Ep. 78 - The Hidden Ones - Art Serna

16 hours ago

Do you sometimes feel hidden, depressed, or even forgotten about?

If so, you’re really not alone. A lot of God’s children do.

In this episode I talk to my new friend, Art Serna. We talk about God’s hidden ones … the unknowns.

Not only are you not forgotten … God is paying attention to you more than you realize.

ABOUT ART SERNA:

Art Serna is a speaker, founder, and author working at the intersection of human flourishing, leadership, and emerging technology. He founded Cosmos Renewed, a strategic advisory firm that helps leaders and organizations think clearly about AI, systems, growth, and the human consequences of scale. Art is also Executive Director of SpineHope, where he helps expand access to pediatric spinal care while strengthening the local clinical capacity that allows care to endure. His book, The Unknowns Rising, calls forward a generation of purpose-centered builders, creators, and entrepreneurs who believe influence and innovation should serve something larger than personal success. Through his writing and speaking, Art challenges audiences to build enterprises, micro-economies, and communities that increase human dignity, access, and opportunity.

Company: Cosmos Renewed
Website and Free Builder Assessment: Unknowns Rising
Book: The Unknowns Rising: When God Unleashes the New Billionaire Class
Facebook: Unknowns Rising
LinkedIn: Cosmos Renewed
Instagram: Unknowns Rising
YouTube: Unknowns Rising
X: Art Serna Jr.
Additional Links: Unknowns Rising Linktree

Show Promotion / Giveaway Copy: The Unknowns Rising is for the builder who senses that their work, creativity, and influence are meant to serve more than a transaction. Listeners can visit Unknowns Rising to explore the book and receive the free Builder Assessment, a practical reflection tool designed to help founders, creatives, and leaders identify the values, strengths, and systems they need to build responsibly in the AI era. Art is available to speak to intimate leadership groups, founder communities, schools, faith-based gatherings, corporate teams, and large conferences on human flourishing, future-ready leadership, AI, kingdom-centered entrepreneurship, and building systems that deserve the influence they seek.

At a recent gathering of the beloved in Wisconsin, I received an image that stirred my heart and created the foundation for this week’s article and continues to build on our two cities series.

This is the pattern of the City of God. Systems that fill, affirm, liberate, and launch.

In today’s article, we want to contrast that with Egypt, the house of bondage. A full civilizational system of forced labor. Idolatrous power concentrated in a ruler treated as a living god that furthered systematic suppression of the knowledge of the true God. Here's the truth, friend:

It controls. It diminishes identity. It demands worship that serves itself.

God's system empowers. The other enslaves. God's way releases lovers of God. The other produces survival-oriented, complaint-filled existence. This is the choice still before us today as we walk out our salvation as committed followers of Jesus Christ.

This series has been tracing the city of man. Cain showed us its solitary origin in the human heart. Babel showed us its collective ambition to reach heaven on human terms. Egypt shows us the matured system of oppression and extraction.

The Narrow Place

Let's understand the context first. A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He said to his people,

“Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”

So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied. The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously and made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field (Exodus 1:8-14, NASB).

Egypt is called Mitsrayim in Hebrew (מִצְרַיִם). The dual form suggests two narrow places or fortresses. Confinement was built into the name itself. The Hebrew for taskmasters, sarey missim (שָׂרֵי מִסִּים), carries the sense of overseers of forced labor and tribute. The system was designed to extract both work and submission.

Under that system, Pharaoh was regarded as a living god. His elaborate bureaucracy and temple economy supported monumental building through forced public labor. The city of man had matured. It was no longer a single city or a tower. It was an entire house organized to control bodies, time, memory, and worship.

Revelation of Jesus

In the midst of this anti-Christ infrastructure, Moses stands as a type of the greater Deliverer. Drawn from water. Rejected by his brothers. Sent back as liberator. Yet Moses only points forward.

The clearer picture out of the house of bondage is the Passover lamb. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

“On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves... Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old... The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:3, 5, 13, NASB).

John later wrote,

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, NASB).

Revelation shows the same reality from the other side of the cross:

“Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome... And I saw between the throne... a Lamb standing, as if slain” (Revelation 5:5-6, NASB).

The Shepherd is both Lamb and Lion. He fills His people with love through the blood of the Lamb. Then He releases them with the authority of the Lion. Amen! The Exodus, then, is the pattern of redemption. The cross is its fulfillment. True freedom is found only under the covering of that blood and in the roar of that Lion.

Signs, Wonders, and Divine Confrontation

When we consider the Exodus journey in that context, we see more clearly that God’s intervention was never spectacle for its own sake. The signs and the plagues served a purposeful confrontation with the gods of Egypt and the claims of Pharaoh. Yahweh made His name known in the very house that denied Him. The house were hearts were hardened.

The Lord said to Pharaoh through Moses,

“But indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth” (Exodus 9:16, NASB).

Psalm 105 later summarizes the same truth:

God sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen. They performed His wondrous acts among them and miracles in the land of Ham. He struck down the firstborn. He brought out Israel with silver and gold (Psalm 105:26-37, NASB).

The roar of the Lion broke every false claim. The house of bondage could not hold what God had determined to set free. Supernatural intervention was the direct answer of the living God to a system that claimed divine status for a man.

Generational Failure and Handicapped Worship

Let's consider that in the midst of slavery, one generation failed to fully keep covenant and transmit living faith. The next inherited both external systems of bondage and internal patterns of fear and limited vision.

We see the fruit of that failure later in the wilderness. The people lifted up their voices and cried. They said to one another,

The Lord answered,

“Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land” (Numbers 14:22-23, NASB).

Psalm 78 names the pattern with clarity. God established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel that the generation to come might know. Yet they did not keep the covenant and refused to walk in His law. Their heart was not steadfast (Psalm 78:5-8, NASB). Hebrews later warns the church with the same story:

When living faith is not transmitted, the next generation inherits both the systems of extraction and the internal posture of survival. They stay in the pen without being released. Or they build systems that mimic Pharaoh instead of the Shepherd. The result is a handicapped worship lifestyle marked by complaint, fear, and limited vision rather than courageous partnership with God.

The Mirror We Carry

• What modern systems, even those presented as beneficial or necessary, still function in ways that diminish human dignity or suppress the knowledge of God?

• Where have we accepted a handicapped form of worship marked by survival rather than freedom and courage?

• Where are we building, or remaining inside, houses that extract rather than fill and release?

The New Testament writers show us the way with the same freedom language that is the architecture of the City of God:

The Greek word later used for oppressive powers, exousia (ἐξουσία), finds an early narrative root in the house of bondage. It is a stark reminder in our day about what we will choose to move forward with us into a new era of kingdom building.

Will we live as those already released or as those still measuring life by the quotas of Pharaoh’s house? I believe the Spirit of God is moving over the nations in extraordinary ways to break us free from the oppression of past systems, structures, and stipulations. It is a New Day.

Closing Hope

God does not abandon His people in the house of bondage. He said to Moses,

“I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them” (Exodus 3:7-8, NASB).

Isaiah later announces the same heart in the Servant:

the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives (Isaiah 61:1-3, NASB).

The same God still intervenes. The Shepherd still fills. The Lion still roars. This prepares the ground for the next movement in the story. The God who brings a people out of the house of bondage is the same God who later brings walls down through a new generation’s obedience.

If this word has stirred something in you, share it. Pass it to someone still living under the weight of a narrow place, someone who needs to hear that the Shepherd fills and then releases.

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And if you want to go further in building with others who are committed to the City of God rather than the systems of extraction, visit unknownsrising.com. You will find more resources, updates, and ways we are learning to build together under the care of the Great Shepherd.

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We have been walking through the story of the two cities, the city of man and the City of God. After tracing how Cain’s solitary act of autonomy grew into the first named city, we now come to a moment when the entire human family gathers with one purpose. On the plain of Shinar they say to one another, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

The Heart of the Project

The text is only nine verses long, yet it captures a posture of the human heart that has never gone away. The builders were not content to receive their identity and security from the Lord who had created them and preserved them through the flood. They wanted to secure their own future, their own reputation, their own place in the cosmos. The word they used for “name” is shem, the very word Scripture uses for God’s glorious reputation and for the legacy He promises to give His people. They were attempting to take for themselves what only God can give.

Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.
(Genesis 11:1-9, NASB)

The play on words in the text is deliberate and sobering. The place is called Babel. In Hebrew it sounds like the verb balal, which means to confuse or to mix. What the builders intended as a proud declaration of human achievement, “the gate of god,” God turned into a sign of confusion and scattering. Their attempt to force a connection between heaven and earth ended in the very fragmentation they had hoped to prevent.

Ziggurats and Human Ambition

The Babel construction project was not a primitive myth. The ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia were real structures, some of them massive stepped towers that dominated the skyline of their cities. Archaeologists have uncovered their foundations at sites such as Ur and the famous Etemenanki in Babylon. These were not ordinary buildings. They were understood as artificial mountains, platforms where the gods could descend and where priests and kings could ascend to meet them. They were engineering marvels, built with baked bricks and bitumen, and they served both religious and political purposes. The king who sponsored the ziggurat secured divine favor for his reign and centralized power in his capital. In other words, the tower was a human project to secure heaven, significance, and control on human terms.

Towers in the Days of Jesus

Centuries later, in the days when Jesus walked the roads of Galilee and Judea, a different kind of tower had been built, not of baked brick but of religious regulation, political compromise, and social boundary keeping. The Temple in Jerusalem was the heart of Jewish life, the place where heaven and earth were meant to meet through the sacrifices God had ordained. Yet the system that had grown up around the Temple had become a towering edifice of human control.

“…making void the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”
(Mark 7:13, NASB)

The Pharisees had developed an elaborate system of oral tradition that often nullified the commandments of God in favor of human customs. The Sadducees had made their peace with Roman occupation in order to preserve their status and the profitable Temple economy. Purity laws and economic requirements created barriers that kept many people, especially the poor and those labeled sinners, on the outside. The leaders, Jesus observed, loved the best seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings they received in public. They were, in their own way, stacking bricks to reach heaven, to secure their status, their control over who belonged, and their reputation as the guardians of true religion. When the true King and the true Temple appeared among them, the existing tower could not accommodate Him. It was oriented toward self-preservation and self-glorification rather than humble reception of the One who had come down from heaven.

Bricks We Stack Today

The pattern we find in these accounts is clear and recurring. Whenever human beings attempt to secure ultimate significance, safety, or access to the divine on our own terms, we end up with systems that confuse, exclude, and eventually crumble under their own weight. God is not opposed to human creativity, organization, or technological advance. He is opposed to the proud autonomy that says we can reach heaven without first receiving from the Giver of every good gift.

We see the same pattern at work in our own time as new generations of builders seek to make a name for themselves and define a new future for humanity. The development of artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant collective projects of our generation. In laboratories and boardrooms, teams are working to create systems that can reason, create, and solve problems at scales far beyond individual human capacity. The language surrounding this work often carries echoes of Babel. Leaders speak of solving humanity’s greatest challenges, extending healthy lifespan, and opening new frontiers of knowledge and capability. There is genuine promise here. AI tools are already helping researchers develop new medicines, assisting farmers in producing more food with fewer resources, and creating educational supports that can reach students who previously had little access to personalized help. These are gifts to be received with gratitude.

Yet the driving spirit in many quarters is the ancient one, the desire to secure our future, our significance, and our control on our own terms. When artificial intelligence is presented as the solution to every human problem, or when it is developed without deep ethical and theological reflection on what it means to be human in the image of God, the tower rises. Centralized control over powerful algorithms by a small number of entities raises questions about who gets to define reality, allocate resources, and shape the stories we tell ourselves. The risk is not the technology itself, although there are considerations in its development that require more thoughtful oversight. The deeper risk is the posture of the heart that treats these tools as bricks for a tower of autonomous human glory rather than as gifts to be stewarded under the lordship of Christ.

For starters, consider how this dynamic appears in systems of education where the formative discipleship of many future minds and worldviews takes shape. For generations, formal education in many societies has functioned as a great sorting and credentialing tower. Students move through standardized tests, grades, and degrees that promise to deliver them to higher levels of status, security, and opportunity. When it happens to function towards that end, the system has produced real good, opening doors for people who might otherwise have been trapped by circumstance. At the same time, when measurable output becomes the primary measure of human worth, when the slow work of character formation and relational wisdom is crowded out by the pressure to perform, the tower distorts the very people it claims to serve.

Now artificial intelligence is being woven into this system at remarkable speed through a group of pioneers with dissatisfaction of the old system’s lack of outcomes. Adaptive platforms promise to personalize learning. Automated tools can grade assignments and provide instant feedback. Intelligent tutors can work with students at any hour. On the positive side, these developments can remove barriers for learners with different needs and free human teachers to focus on the irreplaceable work of mentorship and soul formation. Yet if the underlying goal of education remains the same autonomous one, if the aim is still to optimize the self for worldly success and measurable achievement without reference to the Giver of wisdom or the telos of loving God and neighbor, then we are simply laying more efficient bricks on the same foundation. We risk forming young people who are skilled at performing for the algorithm but have never learned to receive their identity as a gift or to offer their gifts in love for the healing of the world.

The Better Way

The Babel story does not condemn creativity or collective effort. It exposes the spirit that says we can secure heaven, significance, or control without humility, without covenant relationship, and without receiving from the One who alone brings heaven to earth. The good news is that the true connection between heaven and earth has already been established, not by our climbing but by God’s descending in Christ. Jesus is the true Temple, the ladder between heaven and earth, the One in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
(John 1:51, NASB)

At Pentecost the confusion of languages was reversed by the Spirit, not so that humanity could finish its tower but so that the mighty works of God could be proclaimed in every tongue. And one day the city whose builder and maker is God will come down from heaven, and its light will be the Lamb who was slain.

Until then, God commissions the Bride of Christ to represent His interests in the stewardship of the cosmos she has been entrusted. This requires mature, refined, sacrificial leaders who operate as spiritual fathers and mothers and carry a multi-generational vision of the future through a victorious understanding of Christ’s reign at His ascension and exaltation. Those that will be in action with Him, carrying their cross daily to build and reveal heaven on earth until reaching to “the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13, NASB)

The Mirror We Carry

In this journey we are invited to build as those who have already received a name from God rather than striving to make one for ourselves. We are invited to lay every brick, whether of silicon or curriculum or community life, in the light of the One who said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (Johne 15:5, NASB)

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In the paid subscriber portal this week, partners are exploring a deeper word study on the significance of “making a name for ourselves” throughout Scripture and practical questions for discerning the towers we may be building in our spheres of influence, including technology and education. We would love to have you join us there for conversation, reflection, and encouragement as we learn together to build in the freedom of the City whose foundation is the Lord Himself.

What if God is preparing leaders the world has not noticed yet?

In this conversation with Jim and Martha Brangenberg on the iWork4Him podcast, I share the vision behind The Unknowns Rising: a generation of purpose-driven builders being formed in obscurity before they carry greater influence, capital, technology, and responsibility.

We discuss why the future requires more than ambitious leaders. It requires stewards.

The conversation explores:

• Why God often prepares leaders before He publicly positions them

• The difference between pursuing wealth and stewarding it for Kingdom purposes

• How Scripture reframes success, influence, and authority

• Why faithfulness in small assignments matters before larger opportunities arrive

• How bicultural identity, adversity, and personal reinvention can shape a leader’s calling

• The opportunity and responsibility of using AI and emerging technology to serve people rather than simply generate profit

• Why business, healthcare, education, and technology are mission fields where Kingdom principles can reshape systems

I also share why I believe the next generation of leaders must learn to build with both conviction and compassion. Technology by itself cannot heal what is broken. Capital by itself cannot create human flourishing. But when character, purpose, innovation, and action come together, builders can create solutions that honor God and serve people.

This is a conversation for entrepreneurs, executives, ministry leaders, innovators, and those who sense they are being prepared for an assignment larger than their present visibility.

The Unknowns are rising.

As many across the United States pause this weekend to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, conversations turn naturally to the meaning of founding a nation. We reflect on ideals of liberty, the pursuit of a more perfect union, and the kind of legacy we hope to pass to future generations. Scripture quietly returns us to an even earlier story of city-building. It began not with grand declarations but with a single heart that turned away from God. The choice Cain made still echoes through every marriage, family, business, and nation we seek to build today. The same question confronts us in this anniversary year: Will we build with sin at the door, or will we turn toward the One who offers protection and purpose?

The Source of Cain’s Rebellion

The story opens after the garden. Cain, the first son born to Adam and Eve, brought an offering from the ground. His brother Abel brought the firstborn of his flock. God looked with favor on Abel’s offering, but not on Cain’s. Anger burned in Cain’s heart. God warned him:

“Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
(Genesis 4:6-7, NIV)

Cain did not rule over it. He rose up against his brother and killed him in the field. The first murder stained the earth. When God asked where Abel was, Cain’s response revealed the distance his heart had already traveled: “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The consequences unfolded quickly. God pronounced judgment, yet in mercy placed a mark on Cain:

Cain then went out from the Lord’s presence and built a city. He named it after his son Enoch.

This was not merely the construction of walls and shelters. It was the institutionalization of a way of life that began in the heart, moved into worship, poisoned family relationships, and then extended into economic and social structures. Cain’s descendants became known for advancements in livestock, music, and metalwork. Progress continued, yet the line remained marked by violence and distance from God.

The Patterns Perpetuate Through Time & Space

Archaeological evidence shows that the earliest walled settlements in the ancient Near East appeared shortly after the Neolithic period, often coinciding with increased violence and the human need for defense. In Mesopotamia, city-building frequently carried religious significance. Patron deities were believed to own and protect the urban center. The pattern Cain began has repeated across history. Human beings build systems to secure their future, yet when those systems are rooted in autonomy rather than relationship with God, they carry the same mark.

In this 250th anniversary year for America, the story invites deeper reflection. The founders of this nation spoke of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They dreamed of a more perfect union. Yet every human endeavor to build, whether a marriage, a family, a business, or a nation, begins in the heart. Cain chose his own way. He built in a rebellious and haughty spirit. The first city was dedicated to a legacy apart from God’s presence. As we mark this milestone, we are invited to ask how we are building today. Are we forging our common life from the same spirit that crouched at Cain’s door, or are we turning toward the God who still offers acceptance, protection, and a better foundation?

The pattern always begins in the heart. It shapes our worship. It affects our closest relationships. It eventually forms the cities and economies we inhabit. Cain chose to build in a rebellious and haughty spirit. He represents those who forge legacy apart from God’s presence. The mark he carried reminds us that even in judgment, mercy is extended, and the invitation to return is never withdrawn.

The Mirror We Carry

This anniversary weekend, the story of Cain invites honest reflection at our kitchen table and living rooms.

• Where have we, like him, attempted to build security, identity, or legacy apart from God’s presence and protection?

• In our marriages, are we forging unity through our own strength or receiving it as a gift?

• In our families, are we raising children whose lives are dedicated first to the Lord or to our own ambitions?

• In our businesses and institutions, are we building systems that serve control and efficiency or those that reflect justice, creativity, and care for the vulnerable?

• As a nation, are we seeking a more perfect union through hearts aligned with God or through patterns that keep sin crouching at the door?

The choice is not between building and not building. We are made in the image of the Builder. The question is whose spirit will shape what we create. The same God who warned Cain still speaks to us today. Sin may crouch at the door, but we are invited to rule over it through the power of the Spirit. We are invited to build differently, as repairers of the breach and partners with the true Architect.

Next Steps

In the letters ahead we will continue tracing how the city of man has long resisted the knowledge of God and how the Spirit raises up those who choose another way. For now, let the story of Cain settle deeply. The first city was built in the shadow of a murder. The City of God is built in the light of resurrection. The difference begins in the heart.

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If these words have awakened something in you, we invite you to continue the journey with us. Subscribe to receive each Threshold Letter as it unfolds. Consider becoming a partner so we can explore the word studies, small-group questions, and guided reflections together in the vault each quarter.

Remember: The same God who spoke to Cain is speaking to us. He offers protection, acceptance, and a better way to build. May we choose wisely what kind of legacy we dedicate our lives to in this generation.

I have been pondering a question lately, and reflecting on the answer has me reconsidering my approach to life and purpose: what does it mean to fully follow Christ?

Peter, who had denied Jesus three times was reinstated by a thoughtful interrogation that would ask a penetrating question just the same: do you love me? And that dialogue would set in motion an understanding of the type of “builder” and overseer he would be in God's plan.

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:17, NIV)

Love builds, it sacrifices, it endures. And I am coming to a fuller realization that the apostolic call of Christ to follow him means a lot more than a Sunday morning ritual you drop into your GPS and set on auto pilot. It requires our undivided allegiance and an appreciation of our times as we situate our obedience in light of what is being built around us and the people of God.

New cities are rising across our landscapes. They do not rise with towers meant to reach heaven or walls built to keep danger out. Instead, long, windowless buildings filled with servers now stand in former fields and industrial zones. These data centers consume rivers of electricity and water to sustain the artificial intelligence age and the digital economy that promises new realms of connection and progress. Tech companies and governments move quickly to secure their place in this infrastructure. Many who live near these facilities, or whose daily lives are increasingly shaped by the systems they power, sense something missing. The new normal feels thinner than the longing placed in the human heart. A quiet groan rises for a truly new reality.

We live in a moment when vast resources are being poured into building digital infrastructure that promises to reshape economies and even the flow of information across bloodlines of data. These projects often reflect the older pattern of building for control, efficiency, and centralized power. Yet the groan many feel is the Spirit’s invitation to recognize that another kind of building is possible. God is raising up those who will repair and rebuild in ways that reflect His original vision for the earth. Human agents and spiritual reality work together in this project. Some building serves darkness. Other building serves light. We are not called to reject every modern tool. We are called to discern which city we are serving and to step into the partnership that heals rather than extracts.

Core Questions That Will Shape Our Journey

As we trace this story through Scripture in the letters ahead, several questions will guide our exploration.

• How have institutional systems, both ancient and modern, embedded patterns that resist the knowledge of God and of His Christ?

• What does heavenly wisdom look like when it shapes human creativity, technology, and the building of economies and communities?

• How do faith and works cooperate in the ongoing act of creation and restoration that God invites us to share?

• What foundations do the apostolic and prophetic gifts provide for those called to repair and rebuild in this generation?

• What does it truly mean to be human, created in the image of the Builder, in an age when artificial systems increasingly shape identity, purpose, and the flow of information?

• And how do we discern, in practical and daily ways, the difference between building projects that serve darkness and those that serve light, so we can step more fully into the partnership that heals the earth and restores what has been broken?

These questions are not abstract. They arise from the dissatisfaction many sense and from the Spirit’s call to move from passive observers into active participants in what God is building now.

The Two Cities Scripture Reveals

Scripture opens the story of human organization after the garden with a clear choice. In the beginning God said,

“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26, NIV)

This dominion was never meant to be extraction or control for its own sake. It was a calling to partner with the Creator in bringing order, beauty, and fruitfulness to the earth.

After the fall, a different pattern appears. Cain builds the first named city, a fortified settlement born from violence and the desire for self-protection. Later generations raise towers and temples, convinced their own engineering and religion could bridge heaven and earth.

The writer of Hebrews captures the longing that has always lived in the hearts of those who walk with God:

“For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10, NIV)

The Greek word translated “designer and builder” is technitēs (τεχνίτης). It speaks of a master craftsman or architect who works with deliberate intention and skill. Abraham did not settle for cities built by human hands alone. He carried a vision of something with lasting foundations.

The book of Revelation brings the story to its consummation. John sees

“the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2, NIV)

This is not a city humans construct and then invite God into. It is a city God prepares and brings down. Yet the vision does not erase human participation. It fulfills it.

The Hebrew word for city, ‘ir (עִיר), often carries the sense of a fortified or protected settlement shaped by human organization. In the Greek of the New Testament, polis evokes an ordered community with both civic and covenantal dimensions. The tension between these two ways of building has shaped Christian thought for centuries. Augustine gave it its most enduring form in The City of God, written as Rome fell. He traced the conflict between the city of man, built on self-love, and the City of God, built on love of God. We receive that foundation with gratitude. At the same time, the Spirit is speaking a present rhema word for our day. The data centers rising in our fields and the quiet groan in many hearts are not new. They are the ancient pattern made visible again. And the invitation remains the same: to discern which city we serve and to step into the partnership that heals.

The Builder Who Invites Us to Partner Now

God is the true Architect. Every lasting work ultimately rests on His initiative and design. At the same time, Scripture consistently shows that He invites human beings, created in His image, to participate in the building project. This partnership is not reserved for a distant future. It is already underway.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of those who will be called

“the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” (Isaiah 58:12, NIV)

These are not passive observers waiting for everything to be fixed later. They are active participants who, by the Spirit, mend what has been broken and rebuild what has fallen into ruin. The Great Commission carries the same reality. Jesus sends His followers to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything He commanded. This obedience includes the original mandate to steward and heal creation. Faith and works together manifest the heart of the true Architect in new realms, economies, and generations.

God builds His kingdom, and the structures and systems that define it, through sons and daughters, not hirelings. His Kingdom work necessitates organizing structures today that shape, disciple, and equip His emerging leaders outside the failing systems and incentives of this age. The City of God must rise, and so must the unknowns who are despised, rejected, and persecuted by the current evil systems of this world.

The Mirror We Carry

In the ordinary decisions of our days the two loves still contend. One love builds for self-protection, efficiency, and control, often without noticing the cost to our souls or our neighbors. The other love receives from God and builds for His glory and the genuine good of others. How we use technology, how we structure our work, how we gather as families and churches, how we participate in the life of our communities, all reveal which city currently has our allegiance.

Human systems kill, steal, and destroy to sustain themselves once fully crystallized. They are hard to reform once their processes, policies, and incentive levers are locked in. God builds from a different normal. His Spirit functions on liberty and liberation. He is the ultimate Source of all things, and all things are held together by Him and for Him.

The experience of God’s people under Egyptian rule shows what happens when provision turns oppressor. What was once their Goshen became their oppressor. It impacted their purpose, identity, mentality, outlook, economy, family structure, education, and ultimately their worship. So much so that they became dependent on that system rather than on God, their Source, and their core Architect who held the Promise.

Religious systems and rigid denominational structures can operate in similar fashion. They color the face of an issue to help people be okay with the devastation or living death they perpetuate.

The dissatisfaction many sense is not a problem to be solved by faster systems or better infrastructure. It is the Spirit’s quiet witness that we were made for something more. We were made to partner with the Builder who has already gone ahead of us. The City of God is not only a future hope. It is breaking into the present wherever men and women, filled with the Spirit, choose to repair what is broken and build what reflects the heart of God.

What is Next?

Over the coming months we will walk through the biblical story together. Each letter will trace how the city of man has long resisted the knowledge of God and how the Spirit continues to raise up repairers and rebuilders in every generation. We will let Scripture show us where these patterns still shape our thinking and where the liberty of the City of God invites us to live differently now.

If these words have stirred something in you, we invite you to continue the journey. Subscribe to receive each Threshold Letter, and consider becoming a partner so we can go deeper together with word studies, small-group questions, and guided resources that flow from each public offering. Share these letters with your networks. This year we seek to build a critical mass of readers and followers who can help one another step more fully into the partnership that heals.

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The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at the beginning is still at work. He is able to turn our dissatisfaction into holy longing and our longing into faithful building. We do not build alone. The Architect has already gone ahead of us, and He invites us to build with Him.

Today, I received an encouraging message from the Lord the that I wanted to share with our strongest supporters. It is a timely word as we enter the middle portion of this 2026 calendar year heading into June.

May the revelation of the courts of heaven supply what you need to move FORWARD ⏩ into what heaven has for you.

God bless!

Art

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I STILL REMEMBER THE EARLY DAYS after I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Ministry suddenly looked different. What once felt like hard effort now flowed with power. I learned to surrender daily and fellowship with God Himself. In that fellowship He revealed His purpose and invited me to bring it into the earth realm. I witnessed healings. Power encounters. Words of knowledge. Prophecies. Deliverances.

Each manifestation served as evidence that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. God was destroying every work of the enemy and establishing His reign wherever He found faith and willing hearts.

The Holy Spirit Is God

The Holy Spirit is not a lesser force or influence. He is fully God. Equal in power, glory, and majesty to the Father and the Son. Yet distinct in Person. Scripture presents Him as divine. He creates. He knows the deep things of God. He is omnipresent. He is to be worshiped and obeyed. When Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, Peter declared they had lied to God.

Because the Spirit is God, we are invited to fellowship with Him personally and continually. The same relational intimacy we treasure with Jesus is available with the Holy Spirit.

The Prophets Foretold a Perpetual Reality

Long before Pentecost the Father promised a new era.

These were not temporary promises for one generation. They pointed to a lasting outpouring that would equip God’s people until Christ returns. This is the perpetual reality the prophets saw. The Spirit resting not just on a few leaders but upon all who belong to the Lord.

Jesus Himself confirmed this promise. He told His disciples it was to their advantage that He go away. Then the Helper, the Spirit of truth, would come.

For Every Believer, Not Just the “Super-Spiritual”

The Pentecost experience is not reserved for a special class. It is open to every believer who desires to know the Father more deeply, walk closer to Jesus, and obey His commandments. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper…” (John 14:15-16).

This is for the whole Bride. Young and old. New believers and mature saints. The early church was not made up of spiritual elites. They were ordinary people who made room for the extraordinary presence of God.

The Difference the Spirit Makes

Jesus’ own ministry shows the pattern. Before the Spirit descended on Him at the Jordan, He lived in humility and obedience. After the Spirit came upon Him, He moved in power. Healing the sick. Casting out demons. Proclaiming the Kingdom with authority.

The same pattern holds for us. A life without the active presence and power of the Holy Spirit may be moral and sincere. Yet it often lacks the abiding glory and supernatural effectiveness we see in the New Testament. When the Spirit is welcomed and obeyed, ordinary believers become equipped to continue the ministry of Jesus.

A Lifetime of Witness

I have seen this reality again and again. The same Spirit who empowered those early moments continues to move. I am encouraged that we stand on the edge of the greatest awakening and revival the world has ever seen in our lifetime. I am eager to collaborate with next-generation leaders who reflect a new level of wholeness, humility, and wholehearted commitment to heaven’s cause.

Today’s Activation – Pentecost Sunday

Find a quiet place. Read Acts 2:1-4 slowly. Then pray this prayer of consecration aloud:

“Holy Spirit, I acknowledge that You are God. Come as You came on that first Pentecost. Fill me afresh. Empower me to walk closer to Jesus and obey His commands. Let Your glory rest upon my life. I welcome You fully. Send me into my part of Your story.”

I am grateful to grow together and explore the deep things of God. The fire that fell in Jerusalem still falls today. The same Spirit who empowered Jesus now empowers us to live with the same abiding glory.

May the Holy Spirit — God Himself — fill you with fresh power, fresh love, and fresh purpose for the healing of creation and the advance of His Kingdom.

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Your friend and brother in Christ - Art Serna

I marvel when I ponder the matter of Babel and Pentecost. There are profound insights about God's plan in the midst of humanity's chaos. What if the very thing God used to scatter humanity at the Tower of Babel is the same thing He used to unite them at Pentecost?

At Babel, humanity sought to make a name for themselves with one language and one tower. God confused their language and scattered them. At Pentecost, God reversed the curse. He poured out His Spirit, and people from every nation under heaven heard the wonders of God in their own language.

This is one of the most beautiful pictures in Scripture.

A Lifetime of Witness

Over the years I’ve been given the privilege of seeing this truth with my own eyes. In Argentina while serving with Harvest Evangelism, in remote villages in Mexico, on small islands in Indonesia, in the countryside of Cuba, in struggling urban cities of America, and even in scouting trips through Bali — I’ve watched the Kingdom of God expressed in beautiful, diverse ways.

Each culture carried its own flavor, yet the same Holy Spirit moved with power. I’ve seen tears of repentance in humble island churches, bold faith in Cuban house gatherings, loud celebration around concrete parking lot baptisms, and fresh outpourings in Argentine crusades. The beauty of the Great Commission has never been more real to me than when I witnessed God’s heart for every nation.

The same Spirit who fell in Jerusalem is not limited by culture, language, or background. He is committed to every people group on earth.

The Three Major Outpourings

The Book of Acts makes this abundantly clear through three distinct moments:

• In Acts 2, the Spirit falls on the Jewish believers in the upper room.

• In Acts 8, He falls on the Samaritans, a people despised by the Jews.

• In Acts 10, He dramatically falls on Cornelius and his Gentile household.

Three different people groups. One Holy Spirit. The message is unmistakable: No one is left out.

For a New Generation

A new generation is hungry for the supernatural and for genuine belonging. The world offers them twisted versions of spiritual power through oppressive religious sects that look peaceful on the outside but are inherently destructive in their practices. But the true move of God welcomes every background and every culture under the headship of Jesus.

Pentecost is the gateway. The same Spirit who reversed the confusion of Babel now empowers the Church to fulfill the Great Commission. Not just in word, but in the beauty of a multi-cultural Kingdom.

Today’s Activation

1. Take a moment today to pray for a nation or people group different from your own.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to pour out His presence there in fresh ways.

3. Then ask Him to give you His heart for the nations and for people outside your normal circle.

Next Steps

We are learning together day by day. The same Spirit I’ve seen move in Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, USA, and Cuba is moving right now, in Milwaukee and to the ends of the earth.

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Tomorrow, on Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the fire that still falls and the power that still equips us to play our part in God’s global story.

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In college my heart would overflow with love for the Father during worship. English words came easily at first. Then they ran dry. In those moments groans deep in my spirit met the groans of the Holy Spirit. A new language of praise and prayer burst forth. It was not forced. It was pure overflow.

Mature believers around me offered gentle mentoring over the years. They taught me to welcome the gift with child-like faith in the Giver. Through patient practice and focused surrender the language grew in freedom. There was no striving. Only joyful availability. Over time I learned that praying in the Spirit is the Father’s good gift. It builds me up when I have no words left.

The gift of tongues marked the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost. In Acts 2 the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. That public sign launched the church with power. Paul later shows us the same gift is deeply personal. It opens a hidden doorway into communion with God that strengthens the believer from the inside out.

The Biblical Foundation

Paul writes to the church at Corinth,

“For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2 NASB).

He adds,

“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:18 NASB).

Yet he balances it:

“I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also” (1 Corinthians 14:15 NASB).

In Romans 8:26-27 he reveals the tender heart behind the gift:

This is the Pentecost experience at work. The same Spirit who empowered the early church still equips us today. Tongues are not a side issue for the super-spiritual. They are the Spirit’s loving help when our words fail. They build us up in our most holy faith. They refresh the weary soul. They align our hearts with the perfect will of God.

Objections as Invitations

Objections to the gift of tongues still surface. I have learned to see them not as threats but as invitations. God uses these very questions to draw us into deeper understanding of who He is and how His supernatural kingdom works together with us as co-heirs with Christ. In much of global Christianity today believers are laying aside fear-based caution and embracing these realities as normal.

Three objections often surface when this gift is discussed.

First, some claim tongues died out after the apostolic age. Numerous accounts across church history and recent movements that have brought fruitfulness to the church prove otherwise. Scripture never tied these gifts to the first century.

Second, some argue the completion of the Scriptures eliminated the need for tongues. The completion of the scriptures pointed to a mature and spotless bride that would see him face to face. That has yet to manifest and necessitates a living relationship with the Spirit.

Third, some insist tongues were strictly a sign of judgment against unbelieving Israel. Paul practiced this gift continually and established a pattern with Timothy. That was to be entrusted down generations.

Growing in Freedom

This gift flourishes where there is freedom, not pressure. Child-like faith in the Father of lights opens the door. Practical mentoring from mature believers helps us steward it well. We simply ask, receive, and practice. Some days the language flows like a river. Other days it is a quiet whisper. Both are precious. The goal is never performance. The goal is deeper communion.

Today’s Activation

Set aside ten quiet minutes in your hidden place.

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh.

2. Begin by praising the Father in your own words. When you sense you have run out of language, simply open your mouth and let the Spirit pray through you.

3. Do not analyze or strive. Let it flow. If nothing comes at first, rest in child-like trust and try again tomorrow.

The gift is a relationship, not a formula. Notice how your spirit feels strengthened afterward.

Next Steps

We are learning together. The same Spirit who birthed the church in tongues of fire is ready to release fresh language in your prayer life today. What begins as a hidden groan can become a river of living water that refreshes you and overflows to those around you.

Share this post with a fellow believer who longs for deeper communion with the Father.

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In the fall of 2020 I received a prophetic vision after arriving in Milwaukee, WI. Later, I realized that I was to write a book called The Unknowns Rising. The message was clear and urgent, yet the path from vision to finished book felt anything but straightforward. Doubts pressed in hard. Was this really from God? Was I the right person? How would the pieces come together?

The Spirit’s gifts of wisdom and discernment became my lifeline through every stage. They guided the decision to begin, the timing of release, the choices in publishing, and now the Q2 2026 podcast tour campaign to share the message. That same Spirit who closed some doors and opened others is the One who continues to direct the work today at unknownsrising.com.

Understanding the Source

The gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 include graces specifically designed to bring light into complexity. Paul writes to the church,

“For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:8 NASB).

A few verses later he adds “to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10 NASB). These are not mystical add-ons for the super-spiritual. They are essential equipment for every believer who desires to walk in step with God in a world full of competing voices.

Paul’s Story: When the Spirit Closes and Opens Doors

The book of Acts gives us a vivid picture of this gift in operation. In chapter 16, Paul and his team traveled through Phrygia and Galatia. They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they tried to enter Bithynia, the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. Then, at Troas, Paul received a vision in the night of a man from Macedonia pleading, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Immediately they concluded that God was calling them to preach the gospel there. The doors that closed in Asia led to an open door in Europe. Churches were planted, lives were transformed, and the gospel advanced in ways that still bear fruit today.

This is discernment and wisdom working together. The Spirit gave both restraint and direction. Paul did not push through closed doors or ignore the vision. He listened, adjusted, and acted.

My Story: The Unknowns Rising

I lived a similar pattern when the vision for The Unknowns Rising first came. The call was clear, but the execution required ongoing sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading. There were seasons when doors closed unexpectedly and other seasons when a quiet word of wisdom or knowledge cut through the fog and showed the next faithful step. Pressing through the doubts was never about pushing harder in my own strength. It was about listening, discerning, and obeying. The same grace that carried Paul forward carried me through writing, publishing, and now the podcast tour.

Discerning Spirits in Our Day

One aspect of this gift is the ability to distinguish between spirits. Not every spiritual impression or teaching comes from the Holy Spirit. Some arise from our own thoughts and emotions. Others come from cultural or even deceptive sources that can appear attractive or powerful. Discernment helps us test what we encounter against the truth of Scripture and the character of Jesus. It guards our hearts and the hearts of those we influence.

Many believers today, especially those hungry for the supernatural, encounter a mix of genuine hunger and distorted expressions through media, online spaces, or spiritual practices detached from Christ. The Spirit’s gift of discernment is a safeguard. It allows us to embrace what is true while rejecting what leads to confusion or bondage.

Wisdom and Knowledge for the Decisions We Face

The word of wisdom often surfaces as strategic insight, a sense of how to approach a situation or the right timing for action. The word of knowledge may bring specific understanding that clarifies a problem or reveals a path forward. These gifts operate in ordinary moments as well as extraordinary ones. A difficult conversation at work, a choice about a relationship, a parenting decision, or a step of faith in ministry can all be shaped by the Spirit’s insight.

The same was true for me when I faced the decision to write The Unknowns Rising and later when I planned the podcast tour. I did not have to figure everything out on my own. I was invited to ask, to listen, and to trust that the Spirit who directed Paul is present to direct us.

Today’s Activation

Before you face any decision today, pause.

1. Invite the Holy Spirit to highlight what is true.

2. Ask for the word of wisdom to see the larger picture and the word of knowledge to understand what you need to know. Be still long enough to sense the peace or the gentle nudge that comes from Him.

3. Then move forward in faith, knowing that clarity often grows as we take the next obedient step.

We are learning together what it means to rely on the Spirit’s guidance in real time. These gifts are not distant concepts. They are part of the inheritance we have received in Christ.

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On Friday we step into a topic that many find both fascinating and deeply personal, one that often raises questions especially among younger believers seeking a more intimate walk with God. We will explore the gift that allows the Spirit to pray through us when our own words fall short, opening a pathway to communion that goes beyond what we can understand with our minds. It is a gift that has brought comfort, power, and connection to countless hearts across generations, and we will approach it with biblical depth and practical encouragement.

The same Spirit who grants discernment and wisdom is the Spirit who invites us into deeper places of prayer and presence. May you see with clarity and walk with wisdom today.

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I still remember that summer in college. I was part of Hope Student Fellowship in Austin, Texas. We had spent weeks in fasting and prayer preparing for a mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico. One afternoon while evangelizing at an elementary school a debilitating migraine struck without warning. Pain blurred my vision. I could not continue.

Back at camp one of the prayer leaders laid hands on me and prayed a simple prayer of healing. In that moment the pain vanished completely. I was supernaturally and instantly healed. Even more the Holy Spirit filled me afresh and empowered me with great spiritual boldness. The team encouraged me to pray over them. What followed was an incredible outpouring of the presence of God. Conviction of sin swept through the group. Deep repentance followed. Fresh freedom broke out. Lives changed that day. Not because of any special formula but because the Spirit who heals had come near.

Personal Reflection

That experience taught me something lasting. The gifts of healing and miracles are not reserved for special seasons or elite ministers. They flow through ordinary believers who make themselves available. The same Spirit who healed me in Monterrey longs to heal bodies, mend minds, and restore communities today.

We stand at the threshold of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit releases these gifts. It is so important to be in sync with what God is doing today, especially in 2026 which will be a year of the watershed moment. As we go through a window of massive global change, we need to encounter the Spirit of God who was present at creation as we collaborate with Him on the restoration of all things.

But what is our role in partnering with God's Spirit to manifest the supernatural kingdom of the ascended and exalted Christ? To believe and steward what He gifts us. Scripture is clear.

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10 NASB)

This is our inheritance.

Healing a Broken World

Many of us who have walked with Christ for decades feel this hunger deeply. We have tried the religious grind long enough to know its limits. We have watched well-meaning systems and programs attempt what only the power of the Spirit can accomplish.

In a culture chasing counterfeit power through the occult and every twisted form of spirituality, Christ has set His Bride apart to demonstrate something authentic under His headship. Pentecost is our gateway. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us. It equips us to destroy works of darkness in our homes, workplaces, and broken systems. Healing is not peripheral to the Gospel. It is central to the mission Jesus gave His church. We are called to collaborate with the Holy Spirit in the restoration of all things.

Today’s Activation

Set aside a few quiet minutes. Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight one area of need in your own life or in someone close to you. Pray specifically for healing or restoration in that area, while asking for an increasing manifestation of healing and miracles in your life that represent Jesus ton your world. Then listen.

I am grateful that we are learning together, while encouraging one another.

The same Spirit who healed a college student in Monterrey, Mexico, is moving now in Milwaukee and beyond. He is restoring what is broken and inviting us to join Him in the healing of creation.

Next Steps

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God still speaks: I still remember the day I picked up Dr. Bill Hamon’s book Prophets and the Prophetic Movement. Pages turned and something locked into place. God is still speaking today. The prophetic gift is not reserved for a few elite voices. It belongs to every maturing believer who will press in. That book became a doorway for me into understanding the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

Learning to Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is our Pentecost inheritance. In the last days God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. This is not ancient history. It is the normal Christian life Jesus modeled and the early church lived.

For years I learned this in the secret place. While interceding with little visible fruit God began showing me His heart for the nations. In those quiet hours He revealed burdens, strategies, and words of hope I could never have discovered on my own. His secrets are reserved for those who earnestly seek Him in the hidden place. Paul reminds us:

Intercession is often the first doorway. As we linger in prayer the Spirit tunes our hearts to His. Small words of revelation come. An encouraging scripture for a friend. A gentle warning. A picture of future restoration. When we are faithful with the small He trusts us with more. This is how modern-day prophets mature. Not through platforms but through faithful obedience in the unseen.

Personal Reflection

Christ empowered His disciples from the beginning. He sent them out among wolves with authority and power. That pattern has not changed. God is not schizophrenic. What He established in the New Testament lives on for every generation until He returns.

Mature believers feel the hunger. We see the opposition rising as darkness loses ground in this early manifestation of a third great awakening. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us. He equips us to dismantle works of darkness in our homes, workplaces, and broken systems.

Pentecost fundamentally shifts how humanity interacts with God. It transforms the Holy Spirit from an occasional external visitor into a permanent internal reality.

Today’s Activation

Set aside time in your hidden place today. Ask the Holy Spirit, “What is on Your heart right now?” Write down whatever comes. A scripture. A name. An image. Then ask who you should share it with. Deliver that small word faithfully today.

Next Steps

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The wind hit without warning. In a simple gathering in Argentina in the late 1990s I felt it move through the room like a living presence. I had walked with the Lord for years. That night the Holy Spirit made something clear.

He was not an occasional helper for ministry. He wanted constant fellowship. Everything shifted. Ministry bore more fruit. Decisions carried heavenly wisdom. My life moved from striving to abiding.

A Pentecost for Today

We stand at the threshold of Pentecost again. Not as spectators of ancient history but as heirs invited into the same outpouring. In Acts 2 a sound like rushing wind filled the house. Tongues of fire rested on each one. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This was no private experience. It launched a movement that turned the world upside down.

Peter stood that day and declared the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off. For all whom the Lord our God will call. That includes us. Today.

The Pentecost experience is for me. Right now. It is the gift God gives to empower every disciple in their calling. Jesus promised it. The Father delights to give it. The same Spirit who empowered the early church walks with us in Milwaukee, across the Midwest, and to the ends of the earth.

Reflection

Mature believers know this. We have seen enough of the religious grind. We have watched systems and programs try to do what only the Spirit can do. The world offers counterfeit power through the occult and twisted spiritualities. The Bride of Christ carries the real thing. Under the headship of Jesus. For the healing of broken places and the advance of the Kingdom.

Do not let the teachings of men and rigid, dead religiosity rob you from the blessing Father has for you. This is the year you shift from merely existing and getting by to truly living.

Today’s Activation

Find ten quiet minutes. Sit or walk and pray simply.

Breathe slowly. Invite Him to speak or move however He chooses. Journal one word, image, or impression that comes.

The wind is here.

Next Steps

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In recent months, painful reports have surfaced across well-known streams of the charismatic church. Allegations of sexual misconduct, deceptive prophetic practices, and failures in accountability have shaken leaders and congregations at places like Bethel, MorningStar, and IHOPKC. Many believers feel disoriented. Trust has been wounded.

In the midst of these real struggles, the Spirit continues to invite us into something deeper and more stable than any single ministry or movement. We sense the longing for a mature, trustworthy expression of the body of Christ. The very gifts the ascended Lord gave are the practical provision we need right now to step into that maturity as His spotless bride.

The Ascension Gifts in Ephesians 4

Paul writes with precision in Ephesians 4:11-16. After describing Christ’s triumphant ascension, he declares that the risen Lord “gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” These are not titles that create hierarchy. They are graces. They are extensions of Jesus Himself, distributed to the whole body.

Christ embodies every one of these functions perfectly. He is the Apostle sent from the Father. He is the Prophet who reveals the heart of God. He is the Evangelist who proclaims good news. He is the Pastor who shepherds with compassion. He is the Teacher who unfolds truth. When He ascended, He poured aspects of His own ministry into His people so that the Church might reflect His fullness.

These Graces Come Alive in the New Testament

In the book of Acts, these same functions operate through ordinary believers. Philip, specifically called “the evangelist,” left the table of service in Jerusalem and proclaimed Christ in Samaria with signs following. Crowds listened. Demons fled. The sick were healed. And there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:8). Later we find him still traveling, explaining Scripture to the Ethiopian eunuch and baptizing him along the desert road (Acts 8:26-39).

His life shows us an evangelist as a relational extension of Jesus: available, obedient, and ready to proclaim good news anywhere the Spirit leads.

We also see apostles pioneering new ground, prophets like Agabus bringing timely direction, teachers grounding the community in truth, and pastors nurturing the growing flocks. These were not distant offices. They were living expressions of Christ at work among ordinary men and women.

Personal Reflection

As one who has walked alongside many sons and daughters of the kingdom, I carry a fatherly sorrow over what so many have experienced in our day. The religious structures we have built have too often created an inner battle. They have slotted believers into comfortable functions meant to serve an organization’s vision rather than awakening the unique deposit of Christ placed within each one of us.

This approach runs contrary to the very nature of the gifts the Lord has birthed in His people. It leaves many journeying from death to life in Christ yet still without a deep sense of belonging. The part of you that He deposited remains unacknowledged, unaffirmed, and unawakened.

Not every believer is called to stand in one of these five-fold graces as a primary role. Every one of us is invited to collaborate with those who do. In that partnership we reach the maturity Christ intends for us.

For all the failings we see in the church today, my heart holds genuine sorrow for anyone who has yet to taste the full ministry of Jesus through the gifts He has given. At the same time, I carry unshakable hope. His Spirit is awakening these very graces in a new generation. A company of faithful unknowns is rising for a global awakening that will change the face of the earth and advance the restoration of the cosmos. I believe this because Christ is the master builder. He is the chief architect of His Church. He does not lose what He has purchased with His own blood.

Functions as Relational Extension of Jesus

Each grace serves a clear purpose: to equip the saints for works of service and to build up the body until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.

• Apostles pioneer fresh expressions of the kingdom. They extend Christ’s sent-ness into new territories and cultures.

• Prophets speak what they hear from the Father. They call us back to alignment with His heart.

• Evangelists proclaim the good news with clarity and power. They invite the lost into the family.

• Pastors nurture and protect the flock with tender care. They ensure no one is left behind.

• Teachers ground us in Scripture. They form minds and hearts in the truth that sets us free.

These roles work together like the members of a healthy body. They do not compete for prominence. They cooperate to mature every believer.

Maturing the Bride for Her Purpose

Scripture paints a beautiful picture of the Church as Christ’s bride, made ready without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).

27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

This preparation is not passive. It is active partnership with the headship of Christ. The five-fold graces equip us to live out the original mandate to see heaven realized on earth, just as Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

This unity is not the vague utopian dream of human effort. It is the alignment of every believer with God’s divine purpose. It is defined by the Great Commission. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit whom the Father promised to send. When these functions operate as Christ intended, the body grows up into Him who is the head. We become stable. We are no longer tossed by every wind of teaching. We speak the truth in love and grow in every way into Christ.

The 21st-Century Need: Spirit-Empowered Partnership

We live in a time of rapid change and deep spiritual hunger. The Church does not need more programs or polished performances. We need the living, functional expression of Jesus among us. The same Spirit who empowered Philip and the early believers at Pentecost is available today to activate these graces in ordinary believers who say yes to the journey.

When we recognize and steward these gifts humbly, with proper accountability and biblical integrity, personal transformation deepens and cosmic restoration advances. Inner healing flows into outward mission. We become agents of heaven’s pattern right where we are, in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

Our Shared Journey Forward

Take a moment today to ask the Holy Spirit a simple question: “Lord, how are You inviting me to recognize and receive these equipping graces in my life and in our community?” Listen quietly. Journal what you hear. Share it with a trusted brother or sister.

We are all learning and growing together. No one stands alone in this work. Christ Himself is building His Church, and He invites every one of us to participate as co-heirs seated with Him in heavenly places.

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We will continue the conversation in the weeks ahead, especially as we approach Pentecost. We look forward this year to unpack these gifts further for subscribers, where we will explore practical exercises for discerning these functional graces in daily life and the local Church.

For now, receive this truth as an invitation: the gifts are already given. The journey of maturity awaits.

Thank you for walking this path with us. Subscribe to continue the journey, and consider becoming a partner to go deeper.

The guards fell like dead men.
The women came expecting death and met angels instead.
And in that first light of Easter morning, the cosmos itself shifted.

The Scene Unfolds

Just as an angel once appeared to shepherds on a hillside and announced, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10), so now two angels stand at the empty tomb and declare to the women, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 24:5-6).

The same glory that filled the night sky at His birth now breaks the silence of the grave. The women run to tell the disciples. Peter and John race to the tomb and find the linen cloths lying there, the head wrapping folded neatly by itself. The Risen One is already on the move.

Even in the moment of resurrection, the disciples are top of mind. The Risen Savior does not ascend immediately. He lingers to appear to Mary, to the Emmaus road travelers, to the Eleven behind locked doors. He is already centering them in the new covenant plan that is about to be unleashed.

Who Jesus Reveals Himself to Be

Here we meet the victorious Firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20).

He is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18), the One in whom all things hold together, the image of the invisible God. He does not merely survive death. He defeats it. He rises as the new creation, the prototype of the new man that will now be birthed in every heart that receives Him. The old has gone. The new has come.

The New Covenant Dawns

This is no private miracle. This is the cosmos-changing moment Isaiah 9:7 foretold: “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” The government of the Prince of Peace has broken into the earth.

Jesus gathers His flawed, fearful disciples and breathes on them the fresh breath of the new covenant. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” He says. Then He gives them the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19).

That mandate is not a burden. It is our purpose and identity. It is the adventure of a lifetime. It is the wholeness that resets us into new creation reality right now.

Pressing In Today

We live in a world still marked by endings. Dreams die. Plans collapse. Hearts break. Yet because the Stone could not hold Him, no ending is final.

The same resurrection power that raised Jesus now lives in us. The same Spirit that raised Him from the dead is available today to raise every dead place in our lives. We are not waiting for a future rescue. We are the remnant carrying resurrection life into the world right now.

Younger believers who have grown weary of broken institutions discover here a living Savior who rewrites every story. Older saints who have walked through long winters find fresh wind to finish the race with joy. Together we step into the Great Commission as co-heirs, agents of healing, and bearers of the new creation.

This is the victory of Christendom across the globe. Not through power or politics, but through ordinary lives made new. The Stone could not hold Him. Neither can any stone hold the life He now pours into us.

And because He lives, we live. Because He rose, we rise. The new covenant is not coming. It has already begun.

Thank you for walking this Holy Week with us here on Threshold.

We look forward to the seasons ahead as we continue to be formed together into thriving disciples of the risen Lamb, carrying His healing and restoration to the nations.

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The Risen One is calling.

Will we go?

With you on the journey,
Art Serna Jr.
Founder, Threshold: the journey & Cosmos Renewed

The body lies wrapped in linen.
The stone is sealed.
The disciples scatter in fear and grief.
And the silence feels final.

Yet in that very silence the kingdom plan is unfolding. Victory is rising from the ashes. The Seed is about to multiply.

That is what unfolded on Holy Saturday.

The Scene Unfolds

The Sabbath dawns after the long night of crucifixion. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus have laid Jesus’ body in a new tomb. A heavy stone is rolled across the entrance. Roman guards stand watch.

The disciples are scattered. Some hide. Some mourn in stunned disbelief. The women who followed Him prepare spices for burial, but they must wait until the Sabbath ends. No one speaks of resurrection yet. The silence is heavy. It feels like the end.

It makes us wonder about the dead places in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. The events and unexpected losses that burst a once hopeful dream, a bubble of possibility that suddenly deflates with unraveling violence into silence. The sickness that enters the heart in the devastation, a hope deferred that words alone cannot shake. In that comma of a moment, when the weight of the questions falls like a ton of bricks and the oxygen disappears as if in an instant, the words of the Master echo, beckoning us to remember, to take in the true power of His words declared before for this very moment.

Who Jesus Reveals Himself to Be

Here we meet the faithful Seed.

Jesus is not defeated in the tomb. He is the Seed who willingly enters the ground so that multiplied life can burst forth. He is the One who rests in perfect obedience while the Father works the hidden victory. In the silence He remains the King whose government will have no end.

Can you hear Him calling from beyond that stone? His obedience tearing through the concrete for the reunion that is to be enjoyed. With you. With me. With the Bride.

Prophecy Fulfilled

Centuries earlier the psalmist wrote, “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay” (Psalm 16:10). Isaiah promised, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).

On this quiet Saturday the words are not yet visible, but they are already true. The Seed has died. The government of the Prince of Peace is about to break forth in resurrection power. The silence itself is pregnant with the promise.

Shaping the Remnant

The early disciples feel the emotional toil of this in-between moment. Their hopes are crushed. Their courage has fled. They do not yet understand that the tomb is not a dead end but the place where God multiplies what the world calls finished.

Jesus is shaping them even now. He is teaching the remnant that victory often rises from what looks like ashes. The same pattern is at work in us. When our own plans lie sealed behind a stone, when silence feels unbearable, the faithful Seed is still at work. He breaks the ground to create the pathway for His oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for His glorification (Isaiah 61:3).

Pressing In Today

We all know seasons of Holy Saturday. The dream has died. The silence stretches long. The questions swirl.

Yet the same power that rested in that tomb now lives in us. Because the Seed died and multiplied, we benefit today from resurrection life that cannot be stopped. The increase of His government is already advancing in our hearts, our homes, our communities.

The silence is not empty. It is filled with the whisper of Isaiah 9:7:

Younger believers who feel disillusioned by broken promises discover here that God is never late. Older saints who carry long seasons of waiting find fresh courage to trust the unseen work of the Seed.

If you are distraught for someone else who is yet to experience the Seed’s resurrection power, I pray you will find encouragement this Holy Saturday.

Daily Prayer Practice

1. Revisit that place in you that has weighed you down long enough. Sit with God in a quite place and set it before Him.

2. Read Matthew 27:57-66 and Isaiah 9:6-7 slowly.

3. Then pray with honest openness:

“Holy Jesus, our Faithful Seed, in the silence of this Saturday I bring every place where my hope feels sealed behind a stone. You rested in the tomb so that multiplied life could rise. Fill this silence with the whisper of Your increasing government.

Let Your peace have no end in me. Teach me to wait with trust, knowing that victory is already rising from these ashes. Reveal to me the new path before me.”

4. Listen. Write down what the Spirit brings to light.

5. Carry the quiet hope of multiplied life into your day.

We await together for the promise of life everlasting that comes in the day ahead. I rejoice with you that we can celebrate with all of our might the faithfulness that is about to manifest.

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If these Holy Week letters are meeting you in the silence, subscribe so you receive every morning’s reflection at 6:00 AM.

With you on the journey,
Art Serna Jr.
Founder, Threshold: the journey & Cosmos Renewed

The Lamb stands silent before His accusers.
He receives the scourge.
He carries the cross.
He breathes His last and declares, “It is finished.”

In that single cry the ancient promise collides with the present pain of every human heart.

The Scene Unfolds

Pilate questions Him. The crowd shouts for Barabbas. Soldiers mock Him, strip Him, and lay the lash across His back. Isaiah saw this moment centuries earlier:

“He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

They nail Him to the wood between two thieves. Darkness covers the land. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, looks up and says with final authority, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Then He bows His head and gives up His spirit.

Who Jesus Reveals Himself to Be

Here we meet the Suffering Servant who is also the triumphant Lamb.

He is not a victim of circumstance. He is the deliberate fulfillment of Genesis 3:15 — the Seed of the woman who crushes the serpent’s head by letting the serpent strike His heel. He is the Lamb John the Baptist pointed to when he cried, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). He bears every sin, every wound, every trauma we have ever known or will ever carry. And in that bearing He does not merely endure. He finishes the work.

Prophecy Fulfilled

Isaiah 53 unfolds in living color on this day. The Servant is despised and rejected. He carries our sorrows. He is wounded for our transgressions. The stripes cut into His back are not random cruelty. They are the very means by which healing flows to us — body, soul, and spirit.

The cross is not the end of the story. It is the completion of the promise spoken in the garden, written by the prophets, and proclaimed by John. The Lamb has taken away the sin of the world.

Shaping the Remnant

While the world watches a man die, Jesus is shaping the remnant who will carry the finished work into every generation. He shows us that true healing is not the absence of pain but the presence of the One who has already borne it. The disciples are scattered, broken, and disillusioned. Yet the same stripes that mark His back will one day mark their transformed lives. The remnant learns that the path to maturity runs straight through the cross. Not avoidance. Not shortcuts. Not excuses. The narrow road of obedience.

Pressing In Today

We live in a world that speaks constantly of trauma. We name it, study it, and try to manage it. Yet the Suffering Servant offers something deeper. By His stripes we are healed — not in some distant spiritual sense, but in the raw places of body, soul, and spirit where trauma has left its mark.

Jesus does not minimize our pain. He absorbs it. He finishes it. The Lamb who takes away the sin of the world also takes away the power of every wound that sin has inflicted. It is costly, finished, victorious healing that goes far beyond the cheap comfort that the world gives.

Younger believers who have grown weary of shallow answers find here a Savior who has walked through the darkest valley. Older saints who carry long-held wounds discover that the work is already finished and the healing has already begun.

Daily Prayer Practice

1. Find a quiet place today, a place to be alone with God.

2. Read Isaiah 53:4-7 and John 19:28-30 slowly.

3. Then pray with honest openness:

“Lamb of God, You who take away the sin of the world, I bring every wound, every trauma, every hidden scar to the foot of Your cross. By Your stripes I am healed — body, soul, and spirit.

Finish in me what You finished on Calvary. Let Your completed work release me into the freedom You purchased. I receive the healing that flows from Your wounds. Thank you for making me new.”

4. Listen. Write down what the Spirit brings to light.

5. Take one small step of surrender today, trusting that the work is already finished.

I am so grateful to walk this journey with you this week. To reflect on the profound mysteries of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

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If these Holy Week letters are meeting you in the deepest places, subscribe so you receive every morning’s reflection at 6:00 AM. And consider sharing the post to encourage someone who needs to encounter the Love of God for the first time.

With you on the journey,
Art Serna Jr.
Founder, Threshold: the journey & Cosmos Renewed

The Servant-King kneels with a towel and a basin.
He washes the feet of the one who will soon betray Him.
He breaks bread and declares, “This is My body given for you.”
He pours out wine and affirms, “This is My blood of the new covenant.”

In these groundbreaking moments, Jesus goes beyond teaching. He models the path every disciple must walk: past superficial passion and ego, into surrender, sifting, and soulful rewiring. That is what unfolded on Maundy Thursday and set the tone for the culture His remnant would carry forward into the world.

The Scene Unfolds

In the Upper Room, with all the disciples still present — including Judas — Jesus rises from the table. He lays aside His outer garment, ties a towel around His waist, and pours water into a basin. One by one He washes their feet and dries them with the towel. He washes Peter’s feet. He washes Judas’ feet. He serves them all in humility.

Peter protests, seeking to protect an image of Jesus he felt obligated to uphold. “You shall never wash my feet!” he blurts out. In that single moment we see the depth of what Jesus is asking of them, and of us. Peter is not simply refusing dirty feet; he is resisting the profound vulnerability of being served by the King. Jesus is calling them into a meekness that receives love as freely as it gives it, a humility that lets the Master stoop low without diminishing His glory. The act of “washing” at the hand of Jesus is no small gesture. It is an invitation into total dependence, a picture of how He will cleanse us again and again from the dust of daily life. For the disciples, this moment was life-altering; for us today, it remains a profound mirror. Will we let Him wash us, or will we cling to our own sense of how the King should act?

Jesus gently corrects him, then returns to the table and continues the meal.

Later that evening, Jesus announces that one of them will betray Him. He identifies Judas by dipping a piece of bread and handing it to him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” He says. And Satan enters into Judas. Judas soon leaves into the night.

In the midst of this ragged collective of imperfect fishermen and tax collectors, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to them saying, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” He takes the cup and declares, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.”

Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He falls to the ground in deep agony, praying, “Not My will, but Yours be done,” while His disciples sleep nearby. Over and over through these moments in His journey, Jesus reveals the tone and culture He seeks for those who will inherit the Kingdom and represent Him to the world as He begins to look toward the cross.

Who Jesus Reveals Himself to Be

Here we meet the covenant-making Servant-King, the last Adam who fully honored the desire of the Father and modeled for “His brothers” and the remnant how to marry the supernatural and the natural in a discipleship lifestyle that furthers divine purpose. He shows us how to reign in the earth from an entirely counter-cultural reality and plumb-line commitment to God’s will.

He is the King who chooses the lowest place, even washing the feet of His betrayer. He is the Servant who gives Himself away completely. He does not demand perfection before He serves. His love is not earned. It is covenant love that rewires the soul from the inside out.

Prophecy Fulfilled

This night fulfills what the prophets foretold. Isaiah spoke of the Suffering Servant who would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4) — a reality that began to take shape in the agony of Gethsemane. Jeremiah promised a new covenant written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Jesus does not announce the covenant from a throne. He enacts it with towel and bread and blood, showing that the new covenant is sealed in self-giving love.

Shaping the Remnant

Jesus works with very imperfect people. Peter, who will deny Him before morning. The others, who will argue about greatness even at this table. He knows their flaws, their public failures yet to come, and still He calls them into transformation.

He teaches them to prefer one another, to serve without seeking status, to love as He has loved. The foot-washing is not a one-time ritual. It is the pattern for the new covenant community. In the shaking that will come, these same flawed disciples will become the foundation of the Bride because they learned to walk the way of the Servant-King.

Pressing In Today

We live in a time when the Bride is being shaken. Public profiles that once seemed strong now show cracks. Imperfect disciples are exposed. Many feel disillusioned or discouraged.

Jesus offers a different perspective. He has always worked with imperfect people. He still does. The path to maturity is not hiding our flaws or performing perfection. It is the same path He walked with the Twelve: surrender in the garden, sifting at the table, soulful rewiring through humble service and mutual love. Jesus shows us that our internal commitments to self can be more powerful than our best efforts and intentions to live a life in obedience to Him. Yet His prayers and ongoing intercession are able to free us from those hidden commitments and release us into the new man.

Younger believers long for this kind of honest, transformative community. Older saints sense the call to lay down ego and finish the race preferring and serving one another. The Servant-King still kneels before us today and asks,

Daily Prayer Practice

1. Find a quiet moment today.

2. Read John 13:1-17 and Luke 22:14-46 slowly.

3. Then pray with honest openness:

“Dear Jesus, my Servant-King, You knelt before flawed men and loved them still. Search my heart. Reveal every place where superficial passion or ego still resists Your towel. Teach me the way of surrender in my own Gethsemane.

Rewire my soul to prefer, serve, and love my brothers and sisters as You have loved me. Make me part of the new covenant community that reflects Your heart.”

4. Listen. Write down what the Spirit shows you.

5. Take one small, practical step of humble service or mutual love today.

We are walking this together and pressing into the revelation of Jesus. So grateful to have a community to cherish these truths with me.

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If these Holy Week letters are meeting you in deep places, subscribe so you receive every morning’s reflection at 6:00 AM.

With you on the journey,
Art Serna Jr.
Founder, Threshold: the journey & Cosmos Renewed