In Part 1, we traced the origin of curses, examined what obstructs God’s blessings, and introduced the four major categories of blockages that we’ll be unpacking as a part of this series. Today, we’re examining the first spiritual dam - personal sin, the one we build ourselves.

However, I want to clarify something. I am not going to call out the obvious, aka: thou shall not lie, thou shall not steal, thou shall not covet, etc. I am going to expose the overlooked vices many Christians are entertaining and not realizing they are nurturing thorns in their lives.

God’s Commandments - Chains? Or A Shield?

When most people think about God’s commandments, they think of a list of rules:

Don’t do this.

Don’t say that.

Don’t go there.

Don’t watch this.

Don’t touch that.

Christianity can feel like a religion of restrictions. It can seem as though God spends His days looking for ways to keep us from enjoying life. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Hebrew word most commonly translated as commandment is mitzvah. While the word literally means “commandment”, Jewish teachers and scholars have long associated it with the idea of connection, togetherness, or companionship. In other words, this is a bond and agreement between the Giver of the commandment and the receiver. It is related to the Aramaic word tzavata, which means, “to attach, join, or bind together”, much like a marriage covenant.

With this in mind, mitzvot takes on a far more intimate meaning. Commandments are not only rules to be kept and followed, but also acts of love that bring us into closer intimacy with our Bridegroom. After all, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me…” (John 14:21).

I love this picture because it completely changes the way we look at sin. It completely changes the way we look at obedience. More importantly, it completely changes the way we look at God’s heart. God’s commandments were never intended to restrict us or complicate our lives. In fact, they were given to protect us.

Imagine a loving father taking his five-year-old son to a busy intersection. As they approach the curb, the father tells the child, “Hold my hand.” Now the child can interpret this in one of two ways:

1. He could say to himself, “Dad doesn’t trust me. He’s limiting my freedom.”

Or… he could recognize the truth.

2. “Dad perceives a danger that I cannot, and he wants to protect me.”

The father’s command wasn’t given to control the child. It was given to keep him alive. Just as God’s commandments are there to keep us spiritually alive. Every good parent understands this concept instinctively. You tell your child not to touch the hot stove, not because you’re against curiosity, but because you know what intense heat can do to bare, unprotected skin. Similarly, God’s “restrictions” are an expression of love and protection. Every command He gives reveals His heart, His care, and His desire to shield His sons and daughters from danger.

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The Fiery Darts

One of Satan’s greatest accomplishments is casting doubt on God’s Word and sneakily convincing us to compromise. He whispered to Eve in the garden, “Has God indeed said?” In other words, “Can God really be trusted?” Original temptation was never just about eating forbidden fruit. It was a strategy… a strategy to destroy faith, the hedge of protection, so he can get in.

By attacking God’s character and honesty, Satan successfully convinced Eve (who convinced Adam) to eat the fruit, which set off a domino effect and destroyed their shield of faith in His Word. This left them spiritually exposed. And if he can get rid of the barrier, he can get in.

How many of us wrestle with the serpent today? We think to ourselves,

“Am I just being too religious?”

“Is this church just trying to control me?”

“Won’t I become happier, if I do this? I mean, my life is a mess right now and I’m a Christian.”

The serpent from the garden is still slithering today. Culture tells us that obedience is bondage, religious fanaticism, a tool of the patriarchy, an outdated mechanism for controlling the masses, but scripture tells us that obedience is protection; obedience is life.

This is why personal sin is so dangerous. It’s an initiation ritual into chaos, danger, and death. It’s a passport for the devil to enter your life. Every time God says, “don’t,” a minister says “don’t”, a friend says “don’t”. It’s out of love and a desire to protect. But the serpent is sneaky. He is just waiting to come and whisper in your ear,

“They’re judging you.”

“They’re going overboard.”

“They’re just being dramatic.”

Dear reader, there is something painful waiting on the other side of disobedience. Something the experienced man or woman of God can see and is warning you about. God’s commands are not inconsequential suggestions, they are lifelines. Sometimes the repercussions are seen immediately; other times they don’t appear until later.

But they always come.

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Small Twigs Become Big Dams

Water-blocking beaver dams rarely begin with massive logs; they begin with small branches. A single twig can’t stop a river. Neither do two, five, or ten. But hundreds can. Thousands can. Given enough time, they accumulate into an immovable barrier, powerful enough to redirect entire bodies of water.

Sin often works the same way. Someone doesn’t just wake up one day and decide to destroy their marriage. It starts small. Small compromises, small indifferences, small bitterness, small resentment, and before you know it, these “smalls” pile up and become a huge, painful divorce.

Rarely does someone wake up and decide to walk away from God. It usually begins with neglecting prayer, skipping Bible reading, compromising with sin that once convicted them, and then BOOM. Apostasy.

Branches accumulate.

Water flow slows.

And then it stops entirely.

By the time many people identify the dam, they have forgotten where the first branch was placed. This is why personal sin is so deceptive. The enemy rarely starts with catastrophic failure; he can’t. He first needs a foothold. He needs permission to enter. He needs you to entertain the thought in your mind because he knows it will eventually translate into action if you allow it to marinate enough.

And once you cave, he gains access… and he abuses it.

These seemingly small, calculated, compromises build up overtime and slowly kill us (like the American diet)… and before you know it, what started off as rebellion and disobedience has opened the door to a spirit of murder.

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Worship Without Obedience

We see this chain reaction with Cain. When most people think of him, they remember a story of murder. But murder wasn’t the first branch in the dam. Cain’s downfall began much earlier, with self-convenience and willful rebellion.

Everyone knows the story. Cain, and his brother, Abel, brought offerings to the Lord; yet, only Abel’s was accepted. Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, the best he had. Cain simply brought an offering from the ground, something he could spare. He knew what God required, but he still chose to worship Him on his own terms.

For years, I thought God simply preferred animals over vegetables, but the issue wasn’t produce. It was the heart. There’s a profound difference between Abel’s worship and Cain’s abomination. God has never merely been interested in receiving something; He has always desired our hearts. Our best. Our first. Just as we long to be the apple of His eye, He desires to be the apple of ours.

Yet, Cain wanted to approach God on his own terms. The bare minimum. Worship without sacrifice. Blessings without obedience. Benefits without loyalty. Worship as he saw fit, not how God saw fit. When God rejected his offering, it wasn’t simply because He didn’t want produce. Cain was rejected because he refused to honor God the way God wanted to be honored.

How often do we do the same? We want God to bless our plans without ever asking whether they were in His. We want His perfect grace with our indifferent behavior. We ask Him to prosper the very things He never ordained. We come to church whenever we feel like it. We pray whenever we feel like it. We obey whatever is convenient and write off everything inconvenient as “Old Testament”, “religious”, or “null under grace”.

Then we wonder why the river isn’t flowing.

The foundation of every spiritual dam is rebellion in the heart manifesting as disobedience. The framework is consistent compromise accumulating into a river-blocking heap, while the finished product is a hypocritical “Christian” life, obstructed by habitual sin.

What was supposed to be worship, actually became an abomination. I dive into this topic more deeply below:

But for the purposes of this article, we will leave it at this:

Obedience is the act of keeping God’s commands out of love, not creating our own parameters and then trying to pass it off as worship. This is one of the highest and most dangerous kinds of sin because it is a form of idolatry. It does not honor God. It honors you, your belly, and your convenience. We must love God enough to honor His terms, rather than our own. Anything less places our will on the throne, making ourselves the object of worship, instead of Him.

This was Israel’s condition in the time of the judges.

“Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

This attitude bred some of the most bizarre examples of depravity in Scripture. The sad part is, 98% of modern Christians are building this dam. They use grace as an excuse to do whatever they want. They want a loving Jesus, not a holy Jesus. They profess loyalty to a King, while refusing to obey His commands, failing to realize that a Kingless Christian eventually crowns themselves king.

Cain’s story teaches us something important. Spiritual collapse rarely begins abruptly. It begins with subtle compromise. It begins with one ignored conviction, one delayed act of obedience, one fleshly concession. Each decision seems insignificant on its own, but over time, the tiny twigs accumulate and obstruct the flow of favor in many people’s lives.

Then they wonder why the river isn’t flowing.

Compromise

Compromise is incredibly dangerous and is the reason why so many once powerful ministers have fallen. In simple terms, it is a condition where sin stops being taken seriously. We choose to tolerate it, overlook it, and in many cases, justify it. The lies that get planted in the mind are usually these:

But the sad truth is, whatever you feed will grow. Every compromise is another branch placed into the river.

Small concessions gradually dull the conscience and harden the heart, making sin easier to digest and harder to resist. What begins as a tiny moment of weakness eventually accumulates into a huge stronghold that destroys us if left unchecked.

Samson

Such was the case with Samson. Samson lost his discernment long before he lost his physical strength. His downfall began with a series of compromises that slowly eroded him, gave the devil a foothold, and eventually destroyed him. His story is one of the clearest examples of the consequences of progressive compromise because his fall came not with one single catastrophic decision, but with many accumulating concessions that created disaster.

Before he was born, Samson was set apart as a Nazirite in his mother’s womb. He was forbidden from drinking the fruit of the vine, cutting his hair, and coming into contact with the dead. Yet, instead of embracing that calling, he repeatedly flirted with the things God wanted him to avoid. The man had absolutely no self-control.

Like a city that is broken into and without walls, so is a person who has no self-control (Proverbs 25:28).

He possessed enough strength to kill a lion with his bare hands; yet couldn’t kill his flesh. His appetite led him to scoop honey from a dead lion’s carcass. He lusted after many women and continually pursued relationships with Philistines despite his parents’ protests (and God’s command to the Israelites). He participated in an alcoholic wedding feast, celebrating the very marriage he shouldn’t have pursued in the first place. He killed 1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone.

So on and so forth…

Samson’s actions reveal a corrupted heart posture. He was perfectly okay dancing around sin. He had contact with the dead multiple times. He touched the fruit of the vine. He celebrated a marriage he should’ve never entered, which ended in disaster and brought more disaster and violence. Branch after branch accumulated in the river, until only one guardrail remained… his hair.

The turning point came with Delilah. Samson beat around the bush many times before finally revealing the secret of his long locks, but the woman’s incessant pestering did him in. What’s most frustrating is that she repeatedly tried to betray him, but he kept entertaining her and foolishly caved to her nagging.

Satan does the exact same thing. If we don’t take a dramatic, uncompromising stance against sin, especially the ones we like, he will keep pressing until we give up and give in.

The saddest verse in Samson’s story is this:

“…But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” (Judges 16:20)

This is terrifying. Samson assumed he could shake himself free one more time. He thought that because God had continued to empower him, there would be no consequences for violating every aspect of the Nazirite vow. Each time the Spirit came upon him and gave him victory, he interpreted God’s blessing as approval or immunity. He didn’t realize the dam was nearly finished. We mustn’t fall into this vice and confuse God’s patience with God’s approval. There is a last straw. Samson compromised; and in the end, he lost his strength, his eyesight, and his dignity.

But that’s just it, isn’t it?

Compromise eventually brings spiritual blindness and blindness brings destruction.

Then we wonder why the river isn’t flowing.

We make the same mistake as Samson when we confuse God’s patience with his approval. Grace is not something to play with. Grace is not something to take for granted. Scripture never presents grace as permission to sin. Rather, it is a beautiful act of mercy and should transform us, inspiring us to pursue holiness.

In Hebrews 6, we are warned:

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

⁷ For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; ⁸ but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

And in Philippians 2:11-13, Paul says:

² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

There is a doctrine floating around in the Christian world that is deeply contradictory to these verses. This is something I have a deep problem with (and am expecting will ruffle some feathers here). This is the “once saved, always saved” doctrine. If this were true, Paul would not be pleading for us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. What are we fearing and trembling for? Can we fear to lose something that cannot be lost?

This idea is breeding compromise in the body of Christ. It is breeding powerless churches in America. The church that was once casting demons out of people now shudders when the word “devil” is uttered. The church that is supposed to be shining its light is now blending in with the darkness.

And then we wonder why revival isn’t flowing.

Why would we be subjecting Jesus to open shame, again and again, if we can keep using His blood as a scapegoat for sin? True repentance comes from a place of deep remorse. It comes from a place of understanding the gravity of the sin. We’re often casual with certain things because we never took the time to study what they can lead to, but all sin eventually leads to destruction. The paths may look different, but the end destination is the same.

When you truly love someone and harmed them deeply, that love and regret will breed self-control in you faster than a rabbit multiplies in a bunny farm.

Why? Because love covers all sins.

And the fruit of love is self-control and obedience. Not thorns and briers worthy of burning.

The bottom line is this: we mustn’t compromise. We must flee from sin. And you know what? Sometimes its hard. Super hard. But we cannot dance around the edge of the volcano and not expect to fall in. Had Samson fled from Delilah as Joseph did from Potiphar’s wife, his destiny may have been less catastrophic.

Pride (Before the Fall)

Which brings us to the epitome of catastrophe - pride.

Pride does not usually announce its arrival. Just as our metaphorical beaver carries one small branch at a time, pride builds quietly until the heart becomes incapable of yielding to God.

This is dangerous. This is deadly. This can cost a man his salvation.

Why?

Because a prideful person cannot see the error of their ways; they are blind. Prideful people cannot admit they need help. Prideful people cannot confess that they did wrong. And if you can’t acknowledge that, you can’t repent. If you can’t repent, you cannot be saved. This is why some of the most severe judgements in Scripture come upon someone when pride swells up in them. Pride is very hard to break; It competes with God for the throne of your heart so He has to take drastic measures.

King Nebuchadnezzar is one of the clearest examples. In Daniel 4, he allowed pride to consume him until he believed Babylon’s power and might came from his own abilities, rather glorifying the One who had given him the throne. He arrogantly declared:

³⁰“Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

God was not happy.

³¹ While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! ³² And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

That same hour, God humbled him. He struck him with boanthropy, a condition where a person acts like a wild animal (in his case, an ox). Only after this, did Nebuchadnezzar repent and give credit where credit was due.

³⁶ At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, Herod Agrippa I wasn’t as fortunate. When he accepted glory instead of giving it to God (Acts 12:21-23), God struck him on the spot and he was eaten by worms. The same pride that restored Nebuchadnezzar through repentance was the same pride that turned Agrippa into a maggot buffet.

This goes to show, God can elevate a man beyond measure, but when He does, it’s for His own purposes, His own will, and His own glory. We are instruments and have no right to steal that glory. That would be like a microphone bragging against the singer. If not mitigated, this theft leads to downfall.

After all, pride comes before the fall.

Continuing the Upstream Journey

As we’ve followed the river upstream, a pattern has begun to emerge. Spiritual collapse is rarely the result of one catastrophic decision. More often, it is the culmination of countless smaller ones that reshape the heart over time.

Cain disobeyed God and chose worship on his own terms. Samson continually compromised until the Spirit of the Lord departed from him. Nebuchadnezzar swelled with pride and took the glory from God. Different sins, different people, but the same progression: small compromises evolving into life-altering strongholds.

Those three by themselves are more than enough to destroy a man and turn a disarray of branches into a powerful stream-stopper. But even still, we’ve only identified some of the possible building blocks.

In the next article, we will continue dissecting personal sin and the repercussions. We will keep following the river upstream as we uncover more twigs and logs believers unknowingly place in the current. It doesn’t always look like open rebellion or obvious sin; sometimes they are ordinary habits, misplaced priorities, or worse, things the modern church has grown comfortable with (and in the worst cases, promotes).

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Have you ever found yourself wondering why nothing seems to be working?

You’re praying, fasting, reading your Bible, attending church, doing all the right things; yet, somehow you’re stuck in the same hamster wheel, the same cycle of repeat, disappointment, and struggle. The same obstacles keep resurfacing. The same doors stay closed. Finances are a mess, health is a dream, and the breakthrough you’ve been praying for never seems to arrive.

Perhaps you’ve watched other believers testify about God’s goodness, while secretly asking yourself questions you’ve been too afraid to say out loud:

What about me?

What am I doing wrong?

Why does life feel so hard?

If we’re given the power to trample serpents and scorpions, why are they trampling me?

All valid questions.

Some believers seem to walk in abundance, while others spend their years struggling. Every step forward is met with intense resistance, or worse … three steps backward.

I’m noticing two groups of Christians:

One group justifies this as simply a test of faith and patience. “In God’s timing it will happen,” they reason. “If the prayer is not being answered, it’s simply not my season,” they reason.

The second group assumes every setback is offensive spiritual warfare. The devil is after them; the devil is at fault; the devil is to blame. The devil is stealing and delaying their breakthrough.

And while there is certainly truth to both of these thought processes (as we see in the lives of Sarah, Hannah, Daniel, and Paul) the more I studied Scripture, the more I began to notice that there’s a third possibility that gets overlooked (or worse, labeled “old testament”). It’s not always a timing issue. It’s not always head on spiritual warfare. Sometimes it’s because something is obstructing the flow of blessing from reaching its destination - aka you.

Imagine a river flowing freely through a valley. The water is moving exactly as it was designed to move, bringing life wherever it goes, but if someone were to build a dam across that river, the water would no longer reach its destination. The flow would stop. Movement would stop.

In much the same way, many believers are stuck in stagnant waters, cut off from the current. Scripture repeatedly shows us that blessings can halt because something is hindering the flow.

That something is called a curse.

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The Origin of the Curse

To understand how this happens, we have to travel all the way back to the beginning. The beginning, beginning. Because the story of every curse has its origin in the garden.

One of the most fascinating things about humanity is that regardless of culture, language, nationality, or generation, people seem to share the same dream. We long for a world without suffering. We want peace. We want safety. We want justice. We want abundance. We want a world we are living in, not slaving away in. We want a world where children never go hungry, families never break apart, wars never happen, and death never comes knocking at our door.

Politicians promise versions of it. Philosophers write and theorize about it. Activists fight for it. Entire governments are built around the pursuit (or seeming pursuit) of it.

The world calls it progress and sustainability. But in Scripture, it is a distant memory of what once was. Humanity is longing for something it once had:

Eden.

When God placed Adam and Eve in Eden, there was no sickness, no death, no anxiety, no depression, no warfare, no hospitals, no funerals, and no graveyards. They lived in the blessing and glory of God, enjoying perfect fellowship with the One who created them.

This was the original design.

But something happened in the garden that changed the course of human history. Most people are familiar with the story. The snake tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve ate, Adam followed, and in a single act of rebellion, sin entered the world.

But what many people fail to realize is that sin never arrives alone. It always brings consequences with it, and those consequences are what Scripture calls curses.

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The First Curse

The first creature to be cursed was the serpent.

Genesis 3:14-15

¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
¹⁵ And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

The snake not only got cursed, it actually became the most cursed animal in all of creation. God declared that it would henceforth crawl on its belly, which leads some rabbis and scholars to believe that the snake actually used to have limbs before.

Furthermore, God declares the snake will eat dust all the days of its life (close reading of Genesis 3:19 reveals that dust is actually man, meaning Satan’s livelihood depends on humanity continually sinning, but this is another topic for another day). Lastly, God declares Satan will have enmity with the human race and ultimately be defeated by a coming Messiah.

The Second Curse

Then God turned His attention to Eve.

Genesis 3:16

¹⁶ To the woman He said:

“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

Woman’s sorrow would be multiplied. She will become more emotional. Childbirth would become painful, and she would have to submit to her husband.

The Third Curse

Then God addressed Adam.

Genesis 3:17-19

¹⁷ Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
¹⁸ Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
¹⁹ In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”

Because Adam transgressed the commandment of the Lord and listened to Eve, the ground itself became cursed. What once grew freely and abundantly, now required hard labor and effort. Work become difficult. Thorns and thistles would emerge and compromise the harvest. What once came effortlessly would now require sweat and struggle. The ground would no longer work for Adam; Adam would work the ground.

But perhaps the most devastating consequence of all appears in God’s final words to Adam: “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Death entered the human story. Right there.

Every funeral that has ever taken place traces its roots back to that moment. Every disease, every graveyard, every hospital room, every tear shed over a loved one, every obituary, every war, every tragedy. Every reminder that life is fragile. All of it can ultimately be traced back to a single act of rebellion in one particular garden.

The world we live in is not a God-forsaken world. It is a world that has forsaken God, and in turn, ushered in death. This is what is often called the Adamic curse: death that entered creation through man’s sin.

This is what Christ died to free us from.

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Sin, Transgression, and Iniquity

We tend to lump all wrongdoing into one category and simply call it sin. Yet, Scripture often uses three different words when describing humanity’s rebellion against God: sin, transgression, and iniquity.

At first glance they may seem interchangeable, but upon closer study, they reveal a progression that helps us understand how spiritual strongholds are formed.

Sin

Sin, in its simplest form, is falling short of God’s standard. The Hebrew word חֵטְא (chet/chata) and the Greek word ἁμαρτία (hamartia) both carry the idea of missing the mark, like an archer whose arrow falls short of its target.

Sin often arises from weakness, ignorance, immaturity, carelessness, or poor judgment rather than deliberate rebellion against God. While it is still a violation of God’s standard, it does not necessarily carry the same level of intentional defiance found in a willful transgression. It is a deviation from God’s ideal, a failure to fully hit the mark He has set before us.

For example, a person may react in anger and utter a curse word after being cut off in traffic, or lie out of fear when confronted about something they forgot to do. These actions are still sinful, but they are often committed in a moment of weakness rather than as a calculated act of rebellion.

Transgression

Transgression is different. It translates from the Hebrew word פֶּשַׁע (pesha), meaning to cross a line, trespass, or actively rebel. A transgression occurs when a boundary has been clearly established and a person knowingly crosses it. God said to Adam:

Genesis 2:16-17

¹⁶ …“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Clear rule. Clear consequences. Clear rebellion.

Adam’s act in the garden was not merely a sin. It was a transgression. He had been given a direct command and chose to violate it knowingly.

¹⁴ “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam …” (Romans 5:14).

Iniquity

But then there is iniquity.

Iniquity is where things become more serious. Translating from the Hebrew עָוֹן (avon), meaning a perversion or crookedness, it refers to a state of being bent out of shape. In Ecclesiastes 1:15 we’re warned:

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight,
And what is lacking cannot be numbered.

It is not merely an act of rebellion. It is a deeply rooted corruption and intentional partnership with Satan.

Judas fell in this way:

³ Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve (Luke 22:3).

Ananias and Sapphira fell in this way:

³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?… (Acts 5:3).

They allowed Satan to enter their hearts and manufacture iniquity, and this level of agreement with him is often spiritually fatal. Most never recover.

So What Exactly Is a Curse?

When many people hear the word curse, they immediately think of horror movies, witches, spells, hexes, and dark magic, which to be fair, are all ways curses can enter a person’s life.

However, the Bible presents curses with a different emphasis. At its core, a curse is the opposite of a blessing and often a sign of judgement on a person’s life.

It is a spiritual obstruction, which causes things to wither, rather than flourish and decrease rather than increase. A blessing produces longevity. A curse produces illness. A blessing produces prosperity. A curse produces poverty.

*Now, I am not discounting the very possibility that these conditions also arise from other reasons, such as trials and tribulations, all of which are a healthy part of being a Christian, but persistent attacks in the same area without victory is often the sign of a curse, which we’ll get into later.

Identifiers

Have you ever met someone unusually unlucky? Someone who seems to work twice as hard and get half the results?

What about the opposite? Have you met a person that hardly works and yet multiple opportunities fall into their lap?

In Deuteronomy 28, God presented Israel with two paths: blessing and cursing. The blessings touched every area of life - their families, their health, their finances, their harvest, their victories, their peace.

But if they rebelled, curses touched every area of life, creating confusion, disease, death, fear, financial hardship, defeat, oppression, loss, and in its worst form … cannibalism.

Curses are not merely spiritual concepts. They produce tangible consequences to those afflicted. This is why understanding them matters, not because we should become obsessed with them, not because we should spend our lives looking for demons behind every inconvenience, but because if we don’t understand what Scripture teaches about curses, we may spend years fighting symptoms while ignoring the root cause.

A river doesn’t care whether the obstruction is made of rocks, branches, dirt, or concrete. The result is the same, the flow stops. Likewise, Scripture reveals that spiritual dams can be built through a variety of means. Sometimes through our own actions. Sometimes by the actions of others. Sometimes through collective rebellion, and even through things God specifically warned His people not to bring into their homes.

These are different causes with the same result - the flow of blessing, health, breakthrough and victory becomes obstructed.

Following the River Upstream

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to follow the river upstream. We’re going to biblically examine what builds these spiritual dams, why they matter, and most importantly, how they can be removed.

But before we can remove a dam, we first have to find it.

Many believers spend years praying for breakthrough without ever stopping to ask what might be standing in the way. The good news is God is merciful and is willing to help us. He never exposes a problem without also revealing the path to freedom. While the Bible has much to say about curses, it has even more to say about redemption, restoration, and deliverance.

My goal in this series is not merely to help you identify the cause of spiritual blockages. My goal is to help you tear them down.

Some of what we’ll uncover may challenge long-held assumptions. Some of it may be deeply convicting. Some of it may make you angry. But if you are willing to honestly examine your life in the light of God’s Word, I believe this series has the potential to change the trajectory of your Christian walk.

Rivers were never meant to stop flowing and neither were God’s blessings for those who love Him.

If you've been praying for breakthrough, but feel like you're running into the same wall over and over again, subscribe below in order to receive each article release in your inbox.

Together, with the power of the cross, we're going to expose the dams, remove the obstacles, and allow the river of God's blessing to flow freely in your life.

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Part 2

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The career.

The 401k.

The health insurance

The side-hustle.

The 30-year mortgage.

Many of us structure our entire lives around predictable, established rhythms and institutions. We want outcomes we can forecast. We want guarantees and excess. Backup plans and bigger barns. Full control of tomorrow.

With our lips, we say we trust God; yet, we build our entire lives around making sure we never have to depend on Him too deeply. The Israelites were no different.

After being delivered from 400 years of Egyptian bondage through signs, wonders, plagues, and the parting of the Red Sea, God brought them into the wilderness and performed one of the most awesome miracles… spiritual bread (manna) falling from heaven.

⁷ Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. ⁸ The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. (Numbers 11:7-8)

It appeared with the dew every morning, sufficient to feed millions of people in the middle of a barren desert. No planting. No harvesting. No supply chain. No famine. No shortages. Just daily provision from the hand of God.

According to rabbinical tradition, it was such a clean, perfect food that it produced zero waste. It was consumed without requiring the Israelites to defecate because it was 100% absorbed by the body. Imagine, just for a moment, not having to go to the bathroom for 40 years (assuming this is all you ate).

Yet somehow, the Israelites hated it.

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The Flesh and Soul Hate Uncertainty

Miraculous bread from heaven was not enough. They wanted something different, something familiar. They wanted what the mixed multitude was having. They wanted meat.

(Side note: The ancient Israelites always seemed to be coveting what their neighboring gentile peoples did or possessed, rather recognizing the beauty in the unique standards and provisions God gave to them. For example, in 1 Samuel 8, they demanded a human king to rule them, desiring to be like surrounding nations. This act was considered a rejection of God as their ultimate king, even though He allowed them to appoint one.)

⁴ Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? ⁵ We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; ⁶ but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:4-6)

The Israelites’ demand in Numbers 11 was not merely a complaint about food preferences. It was a spiritual rebellion against the very system God was using to transform them. The very system designed to get the Egypt out of them.

Manna forced the Israelite people into a posture they were not accustomed to: daily trust in a generous God. They could not store it overnight. If they tried to hoard it, it rotted and bred worms by morning. Every sunrise required fresh faith and fresh obedience. God was not merely feeding Israel. He was retraining them.

As former slaves, they believed survival comes from accumulation in scarcity, but God was teaching them that abundant provision comes from relationship and reliance on Him alone. The wilderness was exposing something Egypt had built into them, a slavery mentality. Preference for the oppressive, yet predictable provision from Pharaoh over the unfamiliar and generous mercies of God.

Slavery does not end the moment chains fall off your hands. Sometimes it continues in the mind long after physical deliverance. There is a fascinating experiment where scientists placed frogs in individual jars and covered them with lids, so they could not escape. The frogs repeatedly tried to leap out, instinctively jumping upward again and again, only to slam into the lid every single time. Day after day, they kept trying until eventually they stopped altogether.

Then one day, the lids were removed. The frogs were finally free. But they refused to jump out.

Why?

Because they had been conditioned to believe escape was impossible. They had grown used to captivity, predictable food, and glass security. Time and repeated failure taught them to self-limit. The principle around this reveals something profound about human nature, and spiritually, it mirrors Israel perfectly.

The Israelites physically walked out of Egypt, but mentally, Egypt was still living inside them, brewing unbelief and blinding them to the miracles happening in front of them. After generations of slavery, their minds had been conditioned by the oppression. It was their “normal”. The Pharaoh Spirit had become their God and their identity rested in slavery, not sonship. Bondage had trained them to fear uncertainty more than the captivity itself.

This is why the wilderness was so difficult for them. Freedom requires faith and hoping in the unseen. Slavery only requires survival and repetitive, predictable provision that is enough to sustain, but never enough for breakthrough and abundance.

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The Spirit of Pharaoh

In Egypt, every aspect of Israelite living was controlled by Pharaoh. Their identity revolved around labor, production, and fear. Today, Christians, especially American Christians, have become bound by the Spirit of hustle culture, a modern day Pharaoh. Production is measured by KPIs, stone quarrying has become keyboard quarrying, and that predictable paycheck becomes a dose of morphine that keeps you addicted and unwilling to move.

Somehow, we’ve gotten to the point where a Christian dedicating their daily life to serving God is “going overboard", but the one slaving away in corporate America or bound by their business is somehow “normal” and acceptable. If your work or hobbies are keeping you out of church and fellowship, exhausting you to the point where you have no energy to spend time with God, not allowing you to be productive for His Kingdom, and not allowing you to accomplish your God-given destiny, that is a telltale symptom of an active Spirit of Pharaoh.

And let me tell you, Pharaoh wants nothing more than for you to be a Sunday morning benchwarmer.

Predictable.

Comfortable.

Passive.

Non-threatening to the kingdom of darkness.

His job is to keep you stuck, tired, and bound to your labor. His job is to keep you enslaved. God removed the lid off the jar and delivered the Israelites from this condition. He brought them into a wilderness where the entire system changed.

And many of them hated it.

Because even though their bodies had left the jar, their minds were still imprisoned by it. They constantly talked about going back.

Egypt wasn’t better, but the bondage was what they were used to. People often assume freedom feels exhilarating, but for someone conditioned by years of fear, control, trauma, or spiritual oppression, freedom can actually feel terrifying. Freedom can feel like being a fish out of water.

The wilderness exposed just how deeply Egypt had discipled them. Many believers still live this way today. God removes the lid, yet we still live as though it is there. We self-limit. We cling to fears. We stay emotionally imprisoned by past seasons and cling to environments that no longer serve us or unlock the favor of God. We continue operating from scarcity even when Heaven is offering provision and a better destination.

The manna lifestyle was God’s way of retraining an enslaved people how to think like sons again. But the flesh and soul hate any environment where they cannot “do something”. This way of thinking is not unique to the Israelites. Religious people fall into this vice, wanting to perform, trusting in dead works and rituals for salvation and communion, rather than the simplicity of faith in Christ.

This is why the Israelites cried out for meat. Quail could be hunted, stored, dried, preserved, and controlled. Manna could not be, ergo God could not be. The request for quail was a request to stop needing Yahweh every morning. It was ultimately a request to go back to work and take matters into their own hands.

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Romanticizing Egypt

One of the most ridiculous parts of the story is found in Numbers 11:5, which I mentioned not too long ago.

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.”

Notice what they remembered.

It wasn’t the whips, the back-breaking labor, the slaughtered babies. Nor the bondage and foreign oppression. Just the food and how it made their belly feel.

This is one of the most dangerous tendencies of the believer, spiritual amnesia. Blindness and poor judgement caused by current cravings, namely flesh cravings..

People have an uncanny ability to romanticize the very thing God delivered them from. How many look back fondly on relationships that destroyed them? Addictions that enslaved them? Worldly lifestyles that hollowed them out spiritually? Proverbs 26:11 warns:

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their foolishness".

Bondage starts looking beautiful when the wilderness begins exposing our idols, fears, and unbelief. It’s easy to have faith when everything is going according to plan. But what about when the insurance policies go away? What about when you’re forced to trust in God alone? When you’re made to put your faith where your mouth is?

The wilderness season is a litmus test for every believer. It reveals whether we actually trust God or profess faith with no substance. It reveals whether we love Him unconditionally or seek the blessing of His hand.

Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom and became a pillar of salt. Israel looked back at Egypt and became stuck in the wilderness for 40 years. Many believers today still look back longingly at old lives God called them out of and delay their breakthrough. The flesh will always prefer bondage that satisfies its craving, over unfamiliar, spiritual food that forces it to die. This is why we must crucify the flesh daily.

They Grew Bored of the Miracle

Numbers 11:6 says:

“But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

This irritated me. Imagine becoming bored from literal angel food falling from heaven.

And yet, this is exactly what we do. We expect miracles and become numb to daily grace because it is consistent and familiar. We grow tired of steady provision and ordinary obedience, and we crave spectacles, prophecies, stimulation, and emotional highs.

We want “quail.”

Why?

Because our flesh and soul are dominating our Spirit-man.

The Spirit of Egypt Still Exists Today

The Spirit of Egypt did not die in the wilderness. It is alive in modern culture. We live in a world obsessed with accumulation because accumulation creates the illusion of invulnerability.

Hustle culture teaches us to work harder, save more, build bigger, grind endlessly, and never slow down. And if you deviate from this, you are irresponsible or not motivated enough. But the manna lifestyle demanded by God completely contradicts this carnal mindset.

God says, trust. Rest. Receive. Depend. Seek first the Kingdom. Live one day at a time. But fear dominates the lives of some Christians. At its core, fear sounds like, “What if tomorrow’s manna does not come?”

Jesus directly addressed this mentality in Matthew 6:26-34 when He said:

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

²⁸ “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹ and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

³¹ “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

This is the manna lifestyle.

And no, I am not arguing that planning is sinful, nor that wisdom is wrong. But I press upon you this warning: worrying about tomorrow will crush your soul and produce a sinful heart of unbelief. This is precisely where the torment starts. This is where Satan starts whispering into your ear and sowing the corrupt seed, which if left unchecked, becomes an uncontrollable weed, destroying the good fruit and hindering your breakthrough.

Remember, God gives us daily bread. Not yearly bread. Daily bread, daily provision, and daily grace.

And this daily allocation is intentional. God often withholds excess not because He wants you insecure, but because He wants you near and dependent on Him every day. This grows your Spirit-man.

Daily Manna forces continual communion. Every morning Israel had to wake up and look toward heaven again. Every morning required trust again. Every morning reminded them, “We are alive because God is sustaining us.” The manna lifestyle destroys the illusion of self-sufficiency, one of humanity’s greatest idols, born by the snake in the garden and nurtured even in this modern age.

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Jesus IS the True Manna

In John 6, Jesus reveals that manna was never just about food. It was a prophetic shadow of Himself.

Jesus said:

“I am the bread of life.”

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.”

“Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The manna came down from heaven just as Jesus came down from heaven.

The manna sustained life just as Jesus gives eternal life.

The manna had to be gathered daily just as Jesus must be sought daily.

The manna was crushed and prepared into bread just as Jesus was crushed, beaten, and afflicted for humanity’s salvation.

And perhaps most tragically, Israel rejected manna, foreshadowing that centuries later, they would reject the true Bread from Heaven as well.

A human being does not naturally want the things of God, at least not on his own. That change of affection only comes by the Holy Spirit, when one becomes born-again and receives the Helper. Then and only then, does someone start desiring the things of the Spirit, rather than the allures of the world, the quail.

In Numbers 21:5, the Israelites complain, “…our soul loathes this worthless bread.” Perhaps if the Spirit dwelled in the Israelites, rather than just on or around them, they’d enjoy the manna. They’d recognize it for what it was.

In Hebrew, manna (written as מָן, pronounced man) literally means "What is it?" To the soulish man, a two-hour bible study on a Saturday night is worthless bread. To the carnal person, fasting is suicidal bread. But the spiritual Christian is rejoicing, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”

The spiritual man isn’t crying manna (what is it). He is crying messiah! Recognizing it for what it is, the Bread of Life.

Jesus promises that when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide believers into all truth. He makes the deep, spiritual realities of Christ understandable to the human heart. He takes the words, works, and nature of Jesus and not only reveals them personally to us, but also puts them in us.

In John 15:26, Jesus states that the Spirit will bear witness about Him, validating the message of the Gospel and affirming who Jesus is. Just as the Spirit revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Messiah, He continues to grant spiritual discernment and understanding, so that we can recognize and experience the reality of Jesus in our lives.

How lucky are we that the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us and changes our appetite. How lucky are we that He reveals these heavenly mysteries and allows us to recognize the blessing in front of us.

The Danger of Getting What You Want

One of the most terrifying truths in scripture is found in Psalm 106:15.

“And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.”

God eventually sent the quail. But the answered prayer carried a curse. Sometimes judgment is not God withholding what we want. Sometimes judgment is God allowing us to have the thing we insisted on having that was never His will.

Israel rejected God and wanted a king. God answered their request with Saul, which caused disaster. Israel rejected manna and wanted meat; God gave them quail with a heaping helping of plague.

If God’s hand is withholding, it’s never for malicious reasons; oftentimes, the very thing we think will satisfy us becomes the thing that brings chaos into our lives. Ironically, the very thing God was protecting us from.

A big part of being spiritually mature is also in being able to handle a “no” from God. If there’s anything we can learn here, it’s that God will grant our petition if we badger Him hard enough, but it will come with dire consequences.

The Modern Christian Struggle

Many today proclaim Jesus as their Savior, but resist Him as their daily sustainer. We want the breakthrough without dependence, blessings without surrender, abundance without trust, and victory without daily communion. But the manna lifestyle cannot coexist with self-reliance. It requires complete surrender and contentment in God, as well as rest, gratitude, and faith.

The book of Hebrews says Israel could not enter the Promised Land because of unbelief, and unbelief in Numbers was not merely intellectual doubt. It manifested itself through complaint, fear, nostalgia for Egypt, and a refusal to move forward with God.

So unbelief is not always atheism. Actually, it more commonly sounds like chronic worry. It manifests as obsession with control and knowing.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, and faith usually looks far less dramatic than people imagine. Sometimes faith simply means waking up the next day and believing God will provide again.

The Manna Lifestyle

The manna lifestyle is not laziness. It is not irresponsibility. It is not passivity. It is a kingdom posture. It means we work faithfully without worshipping productivity. It means planning wisely without idolizing security. It means receiving provision without becoming possessed by greed. It looks like resting without guilt and trusting God daily instead of living consumed by fear of the future.

Gratitude in the “ordinary” blessings of health, a roof over your head, peaceful mornings, and daily grace is imperative in our walk with Christ. The greatest danger in Christian America is not persecution. It is in becoming so overstimulated, busy, anxious, ambitious, and self-dependent that we lose our taste for manna altogether.

Those who embrace the manna receive something the latter never can: a peace that surpasses all understanding and entry into the Promised Land.

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One of the most revealing stories in Scripture is a tale of two brothers: Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1–16). Both brought offerings to God - Cain, a tiller of the ground, presented produce, while Abel, a keeper of sheep, sacrificed the firstborn of his flock (the best and most costly portion he had).

On the surface, both acts appear to be worship. Both brothers are giving. Both are acknowledging God. Both are participating in what looks like devotion.

But the outcome exposes something far deeper than the act itself: God regarded Abel’s offering, but He did not respect Cain’s.

Scripture later clarifies why in Hebrews 11:4:

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous…

Let’s marinate on that for a moment. Abel’s sacrifice by faith proved his righteousness. Genesis emphasizes that he brought the first and the best of his flock. An animal was involved; thus, blood was involved.

Cain, on the other hand, also brought an offering, but not the first, not the best, not with the same spirit of faith, and most consequentially, not with blood.

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life" (Leviticus 7:11).

I won’t be unpacking blood atonement in this article (if you’d like to dig deeper into that, check out my previous work below that addresses this), but I want to make a point.

Abel, because he sacrificed his best and what God was asking for, wasn’t merely completing a rite. He was demonstrating his heart posture of reverence, obedience, trust, and alignment with God.

Cain’s offering, on the other hand, had the outward appearance of devotion, but it was lacking in substance and full surrender. It was not what pleased God, nor what He required (blood), and that distinction is key. We can reasonably assume that blood, even before the law was officially given to Moses, was required during sacrifice - why? Because God replaced the fig leaf coverings Adam and Eve had sewn for themselves with tunics of skin (which comes from animals).

God does not merely accept what is given to Him; He considers if it is done in obedience, if it is done in faith, and if it is done in love. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without obedience, we cannot prove our love. And without faith and love, we cannot perform righteousness.

The Widow

We see this same principle echoed in the Gospels in the story of the widow’s offering (Mark 12:41–44).

⁴¹ Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. ⁴² Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites (very small copper coins), which make a quadrans (a Roman coin). ⁴³ So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

Jesus watched as wealthy individuals donated large sums into the treasury, while a poor widow came and gave two small coins, almost nothing in monetary value. Yet, he declared that she had given more than all the others.

Why?

Because they gave out of their abundance, while she gave out of her poverty. They gave what they could spare, but she gave everything she had. Like Abel, her offering was her best foot forward, proving her faith and revealing a heart that fully trusts and is surrendered to God.

This is the kind of worship that God esteems.

We often categorize worship as a Sunday morning song, but worship is something far greater than that. It is a heart posture and transformed lifestyle that brings glory to God.

I’ll boldly say this: God is not after our leftovers. He is not interested in being a second priority. He is a jealous God and wants our loyalty. He wants our love. He is after our whole heart, the part of us that actually costs us something.

David

Do you ever wonder why God favored David so much? What allowed him to carry the title, “a man after God’s heart?”

In 2nd Samuel, we see something precious about him. After God had given David rest from all his enemies, he observed his own life and was troubled by something most people would never even notice or identify as a problem - he was living in a palace of cedar, surrounded by comfort, security, and blessing, while the Ark of God, the very symbol of God’s presence, dwelt in a tent. “Look,” he said, “I am living in a palace… but the Ark of God is in a tent” (2 Samuel 7:1).

Sometimes, true love looks like common sense and consideration.

No one commanded David to feel this way. God had not asked him to build Him a house. He simply cared enough to pay attention. This idea to construct a temple was birthed entirely from David’s heart, a heart that loved God, sought to please Him, and was proven by his works. While most were content giving God the required tithe, leftovers, and bare minimums, David was grieved, even feeling guilty, that God did not have what he himself had. His instinct was not to preserve his comfort and ask for more, but to surprise and honor God with something magnificent.

That, my friend, is worship birthed from genuine love. Worship that is not mere religious obligation - rather a creating, working, and fruitful worship that is beneficial to God.

What is so striking is God’s response.

“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷ Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁸ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ¹¹ since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.

¹² “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:5-16).

God really said, “Would you really build a house for me? I’ll do you one better. I’ll give you a forever throne.” That’s the kind of one-upping I can get behind.

Imagine you are the Creator of the universe and your puny creation, considers your feelings and purposes to build you a house. That’s a crazy thing to wrap your head around, cute even…

I too, would be touched by David’s initiative. I too, would recognize the tenderness of his heart. I too would show him favor. David had a consideration towards God that cannot be overlooked. He not only knew how to please Him… he genuinely desired to and acted on that desire. I can imagine how disappointing it must have been then, that generations later, Prophet Haggai would have to rebuke the Israelites for doing the very opposite: prioritizing their own comfort by building luxurious paneled houses for themselves, while neglecting the house of the Lord.

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Evil Offerings

Unfortunately, most were not like Abel and David. The bible is riddled with selfish and rebellious figures who disregarded God and did things that were right in their own eyes. Let’s take King Saul for example.

In 1 Samuel 13, Israel was under pressure, the people were scattering, and the Philistines were closing in. Prophet Samuel had instructed Saul to wait for him seven days, but when fear began to rise and circumstances became uncomfortable, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a burnt offering himself.

On the surface, it may have looked noble. He was seeking God before battle. He was attempting to gain God’s favor in a moment of crisis. But the issue was not the ritual; it was the rebellion behind it. Saul was never authorized to perform that sacrifice. The moment Samuel arrived, he rebuked him plainly:

“You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God” (I Samuel 13:13).

Saul’s haste exposed his complete lack of faith in God’s timing and disregard for the established religious order. He violated the Mosaic Law, which reserved priestly duties for Levites, choosing instead to act out of fear, rather than faith. This sadly wouldn’t be the last of Saul’s fallacies.

God later gave Saul a clear command to attack the Amalekites, destroy all that they had, and to not spare them - both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey (I Samuel 15:3).

But Saul chose partial obedience. He wanted to do things his way again. He spared King Agag of the Amalekites. He spared the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, and lambs, and was unwilling to destroy all as God commanded (I Samuel 15:9). He preserved what he perceived was valuable and then attempted to offer it as a sacrifice… a complete abomination.

Like Cain, Saul replaced God’s requirement with his own version of “worship”. He wanted to do things his way, not God’s way, and this would be the last straw, costing him the throne. As Scripture makes clear, to obey is better than sacrifice. Worship that ignores obedience is not worship. It is an abomination, and in some cases, brings a curse.

Cursed Offerings

There is no greater example of this than the case of the sons of Eli - Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 2).

¹² Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord. ¹³ And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. ¹⁴ Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. ¹⁵ Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw” (I Samuel 2:12-16).

¹⁶ And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.”

We see some serious problems here. They not only commanded servants to extort the best portions of meat, but also demanded it was raw, so they could roast it for themselves before the fat was offered to God. (Side note: We see here parallels to Cain in that they were withholding the fat from God, which was considered His portion to be burned, and as a consequence they were eating what was forbidden (Leviticus 7:23–25)). They took whatever they desired by force, disregarding what was legally allotted to priests and reserved for God.

To make matters worse, they even laid with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting (I Samuel 2:22). Scripture does not soften its language about them; it says clearly that their sin was very great in the Lord’s sight. They were actively participating in religious acts, but their hearts were far from the Lord, producing evil rather than reverence. The Lord had a lot to say to their father, Eli, who failed to discipline them.

³¹ Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. ³² And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. ³³ But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. ³⁴ Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them (I Samuel 2:31-34).

Curse does not come without cause. Because of their evil and because Eli neglected to rebuke them, their line would suffer the curse of premature death forever.

The Gist of It

When we array all these examples side by side, the conclusion becomes unavoidable: not every form of worship is accepted by God. This principle even shows up in the way believers approach their faith today.

It looks like a Christianity that is convenient rather than sacrificial, a Christian that is compromised rather than submitted.

It sounds like “I don’t need to go to church.”

It sounds like, “God knows my heart.”

It sounds like, “Don’t judge me.”

It sounds like “There is no condemnation,” while sin is justified and grace is used as a scapegoat. There is no holiness, no sacrifice, and no obedient love.

It’s a Sunday-only faith that never spills into the rest of the week.

A relationship with God that costs nothing and requires nothing.

And a lack of care, accountability, and attention for God’s house.

How many of us, like Cain and Saul, want to do things our way? On our own terms? On our own time? Withholding, rushing, and cutting corners? A way right in our own eyes? We cannot worship God in Spirit and truth by outlining our own terms and conditions. God commands us to love Him (Matthew 23:37) and the criteria of this love is obedience (John 14:21), which in turn produces acceptable worship.

It is true, we are justified by faith and not by works. But it is also true that real faith is never idle. It is also true that love produces action, not empty talk. How does a woman know that her husband loves her? Simple, by his behavior.

You see it plainly.

In the way he looks at her.

In the way he can’t stop talking about her.

The gifts, the pursuit, the prioritization, the sacrifices, the desire for closeness. Loving Jesus manifests in the same way. Your heart will not be able to hide your affection for him. There are many mysteries in this era, but what love looks like is not one of them.

If a man verbally says he loves his wife, but never returns home to her, would that woman believe he loves her? If he intentionally does things he knows she hates, would she believe he loves her? If he never calls her, never spends time with her, and never considers her, would she believe he loves her? Of course not. If the carnal person can recognize this, how then, can we as believers profess to love God, but forsake the assembling at His house? How then, can we as believers sin, do that which He hates, act in disobedience, and claim we’re after His heart? This should not be so!

We should have a desire for fellowship with His body - the body He died on the cross to birth. We should have a desire to save souls. We should have a desire to preach about Him to everyone. We should have a desire for obedience and hatred for sin. How can we go on sinning with no remorse, neglecting God’s house, attacking His body, and call this faith? Cain and Abel were both believers, but only one was accepted.

David saw the condition of God’s dwelling and couldn’t ignore it. The widow willingly gave everything she had. Abel brought his first fruits and his best, obeying perfectly. That is the common denominator: love that expresses itself through manifested obedience, which in turn produces true worship.

Our lifestyle, as well as love and fire for God should force even the most skeptical unbeliever to rethink their unbelief. We should be shining our light in the darkness, exposing it, not dimming our luster to blend in with the lukewarm. Not withholding the salt to be more digestible for the hypocrite.

The righteous believer will always get persecuted by the rebellious one. They will always appear strange. Too much. Too serious. Too devoted. But that’s the name of the game. Their light shines brightly and exposes the latter’s corruption. Abel was no stranger to this. Jesus was no stranger to this. Their righteousness led to death by their own.

There are spectrums in the body of Christ:

The Rock of offense versus the whitewashed tomb.

A worship that produces sweet aroma versus a worship that produces a foul-smelling stench.

Where do you fall?

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The lepers were cleansed.

The blind were seeing.

The paralytics were walking.

Even the dead were living.

The woman with the blood problem was the last straw. I shut my bible, crossed my arms, and slumped angrily into my pillow.

“Lord, you healed all these people, even this woman with the blood problem.

What about me? I am twenty-three years old taking pills every morning.

Why am I still sick?

You called her daughter. Am I not your daughter?

I know You can heal me. You healed all these other people.”

I was a baby Christian. Embarrassingly brash in my approach and tone, but there was nothing babyish about my faith.

And you know what? I think He liked that.

Suddenly, His electrifying presence filled my bedroom and I was overcome with an overwhelming confidence. I got up from my bed and grabbed the flimsy pill bottle sitting on my desk. I took one glance at it and chucked the plastic container into the trash can, refusing to look back.

While I stood there, still frustrated, I suddenly felt the Holy Spirit hugging me.

But it didn’t feel like an ordinary hug.

It felt like being wrapped in the most comfortable blanket in the world, the kind you burrito yourself into on a rainy day with a cup of cocoa in hand. Sounds strange, I know, but I have no other way to describe it. It was the most comforting Comforter. Pun intended.

But it gets crazier. I felt Him place something into my left side, right above my hip… the substance of faith. Yes, you read that correctly. The substance of faith. As in, faith actually is tangible. You can touch it.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

(I understood Hebrews 11:1 very differently from that point on).

I’d like to think I possessed miracle-working faith in that moment; and for some reason, He decided to give me more of it. After all, whoever has, more will be given, and he will have abundance…

Long story short, I knew I was healed on the spot. I had no doubt in my mind, and I went two months without so much as giving my thyroid condition a second thought…

Until it was time to do my labs again.

Confirmation

I sat across from my physician, who had my results open in front of her.

“Good news! The pills are working. Your levels look very normal,” she said.

I shook my head,

“I’m not taking them. Haven’t been for two months.”

Her eyes went wide.

“What! That’s amazing! You’re healed! What did you do? Tell me, so I can tell my other patients.”

I chuckled,

“Okay, but I have to be honest.”

She nodded and I continued,

“I recently became a Christian. I prayed to Jesus. And He showed up and healed me".

Her eyes went wide again, clearly taken off guard by what I said. She was visibly happy that I was doing well, but now probably questioning the status of my mental health.

“Well that’s just wonderful, I’m glad you’re healed.”

What do you say to your crazy Christian patient after a story like that? How do you explain to an unbelieving doctor that your faith has made you well? Both are a conundrum to me. But you know what isn’t? A generational sickness (from both sides of my family) that no longer has authority over me.

I’ve had many labs done since then - low vitamin D, low iron … typical effects of the modern lifestyle and diet. But thyroid function? In range. Always, in range.

When God heals an area, He heals it perfectly.

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Healing in His… Garment?

In my opinion, one of the most memorable healing miracles in the bible is the story of the woman with the blood problem in Luke 8:

⁴³ And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

⁴⁴ Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

⁴⁵ And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

⁴⁶ And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

There were probably hundreds of people flanking Jesus on either side, hoping for a healing, a word, a miracle. What’s so special about this woman? How was she able to activate a healing miracle by touching not even Jesus Himself, but the hem of His garment? There is so much going on here. So much more than meets the eye.

This woman suffered from a chronic illness for 12 years, a condition that devastated her physically, financially, and socially. Under Mosaic Law, she would have been considered unclean, due to her persistent bleeding.

An outcast…

Unable to worship freely, socialize normally, or even touch others without transmitting that uncleanness. In other words, she wasn’t just sick; she was isolated, ostracized from society as the town cootie-queen. Having tried everything under the sun with no success, she risked getting stoned in order to find Jesus and receive a healing from this damning illness.

What great desperation must one have to go to such lengths. Yet, we know from scripture that it wasn’t desperation that moved Jesus to heal her - it was her faith.

⁴⁸ And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace (Luke 8:48).

What was this woman trusting in? What made this faith so impressionable? There were plenty of people thronging Jesus, I’d presume with varying measures of faith. They weren’t following Him around for no reason.

What did this woman do differently?

Let’s read this same account in Matthew 9:

²¹ For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Why was she specifically targeting His garment? You can imagine the chaos that followed Jesus wherever He went. Multitudes wanting Him to lay hands on them. But this woman was targeting the edge of His garment.

Let me preface first by saying, there are no accidents. Our God is a God of intention. If a detail is in the bible, it’s there for good reason. We better take heed, and ask the deeper questions: why is this in the text?

The answer to this lies in the Old Testament.

*Side note, I hate calling it “old” because it gives the impression that it is outdated or irrelevant. However, the reality is that the Old Testament helps us attain a much deeper revelation of the New Testament.

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The Tzit-tzit

What exactly was this garment Jesus was wearing? And why did it have the power to heal people?

In Numbers 15:37-40, we get some insight:

³⁷ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

³⁸ Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

³⁹ And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

⁴⁰ That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

Jesus wore tzitzit (fringes or tassels) on his garments as an obedient 1st-century Jewish male complying with the Torah commands in Numbers 15:37-41.

These blue and white tassels served as a daily reminder of God’s commandments, call to holiness, and the necessity to walk in obedience, rather than following one’s own desires. When someone wore the tzitzit and stepped into this calling, they were sending a powerful message: I am wholly dedicated to God, living a holy life, and keeping the commandments.

This was different from the Levitical priesthood, consumed with bloody temple sacrifice. This was a voluntary, serious, “heart sacrifice” that everyone could freely choose to step into. Notice in Numbers that this commandment was directed to all the children of Israel.

Exodus 19:6-7

⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

By keeping the law, the commandments, living a holy life, and exercising perfect obedience, Jesus participated in this kingly priesthood described in Exodus 19:6-7.

Numerical Symbolism

In rabbinical tradition, the tzitzit represent the 613 commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah. By study of its gematria (numerical values of Hebrew letters) and the physical construction of the tassel, we can actually see Jesus in all of this.

Hebrew Alphabet & Corresponding Numerical Values

The word “tzitzit” in Hebrew gematria sums up to 600. Each tassel consists of 8 threads and 5 knots (which totals to 13). If we combine this, we get 613, signifying the mitzvot. Thus, looking at the tzitzit is supposed to remind the onlooker to keep all 613 commandments.

The five knots represent the books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

The eight threads represent completion, wholeness, and perfection.

Four long threads pass through a corner hole and are folded to create these eight dangling threads, with one longer, blue thread (the shamash) wrapped around the other seven. This forms five knots and four sections of windings (often 7-8-11-13). The numbers 7, 8, 11, and 13 correspond to the letters YHWH, the four-letter Hebrew name for God.

The blue strand binds all of the other strands together. This symbolizes mayim chayim (water of life), the living Word of God, Jesus the Messiah.

He is the strand that holds all things together.

I believe the woman with the blood problem understood this. When she reached for Jesus’ tzitzit, she wasn’t acting randomly. She was reaching in faith, knowing that the power of the garment was tied to holiness of the Wearer. Plenty of “holy men” wore the tzitzit back then, but not all wore it in humility and observance of the commandments.

Jesus even criticized those who "enlarge their tassels" merely to be seen by others (Matthew 23:5), emphasizing that the intent of the tzitzit was inner remembrance, not outward show. The woman with the blood problem recognized that something was different about Jesus. He flowed with real power, real holiness, and real obedience. By reaching for the fringe of garment, which signified the Torah, she was demonstrating her faith in the Word and that this was Jesus the Messiah.

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Prophetic Fulfillment

In Malachi 4:2, we see another shocking revelation:

² But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

This verse indisputably outlines a prophetic promise that the Messiah would bring healing to those who feared and revered Him. But why choose the verbiage, healing in His wings?

Is this purely symbolic? Jesus didn’t sprout wings… unless I am reading the gospels incorrectly. Do you ever just squint at a verse like:

If so, squinting is a sign. A sign you need your handy-dandy lexicon.

Search query: Malachi 4:2. Scroll, scroll, wings… click.

Hebrew Word: 3671 - kanaph: an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap…

Eureka, we’ve done it. Kanaph in Hebrew also means edge of a garment.

It was one of these moments…

If we re-read Malachi 4:2 with that understanding, suddenly it comes alive:

² But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in the edge of His garment; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall…

That desperate woman knew what she was doing. She found a promise in Scripture, a prophecy to cling to, and she used it to pull a blessing out of our Master in faith… just like I did in my bedroom.

Beautiful.

And maybe that’s what faith really looks like, not passive hoping, but reaching. Reaching for a promise buried in Scripture. Reaching for the One who fulfills it. Reaching, even when you feel unclean, unseen, or disqualified. And because she had the audacity to reach, she not only received a healing, but a redeemed identity.

No longer an outcast.

No longer untouchable.

No longer defined by her issue.

No longer reduced to the thing that made others recoil.

In one touch, she went from hidden in shame to publicly called daughter by the Son of God. And maybe that’s the greater miracle all along, not just healing, but identity restored in Christ. Jesus did more than just heal her. He changed her title and restored her to society.

The healing power was never in the tassel itself. It was in the One who wore it. And somehow, in the mystery of it all, He allows unwavering faith to draw from Him, to pull not only healing, but redemption… not because we deserve it, but because He is just that good. The same Jesus who healed the crowds then is the same Jesus working miracles today.

So the question is not whether He still can. The question is, will we reach in faith and pull the blessing out of Him?

Will we reach in faith and move the mountain?

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As a child, I loved to be outdoors. I’d be in the sunshine, poking roly-polies to get them to curl up into a ball. I’d be chasing butterflies, climbing trees, feeding squirrels, and suddenly… that feeling would come.

“This life and world are all just a simulation.”

I don’t know why I felt this. I just knew it to be true, but I had no idea how to process or explain what I was discerning. Imagine a child wrestling with these thoughts.

This feeling left a longing in my spirit. I needed to know what this was all about. I craved to know God, I longed to know the truth, I longed to know what this longing was in the first place. I often found myself praying, even though I was never taught how.

I did not come from a Christian family - at least not in the biblical sense. We were Christian by title, not by lifestyle. Our culture heralded it, but there was never really a true conversion moment. The only time I set foot in a church was for the purpose of witnessing wedding vows. It wasn’t even a baked-in ritual on Easter or Christmas.

It’s safe to say my understanding of Christianity was very surface level, one might even say negligible. I had an untouched bible that was nothing more than a filler for my bookshelf full of fantasy stories.

Despite the ignorance, I couldn’t shake off that constant feeling. And it only grew stronger as I got older. I’d ponder, “Why does this life feel like a lie? Why does it feel like there is something more?” I didn’t have a troubled childhood. I didn’t really have a reason to be having these thoughts.

Nevertheless, I was looking for answers. And though I eventually figured it out, I first took a detour in all the wrong places.

First Encounter

I was curled up on my princess bed watching a cartoon. Just normal kid stuff, right?

Wrong. That day was anything but normal.

I cannot remember what the name of that show was. All I can remember was the caricature sitting crisscrossed, wrists resting on his knees, pointer fingers touching the thumb, chanting “om, om, om” repeatedly, and encouraging the emptying of the mind.

I don’t know what compelled me to try it, but I did.

And I was successful.

Suddenly, my mind was quiet. I was still in my bedroom, but I was also simultaneously in a realm I hadn’t experienced before. What was most unnerving was the shadow figure standing at my door, looking at me.

This overwhelming fear came over me.

“How do I get out of here? Where am I? Who is that?”

I had to have been eight or nine years old at the time, but I was somehow able to access the spiritual realm.

By the grace of God, my mother barged into my room as this was happening, and I snapped out of it. I came back to “reality”.

“What are you doing?” She eyed me up and down, concerned with my strange seating position (and probably the look on my face).

“Meditating”, I said.

“Well stop doing that.” She continued looking me up and down.

She didn’t have to tell me twice.

Second Encounter

That would not be the last encounter with the demonic. That feeling of fear never left me, and though it didn’t necessary plague me every night, it definitely came up from time to time to poke its head out. But this next experience felt more like a jab.

Fast forward, I am in middle school. It’s probably around midnight and I am sound asleep. Out of nowhere, I wake up, hyper-aware of a dark presence hovering over me. The fear starts gripping me again.

But this time, it got physical.

(For context, I am a stomach sleeper). This creature grabbed the back of my neck with its clawed fingers, and started pushing my face into the pillow, trying to suffocate me. Simultaneously, there was a pressure in the room, pushing me down into the mattress. I thought I was going to pass through it and land in hell. The whole experience felt like hell.

I was paralyzed with fear. My body was frozen and not functioning. My voice was not working. I couldn’t even cry out for help. All I could do was tolerate the fear and whatever that creature was (and I didn’t dare open my eyes to look at it).

I thought it was just a bad nightmare. I was no stranger to them. I often fell off of buildings in these dreams, but every time, I would wake up right before hitting the pavement.

This time, I was not waking up; and I could feel actual, physical sensations from it.

But then, something miraculous happened.

In my mind, I started crying out, “Jesus Christ, save me!” Not Buddha save me. Not Muhammad save me. Not Universe, save me. Specifically, Jesus Christ, save me.

As a reminder, I had no knowledge. I did not read the bible. I did not go to church. I didn’t understand who Jesus was or what He did for me.

But my spirit knew its Maker.

As I yelled His name in my mind, that thing, that horrid creature dispersed faster than it came. The mere thought of Jesus’ name had it fleeing my bedroom with its tail between its legs.

And then, Jesus touched me.

That touch caused this overwhelming peace to waft all over me. A peace I had never experienced before in my life. My body relaxed, the panic subsided, my mind stopped racing, and I fell fast asleep. Like it never happened.

I learned three very important things that day.

1. The name of Jesus is above every other name.

2. Demons are real. And they tremble not just at the verbal saying of His name, but the mere thought of His name.

3. Jesus is undeniably God; my spirit cried out to Him specifically.

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Human nature is a strange thing. That experience was nothing short of terrifying, but my curiosity propelled me into a dangerous rabbit hole of spiritual harlotry, not because I didn’t want Jesus, but because I needed answers. I became consumed with the supernatural, the spiritual. No one around me could explain what had happened to me. I got blank stares, scoffs, and “you were probably just having a nightmare.”

But here’s the problem: nightmares are not painful. Nightmares, you wake up from. That was hell manifesting in my childhood bedroom.

I started diving into horoscopes, numerology, various “spiritual” doctrines, the exact sort of thing the word of God warns against. I was on a quest for answers, but ironically left the one thing that had them - my dusty bible, untouched in the far corner of my bookshelf.

As I made it to high school, I only went deeper down the wrong path.

I did something that opened a really big door to Satan.

It took me to that realm again.

But this time… it was on steroids.

Heaven?

I suddenly left my body. I was flying through space at light-speed, eventually landing to where I thought was heaven.

Everything was beautiful and glittery. I was standing in a vibrant field where the tall, gold, grass was flowing gracefully in the gentle wind, but the most memorable landmark was a giant tree, smack in the center of everything.

I looked to my side and there was a light-being standing next to me - gold, shiny, and in the silhouette of a man, but clearly otherworldly. It extended its hand and touched me, and when it did, a certain peace came over me.

But so did confusion.

That peace was not all consuming. It didn’t permeate my being. It felt nothing like the peace of Jesus. It felt like a cheap counterfeit and I thought to myself, “Who is that? Is that God? It all looks heavenly, but why do I feel like something is off?”

And then I heard that still, small voice, “Don’t trust it.”

In an instant, I was propelling back towards my body at light speed, whooshing through the stars.

And boom.

Impact.

I was back!

My eyes opened and I sat up.

What on earth (or rather not on earth), just happened?

It would be many years until I got my answer.

The Turning Point

Despite these crazy experiences, I drifted further and further away from God in college. After that strange trip to “heaven”, I became much more apprehensive about dabbling in certain things, but college was a battleground for my soul. If Jesus didn’t show up, I would not be who I am today.

This in itself, is its own testimony, which I will not touch on in this article, as it is already quite lengthy. But to put briefly, a series of terrible circumstances in that period of my life would finally bring me to my knees, cause me to repent, and say the sinner’s prayer in my college apartment.

Again, I never read the bible. I never went to church. I had no idea there was a sinner’s prayer. But somehow I recited it, word for word. It came from the depths of my heart, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Who put those words into my mouth.

A lot of things left me that exact day - depression, hopelessness, desires for certain worldly things. That longing feeling I felt as a child, that hole, was gone. I finally understood: Jesus was the One I was searching for, the One who filled the hole in my spirit because I was finally His. He’s the One I need to go home to, where my real home is, not this temporary one.

Many people are blessed to hear the gospel from someone around them - a friend, a parent, a relative. I had no such person around me. No one had ever properly preached the gospel to me. I knew Jesus was God, I knew there was something I didn’t understand, but all I could do was cling to the memory of Him coming to my rescue while that demon was tormenting me.

I navigated years of confusion, until the scales came off my eyes and I gave myself to Him. Thereafter, He met me in the dirty pit and pulled me out Himself.

The Answer

About two years later, I had a church to call home, lead by a Pastor who had the answers I was looking for. My love for Jesus grew deeper and I spent my days thinking of ways to get His attention. I wanted so badly to please Him and know Him more deeply. I was tired of the goosebumps and the emotional tears. I had finally found Him and I wanted a burning bush moment. I wanted to be His friend, like Abraham.

I started reading the Word diligently, praying incessantly, and fasting for a whole day, once a week. And you know what, He honored that. I don’t think it was the act of doing those things that moved Him (even though it probably helped). I believe it was the intense hunger in my heart to experience Him more personally.

I was laying in my bed after a long day. I wasn’t really praying or reading the Word, just resting and waiting… and that’s when He surprised me.

His presence entered the room first. The best way I can describe this is by equating it to the smelling of a home cooked meal before you get to the kitchen. You smell the meal, but you don’t see the food yet. The aroma just touches you from a distance and gets more intense as you get closer.

Similarly, His presence grew stronger and stronger as He came closer and closer. My body was buzzing with electricity (or at least that’s what it felt like), and it kept getting more intense until suddenly, I was at His feet with my face to the bedroom floor.

I couldn’t look up at Him. All I could do was weep and feel the weight of His glory - the glory that was forcing me to my knees. I felt like the dirtiest, most disgusting thing in existence in contrast to His perfection. He was too pure, too holy. I didn’t deserve to be in His presence.

I kept apologizing that I couldn’t be lower than His feet, justifying that “the floor is in the way”. I was wishing the ground would split open, so that I could fall into the hole and be lower than His feet. The crazy part was, I wasn’t even speaking audibly. I didn’t need to. He could hear everything I was thinking because there was no barrier between my thoughts and Him. Everything was out in the open.

Here, I understood what “every knee shall bow” means. This is not symbolic. It’s not poetic. You quite literally cannot stand in His presence. The sheer weight of His glory and majesty brings you down to your knees. A King is in the room. THE King is the room. You must bow. It’s a royalty that commands respect.

But here’s what gave me peace and helped things click:

Every cell in my body knew it was Jesus. There was no doubt, no confusion, no second guessing. This was in stark contrast to the uneasiness I felt in that trip to “heaven”.

Though I felt like a worthless sinner in His presence, I enjoyed my time with Him. Enjoyed isn’t even the right word; it was beyond that. I never felt more whole, more complete, more certain, than with my face on the floor at His feet. I never wanted it to end.

Too soon, He left. And in a blink of an eye, I was teleported three feet back onto my bed. He hasn’t visited me in that manner since.

As Apostle Paul says, “Whether I was in the body or out of it, I do not know,” but I know one thing for sure: that was Jesus, my Lord, and my Savior. The One tugging at my heart since I was a child - the One who protected me and waited patiently for me all these years.

I was grateful.

Grateful, that I got to experience that.

Grateful He came.

Grateful to know Him and be known by Him.

…But something bothered me.

I asked, “Lord, if that was You, who was the other guy?” (alluding to the light-being in Temu heaven).

I grabbed my bible for answers and God spoke, directly through the scripture:

“… Satan disguises Himself as an angel of light”.

I had flipped open to 2 Corinthians 11:14.

Chills ran all over my body. I realized I had encountered Satan. I realized He had been trying to confuse me and turn me to himself all these years. Even that tree was symbolic. He tried the same trick he used on Eve - the allure of “secret, supernatural knowledge”.

Satan is sneaky. He doesn’t come to you as a scary, red, horned creature with a pitchfork, as we often see him depicted. You would never receive him if he did that.

He comes to you as pure beauty, shiny and pleasing to the eye. He comes as everything you’ve ever wanted, everything you’ve ever dreamed about. He comes as the answers you’re craving, the things you’re desiring. He is an opportunist and the father of lies. He identifies your bait and uses it to lead you astray with distractions from the truth that look like 99% truth.

It is often said, “the truth shall set you free,” but more often than not, we fail to realize: the Truth is Jesus. Jesus shall set you free. He is the end to every rabbit hole. He is the answer to every question. He is the desire in your spirit you can’t put your finger on until you find Him and become filled.

We try to get relief from this emptiness with knowledge, spiritual experiences, material things, careers, and relationships, but I’ve noticed one commonality among the unhappy who even have all these things:

They have the world, but they have no Jesus.

If you are in this condition…

If you are tired of searching,

If you are ready to really start your life and find out what your Creator created you to do, I encourage you to accept Jesus and make Him the absolute Lord of your life. I promise everything will change.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

I give you praise and honor. I know that I am a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. From this day forward, I turn from my sins and I give You my heart and life. Let it be Yours. I trust You and I want to follow You as my Lord and Savior. Use me for your glory. In your precious name I pray, amen.

If this message blessed you in any way, I encourage you to pay it forward.

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The Word of God is not shy about this principle. It repeats it, narrative after narrative, generation after generation, showing us that God often ties the preservation of many to the radical faithfulness of the few.

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Noah

Genesis 6 paints a bleak portrait of humanity. The wickedness of man was great in the earth and every intent of his heart was evil continually. Violence was rampant. Perversion was commonplace. Humanity was mixing with fallen angels. Not only were the hearts and minds of man corrupted, but also their physical DNA. God was grieved in His heart and regretted His creation.

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. He was the exception.

This contrast is intentional. The earth was corrupt; yet, Noah was perfect. The world was violent; yet, Noah walked with God. Scripture singles him out:

“Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).

And then God emphasizes something else … repeatedly.

“Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him…” (Genesis 6:22).

“And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 7:5).

When Scripture repeats a detail, it’s not for poetic effect. It is God emphasizing something, putting an absolute stamp of certainty on something. Just as the angels cry “holy, holy, holy” reinforcing the absoluteness of God’s holiness, just as Jesus proclaims “verily, verily” to denote the importance of what he is about to say, God here repeats and or thus, “Noah did”, in order to highlight his obedience.

Noah was unusual, especially for that generation. He executed as commanded. He built precisely as instructed. It was meticulous. It was necessary.

Imagine for a moment, Noah cutting corners when building the ark.

The ark that would carry the animal kingdom to safety…

The ark that would carry the seeds of humanity that would repopulate the earth.

That could have been disastrous.

And now, comes a small, but profound statement:

“And the Lord shut him in” (Genesis 7:16).

God Himself shut the door, after Noah entered the ark. For this reason, I am led to believe that Noah was the last person to enter. If he had gone before his family, God would have shut him in, locking out the rest.

It’s important to note, the Word does not describe Noah’s sons as perfect. Nor does it call his wife righteous. There is no indication as to the faithfulness of his household - only the favor, perfection, and righteousness of Noah.

Noah’s obedience placed him and by extension, his household, inside a divine covering. The judgment waters came, but they did not overtake them. The ark bore the storm, but one man’s righteousness preserved generations.

God often ties the preservation of many to the radical faithfulness of a few, yielded vessels.

Paul the Apostle

The pattern surfaces again in the life of Paul.

Acts 19 through 28 traces a relentless chain of opposition. A riot is incited in Ephesus after a group of greedy idol makers, feeling threatened by Paul’s demonstrations of God’s power, created chaos. Paul escapes this conflict and pushes on to Troas, then Miletus, and then eventually Jerusalem, where he gets arrested. Here, he stands trial before Felix. Then is passed to Festus and Agrippa. He is falsely accused, imprisoned, and eventually appeals to Caesar.

Yet beneath the chaos runs a divine mission: by the Spirit he knew he must testify in Rome (Acts 19:21). In Acts 27, we see the fruit of that calling.

Paul sets sail to Rome on a ship of Adramyttium with some other prisoners. After many days of difficult voyaging, He warns the crew that they should not continue, lest they perish due to the harsh conditions. They disregard him, persuaded instead by the helmsman and the ship owner. A tempestuous wind, Euroclydon, arises. The ship is battered. Cargo is thrown overboard. The tackle is discarded. For days, neither sun nor stars appear. The Scripture states that “all hope that [they] would be saved was finally given up” (Acts 27:20).

Then Paul stands and offers a glimmer of hope. An angel had appeared to him in the night with a message:

“Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you” (Acts 27:24).

When I read this, it blessed my soul.

That word, granted, is sobering. Two hundred and seventy-six men were spared because of Paul’s divine mission to get to Rome.

Not because they were righteous.

Not because they sought God.

But because Paul belonged to God, honored Him, served Him, and carried an assignment that the gates of hell could not prevail against. The storm could not cancel the calling, and those in proximity of Paul benefited from the covering.

This is not a coincidence. It is a recurring principle.

When we agree to walk in obedience, we are doing more than just submitting to God’s orders. We are agreeing to become an efficient partner in Kingdom work. We are agreeing to be a yielded vessel, a well-oiled rudder, easily turned by God every which way.

A yielded vessel is a mighty force to be reckoned with.

A yielded vessel carries the Spirit of the living God inside of Him. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Great faith and obedience are always met with intense, demonic opposition. Daniel prayed, Satan hindered. Paul purposed, Euroclydon arose.

But this is because a man of great faith and obedience is Satan’s worst nightmare, utterly uncontrollable by the forces of darkness.

A man on fire for the Lord is more dangerous to the devil and more beneficial to the Kingdom of Heaven than millions of lukewarm.

The same truth stands. God often ties the preservation of many to the radical faithfulness of a few, fired-up vessels.

Perfect Obedience

In Romans 5:19, we are reminded:

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

Adam’s original sin and rebellion fractured creation. Through his disobedience, sin entered the world and death through sin. But the inverse is also true. Through the obedience of one Man, salvation was made available to the multitudes. Adam’s rebellion brought condemnation, but Christ’s obedience brought salvation.

In Luke 22, we see the weight of that obedience. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays:

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Jesus is in agony. His sweat becomes like great drops of blood falling to the ground. An angel appears to strengthen Him. Yet He does not retreat. He remains unmoved. Philippians 2:8 tells us that He “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

How blessed are we that we have a God who loves us? How blessed are we that left His heavenly throne and came down to the earth to be born in the humblest conditions? How blessed are we that he was willing to suffer and die to reconcile us to Himself?

Because He obeyed, we are free. Because He submitted, we are justified. Because He died, we live.

Noah’s obedience preserved 8.

Paul’s obedience preserved 276.

Christ’s obedience preserves all who believe.

This should sober us.

We often treat obedience as a private matter, as though our surrender affects only our own spiritual lives. But Noah’s, Paul’s, and Jesus’ surrender suggest otherwise. The faithfulness of one can create refuge and blessing for many, while the disobedience of one can wound generations. God frequently ties communal blessing to individual surrender.

Which means your obedience matters more than you think.

The man who walks with God is preserving a household from a danger he does not yet see. The believer who endures a storm faithfully may be carrying others to shore. The Son who said, “Not My will,” became the ark, the rock, and the covering for all of humanity.

Now the question is not whether obedience changes legacy. The question is what legacy your obedience will be creating.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

Those who endure till the end shall not only be saved, but will pull many along with them.

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I wasn’t looking for a revelation. I was simply immersed - the flogging, the taunting, the ridicule, the crucifixion, the final moments of Jesus’ earthly life.

And then something grabbed my attention:

^{34 “}But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34).

I’ve read that verse many, many times before, without a second thought.

But this time, He spoke. With that still, small, voice.

“It also means rib.”

The lightbulb went off. The treasure hunting began. What I discovered blessed my soul and changed my understanding of the gospel forever.

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A Rib… or a Side?

I did what any self-proclaimed bible scholar would do… harass Google.

Search query: John 19:34 lexicon.

… And lo and behold, the Greek word here for “side” (pleura/πλευρά) also means “rib”.

Immediately, Genesis came flooding into my mind.

^{21 “}And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place” (Genesis 2:21).

The Hebrew word there for rib — tsela (צֵלָע) — also means side.

Side. Rib.

Rib. Side.

Two languages. Thousands of years apart. Telling the same, profound story.

The First Bride

It was not good for man to be alone, so God created a helpmeet — a suitable counterpart, intellectually, morally, and physically aligned with Adam. He caused a deep sleep to befall him, opened his side, and from that side, He formed Eve.

Not from Adam’s head, so she would not rule over him.

Not from his feet, so she would not be trampled by him.

But from his side, to stand beside him.

From under his arm, to be protected.

And from near his heart, to be loved.

Adam looked at her and declared:

“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23).

The Hebrew word for woman, ishshah (אִשָּׁה) literally reflects her origin: taken out of man.

She was a part of him, hidden within him, waiting to be revealed.

And then suddenly, I realized…

The Bride was always the plan.

The Second Adam

Paul calls Jesus the “last Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45).

Why? What is the correlation here?

As we saw in Genesis 2:21, a deep sleep fell upon him.

As for Christ,

“He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.”
(John 19:30)

Adam slept. Jesus died.

Adam’s side was opened. Christ’s side was pierced.

From Adam’s side came Eve, his bride. From Christ’s side came the Church, His Bride.

Nothing, I mean nothing, in scripture is accidental. God did not improvise humanity’s redemption to counteract the craftiness of a snake. He planned it all along.

Blood and Water

When the soldier pierced Jesus’ side, two things flowed out: blood and water.

To the natural eye, it was proof of death. But to the spiritual realm, it was redemption, consecration, and the birth of a better covenant - scratch that, a body.

When a woman gives birth, blood and water flow, and at the cross, at the very moment the Bridegroom laid down His life, blood and water poured from His side, birthing the church.

The Church did not begin as an organization. She was born from Jesus’ sacrifice. Just as Eve came from Adam’s body, the Church came from Christ’s.

Flesh of His flesh. Stained, cleansed, redeemed, and protected by His blood.

Marriage Was Never Just About Marriage

When Paul writes about husbands and wives in Ephesians 5, he pauses mid-teaching and says something extraordinary:

“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
(Ephesians 5:32)

Marriage was never about two people learning to coexist with one another. It was always meant to reflect something higher, something eternal. In fact, marriage is a divine love story written into human experience, symbolizing the marriage covenant between Christ and His Bride.

Paul says husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church.

And the Church? She responds with reverence and submission, not out of oppression, but out of love and trust.

After the Fall

Genesis 3:16 introduces a shift in hierarchy:

^{16 “}I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

After sin entered the world, God declared that man would rule over the woman. What once flowed naturally through unity now required structure. Yet, even this is prophetic. Stay with me now.

Just as Adam became the head of Eve, Christ is the Head of the Church. This was never a consequence. It was part of the plan.

The Master Chess Player

When I stepped back and looked at it all, I realized something that left me overwhelmed.

From the very beginning, before sin, before the cross, before history unfolded… God embedded a love story into creation itself.

In the garden, He knew.

He knew Satan’s plan. He knew Adam and Eve would sin. He knew He would have to die a painful death for us. He was telling us all along in the garden.

And still, He created. Knowing Satan’s craftiness. Knowing the heart of man. Knowing we would betray.

Because the goal was always relationship and redemption, not shame and condemnation.

You see, the Bride was never an accident. She was never a means to an end. She was always the end goal, woven in intentionally from the beginning.

Bone of His Bones

The Church came from Christ’s side. Thus, our identity is not rooted in distance, but in union with Him. Most would agree, a marriage union.

Apart from Him, we are nothing. Yet, we are not outsiders trying to earn proximity. The proximity is a gift, freely given, price paid. Reconciliation is and always was a part of the plan. We were always a part of His plan.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5).

“For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

Marriage on earth is simply a shadow of the true marriage between Christ and His Bride. Suddenly, Ephesians 5 reads less like a list of commands for couples, and more like a revelation of how deeply we are loved by God Himself.

I used to see the piercing of His side as just another detail of the crucifixion.

Now I see it as birthing pangs, a reminder that when Jesus hung on that cross, He wasn’t simply dying, He was making way for His Bride.

Just as Adam awoke to behold Eve, Christ, through his finished work on the cross, birthed from his side and formally revealed His church at Pentecost.

I read Romans 8:28 very differently now:

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

All things - the snake. The fall. The sin. The law. The cross.

All things - the pain. The heartaches. The struggles. The victories. The breakthroughs.

All things.

Man’s fall wasn’t a surprise. Redemption wasn’t improvised.

The bride was the game plan all along.

Checkmate, Satan.

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Picture this:

You’re a mad man, so ferociously demon possessed that you’re spending your days butt-naked in the tombs of the Gadarenes.

Your hours are passing in unrelenting torment. You’re cutting yourself. You’re a danger to society, kept under guard, and bound with chains and shackles.

Yet, even this is of no use.

The demons who’ve invaded your person are equipped with such supernatural strength that they continually break the bonds and drive you into the wilderness.

But by some miracle, along comes this Jesus of Nazareth. And by His word, He sets you free.

You are finally clothed and in your right mind. The Legion is evicted, and all you can think about is following Jesus.

But … the townspeople beg Him to leave the city.

I pondered this scripture for a long while.

Jesus solved the town boogeyman problem. Yet the Gadarenes, instead of being grateful, cowered in fear and begged Him to depart from the region.

What is going on here?

The Gadarenes

The Gadara tombs, nestled in modern day Umm Qais, Jordan, stretch across the hills as part of a vast Roman necropolis carved into stone. Rock-cut chambers, ornate sarcophagi, and weathered Greek inscriptions whisper of a world shaped more by Rome and Greece than by Israel. This is the landscape tied to the biblical account of the Gadarene demoniac.

The people of Gadara were largely Gentile inhabitants of the Decapolis, a group of Hellenistic cities southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Decapolis in Greek means “ten cities” (deca = ten, polis = city) and was defined by theaters, temples, and Greek philosophy. It was pagan, yet not beyond the reach of Christ.

With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that there was a vast pig farming operation going on. Gentiles in this region raised swine, likely for consumption and sacrificial rituals. Though unclean for Jewish purposes, pagan peoples had no issue eating pork. They had no issue sacrificing this animal, particularly to goddesses of agriculture and fertility like Demeter and Persephone.

Now imagine you’re a first century pig farmer profiting off of this.

Imagine you’re witnessing Jesus run 2,000 units of your inventory off a cliff, drowning them in a lake.

With the Son of God demonstrating such power and authority, will the people keep sacrificing swine to the Hellenistic gods? Or will they forsake this practice to follow Him, leaving you dry and the Gentile economy and way of life destroyed?

Money is a Master

I always wondered how people can witness the miracle of God and still remain unchanged. The story of the demoniac man in context made it clear.

People oftentimes reject the move of God in their lives because they actually like their demons.

Matthew 6:24

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Mammon is an Aramaic word for material wealth, money, or possessions. Jesus calls money a master, personifying the corrupting power of riches that competes with God for human loyalty.

How powerful must the grip of riches be that God puts it on the same level as Himself. How powerful must it be that many were willing to banish Jesus for the sake of keeping it.

Now, I am by no means undermining the importance of financial security. Wealth, in the right hands, can be a powerful tool for good, a powerful tool for the Kingdom, but I want to draw attention to something.

We often categorize idolatry as a silly, wooden effigy or statue formed by human hands. But idolatry goes deeper than that.

What controls you is your god.

• What you fear controls you.

• What you most invest your time in controls you.

• What shapes your decisions and decides your steps controls you.

• What has power over your soul controls you.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, yet it was the demoniac man that took the path less traveled by. The pig farmers succumbed to mammon. The townspeople succumbed to the status quo.

Luke 8:28-39

³⁸ Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

This mentally-ill, violent, demon possessed man would become one of the greatest evangelists in Jesus’ time. Yet, the Gadarenes, the respectable, the ordinary, would be the ones who sent Him away.

Perhaps this is the quiet warning hidden inside this story - witness does not guarantee devotion. One man lost his chains, his torment, his past, but gained a testimony that would echo throughout the ancient world. A whole city, however, stood face to face with the power of God and chose comfort over Christ.

All of us stand in the same crossroads. When Jesus disrupts what feels secure, our systems, our idols, our way of life, our sources of profit and identity - do we forsake all and follow Him into a new life of surrender? Do we make room for Him in our lives, or do we shoo Him away?

This miracle was never just about one demoniac man being set free from 6,000 demons. Great hunger and great faith can transform any child of the world into a child of God.

But the reality is, most people prefer their pigs.

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I am the bread of life (John 6:35).

I am the light of the world (John 8:12).

I am the door (John 10:9).

I am the true vine (John 15:1).

I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

But wait a second.

“I am … a worm?” (Psalm 22:6)

Psalm 22:6-8

⁶“But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
⁷ All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
⁸ “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

Psalm 22 is actually a prophetic Psalm written by David, but if you consider its context carefully, it’s actually Jesus speaking from the cross.

In the midst of the persecution. In the midst of the scoffers, the mockers, the reproach, God equates Himself to a worm while hanging on the cross.

But why a worm?

Why not something else?

Why would God reduce Himself to a lowly maggot?

And why is this worm mentioned in the bible over 43 times?

The answer blew my mind.

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Tola

The Hebrew word for worm here is tola תּוֹלָע (tôlā’), which also means scarlet. In the ancient world, this invertebrate (coccus ilicis) was sought out extensively because it could be used to produce a vibrant, red dye. This dye was used to color clothing, royal robes, priestly garments, and even the curtains and coverings of the tabernacle. Once applied, the dye could not be removed in any natural way.

Now here’s where it gets fascinating.

When the female of this worm prepares to lay its eggs, it permanently impales itself to a tree. Permanently, as in, she will not be able to remove herself afterwards. It is so strongly attached, that trying to remove her would pull apart her insides and kill her.

Once attached, she starts producing a hard shell around her body, which will protect the eggs she lays. When they hatch, the larvae stay covered under the hard shell and feed on their mother’s living body, until they are strong enough to survive on their own.

Both the host tree and the larvae are covered with a red liquid that leaks out of the shell as this happens. The color is permanent and stains the larvae forever. It also protects them from predators.

Inevitably, the mother dies and her body starts to decay. This process takes about three days. By the morning of the fourth day, the worm’s head and tail are pulled together in the shape of a heart on the tree and her red color has transformed into a white, waxy substance.

This is what it looks like when you harvest these worms off the tree.

It’s not hard to see the gospel in all of this.

The mother dies so her children can live. Jesus died so we can have everlasting life.

Like the crimson worm, Christ attached Himself to a “tree”.

^{13 “}Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),” (Galatians 3:13).

Like the crimson worm, Christ’s living body became food for his children.

“Take, eat; this is My body” (Matthew 26:26).

Like the crimson worm, He is poured out like water, out of joint, and His heart is like wax.

I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me (Psalm 22:14).

Like the crimson worm, He sacrificed His life, shed the scarlet blood that would protect His children, and then made them white as snow.

“Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).

Like the crimson worm, Jesus covers us and gives us life.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).

Even in Revelation we see this same pattern.

Revelation 19:11-14

¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

Our God is such a God of intention. There are absolutely no accidents. The gospel was hiding in a little red worm the Israelites would use to stain the garments of the High Priest and cover of the tabernacle.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

There are all these little reminders of Himself for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Only an intentional Creator could perfectly line up all His creation to speak of Himself and foreshadow His work.

Which leads me to wonder, where else is He leaving clues?

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Part 1

Previously, we examined the garments of the High Priest, layer by layer.

Each piece was intentional, revealing not only God’s standard of holiness in a specific area, but also the particular sin it atoned for. T…

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He calls us friends. (John 15:14)

He calls us redeemed. (Isaiah 43:1)

He calls us forgiven. (Colossians 2:13)

He calls us witnesses. (Isaiah 43:10)

He calls us heirs. (Romans 8:17)

But there is also something profound our Lord calls us, by the redemptive power of His blood:

… [He] has made us kings and priests to His God and Father... (Revelation 1:6)

He calls us priests (Revelation 1:6). Yes, priests.

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Old Testament

It is commonly known that the Levites were the priestly tribe in Israel. They were specifically set apart for this purpose.

^“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine” (Numbers 8:14).

They were not allowed to own land or have any portion outside of their priestly duties (Numbers 18:20). Their sole job was to serve the Lord.

Their heritage would only come from the Lord.

Their living was supported by the tithe (Numbers 18:21).

They were a special people, reserved for God Himself.

We see the birth of the Levitical tribe in Genesis. If you recall, Jacob sought out to find a wife from among his relatives. Isaac, not wanting him to be yoked to a Canaanite woman, sent him to his uncle, Laban, in Padan Aram to find a wife (Genesis 28:2).

Laban had two daughters: Leah and Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured (Genesis 29:17). Jacob took a liking to Rachel and agreed to serve Laban for seven years for her hand in marriage, and when the time was fulfilled, Laban threw a big wedding party. However, he played the “ol switcheroo” and sent Leah to Jacob’s tent instead. It was not customary to marry off the younger daughter before the elder in those days.

Needless to say, Jacob was very frustrated to find Leah in his bed the next morning. But the deed had been done. Leah was his.

In order for him to also have Rachel as wife, he had to serve another seven years. He agreed willingly because he loved her - in fact, he loved her more than Leah. Now God saw that Jacob loved Leah more than Rachel, so he closed Rachel’s womb (Genesis 29:31).

Leah started bearing sons.

First, Reuben. Then Simeon, then Levi:

Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi (Genesis 29:34).

In Hebrew, Levi actually means to attach or bridge. This is more than just the simple word-play of a heartbroken woman. This would have prophetic implications for generations to come. Leah hoped her birthing of a third son would bridge the connection between her and her husband, but it did far more than that. It created a bridge between God and Israel, foreshadowing the priestly role Levites would be chosen to carry.

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The Garments

One of the most striking and distinguishing qualities of the High Priest were the garments he wore.

They were more than just articles of clothing. They established his ministry, holiness, glory, beauty, sanctification, anointing, consecration, identity, and protection (Exodus 28:1-3; 41). In fact, each garment atoned for a particular sin. God took this seriously. If you recall, He did not kill Aaron until he removed his priestly garments (Numbers 20:25-28).

Linen Pants

The linen pants were worn underneath all the other garments. This is what covered the nakedness of the priest. Symbolically, this atoned for sexual immorality; the priests of Israel had to be pure.

Simple enough. But what does this mean for Christians?

As priests serving the living God, we are to flee from sexual immorality. We must be clean in this regard. This means no adultery, no fornication, and no funny business outside the confines of marriage.

Tunic

The tunic was a white linen garment - the next base layer over the pants. This symbolized the purity of the person and atoned for murder. They could not kill. They had to be pure and righteous.

As Christians, the same rule applies to us - but with one extra step. You cannot kill a brother or sister even in your mind.

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him (I John 3:14-15).

Blue Robe

The next garment is the priestly robe, blue in color, and worn over the white tunic. This garment atoned for the sin of evil speech.

As a priest, you could not use the same tongue to curse and bless.

No slander. No gossip.

As Christian, we are held to the same standard:

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse (Romans 1:14).

Bells & Pomegranates

At the hem of the robe, you’ll notice bells and pomegranates alternating.

The bells specifically atoned for the sin of sound (evil speech), but also served another serious purpose. They made noise when the high priest ministered to the Lord in the Holiest Holy. If the bells continually jingled, that was a good sign; it meant the High Priest was alive and the sacrifice was accepted. If things went quiet, this was no good. It meant the sacrifice was not accepted by God and the High Priest had died in His presence.

Some Jewish sources even claim that a rope would be tied around the leg of the High Priest as he ministered in the Holiest Holy. If he fell dead, they would use it to pull him out of the Holiest Holy, as the other regular priests were not allowed to go in there.

The pomegranates served a much more positive purpose. The fruit was believed to have 613 seeds, representing the 613 mitzvahs or commandments. The keeping of the commandments would lead to covenant blessings, as promised by God.

Ephod

The ephod was worn over the blue robe. This garment atoned for the sin of idolatry. In other words, the priest could not have any other God before Yahweh (Exodus 20:3).

Many don’t realize how much God hates idolatry - so much, in fact, that He calls it spiritual adultery.

Isaiah 57:7-8

7 You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me.

8 You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies.

As Christians, we are are the Bride of Christ. Our relationship with Jesus is akin to a marriage covenant and turning to idols is infidelity. If you’ve ever been betrayed, you know how painful that can be.

But I’d like to make an important clarification: idolatry isn’t simply the worship of another pagan God. It is what controls you - what you fear and give power to.

Money can be an idol.

Hobbies can be an idol.

Friendships can be an idol.

Nothing should supersede your relationship and trust in Jesus. If you are truly stepping in to your priestly position, you must be loyal to Him. Trust Him and Him alone - not your horoscope, not your crystals, not your sage, not your friends, relatives, degrees, or riches.

God alone.

Onyx Stones

Worn on the shoulders of the ephod were the onyx stones. These stones were inscribed with the names of the tribes of Israel. This symbolized the priests’ duty of carrying the burden and identity of Israel on their shoulders.

And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial (Exodus 28:12).

As a Christian, this means we bear the heaviness of the church. When you decide to volunteer, serve, preach or take any form of responsibility upon yourself, you are actively becoming a pillar and participating in a “burden” of the church. Ministry can be heavy and one person cannot carry it alone. All members of the body are necessary and should be beneficial for the body of Christ.

Breastplate

Also worn on the ephod, over the chest, is the breastplate. The breastplate is the most vibrant of all the garments, featuring twelve colored stones in four rows and three columns. Each stone represents a tribe of Israel and is a different color.

This garment atoned for errors in judgement. This means the High Priest was not allowed to allow individual bias and emotions to get in the way of his intercession. Worn over the heart, the breastplate alluded to proper heart posture in God’s presence.

As Christians, we cannot let our emotions soil our prayers either. We cannot go into our prayer closet with the motive of cursing our brother or sister. We cannot say, “Lord, my brother is evil. Deal with him harshly.” Neither can we go in with ill intentions towards God. Our prayers must be submitted in love, with a humble, submissive heart.

Urim and Thummim

The Urim and Thummim were a curious thing. Located behind the breastplate were two pockets on either side. This is where the “Urim” and the “Thummim” stones were stored.

And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually (Exodus 28:30).

No one really knows for sure how these stones were utilized, but the consensus is that they were used to discern God's will through yes or no binary answers, sort of like casting lots. Their exact nature and function remains mysterious, disappearing from historical record after the Babylonian exile.

The stones were used to consult God about serious matters, like war. It was one of the three legitimate means of prophecy in ancient Israel, alongside prophets and dreams.

Turban

On the head was worn the white, linen turban. This garment atoned for the sin of pride. The High Priest had to always have a humble attitude.

Similarly, as a Christian, we cannot have an arrogant attitude. We cannot take the glory upon ourselves and trust in our capabilities. Everything we have and do is because of the grace of God; we must give credit where credit is due.

Gold Plate

The gold plate was tied over the turban and had an inscription: Holy to the Lord. This symbolized the priests duty to bear the iniquity of the holy things.

And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord (Exodus 28:38).

Some rabbis claim that when one would look upon the golden plate, they’d feel a sense of shame for their sins, which would break their heart and cause them to repent.

If you’ve ever been in God’s presence, you know the gravity of how that feels. His holiness, perfection, and purity brings all your sins to the surface and shows you who you really are - a sinner who falls short.

Some may see this as a terrifying thing; I see it as a beautiful thing. It leads to repentance, which leads to salvation and deliverance.

A prideful person cannot recognize the error of their ways. And if one cannot recognize and admit their sin, they cannot repent. If one cannot repent, they cannot be saved. This is why the sin of pride is so dangerous. It directly blocks repentance and leads to destruction.

After all, pride comes before the fall.

Sash

The sash was tied around the waist of the priests and atoned for the sin of iniquity. The sash also symbolized their readiness to serve. It didn’t matter if they were tired. It didn’t matter if someone hurt them. They were always ready to execute the constant demands of temple service.

As Christians, we must “gird up our loins” (I Peter 1:13) and always be ready to serve. If God needs you, you go.

He might send you to a person you don’t like.

He might need you to do something you don’t like.

The point is, it’s not about you, your emotions, or desires. Be available to God and his church. The harvest is great, but the workers are few.

As children of God, we must have a humble attitude to get things done. It’s not always going to be glamorous. It’s not always a thousand-person sermon. It’s not always a worship extravaganza.

Sometimes it’s bathroom duty.

Sometimes it’s the set-up team.

Sometimes it’s the cleaning crew.

The little things also matter. More often than not, God meets his people in the unseen places.

The phone call that comforted the broken heart.

The prayer that instilled hope.

The friend that came through.

Feet

Finally, we reach the last garment - or lack thereof.

If you’ll notice, the High Priest is barefoot and wore no shoes. Even this is symbolic and holds a great revelation.

We will tackle this in Part 2 of The Priestly Calling of Every Christian.

Part 2

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We all have those core childhood memories. You know, the ones that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Christmas morning - shredding the unsuspecting, colorful gifts arrayed underneath the tree.

Sundays with grandma - taking in the aroma of spices, while you watch her prepare your favorite breakfast.

For me it was the LA Auto Show - a yearly ritual with my father.

I grew up a car girl. Oh, how I looked forward to that day. The shiny sports cars, colorful paint jobs, exploring and climbing around the interiors, while I promised him all the ones I’d be getting him when I got older.

Looking back, it wasn’t the million-dollar McLaren’s, the glitz, the excitement, or really the show itself that ironed itself into my soul. Not at all.

It was the special, uninterrupted day with my father.

Exploring, dreaming, and having a good time. The imprint it left on my spirit as a child, I carried into adulthood with beneficial consequences.

We need that special relationship with our heavenly Father as well.

Let’s face it. Life can get mucky. Ministry can get overwhelming. The day-to-day process can become distracting. Before you know it, you’ve become depleted and unaligned with God’s will.

Life shouldn’t be a blur. But sometimes, we make it a blur. We forget to smell the roses.

Everything is fast.

Fast lanes, fast food, fast fashion, fast life.

Blink, and the day is over.

Over productive. Overstimulated. Overworked. Over it.

With the advent of 2026, I decided to make a promise to my heavenly Father:

5 Days.

Once a month.

Uninterrupted fellowship.

6p to 6a.

No food.

No phone.

No friends.

No family.

No outside world.

Just me. 4 walls. And Jesus.

Rinse and repeat.

Fasting isn’t simply abstaining from food. It’s abstaining from your flesh and your soul. Abstaining from the world. Abstaining from the noise. Abstaining from the distractions.

Do this, and I promise you, your spirit will grow.

Here’s what I realized:

Recharging is Not a Sin

In fact, it is necessary. On the 7^th day, even God rested.

You cannot pour from an empty cup, especially as a leader. Your capacity to serve is directly proportional to your time spent in the secret place. No human being can fill you up, only Jesus can. If you are going to be a blessing, you need to be pressing.

There Was No Loneliness

This was the irony of it all. There was no burning bush moment. No pillar of cloud. No seas parting. No donkey talking. Most days, it was just stillness and knowing He was there in the silence of it all.

We surround ourselves with friends, distract ourselves with hobbies, pour ourselves in our careers and ministries. Searching, searching, searching.

Searching for what, exactly? The unrelenting, unsatisfying pursuit of the next big thing.

The finally.

The accomplishment

… The disappointment.

But the reality is this:

Every human being has a Jesus sized hole in their heart that needs to be filled. Show me a person who is lonely, and I’ll show you a person who is not fellowshipping with the Word.

It Drowns Out the Voice of the Enemy

We don’t realize how much the outside world contributes to our internal torment.

Satan is an opportunist. He waits for the perfect time to attack, but he needs ammo. The ammo is your social media feed. The misunderstanding with your friend. The driver who cut you off. The boss who pissed you off. You give him an inch; he’ll take the whole foot. Before you know it, your mood and your mental health is on the guillotine.

This is why we need to protect our eye and ear gates. The enemy cannot use what you do not give him. He cannot kill, steal, and destroy without your permission. Remember, you are God’s property. Satan needs your say so. He needs you to complain. He needs your agreement.

Cutting off from the world did more than just rest my body. It put a hedge of protection around my mind.

Fasting Refuels Your Physical Strength

Your flesh begins to rest. And when it can rest, it can repair. The longer you fast, the longer it can repair.

Fasting catalyzes a process called autophagy. Your cells begin to clean up, reducing inflammation. Damaged, old, or dysfunctional organelles are broken down because your body doesn’t need to expend energy on digestion anymore. The focus is shifted to creating healthy, new cells.

With lack of food, glucose is depleted. The body turns to stored fat as fuel, reducing insulin levels and if done consistently enough, the numbers on the scale.

*Note: this is not medical advice. Consult your doctor before starting any prolonged fast.

It Refocuses Your Heart to God and His Purpose For Your Life

You don’t realize how much you can go without until you abstain. You don’t realize how many distractions you have until you reduce the load and focus on what matters most - Him.

I regret to say, many things I was investing into were not for me, especially not at the expense of fellowship with God. They were actually a burden. I labeled them as “necessaries”. But the only “necessary” is Jesus.

Dear reader, I encourage you. Spend more intimate time with God.

If you are tired and heavy laden, if you labor and require rest, if you are burdened and confused - turn to Jesus and He will fill you.

He will refocus you.

He will align you.

He will restore you.

His yoke is easy and his burden is light. We just make it heavier for ourselves.

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I knelt in the corner of the room, head bowed and heart open.

“Lord, show me something. It’s been a while since you’ve shown me something.”

Suddenly, I am standing in a high place, among the clouds in what appears to be heaven.

The Holy Spirit is radiating inside of me in the shape of a dove, emitting a glow around my silhouette.

Jesus is standing next to me, shining brightly. The substance of His glow was the substance of my glow, just more intense.

We were both gazing at a massive sight - the Father. He possessed a size of such incomprehensible magnitude that it was impossible to digest Him all at once.

I stood there, gazing in awe.

And suddenly, I was back. Head bowed and heart open.

“Lord, what does this mean?”

He answered with three, soft-spoken words.

“Reconciled to God.”

In a frenzy to understand, I started scouring the scriptures.

Lo and behold…

II Corinthians 5:18-19:

“18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

The Fall of Man

Adam and Eve did more than just sin. Their act of disobedience unleashed an unimaginable hell on earth and created a painful separation between God and His precious likeness.

Suddenly, they are naked. Suddenly, they are afraid.

The glory that clothed them is reduced to fig leaves. The garden oasis is prohibited.

The ground is a curse. Child rearing is painful.

Life is toil, thorns, and thistles.

Eve’s momentary disobedience birthed enmity between God and man. An enmity that plagues humanity to this day.

Blood

Genesis 3:21

“Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”

I cannot quantify how many times I’d read Genesis and carelessly skimmed over this scripture.

Adam and Eve were naked. Surely, they needed to be covered … fig leaves were impractical. So God simply made them better garments, right?

Wrong. Oh so very wrong.

It was much, much deeper than that.

Skin deep, in fact.

The covering of skin is the byproduct of one very important act: blood sacrifice.

You cannot have a covering of skin without the shedding of blood. But why must it be shed? Why were the fig leaves insufficient?

Atonement

It goes without saying, the first ever blood sacrifice was facilitated by God Himself for the procurement of the skin tunics. This symbolically represents the blood needed for atonement. The blood that would cover their sin.

Let’s read Genesis 3:21 again, carefully:

“Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”

Bloodshed covered their spiritual nakedness and made temporary reparations of sin.

Atonement began in the garden and continued in the tabernacle.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’” (Leviticus‬ ‭17‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Blood must be shed. For it is the blood that makes atonement.

But animal blood was limited in power. Animal blood is not eternal. Animal blood didn’t cleanse the conscience.

The flesh was atoned for, but the mind was still dirty.

“1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1-4)

The faultiness of animal blood necessitated the continual act of old testament animal sacrifice. The blood of bulls and goats could not fix the conscience. It could not transform the dead man. It could not give life.

That blood, had an expiration date.

Perfect Blood

However, our God is a Master Chess Player; He had a plan.

“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

That Seed was prepared before the foundations of the earth - that seed, the Lamb of God.

How lucky we are, that God so loved the world, and sent His only begotten Son for the remission of our sins.

How lucky we are, that God provided Himself as the spotless lamb.

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)

The blood of God has no expiration date. It is continually working.

The blood of God is all-powerful. It covers every sin.

The blood of God cleanses the conscience and consequently transforms your identity.

The blood of God makes you born again, a new creation in Christ.

The blood of God turned this crazy EDM DJ into a Preacher and writer for Jesus.

The blood of God reconciled me, an enemy of the cross, back to my Maker.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

So what is the Ministry of Reconciliation? And why is it committed to us?

II Corinthians 5:18-19:

“18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

Just as Jesus Himself destroyed the enmity and restored peace between God and man…

Just as Jesus Himself reconciled us to God by His blood and work on the cross…

We are called to a special work of reconciliation.

We are called to preach the good news and restore others to God.

Accept the Calling

The good news is more than just a moniker for the gospel. It holds power.

The power to change one’s title - from enemy to child. The power to depopulate the kingdom of darkness. The power to make heaven crowded.

It is an act of active warfare against Satan - stealing people, powers, and territories from him.

It is a seed of faith which grows into a tall cedar.

But that seed of faith comes by hearing.

How can one be reconciled, if not by the hearing of the gospel?

There are multitudes of giftings and various offices. There are many administrations, talents, and manifestations of the Spirit.

But let’s not forget that which is most important. Let’s not forget the Great Commission - the universal calling of reconciling others to God.

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Matthew 28:19-20

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Miracles. The bible is chock-full of them.

The healing of the sick, the cleansing of the lepers, the raising of the dead - our God’s ability to defy the laws of physics are no surprise. They are in fact, anticipated.

But seldom do we consider the miracle that is this: our God is El Roi, the God Who Sees. The God who sees broken, fallen people and meets them where they are.

He saw me in the womb, when I was just forming.

He saw me in my youth, when I was just learning.

He saw me in my loneliness, when I was broken.

He saw me in the world, when I was at odds.

He saw me in my sin, when I caused Him pain.

He saw me in my confusion, when I was led astray.

He saw me in the pit, when I was trapped.

He saw me in my fear, when I was in danger.

He saw me in my brokenness, when I was betrayed.

He saw me in my sickness, when I was hopeless.

He saw me. He plucked me. He chose me. And He cleansed me.

Now I see Him and I praise His name.

I see Him, His goodness, His grace.

I see Him, when He paves a way.

I see Him when the trees sway, the clouds part, and the melodies play.

I see Him, because He saw me.

He plucked me. He chose me. He cleansed me.

He is El Roi, The God Who Sees Me - the miracle of the century.

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Love leaves clues.

It produces action. Love, will make you do. Action-less love is hypocrisy and the works of hypocrisy are dead. But the fruit of love is life. Love leaves clues.

Love creates. The same love that breathed life into Adam’s nostrils is the same love that crafted you in your mother’s womb. Love leaves clues.

It sacrifices. The Pharisees did not nail Jesus to the cross - His love for you did. Love leaves clues.

A “love” that produces laziness is no love at all.

A “love” that produces indifference is no love at all.

A “love” that is selfish is no love at all.

A “love” with no action is no love at all.

Love leaves clues.

So how shall the Bride of Christ prove her love to her Groom? In this, we are approved:

“Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬)

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments…” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬)

Love leaves clues.

Remain faithful and flee from sin.

Build His house, equip His saints.

Praise His name and preach His Word.

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Hypocrisy is silent, but love proclaims.

Love leaves clues.

A Christian with no works is a Christian with no love. A Christian with no love is a hopeless charlatan.

Jesus is worthy; He is true.

His love is great and He died for you.

Bear your cross and keep His ways.

Bring glory to his holy name.

He’ll never leave you, nor forsake you.

You can bet on this:

His love, leaves clues.

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Even a babe can recite with assurance and certainty: for God so loved the world.

But how ought the child of God love their Father? How ought they fulfil, that which Jesus Himself coined, “the Greatest Commandment”:

“thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬)?

We are forged in the image of God. With a capacity to participate in something no other creation can - the ability and choice to love.

God spoke and created:

The heavens

The earth

Every creeping, crawling thing

And man

But for man He reserved a special nature - which must be chosen and cannot be spoken into forcible existence. That which is willful and without compulsion: the choice to love God.

For God so loved the world, but He could not force the world to love Him back. For if love was forced, it wouldn’t be love at all.

David tugged the inner chambers of His heart. Daniel was precious to Him and his preciousness was even recognized by the angels. And John, John was beloved. For his love and display of love for the living Jesus was inimitable.

These men dared to love and not just believe. Belief is futile; even the demons believe.

But love is the precious treasure that our Lord searches for, to and fro on the earth: a heart yielded to His heart.

In a heap of concern, I asked Him:

“Lord, how can one be more beloved? Do you not love all your children equally?”

He answered with a vision. An array of three children.

“Suppose these are your children. Could you choose to love one more than the other?”

I replied,

“No.”

And then He highlighted one of the children.

“But this one, this one listens. This one obeys. This one seeks to please you. This one keeps your commandments. Which of these three is your beloved?”

I agreed,

“Of course that one, Lord.”

He did something I had never experienced before. He opened His heart and allowed me to feel His sadness.

“I died for my children and they still don’t keep my commandments”, He said.

My heart could not contain the sadness of His heart. I wept. He wept.

Child of God, set aside the unprofitable, corrupted things of sin and self-centeredness. Set aside selfish Christianity.

Keep His commandments. Keep His Word.

Love God how He ought to be loved.

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