Un-deferred Hope

 

Through the ages the human heart has been intimately acquainted with the heavy ache of waiting. Throughout history, we have struggled under the crushing weight of unmet expectations, striving to achieve righteousness, peace, and security through performance and rule-keeping, all amplified by teachings and doctrine of the institutional church. This agonizing cycle is perfectly captured in the first half of Proverbs 13:12:

"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick..." (KJV)

When hope is constantly postponed, it drains the life out of our spirit.

The Salt that is Us

In the Sermon on the Mount, Yah’shua issued a statement that has often been used by the institutional church to burden the believer with the weight of performance: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matthew 5:13).

For centuries, religious traditions interpreted this as a threat—a warning that through insufficient effort, sin, or "backsliding," one might lose their "saltiness" and be discarded by God.

No spiritual booby trap

The final two verses of the book of Revelation, before the concluding blessing, often strike fear into the hearts of believers. The popular and often erroneous interpretation of Revelation 22:18-19 makes it sound like a terrifying threat against touching the Bible itself.

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19 KJV)

So, why can’t you add to or take away?

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,

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

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.

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?

Logic is all we need

The Word Made Flesh: Experiencing Logos as Grace in Our Lives

In the IT world we define “logic” as a system of reasoning used to design, develop, understand and maintain a system of intelligence and operations. It's the foundation for processing information and making decisions based on underlying principles.

I asked AI for some English language expressions where the word "logic" is used to get some sort of understanding of how we humans see "logic". Here is the result:

A sound mind in a sound body.

Logic is the gatekeeper of reason.

Logic is the foundation of truth.

Logic is the bridge between the known and the unknown.

Logic is the tool that allows us to understand the world around us.

Logic is the key to solving problems and making sound decisions.

Logic is the antidote to irrationality and prejudice.

Logic is the light that guides us through the darkness of uncertainty.

Logic is the compass that points us in the right direction.

Logic is the foundation of all human progression.

… and it struck me that logic is the basis for soundness, truth, knowledge, understanding, survival, certainty, and even life. There is a distinct correlation between our understanding of “logic” and Logic Himself!

Life vs death

The eternal battle between life and death is a theme that has captivated humanity for millennia.

In the Bible, this theme is central to the Christian narrative.

It is a story of life overcoming death, of hope triumphing over despair, a beginning and a hopeful end.

… and in accordance with the Word of God, life has a name.

His name is Yah’shua, Jesus!

Tongues and truths

Sometimes I sit and I think … sometimes I just sit …

I will be the first to admit that sometimes I am clueless when it comes to prayer and the words I need to pray (and declare, mostly). But, there is a way out when we do not know what to pray and what to say.

1 Corinthians 14:2 reads, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." This verse is part of a larger discussion about spiritual gifts bestowed on the ekklēsia (see this post), particularly focusing on the gift of tongues. In this post, we'll delve into the meaning of this verse from a grace perspective, exploring the relevant Greek words and their implications for our understanding of this gift.

Artificial intelligence or natural stupidity

I asked AI to write up a post on **The Unfailing Goodness of God** to see what it would come up with.

It appears that AI supersedes the cognitive thinking and contemplation of many hundreds of thousands of men and women in this world in its logic reasoning (and awareness, if AI can be attributed to have such a characteristic) of the goodness of God.

This begs the question: How stupid does mankind have to be in order to deny such a fundamental truth? 

Without editing, here is the AI post that was created in less than a few seconds.

The Tree-of-Life

Not long ago I was woken by the Spirit of Truth early one morning and taken on a journey, my journey …

It was a strange dream. Although, it was not a dream and I was wide awake. My vision was clear and distinct and I had no uncertainty as to what I was shown or who the Narrator speaking into my soul was.

The journey was a belief-journey, one I walked from being a child to where I found myself today ... an apocalypse ...

Charitoō to gush out His Love!

Every now and then I come across a word that I really, really like.

I like certain words for certain specific reasons.

These words then become my special words. Words I treasure.

They end up in my reserved place for special words …

However, for that particular word to become one of my special words, it must comply. It must have certain unique qualities.

Defeat your affliction

Over the course of the last week or so my wife and I were again reminded of the rotten thinking of so many sincere Christians, and how we used to and sometimes still think ourselves … sincere, but defeated Christians.

Here is the story

We have heard so many stories of people who plainly accepted sickness and set-back circumstances that they have been struck with, saying that it is a burden they have to carry …

Why?

Meet John

Earlier this week

Earlier this week I started writing a post on John and Jesus … mostly about Jesus, but also about John.

My blog post was birthed from a place of intimacy reading John 15 and 16. It touched me deeply. I was awakened to the fact that the Gospel of John was different from the others in that John is the disciple who refers to himself as the disciple that Jesus loved. John talks more about life compared to the others that talk about the kingdom (but synonymizing them). John talks more about the cloak of the Spirit Who abides as the Comforter, the Aide-memoire of Jesus instead of the mere spirit referred to by the others.

I started writing on how this is the Gospel where Jesus categorically prepared those who loved Him to what was going to happen to Him, the most significant event ever in HIS-STORY.

The unforeseen

My post was at an advanced stage, and the emotions and precious revelations that came to me spilled out on the screen until the unforeseen happened.

The god that smiteth thee

Today I am ranting …

I am saddened by the fact that so many people still bear the scars of religion.

Some even decided to move away from any intimacy with God all together.

Yet, others have chosen to stay incarcerated, stuck in the chains and shackles of religion embracing its sorcery, the deception and defrauding of the open Truth.

Stuck.

The damage is real.

Immanuel

I sometimes wonder how the institutional church interprets Immanuel.

God with us.

God in us.

God present.

… and then, looking at what is preached, I wonder … who is this God?

Is it the same God that Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 7:14?

Is it the same God quoted in Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:35 when the prophecy was about to be fulfilled?

Is it the same God who promised never to leave nor forsake us in Hebrews 13:5?

God has perfect timing, never early never late

Have you ever heard the expression “God has perfect timing, never early, never late”?

Have you tried googling it? Or look for that exact expression in the Bible?

Have you taken the time to look into when and how it is usually used by those who use it?

Have you applied your mind to something like this said?

Have you questioned it?

Well, in this post we’ll practice some logic discernment and investigate the matter.

I pray

I pray today

Lord, thank You that even though I thought I found You and gave my heart to You, You found me first and not only gave me Your heart, but all of You.

Thank You Yah’shua that when I thought I gave You my life, You had already given me Yours, completely and unreservedly and that I now stand sanctified and washed in your presence.

Thank You Spirit of God that when I first heard Your voice, You reminded me that it was always there.

Healing - distance, delay and matters of control

The other day my daughter asked me to pray for her. She had stomach cramps, pains and something that resembled severe stomach spasms.

And I was reminded

As I prayed against all these things, cancelling the plans of the enemy, commanding the sickness and pain to go, and confirming the finished work of Yah’shua over her physical body, I was yet again reminded of how that we have this precious gift of healing inside of us and how that we often neglect to use it.

I was once again reminded how the institutional church teaches the bride of Christ that God is far, that He is on His own time schedule and that He is always in control. So, we must just accept whatever we get. Their favourite saying is “His time is not our time” and “His ways are not our ways”.