.

Teacher - YAH-rah and bridling - Revisited

Unbridled horses are just strong, elegant, and beautiful animals that serve no purpose except to satisfy their own needs. Yet, once bridled, they can fulfill a multitude of useful purposes with all their inherent power and might.

It’s the same with us. If we are not taught (by the Holy Spirit), we are without understanding, like a horse or a mule running wild and without purpose.

The question is: How do we bridle ourselves?

Paranoia or Metanoia? Living with a Transformed Mind in the Finished Work of Christ

 

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” — Romans 12:2 KJV

Many believers live in a quiet state of paranoia—always second-guessing their standing with God, questioning whether they've done enough, or if their faith is strong enough. This mindset reflects an underlying fear, one that religion often feeds but Grace destroys.

God never intended us to live beside the mind (the literal meaning of paranoia) but to live from a transformed mind—the mind of Christ, rooted in the truth of His finished work. That transformation is called metanoia—a complete change of thinking.

What is Metanoia?