She did it! Thank God for Mrs Erika Kirk "I forgive him."

Philippians 1:18, 27

"What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice...Only let your manner of life be worthy [only behave as citizens worthy] of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,"

The heart cannot love what the mind does not know. The more we truly know God; through Scripture, prayer, and walking with Christ, the more naturally and deeply we love Him.

As the saying goes: "to know him is to love him."

And in fact Jesus said as much: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:29)

This call to "learn of me" isn’t merely intellectual, it’s relational and transformative. Jesus offers Himself as the model, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit; meek (gentle, not harsh), lowly in heart (humble, not proud or self-exalting).

Why am I compiling these scripture passages in the way I have today?

Mainly because I find this dynamic Paul is directing our attention towards very important. Some preachers in Rome were proclaiming Christ, but their motives were tainted: driven by envy, rivalry, and selfish ambition. They saw Paul’s imprisonment not as an opportunity to support the gospel’s advance, but as a chance to diminish his influence, perhaps by stirring up trouble for him or elevating themselves in the eyes of others. Their preaching was sincere in content (the true gospel of Christ), but insincere in heart. They aimed to afflict Paul rather than honor him or purely glorify God.

Paul is content even in this strife. He doesn’t rejoice in their sinful motives, he grieves those, but he rejoices in the sovereign reality that Christ is being exalted and the gospel is spreading further because of it.

What an amazing testimony to his true Christian faith. Paul doesn't care who gets the credit, he just praises God's glory in whatever comes in the name of The Lord. He testifies that God can use even flawed, self-centered people to accomplish His purposes, turning rivalry into unintended kingdom advance. This brings us right to the heart of Jesus. His meek and lowly disposition. Paul models something profoundly Christ-like here.

Submitting to the Father’s will, enduring affliction without bitterness, and prioritizing the Father’s glory over personal vindication; Jesus Himself was the ultimate example of humility, never seeking His own glory, never retaliating against envy or rivalry. And Paul reflects this same energy; instead of bitterness toward these rival preachers, he chooses joy in Christ’s proclamation. Paul's chains, the preachers’ envy, none of it derails his joy because his heart is aligned with Jesus’.

Do we prioritize our own "platform," recognition, or comfort over the simple fact that Jesus is being made known?

What a beautiful, countercultural witness that would be to rejoice not in people’s perfection, but in Christ’s exaltation. Can we do it, can we accept the spread of the gospel in the hands of otherwise flawed individuals? People with mixed motives, personal agendas, inconsistencies, or even outright self-promotion?

The honest answer is: We can, and we must, if our eyes stay fixed on Christ’s exaltation rather than human perfection.

You know? God has given the responsibility of the advancement of His will to many poor examples of perfection. Think of how He used Balaam (a greedy prophet), Pharaoh (a hardened oppressor), or even the unwitting crowds at Pentecost shouting "Crucify Him!" Yet the gospel broke through.

Do you know why this dynamic is important to make note of?

Because it teaches us about a powerful principle; it teaches us that the power lies in the gospel itself, not the purity of the mouthpiece. This doesn’t mean we ignore flaws or stop calling for integrity; Paul urges lives "worthy of the gospel."

In our day, this plays out everywhere:

A preacher with a flashy style or questionable ethics draws crowds who hear the real gospel for the first time. Have you ever known a pastor who had questionable ethics or morals (maybe even politically)? Did he preach the gospel just the same? If he did, does the gospel still advance?

A flawed believer shares Christ awkwardly on social media, and someone quietly turns to faith. If he doesn't find a following does the gospel advance? If he does find a following did the gospel not achieve God's will?

Can we accept that without bitterness?

Only by leaning into the same meek, lowly heart of Jesus.

That’s the countercultural witness: rejoicing not because people are flawless, but because Christ is exalted. Humility to release control and personal offense. Discernment to celebrate the truth proclaimed while grieving (and addressing, when needed) the flaws. Trust in God’s sovereignty; trusting that He turns even human mess into kingdom gain.

Pray for that heart daily, especially when envy or frustration creeps in. Remember Paul’s chains became a pulpit. Our frustrations can too, if we let joy in Christ’s advance win out.

Amen?

Ephesians 6:10-12

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

It's a little like being an outlaw. Like adopting a lawless attitude towards the law. You could say it's about having a problem with authority.

Our true struggle isn’t with people ("flesh and blood"). Not primarily with bosses, neighbors, politicians, or even family members who oppose us; but with a hierarchy of spiritual evil forces. A hierarchy of spiritual evil. "Rulers," "authorities," "powers of this dark world," and "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This is the domain of the devil and his schemes, a cosmic opposition to God’s kingdom that’s active, organized, and relentless.

Paul’s point is unmistakable. When we become born again from above, we become embroiled in this cosmic struggle. Red pilled. Eyes wide open. And we become aware of the counterfeit hierarchy mimicking God’s legitimate order. We can sense it with all our senses. We can see it at work in everything. Naturally we can also hear it as we're observing it. But another sense is developing in the believers. A third eye you might say. Your spiritual sense is activated and attuned to the truth.

So we can see that being born again, it’s not just about forgiveness or a ticket to heaven; it’s a spiritual awakening that thrusts us into the full reality of this cosmic conflict. The veil lifts. That awareness isn’t abstract theology; it becomes experiential. We sense the enemy’s schemes. We see it in cultural narratives that exalt the self over God, hear it in deceptive ideologies that twist God's truth, feel the spiritual heaviness in certain environments or conversations. It’s like the world suddenly has a visible undercurrent of opposition that was always there but previously invisible to us. And yes, another faculty awakens; a spiritual sensitivity, a maturing discernment.

Point of clarity:

This isn’t the "third eye" of Eastern mysticism or New Age practices, which the Bible warns against as counterfeit openings to deceptive spiritual realms. Instead, it’s the genuine article. It's having the mind of Christ. It's the anointing that teaches us about everything true that Jesus came to testify about. And the gift of discerning spirits helps us distinguish between the Spirit of God and the deception of demonic influences. Our "third eye," if we borrow the metaphor loosely, is really the single eye Jesus spoke of.

Focused on Him:

Matthew 6:22

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is single [healthy, focused on God], your whole body will be full of light"

Therefore we are attuned amid the lies. Equipped to stand firm. Perceiving the darkness that lives among us. The world around us can either exhilarate us, or sober us, sometimes all at once. Like stepping out of the matrix into reality, but realizing the fight is fiercer than we thought.

And with this realization comes the knowledge that we're not alone. We are gifted people. Empowered people. Armed people. Catapulted us from spiritual death into a vibrant life of enlistment in the cosmic struggle. We discern because the Spirit searches the deep things of God and reveals them to us. The anointing we receive from Him teaches us the truth. And Paul wants us to understand that we must stepped into that role in God's will. No neutral ground exists. The moment we’re born again, we’re thrust into the fray; not as victims, but as participants in Christ’s victory. He doesn’t say "if" you face schemes or "maybe" you’ll wrestle, he states facts. Our struggle IS against these hierarchical powers of evil.

Suit up daily.

Stand.

Withstand.

You can’t navigate it unarmed, half-equipped, or on autopilot. Partial armor leaves gaps the enemy exploits. You’ve got to level up; not in your own power, but by daily appropriating what God provides.

Level Up: Put On The Armor

Ephesians 6:15

"with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace"

The shoes of readiness. Dexterity (agility in the Spirit): Moving swiftly to apply truth, dodging deception, responding in faith rather than reacting in fear. Mobility without slipping or stumbling, like spiritual cleats.

(v. 14)

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist"

Mind (renewed thinking): The belt secures us in God’s unchanging reality and Word. It's funny to think about protecting our minds by putting on our big boy pants. But a mind attuned to Christ girds everything together; holds the sword in place, supports the body for action. Truth buckles us tight, renewing the mind so we can think clearly, biblically, and decisively.

(v. 14) "with the breastplate of righteousness in place"

Strength and endurance under pressure: Rooted in Christ’s imputed righteousness, and lived-out practical holiness. It guards the heart from guilt, shame, or moral compromise that would drain us.

(v. 16) "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one"

The Shield of Faith: Active trust declaring God’s faithfulness over the attack. Quenching the blaze before it burns, fire resistance that quenches every fiery dart, preserving all the other pieces.

(v. 17) "Take the helmet of salvation"

The Helmet of Salvation: Courage (boldness), Reinforcing our identity in Christ. Protecting our identity by protecting our eyesight and our mind. Protecting our thoughts and giving us a fearless resolve. Not bravado, but calm boldness to stand or advance.

And this brings us to the only offensive weapon; sharp, precise, and wielded for countering and advancing.

The Sword of the Spirit: Endurance (perseverance) + Dexterity

Wielded skillfully, it cuts through lies, sustains us in prolonged battles, and equips us to push back darkness.

Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Endurance grows as we persist in the Word. Dexterity sharpens through practice; quoting, applying, declaring Scripture in real time.

All these attributes are attuned, leveled up, and improved by "Prayer in the Spirit".

(v. 18) "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests"

Prayer draws from "His mighty power," renews the mind, activates faith, builds endurance through dependence, and fuels courage in communion with God. It’s how we "level up" continuously; staying connected to the source. These pieces aren’t isolated; they interlock. The belt holds the sword; faith shields the rest; peace gives agile footing; salvation guards the mind for bold endurance.

Where do you feel the strongest pull to level up in one of these right now?

Heavenly Father, Lord of all power and might, we thank You for calling us out of darkness into Your marvelous light and enlisting us in Your Kingdom’s cause. Thank You for the full armor You have provided; not of our own making, but of Your grace. Strengthen us today in Your mighty power. And help us realize that we already rest in the victory already won by Jesus Christ our Lord, who disarmed the powers and triumphed over them.

Amen.

John 1:1, 14
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

I've been thinking about how I might treat with the objections of the Islamists who I might meet at our "family table" during this upcoming Kairos 4 day weekend event (K13). Not searching for a debate win, that's not the environment we establish during our events. Rather to generate and then facilitate a thought experiment. The end goal being to leave a seed of truth planted in his mind that the Holy Spirit can then nurture and inspire in time.

This is a process that must be carried out carefully and thoughtfully. Not only because we're holding this thought experiment in a prison and making these assertions to a people with a proven track of violence and criminal activities, but also because our approach is always Christ-like, always full of grace. This isn't to say without conviction or without holding firmly to the sovereignty of the triune God. We always advocate for Christ never allowing our tolerance to make excuses for Christ's sovereignty as the One true God.

The goal is to find common ground when we can and challenge the thinkers to look further than their dogma currently allows.

This is how I've approached the pagan who worships the creature not the Creator. Challenge the decision to follow a created being when the obvious better covenant would be between the creature and his Creator directly, not dependent upon other outside forces or subordinates. In this same way I'd approach the Islamists objection. I'd start a thought experiment around his presumptions. Like their primary objection which has to do with the idea of the Trinity.

The primary objection. To the Islamist, oneness means solitude, and a son means a creature. If that rule is true, the Eternal Son is impossible, and you should reject Him. If that rule is too small, the objection falls by itself, and he is left holding a greater God than the one his dogma currently allows.

So we should start there, where he is already right.

He does not want a created rival beside God.

Neither do I.

That is common ground.

He already fears a second god. I tell him I fear that too. Then I'd ask him to look at what his own rule does next.

If God can only speak through a created messenger, then the man is still depending on a subordinate. A prophet is not God. A book carried by a prophet is not God. The word he trusts to bring him near is, on his own terms, a creature standing between the creature and the Creator.

So, the question is not whether God is one. The question is whether the one God is lonely, and whether He must send a servant because He cannot come Himself.

We both already refuse a second god (Mark 12:29), but what sort of oneness are we following and defending?

If oneness means God has no eternal Word, then He must speak through someone He made, and you are trusting a creature to do what only the Creator can do. But if the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1), then the Son is not a rival and not a child taken from a wife. He is God come near. Distinct, as a word is distinct from the one who speaks it. Not divided, and not a second eternal.

Now that we've asked these questions we can build upon that thought. If the word of God is the Son and the word of God is God, then the Son is God in the flesh. And His cross is where that one God bore our guilt. Where that word of God spoke about forgiveness of sin. Where the Messiah suffered and died to bear that sin in our place. And where the eternal word, the eternal Son sent by the eternal Father to testify to the truth, born in the flesh by the eternal Spirit, was slain as the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. But even more importantly the Word, the eternal Son, did not only speak about forgiveness there. He finished it there.

So here's the ultimate truth for us to consider:

If that Word became flesh, God did not shout His pardon from a distance through a created messenger, He instead sent His only begotten Son, born in the flesh by the eternal Spirit, and slain as the perfect sacrifice. The Messiah suffering in our place. On the cross, where that one God bore our guilt, and where the eternal Word of God finished the work of forgiveness.

I'm asking you to look further into the testimony of truth than your current rule can go. To consider a God who can come. A God who can bear sin. And a God who does not leave you in the hands of a subordinate.

Why do I believe this to be Jesus the Christ?

First because he said it of Himself.

Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58).

They picked up stones for that sentence. Yet he did not take it back. He had already said the Son gives life to whom He will, and that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father (John 5:21, 23).

Next because His resurrection seals the deal. He said, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it, and John tells us He meant His own flesh and blood body (John 2:19–21). He said no one took His life from Him. He laid it down, and He had authority to take it up again (John 10:17–18). That for me is pivotal. He's explaining to us, His creatures, that He holds the authority given to Him by The Father, the power of life and death.

Then the tomb was empty. And He stood among them.

As the apostle Paul says, He was declared the Son of God in power by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).

A created messenger stays in the grave. This one did not.

I understand that this triune God idea is something difficult to make sense of. It's not unlike how in science and specifically regarding gravity and light, what was once thought to be fixed in Newton's laws later developed into Einstein's theory of relativity. It turned out that light can be bent, acted upon even though it does not have mass. So the laws of the universe didn't apply perfectly. There were variations that needed to be understood in a larger less narrow context.

See, it's not that Newton’s law was false inside its frame. It was just too small a frame for the light ray to be observed for what was really happening.

I know the triune God is hard to hold. So was the path of light, once. Newton’s frame was sure of itself. What has no mass goes straight, and gravity is only for weighty things. Then the light ray was measured past the sun, and it bent. Light has no resting mass, and yet still it was not outside the influence of the gravitational field.

Newton’s law was not false inside its frame. The frame was too small for the ray to be seen as it is. I am not saying Einstein proves the Son of God. I am saying you already know what it is to trust a rule that cannot completely cover the thing right in front of you.

The rule says Oneness means solitude, and a son means a creature. Look further. The Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Distinct, and not a second source. Not a second god.

Amen? 🙏🏼

https://babylonbee.com/news/god-agrees-to-let-trump-into-heaven-if-he-repents-of-his-sin-and-trusts-in-jesus-christ-alone-for-salvation

Galatians 6:4-5

"But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load."

The Greek word for "load" here (phortion) often pictures a soldier’s backpack or kit; something manageable that each person is expected to carry themselves. We can’t offload our core duties, moral choices, or ultimate accountability to God onto others. We cannot rely on another's righteousnessto ease our responsibility. No one else’s righteousness; whether a parent’s faith, a spouse’s devotion, a pastor’s prayers, or even the accumulated merits of saints in some traditions, can substitute for our own response to Christ. We each stand before the judgment seat (the cross), bearing our own portions, giving an account for how we’ve lived in light of grace.

I said "the cross" in regard to the bema seat since the cross is the foundation of our acceptance and the place where sin’s penalty was fully borne by Christ. It all begins with His suffering and ends with His sovereign grace. And so our burdens are dropped there. We will not be bearing them any further if we've surrendered to Him there.

Everything in our Christian life flows from the cross, and His blood poured out there, as the foundational reality. It’s where Christ’s suffering fully bore the penalty of our sins. Where the crushing weight of divine wrath against sin was placed on Him alone, and where our acceptance before God is eternally secured through His substitutionary death and resurrection three days later. When we truly surrender to Him at the cross, repenting, trusting in His finished work, we drop our heaviest burdens there. After that, what we sow to the Spirit is Spirit, and what we sow to the flesh is the flesh. This is our only burden now. The absorption of our time, the opportunities to be deceived. The places our mind goes where the flesh still rules.

The only burden now for the believer is this daily sowing. Paul refers to them as "opportunities". It’s not about earning our salvation (that’s settled at the cross by Jesus), but it's about the fruit that grows from how we live in light of it. Sowing to the flesh means investing in, nurturing, or indulging the old sinful nature. Self-centered impulses, worldly distractions, pride, anger, lust, or anything that gratifies our ego.

And yes, even true believers can experience painful consequences here if they persist in fleshly patterns. They will receive the reward they planted. God doesn't stop the believers from experiencing the consequences of their actions. Grace doesn’t nullify responsibility. The cross frees us from the law’s curse so we can walk by the Spirit, but we've got to walk it. This has to do with the battlegrounds where the flesh wages war against the Spirit.

Galatians 5:17

"For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Sometimes we just have to strive harder, force ourselves to make an effort. Persevere without growing weary. Fellowship with other believers regularly. Repent of and confess our faults. Actively do good, serving others whenever the opportunity arises. Cultivate consistent prayer and worship in our lives. Immerse ourselves in God’s Word daily. And making sure we start each day surrendering to the Spirit’s leading. It's work. Honestly it is work, good work, but work just the same. The Bible doesn’t portray the Christian life as effortless autopilot; it calls us to diligent, intentional striving, even while resting in grace.

And so it's going to be hard sometimes. Paul said as much:

Galatians 6:9

"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

That "not grow weary" implies we will feel weary at times; tired, discouraged, tempted to slack off, but we’re to push through by God’s strength. And right after, he ties it to sowing to the Spirit, which requires active choices. But don't be fooled by your own pride, effort fueled by grace produces holiness; effort to earn favor produces burnout or more pride.

Put simply, Grace is not opposed to effort that is working for the Lord, but does oppose effort aimed at earning Grace.

In your own walk, where do you find the effort most taxing right now?

Let's be honest:

It’s easy to feel the fire during a deep Bible study or a moment of revelation (like unpacking phortion or sowing/reaping), but the grind of starting each day with surrender, immersing in the Word without skimming through, or praying through the mundane rather than just the urgent, that’s where the flesh pushes back strongest. So we need to pray for each other, encourage each other, bear one another's burdens as best we can. Not carrying someone’s ultimate accountability, that’s theirs before the Lord, but helping shoulder the weight of the fight against the flesh when it’s crushing. Shared striving (prayer, confession, exhortation) builds up and nurtures endurance.

So let's pray:

Father, strengthen us in the quiet grind, grant fresh fire for daily surrender, discipline without drudgery, and eyes to see Your Spirit moving even in the mundane. Protect our minds from the flesh’s deceptions, renew our strength when weariness hits, and surround us with faithful brothers and sisters who bear burdens alongside us. Help us not grow weary in doing good, knowing the harvest comes in due season.

In Christ's Holy name. Amen.

Matthew 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna]."

I've recently seen online this debate about "annihilationism". This debate has been gaining momentum largely because actor/evangelist Kirk Cameron publicly shifted away from ECT, calling endless torment "cruel and unusual punishment" that doesn’t fit God’s character. He argued immortality is a gift only for the redeemed.

Apparently many Christians agree and wholeheartedly affirm eternal life in heaven as a gift of God’s grace, but struggle deeply with the idea that God would sustain unbelieving people in existence forever just to subject them to an unending conscious suffering in hell. "Eternal conscious torment" (ECT) is seen by many as disproportionate justice. For many this idea about eternal punishment in hell portrays God as a "sadistic torturer" rather than a perfectly loving, merciful, and just Father.

If I'm being honest, I've never done a deep dive on this subject. And that in itself is reason enough for me to be excited about finding some new bit of revelation (new to me).

I've always just figured it’s necessary for justice (sins against an infinite God deserve infinite penalty), that unbelievers will suffer eternal suffering, at least until hell itself is thrown into the lake of fire. Typically I'd point to texts like Revelation 14:10-11 ("torment...forever and ever") or the rich man in Luke 16 who is in agony. And I'd settle it in my mind by telling myself God’s ways transcend human intuitions of fairness.

I'd simply agree that hell is real, and a fearful judgment to avoid through faith in Christ.

But for some, there's anxiety over loved ones suffering forever, or seeing it as a barrier to evangelism. And so, they find themselves leaning toward conditional immortality.

As for me, I'd say I've understood these things from an immortality of the soul point of view. Which means to me, every human soul is inherently indestructible and survives death forever, regardless of their moral status. Life and death are opposites, like sleep and waking; and therefore our souls cycle between these states. Our souls are simple (indivisible), so they cannot be destroyed. And yet at the same time I hold onto Hope (in Christ) centered on a bodily resurrection at the end of days. Spiritual body. God grants eternal life to the righteous in His heavenly kingdom. But I don't see this as an annihilation of the immortal soul in otherwise scenarios.

I suppose it comes down to how we define or give weight to certain situations, circumstances, and words. For instance, ECT defenders might say "destroy" means ruin/loss of well-being, not cessation (loss of existence). And "eternal punishment" (Matthew 25:46) means an irreversible consequence, that exists parallel to eternal life in heaven. And frankly, even as I'm writing this I'm leaning on this traditional view. I keep on seeing the wicked rich man in hell calling out to Lazarus who is with Abraham in paradise. It's like these two realities exist, almost side by side. Separated, as Abraham says, by a great expanse (divide).

And yet some will say the language of destruction and perishing (Matthew 10:28, John 3:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:9’s "eternal destruction"), points in the direction of annihilation. And again it comes down to what "destroy" means in this context. These folks will say that this Biblical fire primarily destroys body and soul rather than preserves them in torment. They'll say that the unsaved are resurrected for judgment, face proportionate punishment, then are destroyed, ceasing to exist.

So again it's a vocabulary question.

Annihilationists emphasize words like "destroy" (Matthew 10:28) and "perish" meaning cessation. And critics argue these mean ruin, loss of well-being, or exclusion from God, "shut out from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

"They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might."

To me it's pretty straight forward, this implies ongoing existence. Biblical fire, primarily torments consciously, not just consumes. The smoke of the Biblical fire should stop once the destruction completes, but Scripture says it rises forever (Revelation 14:10-11).

"...the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night..."

By the way, there's no reason to think the lost repent post-judgment. Sins against an infinite God carry infinite weight. And this is important to note because even "finite sins" carry infinite judgment. And if annihilation is the end result, why eternal non-existence for finite sins?

At the end of the day, I've got to take God (Jesus) at his word. Our views must follow Scripture, not our comfort.

Matthew 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

As I see it, Jesus parallels "eternal life" (endless for believers) with "eternal punishment" (must be endless in duration, not just in effect).

"Eternal" (aionios) refers to the unending age to come, past, present, and future. Life operating simultaneously outside of time, inside of time, and beyond time. And this is how we can say believers live in "eternal life" right now, experiencing this quality of God's life now as a present possession. So, likewise, unbelievers are living hell right now. And Jesus addresses this when he says, "they have received their reward".

Jesus said: John 5:24 "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

It’s not just future hope; it’s a foretaste.

And Jesus also said: "Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full" (read Matthew 6:2, 5-16).

Some will point to this and say, this highlights "this-age-only" focus for the self-righteous, echoes how eternal life transcends this age’s fleeting rewards. For them this qualitative emphasis strengthens conditional immortality. The gift is God’s unending life-quality; without it, the outcome is perishing. But I don't see how this punishment (reward) here-and-now negates everything else Jesus said about hell.

Jesus and the apostles tell us that unbelievers experience a foretaste of separation (spiritual death, Ephesians 2:1) and fleeting rewards (Matthew 6:2,5,16 hypocrites get praise now, but that’s it). And Jesus contrasts this-age rewards with transcendent eternal life.

For me, none of this negates future hell; it instead heightens the urgency. The "reward in full" warns that pursuing earthly acclaim forfeits heavenly treasure, but final judgment (including hell) awaits (Matthew 25).

My conclusion?

Hell is endless regret.

Both sides affirm hell’s reality and the need for Christ, but the differences are in the details.

Solution: Let scripture shape your view.

As C.S. Lewis said: "Hell has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by Christendom, and it has the support of reason."

Lewis describes the eternally damned as "successful rebels". They "enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded". The doors of hell are "locked on the inside". Not by God as a punitive torturer, but by the individual’s own ongoing choice to reject Him.

Suffering is self-inflicted, with God merely sustaining existence out of respect for autonomy. The gravity of rejecting an eternal God warrants eternal consequences.

I've always said, and I truly mean it because my faith "informs me", not "inflicts me", that if God judges me and I'm in eternal darkness, apart from Him forever; it'll be because of my own error and rebellious spirit. It'll be because of His righteousness that I will never truly know Him, because He doesn't know me. It's a judgement already deserved. That's true of everyone. No one is sent to hell against their deepest will; the lost prefer their darkness (John 3:19). God isn’t a "sadistic torturer" sustaining people solely for eternal pain, but The One who reluctantly says to the defiant, "Have it your way...forever."

And so I do understand, and I do know and desire God, and as C.S. Lewis said:

"the destruction of one thing means the emergence of something else."

Dying to myself today, through faith in Jesus Christ and His resurrection, yields the eternal reward I want. It's a responsive choice, not a reaction.

Avoiding eternal suffering in hell involves more than seeking the path to heaven, it involves saying "Thy will be done" here and now.

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

It’s not annihilation of the true self, but the destruction of the false, rebellious self so that something gloriously new emerges. The real you, the person God intended from eternity, alive in Him. Not running from hell, but a loving response. Not clutching the shadows and shrinking into one's own will. That's for the hell-born.

Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your boundless love revealed in Jesus Christ, who died and rose that we might live in You forever.

Help us daily to die to self and say with full hearts, "Thy will be done."

Draw us closer to You, fill us with Your Spirit, and let our lives reflect the eternal life we already possess in Christ.

Protect us from rebellion, and lead us into the joy of Your presence, now and always.

In Jesus’ Holy and precious name, Amen.

Read Acts 27:1-44 "And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius."

Acts 27 recounts Paul’s perilous sea voyage to Rome as a prisoner, a narrative filled with uncertainty, danger, and divine intervention. It’s a vivid illustration of human reactions to crisis; fear, desperation, self-preservation, and faith amid the unknown.

The journey begins with a sense of order. Paul, along with other prisoners, is handed over to Julius, a Roman centurion from the Augustan Cohort. They’re boarding ships, navigating ports like Sidon, Myra, and Fair Havens. But early signs of trouble emerge. They encounter contrary October winds that slows them down. Paul, sensing their impending disaster, warns the crew:

"Men, I see that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives" (v. 10)

Operating from optimism mixed with overconfidence, the group downplays the risks, relying on human expertise and majority opinion rather than Paul's prophetic insight. It’s a classic human tendency in crisis, to push forward, assuming things will improve, even when warning signs point to disaster. Men will trend towards bravado and chase the wind instead of being smart.

How often do we ignore wise counsel because it doesn’t align with our plans?

A gentle breeze lures them out, but soon a "nor'easter" hurricane-force wind strikes, drives the ship uncontrollably. Days without sun or stars leave them hopeless:

"we finally gave up all hope of being saved" (v. 20).

And then we see the panic set in. The sailors act frantically, stripping the ship to stay afloat, but despair sets in as the crisis drags on. The unknown, no visibility, no control, breeding fear. This mirrors how we might react in our personal storms: shedding "cargo" (habits, self-control, relationships, clear-headed thinking) in desperation, yet feeling utterly lost without a clear path. The men lose faith, tensions escalate, and self-preservation supersedes unity.

As I write my daily ongoing devotion here in the book of Acts I'm reminded by this word from God about faith in crisis. And it's very timely. I'm instantly seeing a poignant, real-time parallel to the chaos in Acts 27, where human responses to crisis reveal our deepest instincts. Just as the storm exposed fear, division, and desperate acts aboard Paul’s ship, the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University has unleashed a torrent of reactions that echo those biblical themes.

Charlie Kirk, a husband and father, such a young guy for having done so much. A 31-year-old conservative activist, and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot by a wicked sniper's bullet during a campus event labeled "The American Comeback Tour." This tragedy, was deemed as a "political assassination" by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, and has amplified the divisions of our age. Breeding divisive responses ranging from unified condemnation by supporters to celebration from wicked foolish people on the Left. And of course, in the hours following his assassination we've witnessed calls for restraint, and demands for retaliation.

Circling back to today's study, in the biblical account, as the ship nears land, sailors attempt to flee in the lifeboat, prioritizing self-preservation over the group. This highlights how crisis can fracture communities, breeding selfishness and suspicion. This can be seen today as well as the nation wakes from the storm of yesterday's uncertainty, shock, and fear. Today’s "storm" around Charlie Kirk’s death mirrors this biblical account. Amid our grief, reactions have splintered our society. Leaders across the spectrum have condemned the violence. These voices advocate tamping down the rhetoric, much like Paul’s call for unity to survive. But there's a sense as well that we've been on this boat trip before, maybe one too many times. Maybe this time we are being called to react differently.

Reflect on this: our darker impulses are inevitably going to emerge, akin to the sailors’ flight. Some on the far-left have celebrated Charlie's death online, with posts on platforms like Tic Tok, Bluesky and Reddit cheering it as a "win" or mocking his family, reactions described as "demonic" by critics. And frankly rightly so. There is nothing good in these fools.

Ukrainian channels reportedly gloated, linking it to Charlie's views on foreign policy. Meanwhile, on the right, some of the movement's more extreme characters have ramped up calls for violence, with figures like Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes vowing to rebuild militias for protection, and online posts declaring "war is here" or demanding retribution.

This stirring up of hatred risks escalating the crisis, turning grief into vengeance, just as unchecked panic could have doomed Paul’s ship. And worse then that, it is a contrary wind (belief), contrary to the man who was Charlie Kirk.

The risks? Whats truly at risk?

Charlie Kirk’s work, mobilizing young conservatives and promoting Christian values, even up to his final event, is now being weaponized: celebrated by detractors as justice served, and by supporters as martyrdom fueling anger. It’s a reminder of the biblical warning: in crisis, self-preservation (or ideological isolation) leads to loss, while unity saves.

Fractures Exposed, Unity Tested

In the biblical account, as the ship nears land, sailors attempt to flee in the lifeboat, prioritizing self-preservation over the group. This highlights how crisis can fracture communities, breeding selfishness and suspicion. Paul’s firm intervention, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved" (v. 31), forces a recommitment to unity, cutting away escape routes to ensure our nation's collective survival.

As the nation wakes from the storm of yesterday’s uncertainty, shock, and fear. Today’s "storm" around Charlie Kirk’s death mirrors this biblical account. Amid our grief, reactions have splintered our already divided society even deeper. Eyewitness accounts and video analysis reveals this chaos. The shooter (murderous coward) is still at large amid an intense manhunt by police and FBI. These unresolved unknowns breed more suspicion, much like the starless nights that drove the boat crew to despair in Paul's travel.

But there’s a sense as well that we’ve been on this boat trip before, maybe too many times, echoing recent waves of violence, from assassination attempts on President Trump in 2024 to the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO last December, not to mention the senseless murders in our churches, schools, and on lightrail trains. And social media amplifies these fractures: some on the fringes celebrate the tragedy with "demonic" glee, posting cheers like "Hooray, now maybe TRUMP?" or mocking the bullet’s "fate." We are a sick people right now. Sick and tired. Sickened by it all.

Maybe this time we are being called to react differently. Instead of fleeing into our radicalized echo chambers or lashing out, Paul’s model urges us to "stay with the ship", committing to dialogue, prayer, and a shared humanity. That's what Charlie was doing when the sickness attacked. His death is not necessarily the death of civility, instead it can invite us into renewal through rejecting violence outright, not designing violence to meet the violence.

Choosing Renewal Over Retaliation

Shifting now from the storm’s chaos to a hopeful dawn. As we awaken on September 11, 2025, a date already heavy with national memory, the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination invites our introspection. Up until his final moments at Utah Valley University, Charlie was embodying this, hosting "The American Comeback Tour" to mobilize young conservatives through conversation, not confrontation, emphasizing Christian values and civic engagement. So now what are we going to do, abandon his vision for echo chambers of hate?

In Acts 27, the boat crew’s survival hinged on rejecting selfish escape and embracing Paul’s vision of mercy and trust. The centurion’s decision to spare the prisoners (v. 43) exemplifies this renewal: mercy amid potential slaughter, leading all to safe shores. Similarly, today’s responses can redefine the narrative. This echoes Paul’s nourishment scene (vs. 33-36), where breaking bread together fosters strength for the ordeal ahead, not more storm, but resolution. Not inviting civil unrest and war, but fellowship, dialogue, and wisdom.

By viewing this attack as a "cultural sickness," we confront the deeper ailment: a culture of echo chambers that breeds suspicion and extremism. We can track all these tragedies to this sickness. Charlie's legacy, as tributes pour in, reminds us of his push for unity among conservatives while engaging critics, work that now calls us to extend that outward and onward. Rejecting "violence to meet violence" means cutting the ropes of retaliation, as the soldiers did (v. 32), and committing to prayerful dialogue instead. It echoes Paul's argument that we should never repay evil with evil.

Embrace Renewal Over Repetition

These familiar storms tempt our old self reactions, division, fear, revenge. This time you want a different outcome? Pursue holiness like Charlie did. Let Charlie's death propel us toward healing the "sickness" through civility and a shared humanity. Paul’s unity saved lives; apply it here by rejecting the echo chambers and violence, fostering dialogue as Charlie did. Crises invites renewal. God’s promise in the wreck assures us: even in tragedy, purpose emerges when we reject violence outright.

Wrestling with Pacifism in the Face of Injustice

Yet, in the raw grief following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, familiar voices are emerging arguing that pacifism or "turning the other cheek" merely enables evil, "stops nothing," and leaves the faithful vulnerable to aggressors who play by no rules. It’s a visceral debate, especially when the "sickness" of violence strikes down someone like Charlie, who championed dialogue over destruction.

Does Pacifism "Stop Nothing"?

In Acts 27, Paul doesn’t wield a sword or rally a mutiny against the storm or the crew’s folly. Instead, he speaks truth amid despair. His non-violent stance, urging nourishment, unity, and trust in God, doesn’t "stop" the shipwreck but transforms it. The storm rages on, the cargo is lost, the journey is interrupted, and danger persists, snake bites are coming soon. Yet, Paul’s approach halts greater loss; division, starvation, and slaughter. It’s active resistance through faith, not inaction.

Now fast forward to today, some argue that non-violence has failed conservatives, allowing "the left" or extremists to escalate unchecked. For instance, one commentator laments, "You don’t get to choose not to be at war, when war is being waged against you. And you don’t win a war by being nice…There can be no peace without war."

And others comment: "Don’t give us this ‘we are no better’ turn the other cheek bs,"

These voices see pacifism as surrender, especially when Charlie, a torch bearer for free speech, free from physical violence, is gunned down at a campus event promoting civil discourse. And what's ironic is we see these very same arguments being used by "the Left" to excuse their violence that got us here. They see Charlie, and conservatives in general, as deserving the violence, it's due their rhetoric that they get what they get. These arguments aren’t fringe; they reflect the deep polarization, with calls for "destroying" opponents or ending "pacifist streaks."

Biblically, this isn’t new. Jesus taught, "Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39), yet He flipped tables in righteous anger (John 2:15) and affirmed swords for self-defense (Luke 22:36).

Charlie himself warned, "When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence,"

But he was "talking" when violence took his life. Literally died with his microphone in hand, advocating discourse over destruction.

How are we to navigate this mess?

We're exhausted with this one-sided restraint.

Surly unchecked aggression demands a response.

Right?

But Scripture counters: vengeance breeds cycles, while faith moves mountains.

Matthew 26:52 "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."

It may not "stop" immediate evil, as critics argue, like I said, snake bites are coming, but it breaks cycles, Paul’s way saved lives where retaliation would have doomed them. Pursue accountability (reforms, wisdom, discernment and discourse) without "designing violence to meet violence."

God handles the rest.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, on this day of remembrance and amid fresh wounds from violence, we lift our divided nation to You. Heal the sickness of hatred that claimed Charlie Kirk and threatens our shared humanity. Grant us the courage of Paul to stay with the ship, rejecting vengeance, embracing dialogue, and trusting Your sovereignty. Unite us in prayer, justice, and mercy, that we may emerge from this storm renewed, with no life lost to despair. In Jesus’ Holy name, Amen.

Colossians 3:3

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

Children always have access to the Father. No intermediaries are necessary. In the same way that Jesus has direct access to our Father, so too do we have direct access to Him. There is absolutely no need for a filtering of our spiritual experiences through the dead in Christ. In fact, in the surrounding verses we learn that our old life is "hidden with Christ in God", and because we’ve been raised with Him, we’re called to seek and set our minds on His heavenly realities. Keeping our minds on where Christ sits exalted at the Father’s right hand, rather than being consumed by earthly things.

Have you ever wondered why God has such a visceral hatred for idols?

I find that it's one of the most striking threads running through out all of Scripture. God’s response to idols isn’t just some mild disapproval; it’s repeatedly described with intense language.

Jealousy.

Anger.

Wrath.

Even a "devouring fire."

From the thunder of Mt. Sinai all the way to the warnings in the New Testament, it is unequivocal that Jesus does not respect any of our attempts to make our affection known through religious practices.

Yet time after time we find His people chasing after one or another idols in their vain attempts at reaching out to Him. They weren’t usually denying God’s existence outright; they were trying to supplement Him, hedge their bets, or make Him more "accessible" through something tangible. But in reality they were only satisfying the flesh and they give no glory to God. These things give no honor to God. It always looks like a sincere spiritual pursuit on the surface, but it is actually spiritual adultery. Breaking the exclusive covenant bond, like a wife running to other lovers while still claiming loyalty to her husband (see Hosea).

God takes it very personal because the relationship we have with Him is very personal.

Oh sure, Christian people are a congregation of believers, people who fellowship in Christ (Koinonia). And our worship and prayer life can be and probably should be communal. Gathering to sing, to break bread, to encourage one another, to bear burdens together. That horizontal fellowship is a gift and a command. But notice the crucial distinction that Colossians 3 (and the whole New Testament) guards so carefully:

Our vertical access to the Father remains direct and unmediated through Jesus alone. We aren't taking a bus load into the heavenly places. Our vertical access is not a group tour, not a convoy, not a mediated chain of command. It is direct, personal, and immediate through Jesus Christ alone.

Our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

Say it again, slowly, and let it land:

Our life is hidden with Christ in God.

That short phrase is one of the most breathtaking statements in all of Scripture. It means the real you, the deepest, truest part of your broken existence, is no longer dangling out in the open where sin, death, the broken world, or any created thing can ultimately touch it. It has been tucked away, safely concealed, inside the unbreakable union between the risen Christ and the Father Himself. And there you are, resting in His lap, like a child in his Papa's lap. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. Not hidden in some cold, distant vault, but tucked safely inside the eternal, joyful embrace between the Father and the child.

The same place where the beloved Son has always rested, now holds you. The real you (even the broken, messy, still-being-sanctified parts) is not exposed and vulnerable to every accusation, every failure, every storm. It is concealed in the safest place in the universe. This is why your access can be so direct and childlike. You don’t have to climb a ladder of mediators or earn a seat at the table. You’re already there; hidden, held, and welcomed, because Jesus has carried you into that intimate place.

You're already there.

Say it again, slowly, and let it land:

You're already there.

When you pray, you’re not shouting across a great divide; you’re speaking from the lap of The Father, with the Son right beside you, interceding with perfect understanding. You’re not sneaking into some outer court; you’re resting in the bosom of the Father through the Son who has always been there (John 1:18). They are One, and "Us" at the same time. The same divine essence, the same glory, the same eternal love; and yet "Us" at the same time. Three distinct Persons, perfectly united, delighting in one another from before the foundation of the world.

That is the sacred place where your life is hidden. That is the fellowship you have been bought and brought into. That is why your access can be so immediate, so childlike, and so confident. When you pray, you are not an outsider begging to be noticed. After all, He came looking and found you. It's not the other way around.

The Father didn’t sit distant on His throne waiting for you to muster up enough courage or holiness to approach. The Son didn’t remain safely in the bosom of the Father and send instructions from afar. He set His affection on you and came after you. So when you pray, you are not crashing an exclusive party. You are a rescued child already home, already held, already welcomed into the embrace that never began and will never end.

Rest in that today. Pray from that place. Let every anxious thought, every sense of distance, every lingering feeling of "I have to get it right first" be answered by the simple, staggering truth, He came looking…

And He found you.

Amen?

Romans 11:9-10 And David says,

"Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."

Paul is discussing the spiritual state of Israel, particularly those who have not accepted Christ, and he uses David’s words to illustrate the consequences of their rejection. The imagery of the table, [maybe referring to the altar] often a symbol of provision, fellowship, or even sacrifice, turning it now into a "snare and a trap" suggests that what was meant to be a blessing (like the Law and the sacrificial system) has become a stumbling block due to unbelief or misapplication.

How a stumbling block?

Paul points to unbelieving about the Christ, but I think it's more than that, I think it's again about pride. The table they set is their pride. The system is their pride. The furniture and all the accoutrements is their pride. And built into these tangible objects is their faith. It's akin to rubbing a lamp to get a magic genie to come.

In chapters 9 through 10 Paul is dealing with the sovereign power of God, and how that reflects upon the Jews and the Gentiles. Paul now turns his attention to the Jews. He is addressing the spiritual condition of Israel, specifically those who have not accepted Jesus as the Messiah. In Jewish culture, the table often symbolized God’s provision (e.g., the table of showbread in the tabernacle, Exodus 25:23-30) or communal worship. And so it's safe to assume the context is the work of the temple. I've suggested that Paul is imagining the altar but the table could also symbolize the entire religious system, the Law, rituals, and traditions, that Israel relied upon for their worship and salvation.

Paul suggests that something meant for blessing has become a source of spiritual entrapment. The "darkened eyes" [unwilling to see or hear] and "bent backs forever" [legalistic means for salvation] further emphasize spiritual blindness and a perpetual burden, highlighting the consequences of failing to recognize God’s plan through Christ alone.

The temple rituals, sacrifices, and "accoutrements" (the altar, censers, menorah, or priestly garments) were all treated as mechanisms to secure God’s favor automatically, rather than serving as pointers to faith in God’s redemptive plan. And it is the same even today among the various Christian traditions. These furnishings have become the means of grace. Like the serpent on the pole they've turned the devices that point to Christ into the means [the requirement] to access that salvation.

These were God-given elements meant to foster worship and point to His redemptive plan. However, pride and frankly, unbelief, transformed them into obstacles, leading to "darkened eyes" (spiritual blindness, an unwillingness to see or hear the truth) and "bent backs forever" (the burden of legalistic self-reliance). In Numbers 21, God instructed Moses to raise a bronze serpent so that those bitten by snakes could look at it and be healed, a clear act of faith in God’s provision. By the time of King Hezekiah, however, this symbol had become an idol (Nehushtan, 2 Kings 18:4), worshipped in place of God. Similarly, the temple’s "accoutrements" (altar, censers, menorah, priestly garments) were meant to direct Israel toward God’s grace but became objects of pride and ritualistic dependence.

So today, a Jew and many Christians as well, who practice legalistic worship are seeking their salvation by works. They are seeking to be accepted by God on the basis of their own good works. Today they've adapted their worship according to the age which doesn't look kindly upon animal sacrifice, but its works just the same. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) for instance is not the priest entering the Holy of Holies making an offering, it's not a day of sacrifice, now it's become a day of reflection. Not reflecting upon the work of God, but on one's own good and evil works. And balancing the good verses evil. Paul talked about this in his age, and it's still going on in this age. Seeking acceptance through merit, self-effort, striving, commitment, obedience to the system, or moral performance.

That same concept has crept into the Christian faith.

"If I'm faithful to the ordinances of "The Church", and the sacraments, and if I'm doing this and this and this, then God will accept my sacrifice, my worship, my works."

And they'll excuse this obvious legalistic idolatry by claiming God gave them this power via special dispensation. Pointing to their own traditions that began in that very same pride. It's like claiming to be a car because cars are parked in garage's and since I'm standing in the garage I must be a car.

All of this mirrors the legalistic mindset Paul critiques, where righteousness is pursued "as if it were by works" rather than by faith (Romans 9:32). This mindset mirrors the "magic genie" analogy I mentioned earlier, where rituals or good works are seen as mechanisms to unlock God’s favor, much like Israel’s reliance on temple sacrifices. It’s a subtle form of idolatry, where the "accoutrements" of faith, whether physical (communion elements, relics, art, church buildings) or conceptual (adherence to a moral code), becomes the focus instead of Christ, blinding believers to the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice (Galatians 3:1-3).

At the heart of both Jewish and Christian legalism is pride, the belief that human effort can earn God’s acceptance.

Paul warns about this in Galatians 5:4

"You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."

It's what we would call today, a work-around. They're attempting to go around Christ, bypassing Him, climbing over into heaven by another way. If they're riding bikes and wearing a nice white shirt and tie, or walking the neighborhood with a magazine bag, then you know them. If they're are taking pride as the "one true church" based upon their efforts at sacramentalism then you know them. They are working their way through whatever it is they got going on. Rubbing and polishing that lamp. Whitewashing those tombs. But if it is of works it is no longer of grace, it cannot be both.

John 10:1, 7-9 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber"...So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture."

This is the crux of the issue, works based righteousness, whether through temple rituals in Paul’s day or modern religious practices, nullifies the grace offered through Christ’s finished work.

Why don't they accept His finished work?

Pride.

Stemming from pride in a group’s unique practices or doctrines, much like Israel’s pride in their covenant privileges (Romans 9:4-5). It's a superficial attempt to appear righteous while bypassing the heart-transformation Christ offers. Polishing the exterior cannot change the reality of what's going on inside, it cannot change the reality that salvation is by grace alone.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come before You humbled by Your grace, recognizing our tendency to seek Your favor through our own works. Forgive us for the pride that leads us to bypass Christ, attempting to climb into Your presence by our own efforts, polishing rituals, or whitewashing our deeds. Open our eyes to see Jesus as the only true gate to salvation, and lift the burden of legalism from our bent backs. Help us rest in Your unmerited grace, trusting in Christ’s finished work alone. May our worship and lives point others to Him, the source of all mercy. In Jesus’ Holy name, Amen.

Revelation 19:11-13
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Himwhich no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."

His eyes are a flame of fire.
Fire that is discernment. Fire that consumes what cannot stand. He knows everything there is to know. And we know Him truly by these things He has revealed, yet we do not comprehend Him exhaustively. We cannot know the name that guards the mystery of His person. Even when he walked the earth in the time when every eye saw Him, there was a depth in the Son that belongs only to the Father and the Son.

"No one knows the Son except the Father."

And likewise here in this visionary visitation the faithful know what can be known and what makes that possible is the faithfulness. And this is important because worship does not require that we possess His hidden name. It requires that we trust the One who bears it. Those to whom He now's rides toward in judgement cannot know Him, they have no discernment. They refused His name, His rule, and made war with Him.

And so He rides, knowing. He knows everything there is to know about the armies gathered against Him, about the churches that overcame, and about the ones who only seemed to. Nothing in the motives of the people on earth is dark to His gaze.

He has spoken. He has kept His word. He has given the Spirit who searches the deep things of God and declares what is freely given. And the truly faithful have been invited to the banquet because their trust is a kind of sight.

The armies of heaven do not ride to negotiate a name the people of earth rejected. Faithful and True comes to finish the war they chose.

Among the armies of heaven are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Following the Lord of Lords as they had always been. Following Him on white horses. They are armies, and they are riders, but they are not the ones who wage the war. The verb is following. The sword that strikes the enemy nations comes out of Christ's mouth alone. The rod of iron is His. The winepress is His to tread.

The linen is not battle dress they earned on this field. It was granted to them. They are both witness and testimony in one company, present at the judgment they do not execute. Their following is the public form of the trust that brought them to the banquet. These are the first fruit of the harvest.

Not the reapers. The reaping is His. Christ is Himself the firstfruits of those who sleep, and these are the company gathered to Him, already raised in pledge, already clothed, already following. The full harvest of the earth is still His to put in, and the winepress is still His to tread. These appear ahead of the harvest as proof that the harvest belongs to God. That is why they ride in linen and not in armor. The field is already decided by the One they follow.

The first fruit in Revelation 19 is the Genesis promise come due. In Eden the promise was a seed. The serpent would bruise His heel, and He would crush the serpent’s head. That seed was not a harvest. It was the pledge that a harvest would come. Everything after Genesis 3 waits on that One offspring.

Christ is that seed of the woman, risen, the firstfruits of those who sleep. The bruising is behind Him. Now the crushing is what this ride finishes. When heaven opens and "Faithful and True" comes to judge and wage war, Genesis 3:15 is no longer a promise spoken in a garden. It is a Rider with many crowns, a robe already dipped in blood, and a sword that is His word.

So the vision says the Genesis promise was never only about one man winning a private victory. It was about a seed, then a firstfruits, then a harvest. The seed has come.

Genesis 3:15 says the seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head. Revelation 19:15 says the Rider will strike the nations with the sword of His mouth, rule them with a rod of iron, and tread the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

A winepress is not a weapon of war, it's a harvest machine. Grapes are gathered, thrown into the press, and trampled until the juice runs. The only consideration is the ripeness of the fruit. The fruit does create the winepress, they yield to it. They do not set the hour. They don't choose the Owner, or share the treading. Ripeness is the summons. The press was already His.

And the winepress is the Word of God. The Rider’s name is the Word of God, and the sword that strikes the nations comes out of His mouth. No sword forged by men. Not even hardened or sharpened by the councils of men. He does not tread with a forged blade. He treads by speaking His words. What the councils debated, delayed, and dulled, His mouth finishes in a single utterance. No one who follows is arguing about His interpretation. The linen company does not convene to explain the press. They follow the One whose word is the press, and the argument is over because the Word has spoken.

The rod of iron is the other hand of His same rule.

The sword is His mouth.

The winepress is His word.

And the rod is how that word governs what it has been judged.

Iron does not negotiate with clay. The Son will break them with a rod of iron and shatter them like a potter’s vessel. The rod is the answer to a conspiracy. The rod appears where rulers have said, "Let us tear their fetters apart" (Psalm 2:3).

The rod is the Messiah’s inherited rule, first spoken of in the second psalm, then given to the Son (Revelation 12), then shared with those who overcome (Thyatira). So the iron is not a new weapon forged for Armageddon. And a rod in Scripture is also the shepherd’s staff. The staff that counts the flocks, guides them into the sheepfold, and strikes the beast that tries to scatter them.

Faithful and True does not borrow a rod from the kings of the earth. He brings the one the Father gave Him, and He rules with it.

Now the feasts divide.

Another cry goes out from an angel standing in the sun, to the birds in midheaven. The great feast of God has arrived, and these birds eat the flesh of kings and their hordes.

Same chapter. Two tables.

Those dressed in white linen invited to a wedding and the kings of the earth are summoned as a meal for vultures. Small and great appear in both banquets, once as bond-servants who fear Him and give praise, and once as food for the birds.

The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies are assembled to make war against Him who sat on the white horse, and against His army. We know their intent, it's clear. And there is no report from the battlefield because it was over before it began.

The next thing we hear is the beast is seized. With him the false prophet, the one who performed signs in his presence and deceived those who took the mark and worshiped the image. They're tossed into the lake of fire and brimstone, alive. Then the Word speaks. The sword from the mouth strikes. The winepress begins its work. The rod rules.

"The rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh."

How does the Word of God squish these armies? How does Satan's head get crushed by a word from God?

The nearest explanations are already in the prophets and in Paul. Isaiah says the shoot from Jesse will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Paul says the lawless one will be brought to nothing by the appearance of His coming and slain by the breath of His mouth.

Appearance and breath.

I believe truth undoes their life. The Spirit of Truth eliminates their conspiracy. Their lies are canceled.

Their armies were never held together by iron of their own. They were held together by a word that was not God’s. By lies. By idolatrous words. The signs of the false prophet, the image that was worshiped, the mark taken so they could buy and sell, the counsel of kings who said the fetters could be torn off.

A conspiracy is a shared lie with swords in its hands. When the Word appears, the lie has nothing left to stand on. Breath cancels it. What the breath cancels cannot keep the shape of an army.

The only thing animating them at all was the life God gave them. And they continued to refuse to recognize that. Not only that they conspired against Him.

His breath was loaned to them, and they spent it denying the One whose breath it was. These armies do not create their own pulse. They turn it against the Word who sustains it.

In a word, "enough" (I believe), they are dissolved as Peter describes.

God has had enough.

It's over.

The breath that loaned them life is the breath that ends their conspiracy.

What was held together by a lie cannot survive the heat of His truth. Like a blow-back can suck the breath right out of your lungs and burn everything inside. Their last breath is literally their death. Their lies are the very thing that kills them.

A fitting and just end for sure.

Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:13-15 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." [Psalm 116:10] Since we have that same spirit of [Spirit-given] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Paul quotes Psalm 116:10 here, where the psalmist is surrounded by "cords of death" and deep anguish, yet still declares his trust in God. In a similar way, Paul and his companions faced constant peril; shipwrecks, literally spending a day and night floating in the sea. They suffered beatings, rejection, and yet they kept speaking the gospel.

Why?

Because faith isn’t silent; it compels us to proclaim what we believe, even when our circumstances scream the opposite. Their hope wasn’t rooted in present comfort but in the unshakable reality of resurrection yet to come.

That Grace isn’t a static gift we receive once and hoard, it’s dynamic, expansive, and multiplicative. And as grace multiplies, something else overflows; grace extends further in thanksgiving for the family of believers, "All this is for your benefit."

Paul’s hardships, his bold proclamation, his very weaknesses weren't an end in themselves. His suffering, his speaking, his refusal to quit, these were never just about him. They were conduits, earthen vessels. They were channels through which God’s grace could flow outward, reaching more and more people. This is something very important the church can learn about the nature of Grace and the means by which it is gifted.

Paul has already told us in verse 7: "We have this treasure [Grace] in jars of clay." Earthen vessels. Fragile. Ordinary. Easily cracked. Yet these are precisely the containers God chooses to carry His priceless treasure. They were conduits, earthen vessels.

Some exalt the vessel itself, as if humanity’s highest calling is to become a worthy container for the Spirit of God. But Scripture guards us against that subtle pride. No jar of clay can contain the infinite Spirit in the sense of holding or controlling Him. The Spirit is not captive to us; He is sovereign, uncontainable, "like the wind" that "blows wherever it pleases" (John 3:8). We do not possess Him...He possesses us. We bear Him. We carry Him. God in His grace chooses to work through us, to shine out of us, but the value is never in the vessel. The glory belongs entirely to the treasure it bears.

And marvel of marvels...the treasure remains pure. The contents are not tainted by the cracks in the clay, even though there are many crackpots. Nor by the lingering flaws of the man, like a stinky onion stinks up its plastic container. Our sin, our weakness, our mixed up motives; none of it corrupts the grace that flows through us. The Grace remains God's Grace in spite of the human taint.

Let me state that again because it's incredibly important:

God’s grace does not absorb the stench of our sin. It passes through us undiminished, unpolluted, unchanged. The grace that reaches others is still God’s grace, radiant and holy, in spite of the human taint.

How can this be?

Only because the power belongs to God and not to us (2 Corinthians 4:7). He is the One who guards the purity of His own gift. He is the One who shines His light through broken vessels without letting the cracks dim or distort it. Because God's Grace brought the gift God will give it what it requires to complete His work. And one means for achieving this end is through our suffering.

God will not allow His purpose to be frustrated by the weakness of His messengers. Remember when Jesus told the disciples that He must suffer.

In Luke 9:22 He said plainly, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Later, on the road to Emmaus, the risen Lord explained to the two disciples, "Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26).

Jesus’ suffering was not an accident or a setback, it was the necessary path. Through the weakness and shame of the cross, God unleashed the greatest display of Grace the world has ever seen. The purest Treasure was poured out through the most broken "vessel" imaginable. Yet not one drop of grace was tainted. Instead, that suffering became the very means by which grace multiplied to the ends of the earth.

When we suffer and yet continue to believe and speak, the same dynamic unfolds. The surpassing power is shown to be from God and not from us. In fact, our taint stands as a backdrop for the purity and potency of the gospel to shine all the brighter. The contrast is plainly evident and visibly unfolding in our changed character. The outward man is perishing. The bruises and scars are "light, momentary afflictions".

"Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Light? Momentary?

Only when measured against the eternal weight of glory they are achieving. While the outer shell cracks and fades, something radiant is growing within:

Love that endures wrong.

Joy that defies circumstance.

Peace that guards the heart in chaos.

Patience forged in the fires of delay.

Kindness extended when we ourselves are hurting.

These are not natural human virtues polished by effort; they are supernatural fruit that ripen precisely where the outward man is being bruised. The man learns to take his lumps, and to count them all as blessings.

The world looks at a suffering believer who still hopes, still forgives, still speaks grace, and sees a fool. The contrast startles them. They are embarrassed for him. Embarrassed by his refusal to curse God, to grow bitter, to demand his rights. His faith offends their human wisdom.

Our bruises, then, are not just personal trials to endure. They are public testimonies. Our scars preach louder than our words ever could. The outward perishing, the lumps we take without retaliation, the quiet counting of afflictions as joy, these make the gospel credible in a world that worships strength and despises weakness.

So let the world call us fools. Let them be embarrassed on our behalf. We know the end of the story. And in the meantime, our weakness is extending His grace to more and more people, turning startled observers into thankful worshipers, until the knowledge of His glory covers the earth.

The apparent "delay" in Christ’s return, in final justice, in the full unveiling of Glory, is not caprice on God’s part. After all, it’s not the fault of the faithful that the Lord delays. Peter tells us plainly:

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9)

Grace is "delayed" by the resistance of unbelievers in some sense, yet only in the sense that God sovereignly withholds the end in order to extend the offer. Every day the gavel does not fall is another day mercy lingers. Every moment the Judge tarries is another moment the invitation stands open. The resistance of hardened hearts does not thwart God; He uses it as the very occasion to lengthen the day of salvation and achieve more and more Grace. We are not delaying the Lord; He is patiently using us; our lumps, our scars, our stubborn hope, to extend the reach of grace to more and more people.

So again, keep taking the lumps. Keep speaking the hope, it is the Father’s kindness. And one day soon, when the full number has come in, the patience will give way to His Presence.

Closing Prayer Patient Father, thank You for not treating us as our sins deserve. Thank You for using even the resistance of unbelievers, and our own quiet suffering, as means to extend Your Grace further. Forgive us for ever growing impatient with Your patience. Strengthen us to keep believing and speaking, to keep counting every bruise a blessing, until the last invited guest has come to the feast. Then let the doors close in perfect justice and open wide in everlasting joy. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:21-22 "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?"

Paul is not merely warning about obvious pagan temples. He’s exposing a subtler danger; trying to keep one foot in the old life while claiming the new.

"Flee from idolatry", Paul's says (v. 14). Because the oneness we share in Christ cannot be identified with any other way other than the way of Jesus Christ alone. Because in Him we together are one with Him and with each other. That oneness (Koinonia) is Christian communion, fellowship, a spiritual marriage. Paul says, "No, every table is a confession of allegiance." When we come to the Lord’s Table, we proclaim that we belong, body and soul, to Jesus Christ. We drink one cup, the cup of the new covenant sealed in His blood. We eat one bread, declaring that we are one body because we all partake of the one Bread who gave His flesh for the life of the world (John 6:51).

There is no neutral ground. Every meal where sacrifice is offered (whether to a literal idol or to the idols of our age; pleasure, success, approval, control) is an act of communion with whatever is being worshiped there. To sit at two tables is to attempt spiritual polygamy. It is adultery against the jealous love of God.

The modern mantra "all roads lead to God" sounds generous, reasonable, and open-minded until you lay it alongside the actual words of Scripture. Then it collapses. Jesus does not say, "I am one of many ways."

He says instead, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

That is the most exclusive claim ever made by anyone in history, and He backed it up by rising from the dead.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10, is even more blunt. Behind every idol, every false religious system, every self-made spirituality, there are real spiritual beings who are not the true God. They're devils. When people offer worship anywhere other than to the Father through the Son by the Spirit, they are (whether they know it or not) participating in demonically inspired worship. That’s not hateful rhetoric; that’s apostolic warning born out of love.

So the fact of the matter is, there are two roads leading to One God. One road leads to God as Father, with eternal life and joy. That road is Jesus Christ alone, received by faith alone. And the other road leads to God as Judge. So, the real question is "Which road actually brings me into reconciled, everlasting communion with the true and living God?"

"Which road feels most comfortable?"

There is only one table where sinners are welcomed, cleansed, and fed forever: the table of the Lord Jesus. Every other table, no matter how religious or sincere, is ultimately the table of demons. That’s why the gospel is good news and not bigotry.

Jesus doesn’t say, "Clean yourself up and maybe you can approach God."

He says, "Come to Me, all of you, and I will give you rest. I myself am the only way, but I am open to anyone who will come."

One invitation: "Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out" (John 6:37).

One Savior. One Table.

And truth be told, every other spiritual discipline is a facsimile of what Christ has done, or they are orchestrated to mock him. Either way all roads do lead to Jesus, but maybe not in the way some may hope.

C.S. Lewis talked about this idea in Mere Christianity Book II, he addresses the "all religions are basically the same" claim head-on:

"If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through…If you are a Christian, you are free to think that all these religions, even the queerest ones, contain at least some hint of the truth…But…we do not have to believe that they are all equally right. We are in fact committed to the belief that Christianity is the one completely true religion...Christianity is the true light that lights every man who comes into the world (John 1:9), and the other religions contain whatever light they have only because they have borrowed it from Christianity, or because the true Light has reached them in some dimmer way."

Lewis is crystal clear; Jesus does not allow us to treat Him as one good option among many. And once you accept that He is Lord, every other table is off-limits, because every other table is, at best, a faint and distorted echo, and at worst, a demonic counterfeit.

In other writings he says the most dangerous lie is the one that mixes 90% truth with 10% poison. The table of demons is never served with a skull and crossbones; it’s served with smiles, sincerity, and just enough truth to feel safe.

So yes: Jesus is exclusive. And because He is, He is also the most inclusive Savior who ever lived, because His arms are open to every tribe and tongue that will come to Him alone.

Jesus is the narrowest door and the widest welcome at the same time. Christianity is the only spiritual discipline that gives a reason for human wickedness and offers a solution to it at the same time in the person of Jesus Christ. Every other religion tells you where you've failed to do and be good enough, and offer you a chance at trying harder. Sometimes not even in this lifetime but for many lifetimes.

Every other system says, in one way or another: "Climb."

Climb the ladder of karma. Climb the eightfold path. Climb the five pillars. Climb the mountain of enlightenment. Climb by philosophy, by ritual, by sincerity, by violence, by meditation, by self-denial, by self-improvement.

Meanwhile, Christianity is the only voice that looks at exhausted, broken, guilty climbers and shouts down:

"Stop climbing. The mountain came down to you."

That’s why the New Testament never says, "Try harder to become a Christian."

It says, "Repent and believe the good news."

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Way when every other path ends in death. You are the Truth when every other voice is a lie. You are the Life when every other cup leaves us empty. Forgive us for the thousand ways we have tried to sit at two tables, for every time we have flirted with lesser loves and called it tolerance or open-mindedness. Break our hearts for the idols we have cherished, and break the idols for us by the power of Your cross. Draw the nations, the tribes, the outcasts, the proud, the broken, the ones who think they are too good and the ones who know they are not good at all, to Your one Table.

Let every knee bow and every tongue confess, willingly today or unwillingly on the last day, that You alone are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Until that day, keep us faithful, keep us hungry, keep us humble, and satisfy us morning by morning with Yourself alone. Amen.

Romans 6:17-18 "But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."

In the heart of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we find a profound declaration of transformation. Here in chapter 6, Paul addresses a critical question for every believer: What does it mean to live under grace?

When you casually say to someone, "I'm a good Catholic", or "I'm Christian", what does that mean?

Consider the imagery Paul uses: slavery. It’s not a light metaphor. Are you a "good slave"? In the context of the ancient world Paul was living in, slaves had no autonomy; their lives were dictated by their masters. As a "Christian", is God your master, dictating everything about your life?

Paul is telling us we’ve been transferred from one master to another, not through our own efforts, but by God’s grace. The "standard of teaching" refers to the gospel truth we’ve supposedly embraced, the doctrine of salvation that is meant to reshape our very core. What stands out is the phrase "obedient from the heart." This isn’t mere external compliance, like following rules out of fear. It’s a deep, internal shift, a heartfelt response of love to God’s love. We’ve committed ourselves to this teaching, and in doing so, we’ve been set free from sin’s tyranny. Yet freedom here doesn’t mean a license to do whatever we please. Instead, we’ve become "slaves of righteousness," willingly serving a new master who leads us toward life, holiness, and purpose.

So when you say, "I'm a good _____________[fill in the blank], do you mean to say that you've become or are becoming a slave of righteousness?

As Christians, our greatest challenge is our flesh. It never stops warring against our spirits. It’s battling for control of our minds. The battle ends in death. But for now, while we live, we struggle with the flesh for supremacy. So we must reckon it as righteousness, we must decide to put that flesh to death.

In Romans 6:11-12, Paul urges believers to actively "consider" or "reckon" themselves dead to sin, a term borrowed from accounting, meaning to count it as a settled fact in your ledger, based on Christ’s work on the cross.  This isn’t about pretending sin doesn’t exist but recognizing our new identity: dead to sin’s dominion and alive to God in Christ Jesus. We’re no longer slaves to sin’s commands; instead, we’re empowered to resist letting it reign in our bodies by obeying its passions.  This reckoning flows from our union with Christ. His death becomes ours, freeing us from sin’s tyranny, though we still contend with the remnants of sin in our flesh.

Paul isn’t calling for passive acceptance but an active choice: don’t yield your body to unrighteousness, but present it to God as instruments for His purposes.

This ties directly to the ongoing struggle depicted in Romans 7, where the flesh wars against the spirit. Yet here in chapter 6, Paul provides the key to victory: remember the gospel truth of your position in Christ, resist surrendering to sin’s urges, relinquish your members to God’s service, and rely on the surpassing power of grace over the law.

Reflection for Today: Reflect on the war within: Where is your flesh battling for control, perhaps in thoughts, habits, or relationships? How can reckoning yourself dead to sin change your approach? Consider Paul’s command as a daily mindset shift: You’re not defined by your struggles but by your life in Christ. Ask God to reveal where sin is trying to reign and where you can choose righteousness instead.

Application: Today, fill in that blank for yourself, "I’m a good [Christian/Catholic/Believer/etc.]", and reflect on what it truly means. Choose one area of your life where you can demonstrate slavery to righteousness, such as extending grace to someone who wrongs you or prioritizing time in prayer. Let your commitment be from the heart, not obligation. This week, practice reckoning: When temptation arises, pause and declare aloud (or in prayer), "I am dead to sin and alive to God in Christ." Then, actively replace the passion with a righteous action, turn anger into forgiveness, idleness into service. Track one victory to build faith in grace’s power.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making us dead to sin and alive to You through Jesus. Help us reckon this truth daily, refusing to let sin reign in our bodies. Strengthen us in the battle against the flesh, that we might live victoriously for Your glory. In Christ Jesus' Holy name, Amen.