1. The New 95 Theses:
He is Our God and We are His People
By: KC Wagenseller

2. Introduction
Do you ever hunger for something more in your Christian walk? It is easy
to see that there is something missing from modern, Western Christianity, and
everybody knows it. Biblical discipleship is almost nonexistent, therefore
resulting in the absence of Biblical disciples. Do you ever get dissatisfied with
showing up to a building on an appointed day, and watching or participating in a
show that is sold as God's sole desire? What if God wants more? If so, how do
we know, and what does it look like? All of these questions and statements stem
from a lacking of two of the most important truths of Christianity – One holy,
Living God and One holy, purified, loving Bride.
In the middle of my first semester at seminary, my frustration with
“ministry” training continued to grow as I watched a myriad of circus acts all in the
name of ministry. One guest speaker drove a Cadillac Escalade with huge, shiny
chrome rims, while talking about not being like “the world.” There were times I
was positive that it was all a joke, or a fraud, and once a student realized this,
they passed the test and graduated. In an effort to confirm this idea I desired to
pull my professors aside and ask “Is this for real?” I soon began to realize that it
was not a test, and that the perceived circus they called ministry was very real, at
least to them. Apparently, I had some big choices to make. One day while
walking to my dorm room I asked God “Is this the fate of my calling? Am I
doomed to walk in this prideful, intellectual, lifeless subculture of status and
success just to turn around and be a parrot for these corrupt religious

3. denominations, resulting in a safe, secure, and fruitless life of ‘ministry’?” In that
moment I could feel the Lord smile upon me, whispering, “Hang in there. Soon, I
will reveal the plans I have for you, my son.”
In the few moments of spare time that I could gather amidst an
unnecessarily demanding course-load, I managed to pursue extracurricular
reading. The first book was A.W. Tozer’s How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit.
The teachings of this modern-day prophet pushed me further into the Holy Spirit
by allowing me to gladly cleanse my flesh under His unparalleled power! I could
feel His Spirit shaping me in a way that I had not felt for quite a while. It soon
became apparent that this “Christian education” had severed my active
relationship with the Living God. The holy and righteous Person whom I loved
had soon been transformed into something equivalent to a debate textbook,
further fueling the division of His Bride.
The second book, God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew, had been on my
reading list for about two years. I cracked open this book after a long evening of
studying with the intentions of only reading the introduction, and possibly the first
and second chapters. Four and a half hours and 130 pages later it became
apparent to me that this was not an ordinary book describing an ordinary journey.
Brother Andrew deeply trusted the Lord, and this encouraged me in ways that I
never thought possible. After some reflection I realized that the disciples always
dropped what they were doing and immediately followed Jesus, never worrying
about their needs (Matthew 4:18-22). I began to wonder if God was really big
enough to supply all of my needs. Had I ever thought to trust Him in this way? A

4. desire to follow God’s call into ministry burned in my heart too intensely for me to
wait the several years until graduation. I wanted to stop debating what it meant
to be a Christian, and start living radically abandoned for Him alone. It’s not until
we each come to this conclusion that God can truly fulfill His calling upon our
lives. That night I awoke to the feeling of my spirit being purged, and He placed
in me a new heart and mind - one that searched after Him viciously for the next
two weeks.
As the Lord continued to reveal Himself to me in greater measures, I
continued to listen and act accordingly. One day I was journaling during a time of
prayer and I started to list the practices of Christianity that I was beginning to
believe were no longer Godly. Once I arrived at about the thirtieth item, it
dawned on me that this was no small occasion! The Lord then prompted me to
look into the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s, specifically Martin Luther’s “95
Theses” (listed in back of book). His ninety-five points of contention regarding
the Christianity-of-his-day inspired me to write my own concerning modern
Christianity. Religious establishments have not changed since Luther made his
treatise, and one does not have to dig deep to see significant parallels.
Luther carried the ministry of Christ to his generation by sounding a
trumpet and calling them back to a relational understanding of God.
Unfortunately, this message has since been forgotten or twisted. Hopefully, the
Holy Spirit will quicken your heart in the same way He did mine regarding the
rediscovered topics throughout the following pages. They include: repentance of
the whole believer, the priesthood of believers, the importance of a personal

5. relationship with God made possible by trusting Him fully, the call to die to
ourselves and be replaced with Christ Jesus, the centrality of the Kingdom of
God in the Gospel, and the detrimental effects of attempting to advance our
perceptions of God's will through human manipulation. This book is not a
dissertation of Luther’s life or writings, but should instead serve as a catalyst in
living a life where the Holy Spirit leads moment-by-moment; this is what it truly
means to have a relationship with Jesus.
Anyone who claims to know the Lord must be willing to die to themselves,
and follow Him – even if He takes you somewhere completely different than what
you could have imagined. The Holy Spirit prompted me to drop out of seminary,
quit learning about Him, and start pursuing His person. Had I accepted Him
before? Absolutely! Was I previously trying to be “perfected in my flesh” by
seeking worldly knowledge rather than the Living God (Galatians 3:3)? Certainly!
God had spoken to me, and rocked my world with His reality once again by
revealing to me that I had to trust that He was big enough. God desires for each
of us to whole-heartedly take Him on His Word, who is Christ, and to trust Him in
the same manner as the believers of old. Their stories are documented in the
Scriptures.
Hopefully God will allow you to start questioning traditions that have been widely
taught as truth in order to further understand His desires and follow Him alone
(Isaiah 29:10-14). A warning must be given to you, the reader, that you will most
likely encounter ideas within this book that go against what you have been
conditioned to believe. In fact, it might even “wreck” you. Are you willing to open
your heart and mind to what the Spirit has been and is continuing to reveal to me
and others concerning the Bible as I attempt make a case for radical, child-like
faith? This faith is not something widely taught, nor is it something easily
grasped. We are in the middle of an intense spiritual battle, and proof is

6. everywhere. I pray we all have ears to hear. May we truly understand God's call
to be our God, and for us to be His people.

7. Unit 1
The Gospel
My evangelism professor at seminary once suggested that most people
have lost touch with God due to an indifference toward the Gospel. He proposed
we each write a five, ten, and twenty page summaries declaring this Truth; what
it says on paper and how it effects our everyday lives. This process would serve
two purposes:
1. It would force the individual to reflect on the depths of God’s wrath
and mercy, while also realizing a personal call to action as they
witness the Spirit continuously reveal His will for their lives through
the Good News of Jesus Christ.
2. Hopefully after completion of this project, it would be nearly
impossible for the person NOT to share their new-found riches of
God.
I look back on His advice with a sheer laugh of relief. Who would have thought
that the Gospel of God would actually prompt us to share in communion with
Him? Who could have imagined that the overflow of our connection with Him
would result in evangelism and ministry in the purest forms?
When I first started this book, I was reminded of something my buddy, Tim, once
pointed out to me; the Bible, cover-to-cover, is the story of the Gospel! Each
passage is a glimpse into the story of Jesus, whom God allowed to die and be
resurrected for the redemption of His creation. Since I do not have the time,
energy, or resources to write a commentary on both Testaments, I will just try to

8. hit the highlights. I understand that most of what you read in the next few
chapters will not be the revolutionary material promised by the title and the
introduction, but I want to stop that thinking right where it stands. Since when did
the Gospel become second rate discussion? Is our salvation, redemption and
the Glory of God in Christ something “dull” or “mundane”? I fear that this could
be the first of many causes that has allowed faith in Jesus to become something
normal, safe, and costless. Take some time reflecting on the awesome riches
that are still to be uncovered and rediscovered in the simplistic power of the
Gospel (Romans 1:16). I know many readers have probably heard or listened to
the Gospel thousands of times, and some have even preached it to thousands,
but let us remember what Christ has done for us so we will never lose the awe
and majesty of it all (Acts 2:43).

9. Chapter 1
How It All Began
Before getting started, I would like to share my testimony. I will also be
incorporating testimonies later from people that I personally know, because a
respected friend believed it would make the power of the Gospel come alive.
I had grown up in a home that went to church every time the doors were
opened, because my parents desired to raise their kids according to Christ
instead of the world! Due to typical conflicts and struggles, I started doing drugs
to escape reality when I was fourteen years old, and became an addict by the
time I was sixteen. Drugs and alcohol had gripped my life with serious
consequences including: failing grades, strained family relations, isolation from
peers, deep depression, and financial ruin. Despite a new realization that my
body and mind were being destroyed, I was unable to stop reckless behaviors.
However, at a Disciple Now in February 2003, Jesus met me where I was at! I
was standing in the back row of chairs in a gymnasium singing along to the most
recent praise songs of the day, when I was suddenly surrounded by a presence I
had never felt before! I continued to sing, feeling strangely comforted and
reassured even with a life of chaos and destruction. Once I realized that the
presence I was feeling was the presence of Jesus, the Lord of Heaven and
Earth, King of Kings, Immanuel, I surrendered everything to Him realizing that I
could be naked and hungry as long as I could have Jesus! The power of the

10. Holy Spirit freed me from my addictions and started a spiritual nuclear explosion
in my heart for Him and serving others. It was that night that God got ahold of
my life in a powerful way, and ever since then, I have tried to live a life committed
to following and mimicking the personhood of Christ. Have I experienced times
of failure? Yes! But God’s grace is sufficient to carry me through all trials,
temptations and falls! He is my Rescuer, and He continues to rescue me!
Creation
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The Earth was
without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always existed. The Spirit is
found in the second verse of Genesis with the Father found in the first. Starting
in verse three, the Son is found with the word “said.” It is in these first verses of
Genesis that the Trinity is immediately introduced with the following structure:
1. The Father is the Creator, King and Ruler of all.
2. The Spirit is the Authority and Power from the Father.
3. The Son is the Decree, Law or Word given by the Father to be carried
out by the Power and Authority of the Spirit!
The Trinity is represented in the order of “Father, Spirit, and Son” rather than the
famous “Father, Son, and Spirit.” Why is this significant? The Spirit is the
Authority and Power that sets the boundaries and gives credence to the Word of
the King. Without first recognizing the Authority of a King, what good is His
decree? Take speed limit laws as a practical example. Unless the people

11. believe in the authority of the lawgiver, then they will not obey the laws that are
passed and they will challenge those ordinances until punishment is given or the
laws are changed. People treat God the same way with regards to His Authority
and Law! Through creation God demonstrated His Law’s (Christ) sufficiency in
His Authority (His Spirit)!
It is by this Authority and Decree that God made all that we see and all
that is unseen. “For the things that are seen are transient (temporary), but the
things unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). The Father created the Earth in
six days, and on the first day He made light and separated it from the darkness
(Genesis 1:3-4). The separation of light from darkness is significant because
God not only illuminated what once was dark and unknown, but distinguished
and set it apart. Does this sound familiar? Could this be what happens to a
person’s soul once they receive His Word in their hearts?
After God made and separated water from land and birds from animals,
He created the first man, Adam, and all that He created He saw as good
(Genesis 1:31). God created man in His own image, in His own likeness, and
gave man dominion over the whole earth. Knowing that it was not good for man
to go solo, He crafted Adam a suitable helper (Genesis 2:18). To do this, the
Father put Adam to sleep, removed one of His ribs and fashioned the first
woman, Eve, who was “bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.” To this day a
man will leave his parents and be united with his wife, a competent companion
from God, and the two will be naked and unashamed. (Genesis 2:21-25)

12. It is important to notice that the Bible says, “So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created
them,” toward the end of chapter one, but at the beginning of chapter two, God
had finished His creation and rested on the seventh day (Genesis 1:27).
Because chapter two goes on to further talk about the creation of male and
female, we can infer that chapter one was merely an outline of a larger story told
throughout the Bible. The Father created the world by speaking, and He was still
speaking until He rested on the seventh day! It was not until His creation was
perfect that His speaking ceased! The story of Redemption is a small sub-point
in the outline of creation, because He is still speaking; therefore, He is still
creating! The whole Bible happened (is happening/will continue to happen) on
the sixth day! There is still fruit growing! God is not done with His creation, and
the return of Christ will usher in the day of resting! He is “the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13).
I can already hear some people shouting, “He just denied a literal six day
creation!” I understand how someone could be upset with the notion of believing
in a figurative creation story. I have heard all the arguments, and I once held
militantly to a literal six day creation. I want to preface this by suggesting you
read the introduction if you have not done so already. It warns that you will be
challenged in your beliefs, as well as encourages you to question many things
that you have been taught to accept as “truth.”
With the disclaimer out of the way, I am no longer convinced that a
person’s belief about the creation story holds enough weight to be a determining

13. factor in their relationship with Jesus. True Christians exist on either side of this
argument; therefore, what you accept as true about the creation story does not
need to bring division. Please stop causing division by insisting that your point of
view is the only valid conclusion. The truth is, none of us were there and we do
not know if God is being literal, figurative, or both. Let’s move past this argument
and look into the implications of what Christ may be saying through His Scripture.
As my friend Nathan suggested, could it be possible that God uses actual
historical accounts to illustrate a deep truth about Himself or His kingdom? God
is bigger than a religious left or right. We need to break free from the long-
existing rut of arguing and dividing over matters that are not as important as
loving God and loving each other! (Luke 10:27)
The Fall
God told Adam, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you
eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). I have a friend, Arlie, who pointed
out that the LORD gave this decree to Adam, but not to Eve. This is because
Eve was not around yet; therefore, the decree did not apply to her. She could
eat of the tree, but Adam added to the Word of the Lord by extending this
command upon Eve. The serpent (representing Satan) was the most cunning of
all the animals and reasoned with Eve. He was able to put doubt into her mind
regarding the LORD’s original Decree by saying, “You will not surely die. For God
knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). Once this seed of doubt was sown into

14. Eve’s heart, she ate the fruit, and then rebelled against the LORD by sharing it
with her husband, Adam (Genesis 3:6; Romans 1:32). The fruit did not poison
Eve until Adam ate and both their eyes were opened (Genesis 3:7).
Adam and Eve had allowed doubt to be placed in their hearts about the
reality of God, His love for them, and His Word. Once they questioned His
Command, it was easy to deny the Lordship of the Father and take the
responsibility for being judges of right and wrong into their own authority. The
two tried to substituted the Authority and Lordship of God with the authority and
lordship of man. The latter would consequently flow contrary to the Lord,
because only God can be King! He is the rightful Ruler of all creation and no one
will overthrow His authority because He is the one, true God. There is no lie from
Satan or illusion from man that would be sufficient for lessening the reality of
God’s authority and power over His creation! God never stopped being God. We
stopped acting like His people. He has the whole world in His hands! Praise
Him!
Upon eating the fruit, both realized they were naked. When the LORD
entered the garden, Adam and Eve hid from His presence because their
disobedience brought shame. The Lord inquired of their location (keep in mind
He knows all things) until Adam responded, saying he hid because he was
naked. The LORD asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten
of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:11) Adam tried to
place all the blame on his wife for their consumption of the forbidden fruit. Eve
did make the mistake of giving the fruit to her husband after she had eaten and

15. nothing happened to her. However, the real problem started when Adam failed
to be a faithful messenger of the Word, allowing Eve to be taken as a fool by the
serpent. The cunning deceiver successfully manipulated her understanding of
the Word of the Lord, because God’s command was already corrupted in their
hearts due to Adam’s unfaithfulness. A rebellion against the Lord had occurred
because His people did not keep His commandment. Anytime we fail to do as
the Lord tells us, whether He speaks to us directly or uses the Bible, then we
have sinned. It is important to obey the Word of the LORD with love, respect,
and dignity!
The Consequences of the Fall
The consequences the LORD set forth for the rebellion and unfaithfulness
toward Him were harsh, but a necessary punishment for the crime committed.
“The LORD God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are
you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall
go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise
your head, and you shall bruise his heel’” (Genesis 3:14-15). Did you see what
the LORD decreed for the serpent with regards to the offspring of Eve? God will
put hostility between the offspring of the serpent and of the woman, but then He
says “he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This last line is a
beautiful illustration of Christ’s victory over Satan and sin. The first picture is
drawn by John’s commentary regarding Genesis in John 1:1-5, “In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in

16. the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was
not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of
men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!”
The fully-God, yet fully-man Savior that was to come and free the people of God
from their bondage to sin and death for all eternity is evident in the beginning of
Genesis with the LORD “speaks” (His Word) and the light shining in the
darkness! God is still speaking, and we should listen. He is much bigger than an
ancient text.
The LORD’s punishment to the woman included, “I will surely multiply your
pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for
your husband and he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). Among outrageous
birth pain, He put a desire in the hearts of women so they would dream of being
with a man that could guide, protect, nourish, and love them. This is why young
girls have dreams of wedding bells, marriage, and children far before these
longings cross most boys’ minds. Some women’s desperation leads them to fall
for a man that “rules over them” rather than walks beside them.
Finally, the LORD said to Adam,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded
you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground
because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days
of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for
you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the

17. sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return
to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are
dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)
The LORD displayed His authority and power by making man labor for
what he had previously taken for granted. The LORD made man from dust and
owed him nothing. The punishment for denying the Lordship of the Creator and
putting on the lordship of self is harsh! Notice that God did not directly confront
Eve about the commandment “Not to eat of the fruit,” but only confronted Adam.
It was Adam’s commandment not to eat of the fruit of the tree; therefore, Adam
suffered the responsibility of the fall for miss-communicating the Word of God by
adding to it and telling Eve that she could not eat of the fruit, when she could.
The Lord gives a warning about adding to or taking away from His Commands, “I
warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds
to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone
takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his
share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book”
(Revelation 22:18-19). It is important to be a faithful messenger of our LORD in
all we say and do!
Getting Back to the Garden of Eden
The Lord was grieved by what happened, but He knew this would happen
because He knows everything, and He made a provision for humans to re-
recognize His Lordship. The Lord killed animals and covered Adam and Eve with
skins (Genesis 3:21). The skins of animals had to be sacrificed; blood was shed

18. in order to cover the shame and nakedness that was made evident by man’s
resistance to the Lord’s rightful place as King of the universe! God declared,
“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest
he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever“
(Genesis 3:22). God cast Adam, Eve, and all humankind out of the Garden of
Eden, leaving only one way back in - the flaming sword held by the cherubim!
(Genesis 3:24) You are probably thinking, “So? What’s the big deal?” The
flaming sword guards the entrance to the Garden, which is where the Lordship of
God exists! He desires to be recognized by His creation as the King that He is
and always will be! God did not get removed from His job as “Lord of all” at the
fall! We are the ones that have it all confused and are missing out on the beauty,
glory, majesty, and wonder of such a powerful and loving King! The sword is the
Word, Jesus Christ. God became man, died on a cross for our sins, and
resurrected so He can live in our very souls! Christ came to replace us, giving
God glory! (Colossians 1:27) The flame is the Holy Spirit! He is the Power and
Authority that allows us to submit to the Word of God, and these two parts of Him
are guarding the Father, the Lord of all creation! When will we submit back to
His ways? When we deny the lordship of ourselves and submit to the Lordship
of Christ, we get a small taste of what it will be like on the seventh day when the
Lord rests. He is our rest! (Hebrews 4:1-13) The day of rest is foreshadowing
what it will be like to dwell in unbroken and unhindered communion with Him,
along with others that have surrendered their own lordship for His Lordship!
Testimony

19. My best friend, Eric, and I watched the Da Vinci Code the weekend it was
released. After the movie, we took a seat in my car and I began to show him
how its plot was based on lies and false pretenses about Christ, mainly regarding
His divine nature. He eventually began to weep and asked, “How do you know?”
I replied, “How do I know what?” He exclaimed, “How do you know they haven’t
messed with the scriptures?”
I keyed in on a major note at this point in the conversation - Eric doubted
the authenticity of the Bible. In an attempt to discern his heart’s true condition, I
asked several questions including: “Do you ever feel the presence of God? If so,
do you feel Him only when you are at church? Around me? By yourself? Does
the Spirit illuminate the scriptures while you are alone, or do you have to have
someone teach you?” After listening to his answers, I realized Eric did not have
a personal relationship with Jesus! This new discovery shocked me because he,
too, had been raised going to church and disciplined to walk in the ways of the
Lord! He, like many other people I have met, knew the stories, had his name on
the roll, “said a prayer” to ask Christ into his heart, took the Lord’s supper, and
received water baptism, but somehow, managed to miss the Person the
traditions were attempting to show him.
I came straight out and told him, “Eric, you are not a Christian.” But I
followed that with, “But you can be! Christ died on the cross for your sins, and
was resurrected three days later so that you can have eternal life in Him!” I then
asked, “Do you want to accept Christ in your heart for real?” He pondered for a
moment, then responded, “Maybe tomorrow. Let me get some sleep tonight and

20. I will swing by your place in the morning.” I just found out that my best friend was
not saved; I had thought this whole time he was! I was certain that Satan would
be trying to destroy him as soon as he left, and the last thing I wanted was for the
Spirit’s progress to go undone! I hated his response, but I had to trust the Lord
and let him go home. I prayed for his salvation and his safety the whole evening
and into the next morning!
After I woke up, I called my dad, Kirby, and my mentor, Matt, and shared
with them the conversation that had taken place between Eric and I the previous
night. My dad was at a golf tournament with some other believers and they all
stopped and prayed that God would rescue Eric; Matt and I interceded for Eric
over the phone! I was greatly encouraged by everyone’s willingness and
excitement surrounding my best friend coming to know God! Soon after, Eric
came by with food and we began to go through the scriptures. Much to my
surprise, he did not have many questions - he was just excited that he could
know the Truth, and the Truth would set him free (John 8:32). After an hour of
preaching, he prayed a prayer to God to receive Christ as His Savior without any
help from me! He even had the boldness to tell Satan that he was now a child of
God and that Satan had no more power or authority over his life!
After his prayer, I felt the need to put on music. I have always persuaded
new believers to listen to Christian music and open up the Bible so they can see
for themselves how powerful the change is, as well as how blinded they had
been! I didn’t know what song to play because we were so filled with the Spirit
that I felt drunk. I hit the random button on my iPod and his favorite song by

21. Switchfoot came on, “A Beautiful Letdown.” He finally understood the words to
the song. They were talking about a Kingdom that was not of this earth by
singing “I will carry a cross and a song where I don’t belong.” One of the things
Eric struggled with before that morning was acceptance, and he had always tried
to fit in. He never understood this part of the song because he was not aware of
his own inner-struggle to be accepted by the people around him, but now he got
it! The Holy Spirit illuminated his heart and mind and awakened him to the reality
of God and the spiritual and practical implications of a life born-again of His
Spirit!
The next few days were an awesome time of encouragement and a new-found-
friendship that was bound in unity and love by the Spirit of Christ, our King! I will
never forget how powerfully God changed Eric, and he still continues to live for
Him today!

22. Chapter 2
Abraham, the Man of Faith
One night after playing basketball with my friend Shy, we went back to his
house to relax and recover before I had to return to my dorm room. I lay on the
floor of his parents’ living room, and I had a thought from the Lord, provoking me
to say, “The more I look into the Christian life, and the central aspect of faith, the
more I realize that faith is nothing more than believing that God may actually be
big enough.” Now I strive to take God on His Word and believe that He is big
enough! The Creator and King of the universe, the one who holds the stars and
galaxies in His hands, the one who keeps the proper balance of chemicals in the
air that allow life to be sustained on a planet that is precisely placed in a very
special part of the universe (which was carefully crafted along with its inhabitants
who are creatively knit from inside their mothers’ womb to be individualistic and
unique creatures) is all-loving, all-knowing, and ever-powerful beyond our wildest
dreams and imaginations (which He also made)!
Faith is what it takes to trust in His Lordship, His salvation, and His Word!
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
We have to believe in the Authority and Decree of the King in order for the
Kingdom to function as He desires! Abraham was a man of such faith that Paul
called Him the father of faith (Romans 4:11-12,16). Because Abraham trusted

23. God, God instilled His righteousness in Abraham. God wants us to trust Him just
as Abraham did, so we, too, can share in his covenant (Galatians 3:9).
God’s Covenant with Abraham
Before sharing what God has put on my heart, I will take this opportunity
to quote the passage of scripture, which will be the chapter’s base text, and then
explain the gravity of the Words God spoke to Abraham.
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD
appeared to Abram and said to Him, ‘I am God
Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I
may make my covenant between me and you, and
may multiply you greatly.’ Then Abram fell on his
face. And God said to him, ‘Behold, my covenant is
with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of
nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram,
but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you
the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you
exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations,
and kings shall come from you. And I will establish
my covenant between me and you and your offspring
after you throughout their generations for an
everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your
offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your
offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the

24. land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I
will be their God.’ And God said to Abraham, ‘As for
you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your
offspring after you throughout their generations. This
is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me
and you and your offspring after you: Every male
among you shall be circumcised. You shall be
circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall
be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He
who is eight days old among you shall be
circumcised. Every male throughout your
generations, whether born in your house or bought
with your money from any foreigner who is not of your
offspring, both he who is born in your house and he
who is bought with your money, shall surely be
circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh
an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male
who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall
be cut off from his people; he has broken my
covenant.’” (Genesis 17:1-14)
What was the covenant that God wanted to establish through the
circumcision? “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your
offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be

25. God to you and your offspring” (Genesis 17:7). Quite simply, God wants to be
God! The desire of the Father’s heart is to be Dad to His children, and for us to
sacrifice everything to Him! It would be easy here to get into some useless
debate about election, predestination, free-will, and whether or not God decreed
sin and the fall, and, if He did, did He make the decree before or after creation.
Titus tells us:
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God
our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of
works done by us in righteousness, but according to
his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us
richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being
justified by his grace we might become heirs
according to the hope of eternal life. But avoid foolish
controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels
about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning
him once and then twice, have nothing more to do
with him, knowing that such a person in warped and
sinful; he is self-condemned.” (Titus 3:4-7 and 9-11)
God saved us by mercifully pouring out His Spirit over us, His children, so
that we could become heirs to His Kingdom through Jesus! “But when the
fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under

26. the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive
adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son
into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son,
and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-7).
The Father desires to be King over Abraham’s descendants. He promises
to be their God and to let them be His people. They will also be heirs to His
kingdom and adopted as the sons of God! These lucky individuals will receive an
inheritance crazier than any gift ever received by anyone on this earth!
Throughout all of time, people have received earthly kingdoms or large sums of
money or goods, but nothing will compare to the inheritance that the Creator of
the universe will leave the descendants of Abraham!
So, who are the children of Abraham, and what is their inheritance? In
Galatians, Paul challenged us with this:
“Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by
hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun
by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the
flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain - if indeed
it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you
and works miracles among you do so by works of the
law, or by hearing with faith - just as Abraham
‘believed God, and it was counted to him as
righteousness’? Know then that it is those of faith who
are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture,

27. foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying
‘In you shall all nations be blessed.’ So then, those
who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the
man of faith.” (Galatians 3:2-9)
The sons of Abraham are those that have been adopted into the family of God
through faith! Faith is the key to unlocking the truth of Jesus Christ. Every
person I have met that has had a true salvation experience recognizes that it was
only by faith in God that they were saved! It seems, however, we are forgetting
that the same God we came to by faith must also be pursued by faith. What is
faith? “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The verses before that say, “For you have need of
endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is
promised. For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no
pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but
of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:36-39). It is those
who walk with faith in God, trusting that He is big enough, that become sons of
Abraham, therefore gaining acceptance into God’s Kingdom.
Abraham’s faith is shown in Genesis 15:1-6. The Lord promised Abraham
that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens!
Abraham and his wife Sarah were old in age and past the point of child bearing,
but Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness!

28. Abraham believed that God was big enough! It would have been easy for
Abraham to laugh at God and mock Him by saying, “Forget it God! You are crazy
and there is no way Sarah is having a baby in her old age. Besides, I don’t want
that many kids!” Sounds funny doesn’t it? Unfortunately, that is what we do to
God every day! Anytime we refuse to take God up on His Word and live out this
life of faith the way He intended, then we are mocking God, spitting in His face,
and providing a reaction similar to the hypothetical one mentioned above!
Reflect on it for a minute.
Louie Giglio brought to my attention that God is a star-breather! He
speaks galaxies and planets into existence just because He can! He is showing
His glory by His creation! “For what can be known about God is plain to them,
because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his
eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the
creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without
excuse” (Romans 1:19-20). Obedience to God requires a simple, child-like trust
in His Word and abilities. This is what it means to have faith. God is
demonstrating His glory to you right now by sustaining you as you read this
passage. Your brain is processing what your eye is seeing, and sending it to
different parts of your heart, soul, and mind for processing…all of these functions
are dependent upon each other as the brain prompts the heart to pump, which
supplies oxygen to the brain so it can continue to tell the heart to pump, so your
being can live. Your body is doing this without any command from you. You
simply get the benefits from it! Imagine if you had to tell the involuntary functions

29. of your body to operate. That would be chaos! Many of us would forget and die!
But God sustains us! Every heartbeat and breath given to you was given by Him
as an opportunity to know Him and make Him known! Are you making the most
of what He has given you?
Abraham continued to show his faith in both God and His Word as he
lived. One instance really sets him apart. In Genesis 22, God directed Abraham
to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham’s only son whom he loved. Imagine the conflict that
should have raged inside Abraham! Abraham had received Isaac as a blessing
from God, and God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many
nations through Isaac. However, early in the morning, Abraham arose and took
Isaac and two of his servants to the mountain of the Lord’s choosing. Just a
moment before the sacrifice was about to begin, God provided a ram as a
substitute for Isaac! Abraham listened to God and trusted Him alone, knowing
that He was faithful and just in all things! Abraham “obeyed [God’s] voice” and
God carried out His promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:18).
So we know the children of Abraham are those who follow his example by
trusting in the voice of the Lord, but what is their inheritance? The Holy Spirit is
the seal of our inheritance in Christ Jesus! “In him you also, when you heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with
the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire
possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). What
inheritance are we sealed into? Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul
goes on to write, continuing in verse 15:

30. “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in
the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I
do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you
in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom
and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the
eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
what is the hope to which he has called you, what are
the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and
what is the immeasurable greatness of his power
toward us who believe, according to the working of his
great might that he worked in Christ when he raised
him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in
the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion, and above every name that
is named, not only in this age but also in the one to
come. And he put all things under his feet and gave
him as head over all things to the church, which is his
body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
(Ephesians 1:15-23)
The inheritance is the power of God; the same power and the same God
that resurrected Christ from the dead and seated Jesus at His right hand above
all authorities...ever! God gave Christ Kingship over the Church, who is identified

31. as everyone who is sealed in the Spirit of the Lord! The Body will come under
the Authority of the Head, who is Christ! Are you listening to the voice of the
Lord? He is coming to build His Kingdom in our hearts and destroy the kings and
kingdoms of the world that are not in submission to Him and His Lordship! Why?
Because He is God! The Holy Spirit is the witness or evidence of this salvation.
Anyone who has the evidences of the indwelling Holy Spirit in their heart, soul,
mind, speech, conduct, and presence is a child of God and a recipient of such a
rich inheritance!
So, what about the sinner’s prayer, water baptism, Lord’s supper, and
other rituals and traditions that have been passed down to us? All these outward
acts prove we love God and are a part of His Church, right? Although these
practices are fine, true evidences of salvation go much deeper. Even the Jews
who killed Jesus believed a certain set of outward rituals (i.e.: knowing scriptures,
being circumcised, and attending synagogues) was enough to prove their love for
God. In an effort to combat this shallow religious thinking, Paul told us, “In him
also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off
the body of flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in
baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful
working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12). The
circumcision that God asked for Abraham and his descendants was a
circumcision of the heart! A circumcision of the flesh was not adequate for
adoption as sons of God! Only a repentance of sins, brought by faith, and a life
lived in faith, resulting in the circumcision of the heart, is adequate for us to fulfill

32. the calling of Abraham and the life of faith that God desires for His children! The
physical circumcision of Abraham and his descendants serves as a reminder of a
promise that the Lord fulfilled in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus!
The promise was that Abraham and his many children would receive an
inheritance from God, which is the ability to experience His power, presence, and
Kingship! We are rescued from a life of separation from our loving Father and
brought into a right relationship with Him! Once in a relationship with the Lord,
we grow in Him and learn His ways and conform to the image of His Son so that
we can be used by Him to show His glory as His adopted children with all the
rights and privileges of Jesus!
I understand that many have experienced a deep relationship with God
alongside an appreciation for traditions. Many people confuse the presence of
both with the necessity of both; concluding that following the rituals ensures a life
that is obedient to the calling of God. This may be true for the individual for a
time, but the scriptures say, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under
the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law
was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ
Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:23-26). The
obligations of religious ceremonies are merely tools to point us toward Christ. In
regards to this understanding as it applies to scripture, my buddy Ryan once
stated, “It is possible to be completely faithful to the Bible, but miss Jesus
because the written word points us toward Christ, but it is not Christ!” Jesus’

33. sacrifice was not the provision for us to carry on with all sorts of ceremonies,
while neglecting His will. He did not die for the Sunday morning service. He died
for us, to rescue, transform and redeem us into His world. God wants to be our
God and He wants us to be His people!
The key to living a life of faith in Christ Jesus is obedience to His Word, or
Decree. He desires more than an outward process; He wants our total being.
The end goal is to become exactly like Jesus, even if that results in our death.
Let’s take a look into Scripture at a group that desired to follow after the Lord, but
failed to become content with living in total dependence on His Word. This group
eventually rebelled against the Word and was denied their inheritance! Ouch!

34. Chapter 3
The Exodus
The Harsh Pharaoh
Long before the oppression of Hitler and the Nazis, King Pharaoh was
oppressing the people of Israel in Egypt. Remember the covenant God had
made with Abraham? God wanted to be the God of Abraham and his
descendants. Much can be learned from the Biblical account of Moses and the
Israelites’ deliverance.
Pharaoh came to power and began treating the Israelites harshly, after
they had become many in number and powerful in the region, because he
believed their power was threatening to his throne. Interestingly enough,
however, “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more
they spread abroad” (Exodus 1:12). The king of the world had tried to place a
heavy burden upon the people of God, but instead of this shutting them down
from growing in number, the Israelites multiplied faster and spread through the
region more rapidly than before. “And the Egyptians were in dread of the people
of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made
their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in
the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves” (Exodus
1:12b-14).
Moses Called to the Rescue

35. Pharaoh had successfully enslaved the people of God by binding them
with his agenda! The people of Israel were in need of a rescuer that would allow
them to faithfully and fully serve their God! The rescuer came in the person of
Moses! The LORD had called Moses by appearing to him in a burning bush.
Take note that the LORD appeared to Moses in a burning bush during his daily
routine and not in a sanctuary, gymnasium, or temple. The LORD was so
magnificent that Moses was afraid to look at Him (Exodus 3:6)! Although Moses
was fearful, he listened to the Lord, who said, “I have surely seen the affliction of
my people who are in Egypt…and I have come to deliver them out of the hands
of the Egyptians.... Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my
people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:7a,8a,10). The LORD is
always noticing the torment of His people, and we serve a God that saves!
Moses began to doubt the authority of God’s word by questioning His
ability to choose a messenger for the task. Moses asked, “Who am I that I
should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” and the Lord
responded, “But I will be with you” (Exodus 3:11-12). Moses’ lacked faith
because he desired for something other than the word of God. Despite God’s
ability to find Moses and speak to him through a burning bush, Moses doubted
that God was big enough!
Another question burning in the heart of Moses was, “How will they know
You sent me?” The LORD showed Moses that he could turn his staff into a snake
and allow his hand to become stricken with leprosy and be instantly healed. The
last petition given by Moses involved his inability to speak. “I am not eloquent”

36. (Exodus 4:10). The LORD responded, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who
makes him mute, deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11)
The Lord is the Creator of all things; He always receives His wishes! Moses
could not fathom the idea that the Creator of the universe had given him an
assignment, and no matter how treacherous it seemed, the LORD would pull him
through! He even gave Aaron to Moses as a speaker due to Moses’
unwillingness to trust Him (Exodus 4:14-16). God can back up His claims
because He is God! Are we willing to trust Him?
So Moses and Aaron rolled up to (came upon; entered) Pharaoh’s
chambers and screamed, “The Lord God of Israel, I AM, demands that you let
His people go!” and Pharaoh was scared and obeyed the voice of the Lord in
them by saying, “You can have the people of the Most High God, and you can
have any supplies that I could give you in order to fulfill the decree of the Lord.”
Not quite. In fact, the story is different in almost every way conceivable. The
Lord gave Moses the ability to call down plagues on Pharaoh and the people of
Egypt, not only to demonstrate His power and authority, but also to punish the
Egyptians for tormenting the people of Israel. “The Egyptians shall know that I
am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the
people of Israel from among them” (Exodus 7:5). The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s
heart in order to show His signs and wonders among the land of the Egyptians.
All the plagues were terrible, but let us fast-forward to the last, and worst, plague
– the death of the firstborn.
The Passover

37. God warned that the firstborn of every woman and animal would be killed.
Because they were God’s chosen people, the Israelites were given very specific
instructions through Moses which, when followed faithfully, would allow them to
be saved from God’s wrath. God’s demands were as follows:
1. On the tenth day of the month, every man will take one lamb per
household. (Exodus 12:3)
2. The lamb should be a year old male, without defect. (Exodus
12:5)
3. On the fourteenth day of the month, all of Israel should kill their
lambs at sunset. (Exodus 12:6)
4. Blood from the lamb will be put on all three sides of the door
entering any house where it is eaten. (Exodus 12:7)
5. The lamb is to be roasted and all the meat should be eaten that
night with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. (Exodus 12:8)
6. Anything left over should be burned before morning. (Exodus
12:10)
7. Eat the lamb with belt fastened, sandals on feet, and staff in
hand. Eating should be done hastily. (Exodus 12:11)
8. The LORD will pass through all of Egypt and kill the firstborn of
every human and animal except on the houses that have the
blood; they will receive mercy by being passed over. The blood
will show the Israelites faithfulness to God, and the killing of the

38. firstborn will be a sign of judgment to the wicked people of
Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13)
The LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, including Pharaoh’s son.
Egypt was devastated; not a single house went without losing a son or animal
(Exodus 12:29, 30b) In the middle of the night, after everyone realized the
devastation, Pharaoh demanded the people of Israel to immediately leave Egypt
with their belongings and livestock (Exodus 12: 30a, 31-32).
So that God’s faithfulness would not be forgotten among future
generations, He commanded the Israelites to annually celebrate the Passover
feast as a memorial of their deliverance from slavery. If a foreigner should
choose to participate, then he, along with his family, would receive the
circumcision and be permanently considered part of the nation of Israel. The
celebration was to take place the fourteenth day of the month through the twenty-
first day, and no work was to be done during this week other than necessary food
preparations. At the beginning of Passover week, every Israelite house would rid
the leaven from among themselves, and eat only unleavened bread until
Passover was finished. Anyone caught eating leavened bread would lose their
right to be Israelites (Exodus 12:14-20 and 48-49).
In addition to the yearly feast, The LORD also set apart the firstborn of
man and beast as His own (Exodus 13:2). Personally, this seemingly small fact
escaped me until one day my friend, Heather, brought to my attention Satan’s
plan through abortion. Hopefully we all agree that abortion, especially when
chosen as a matter of convenience, is terrible. Think with me for a moment...

39. which babies tend to be aborted? The firstborn, or what would have been the
firstborn. This is important, because the firstborn is precious, and even
somewhat special, in God’s eyes. He demonstrated this by killing the firstborn of
Egypt. In essence, because He created everything, He knew that taking out the
firstborn would greatly affect the people afflicted. After further reflection, I
realized that most of my friends who are diligently following the Lord are the
firstborn. What would be the spiritual condition of these families and social
circles without their God-given influence?
A Pillar of Smoke and Fire
After Pharaoh exiled the Israelites from Egypt, “the LORD went before
them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a
pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The
pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the
people” (Exodus 13:21-22). The LORD had led His children (the children of
Abraham) out of an oppressive system with an oppressive king into a life where
they could learn to fully pursue Him alone, because God desires a vibrant,
personal relationship with His people! He does not try to hide Himself. In fact,
He revealed Himself to the people of Israel in a cloud of smoke and a pillar of fire
because He knew they needed a rescuer! We serve a God that saves!
This would be an appropriate time to reflect and ask ourselves, “Do we
truly follow God? Or do we follow something or someone else?” It is possible to
follow Godly people, but to completely miss out on the life that God intended for
us to live! The Creator and maker of the universe desires to have a personal

40. relationship with each of us! I know most of us have heard this over and over
again, and are probably convinced that we already know what this reality means
for us - I once thought so myself. At the age of sixteen, God appeared to me and
saved me from a life of addiction, and started to sanctify (make holy) all aspects
of my being. But it wasn’t until I was twenty-one that I honestly understood what
full submission to God’s will would cost. The LORD tested my faith with a crucial
decision, pressing me to do something (which I will get into greater detail later in
the book) that went against ALL my trusted council, except for two of my best
friends, who were also in the same dilemma.
One day as I was having a quiet time, I read “so then each of us will give
an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). Upon reading this passage, it
became clear to me that I will one day have to give an account of my actions and
thoughts without being able to place any blame upon anybody else - be it father,
mother, brother, sister, friend, pastor, or professor. I remembered my dad
emphasizing this truth almost weekly when I was younger, and it gave me a
deeper peace about the situation. If God could demand this type of personal
accountability, then it could indeed be possible for Him to lead me in a direction
that no one else thinks is wise. I had reached an obvious fork in the road.
Option one would include going against a deep, personal conviction that I
believed came from God. Option two included making many close family
members and many trusted friends angry, along with facilitating an image that
contradicted current religious doctrines and expectations. After much prayer and
reflection on this verse, I eventually chose option two, knowing that if it was not

41. His will, He would eventually lead me back to where I needed to be. Despite
losing my father’s approval and being estranged by once close friends,
everything seems to be working out for God’s glory, and His Spirit continues to
guide me. Is it easy? Absolutely not! But, if we learn to follow and trust Him as
individuals, then He will take care of the networking and corporate aspect of
everything. Also, notice how the cloud of smoke and pillar of fire never left the
people? God is faithful! He is always demonstrating His love for us! Allowing
Him to love us is necessary in walking with Him! We do not deserve His love,
and we could never earn His love, but we can receive His love that He freely
gives to us through Christ!
Paul wrote, “I want you to know, brothers that our fathers were all under
the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in
the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the
same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them,
and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased
for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-5) Why was
God not pleased with the people of Israel? The people that had experienced
such an awesome deliverance from the kingdom of Pharaoh and all the darkness
and oppression that existed under his rule, had forgotten the Lord. More
importantly, the people of Israel stopped believing and listening to the voice of
the LORD! They Israelites were brought into the wilderness so they could
become thirsty and hungry for God and nothing else! Are you thirsty and hungry
for God to move in your life? If so, do not hesitate to seek Him with all you are!

42. He longs for us to run after Him and treat Him as holy, reverent and as God!
That is who He is!
Manna from Heaven
One of the ways the Lord showed the people of Israel His glory, was by
supplying food for everyone while they wandered in the wilderness! Do you
remember? The people of Israel were hungry and began to complain to Moses
that staying in slavery in Egypt would have been better because there was food
to eat! They had forgotten the chains that bound them, and only focused on the
simple fact that they were well fed. The Lord declared to Moses, “Behold, I am
about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather
a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law
or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as
much as they gather daily.” (Exodus 16:4-5) “And when the dew had gone up,
there was on the face of the wilderness a fine flake-like thing, fine as frost on the
ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’
For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that
the Lord has given you to eat.’ “ (Exodus 16:14-15) “And Moses said to them,
‘Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.’ But they did not listen to Moses.
Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was
angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could
eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice
as much bread, two omers each.” (Exodus 16:19-23a) “This is what the LORD
has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the

43. LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over
lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” (Exodus 16:23b) “On the seventh day
some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said
to Moses, ‘How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?
See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives
you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his
place on the seventh day.’ So the people of Israel rested on the seventh day.
Now the house of Israel called its name manna.” (Exodus 16:27-31a)
The LORD supplied food, but not just any food, the food came from God!
The bread was only good for the day it was given, and each person had their
own and that was all they could consume. Notice: Each person had enough
manna of their own and did not have to worry about anyone else’s bread. The
LORD wanted the Israelites to pursue Him as a group, but this would only
happen out of an overflow of each individual member’s life with Jesus!
Our LORD set this same example when He came to earth in flesh.
Remember the LORD’s prayer that was prayed by Christ to the Father? “Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive
us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:9-13) Do you see how Jesus
asked God for His daily bread? In case it is unclear, the bread represents
Christ’s body, which is Christ! This is made evident by the LORD’s Supper. “And
he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them

44. saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me’”
(1 Corinthians 11:23b-24). Jesus desired to hear from God, and He desired us to
know that we can hear the voice of the Father just as He did! Jesus allowed
Himself to be beaten and given as a sacrifice in order to kill the likeness of flesh
and redeem mankind through the reconciliation made possible by the cross to
return each individual human back into a loving and vibrant relationship with the
Father! It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Many times we take the glory of the
cross and march around putting rules and regulations on everyone and tell them
what God is saying, when God just wants us to enjoy our relationship with Him!
Each individual needs to be more preoccupied with hearing from God than
correcting and telling others how they should walk with Jesus (or how Jesus
should guide them). Let God worry about others. Just follow Him with all your
heart, soul, mind, and strength!
The Sabbath is an important part of the bread, which represents the voice
of our LORD! In the first chapter, the idea of the Sabbath was also discussed.
The Sabbath was the day the LORD quit speaking and He rested! This is why
the bread was good for two days on the sixth day! The LORD did not speak the
seventh day because He rested! Resting in God’s rest brings great relief! It is
comparable to cuddling with a loved one without dialogue. The lovers are just
enjoying the sweetness of being close to one another! Living in a relationship
with the Father is the same. Enjoying our relationship with God will allow us to
hear Him, and the overflow of our personal relationship will affect everybody
around us.

45. Just before writing this section I was talking to my wife Jennifer and
expressing how I had not heard specific directions from the LORD regarding this
book for quite a while. She encouraged me to write anyway because God would
guide me whether or not I could clearly distinguish exactly what He was saying.
Once I sat down and started writing, I realized that He was not speaking directly
to me anymore because I was sitting in His rest. He told me to write. What more
did I need? Once again, though, He proved to be the loving and caring Father
that He is! He spoke! I could see His gentle guidance as I put together this
chapter. It is so important to do what the LORD desires, but doing so will only
happen when we know that we are loved by Him totally and completely and we
enjoy being with Him! There are consequences for rebelling against God in our
relationship with Him, though.
For example, Moses angered the Lord and was denied entrance into the
Promised Land because He remained unfaithful to the voice of the Lord! Ouch!
“Because you did not believe in me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel,
therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
(Numbers 20:12) This was spoken to Moses after he struck a rock twice to call
water out from it for the people of Israel to drink and water their cattle. Despite
all that the people of Israel had seen the Lord do through their deliverance from
an oppressive kingdom and His provision in a land that had nothing to offer, they
rebelled against His word and decided not to trust in Him with everything…and it
cost them everything.

46. Chapter 4
Jesus, The Savior
The roar of voices is spinning in my head, “It’s about time he gets to the
good stuff!” I know many of you were anticipating the Gospel starting in the
Gospels with The Man Himself, but I believed it necessary to establish the reality
that the whole Bible is about Jesus, and about the redemption of mankind! Now
we are going to take a closer look into the life of God incarnate and see if it could
be possible to learn something about the nature and character of our Creator, as
well as gain insight into the repercussions of His death and resurrection.
The Prophecies and the Birth of Christ
Much of the life of Christ was foretold by the prophets of the Old
Testament centuries before He came to us. This will not be an exhaustive list of
all the prophecies (I would recommend Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ and
other books for more information on the subject), but a couple of scriptures will
be named. One important fact to remember is that the archetype of Christ is
found all through Scripture. Remember the bread that God gave to the Israelites
(God’s people) in the desert as they sought the Lord and His counsel? The
bread gave a foreshadow of Christ. Jesus is the Word, the Bread of Life, food for
all who are spiritually hungry for the real deal that only comes from the One True
Creator of all that we see!

47. The intended sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham unmistakably represented the
sacrifice that would be made by the Lord on the cross. Another archetype was
the life of Joseph. Remember him? He was sold into slavery by his brothers and
spent time in prison because he was accused of sleeping with Potiphar’s wife.
Joseph, through much patience, eventually earned the trust of the people by
being a faithful servant of God through the correct interpretation of a dream
regarding seven years of prosperity and seven years of famine for the people of
Egypt. Pharaoh placed Joseph in charge of overseeing the storage of the
surplus grain and distributing to the families as they had need during the harsh
times of the famine. His brothers come to Egypt looking for grain. Little did they
know Joseph had taken the seat at the right hand of the king, Pharaoh. Sound
familiar? Joseph forgives them for what they have done even thought they had
sold him into slavery. Then there is Jonah. He is swallowed by a whale and is
there for three days. Jesus said the sign was given that God’s kingdom was
here! The Sign of Jonah was spoken by Christ when the Pharisees asked for a
sign. “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, ‘Teacher,
we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous
generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the
prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of
the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold,
something greater than Jonah is here.’” (Matthew 12:38-41)

48. The genealogy of Christ truly is unique for the purposes of indicating the
coming of the Messiah. Lee Strobel brought this to my attention once when I
heard him give a public presentation. He said that the genealogy was an
address. The lineage was traced all the way back to Abraham. Each person
mentioned in the genealogical code works as an address. Think about it.
Whenever you give someone your address you give them the state, city, and
street name complemented by the number on the street. Each field narrows the
search down until the person searching for the residence can pinpoint the exact
location. The genealogy works the same way. If one started with Abraham, it
would be easy to see that each parent in the lineage acts as an identifying
marker leading us straight to Jesus!
Isaiah 53:5 has been another popular verse that is known for pointing to
the death of Christ. “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was
crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.” This verse was written by the Old Testament
prophet Isaiah many years before Jesus Christ was handed over to be murdered.
The presence of these verses reveals the handy work of God as He paints a
story for all with eyes to see and all that have ears to hear. Isaiah 7:14 points the
birth of Jesus. “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel.” These verses from Isaiah are just a start to the numerous
prophecies made by the Old Testament prophets as they spoke of the coming of
the Messiah.

49. One important aspect that needs to remembered regarding the “birth” of
Jesus can be found in the reality that Jesus was in the Beginning, and has
always existed as the second person of the Trinity. (John 1:1) Jesus is the Law,
or the Decree that establishes the Kingdom of God. He is the official document
sealed by the Father (Ruler, King) through the Spirit (Authority, Power) that
allows the Kingdom of God, the Ruler of Israel to reign on high! It is not that God
needed Jesus to carry this out, but we needed Jesus to be our hero! In the
process, Jesus also gave us a glimpse into the heart of the Father.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother
Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to
be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and
unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he
considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for
that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you
shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took
place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means,
God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a
son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Mathew 1:18-25)
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords had arrived in the flesh as the
Beloved Son of God! His name, Immanuel, means “God with us!” This is the

50. One we have waited for! The wise men knew that Jesus is the king of Israel, and
Herod was afraid for his throne because of these declarations. (Matthew 2:2-3)
The reason Herod was afraid is simple; Herod did not understand that Jesus was
king of a kingdom that was not of this world! An idea I was pondering while I was
preparing this chapter existed in the realization of Jesus’ Lordship before the
incarnation (a fancy word used amongst theologians to describe when “Christ
became flesh”). Jesus did not become king when He was born, when he died, or
when he resurrected. Jesus has always been king! He has made a declaration
to us of His kingship. He has always known His deity along with the Father and
the Spirit. Our sinful natures have forgotten and neglected His kingship. We are
the ones that have it all backward.
Another characteristic that was prophesied in Micah 5:2 is given in
Matthew 2:6, “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means
least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will
shepherd my people Israel.” Not only is Christ a king, but a shepherd. What
does a shepherd do? A shepherd’s primary responsibility is to protect the flock
from dangerous animals, namely wolves. The shepherd maintains a healthy
boundary around the flock and keeps everything not like the flock away from the
flock. Does this sound familiar? Remember how Christ is the Law that defines
the kingdom of God? Christ is the only gate through which we can enter God’s
kingdom. He is the wall, and the gate! Not only does He form a healthy
boundary around us and define who is a part of the kingdom, but He also leads
and instructs those already within the flock. It is a daily question and pursuit to

51. ask yourself, “Have I been listening to the voice of the Shepherd?” I encourage
you to continue to seek after the daily bread, which is Christ!
The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ
The possibility to over-due this section is almost impossible, but yet
imminent. Thousands upon thousands of individuals have dedicated their entire
lives to writing and speaking about the teaching and life of Jesus. I will try to
highlight a few details and hope the Holy Spirit fills in the rest!
Not much is documented regarding Jesus in His early years as a kid,
teenager and young adult. I find this rather discouraging, but on the same
measure it is a testimony to the reality that Jesus was not seen as anyone
special or worthy of attention until his ministry took full bloom. I would like to
mention some of Jesus’ early life, though. First off, Jesus was a carpenter. Jews
took religious education seriously. Most kids had the first five books of the Bible
memorized, and those that demonstrated an ability to memorize and recall
accurately the entire Bible were afforded the opportunity to try to become a
Rabbi, or teacher. Those that failed to make the cut began working with their
families learning the family trade.
Jesus was a carpenter. One thing is for sure, Jesus did not make the cut!
How could it be that the Son of God did not make eligibility in teaching the people
about His Father? Was He dumb? Certainly not! Could it be that He was making
a point? Possibly. I would argue that Jesus made it known to us that, although
He is perfect, He needed the in-dwelling presence of the Spirit and the Spirit
alone to carry out His ministry…even the ministry of reconciling the whole world!

52. After the Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism (in the form of a dove)
conducted by John the Baptist, Christ was led into the desert to be tempted and
he became hungry. (Matthew 3:13-4:2) It was in the desert that the Lord made it
known to us what is necessary for survival and life. “The tempter said to him, ‘If
you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But
he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that comes from the mouth of God.”’” Three times Jesus refuted Satan’s attempt
to twist the scriptures of Old in order to persuade and tempt Christ to sin against
God, and Satan was unable to persuade Jesus to sin. I want to focus in on the
first response, because I believe it is a major piece of spirituality that is missing
from the lives of those who profess to be Christians.
Remember the creation account of the first chapter? Remember the manna
that fell in the desert? The central theme of the book is “The righteous will live by
faith.” (Galatians 3:11) Faith in what? Faith is believing that God is big enough.
We will live believing that God is big enough to speak to us here and now and
walk in what He says! Christ came to model this for us, and then pay for our sin
and live inside of us so we could enter into and stay actively involved in a
relationship with the Father! The Father is building His Kingdom in those who
have professed, through action and speech, the Law (who is the personhood of
Christ, not a bullet point list of beliefs) through the redeeming power and voice of
the Holy Spirit! The kingdom of God is a monarchy! The monarchy is here!
Christ proclaimed “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 5:17)
Christ called us into a glorious kingdom given to us through Him by His Father!

53. Who did He call? Any who would listen! The people that enter the kingdom of
God transcend any and all intellectual, economical, racial, cultural, and
geographical boundaries; and that is just to name a few. Jesus knew that the
kingdom of His Father was built upon those that were faithful to the spoken voice
of His Father! “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
(John 10:27) Jesus was faithful to His Father’s voice and demonstrates to us
through speech and action that we are to do the same! Are you living kingdom-
minded through listening to the voice of God who is actively speaking and
renewing through the Holy Spirit?
The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is one long monologue given by Christ to
numerous disciples as they gathered on a mountain. I would like to do an over-
view, but still give a little more focus on certain parts than others. I believe that
Christ was pointing us toward the kingdom through these passages. Let’s take a
journey through His sermon and let’s try to capture the heart of our Savior as He
pours out His heart to the people!
He began with the beatitudes and cruised into being salt and light. Shortly
after that, Jesus begins to explain the Law and Himself and the relation between
the two. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I
have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until
heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until
all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the

54. kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called
great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds
that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5: 17-20) The Law is the first five books of the Bible and it contains all
the ceremonies and rituals (including the Ten Commandments) that the Lord
commanded the people of Egypt to practice after their deliverance from Egypt.
The Prophets constantly called Israel to repentance and prophesied (foretold) the
coming of a Messiah that would rescue Israel and be their King! Jesus
proclaimed that He did not come to abolish the law or the Prophets, but to fulfill!
The person of Christ is the embodiment of what the ceremonies, customs, Ten
Commandments, and prophets were pointing toward! The author of Hebrews put
it this way, “These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly
into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the
high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he
offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy
Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the
first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to
this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the
conscience of the worshipper, but deal only with food and drink and various
washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
{emphasis added by me} But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good
things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made
with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy

55. places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own
blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled
persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies
for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our
conscience from dead works to serve the living God. {emphasis added by me}”
(Hebrews 9:6-14)
In Christ there is fulfillment of the rules and regulations imposed by us
through the ceremonious aspect of Christianity. Christ cut straight through all of
that, not abolishing, but fulfilling it through Himself because He is all we need!
Without Christ, our righteousness would have to exceed the Pharisees and
scribes in order to get into heaven! Who were the Pharisees? The apostle Paul
converted from the camp of the Pharisees. Let’s see what Paul had to say about
his conversion. “For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of
God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh – though I
myself have every reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks
he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth
day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as
the law, a Pharisee {emphasis added by me}; as to zeal, a persecutor of the
church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless (emphasis added by me).
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count
everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my
Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as

56. rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a
righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – that I may
know him and the power of his resurrection, and my share his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the
resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3: 3-11) Paul knew that his life as a
Pharisee meant that he upheld every jot and iota of the law, but he did this on the
outside by holding the ceremonious washings and the tithes and all the other
religious codes. Christ goes on to speak about anger and lust sitting on the same
level as murder and adultery with God! External modifications of propositional
proportions will never be sufficient for us to attain righteousness! Righteousness
is found in Christ alone as He indwells us through the power of the Spirit! If you
find yourself trying to work toward God as though God is impressed by your
checklist of Christian activities, I challenge you to search your heart to see if you
know Christ. If you know Christ but find yourself in the same boat, then why do
you continue to stay captive to that which you have been released? “Are you so
foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
(Galatians 3:3) The Lord is calling us to a relationship with Him! He is alive! He
speaks! He is the sword that guards the way back to the Lordship of the King! It
is time to get back to a moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-by-day
awareness of God, His Spirit, The character of Christ, and a heart that burns with
fire from the Spirit! Like John the Baptist said, “I baptize you with water for
repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am

57. not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
(Matthew 3:11) Let Christ’s words burn in you! Not just the ones on the page,
but the ones He is trying to tell you right now! Are you listening to the voice of
God? Are you hungering for His bread? Christ did. Do you want a vibrant,
living, and active relationship with God that completely transforms you and is
evident to everyone around you? A time of reformation has come. What is the
reformation? The ability and power to serve the living God! Living is not a way
of describing God that contrasts Himself against the idols, but He speaks! Christ
was aware of His Father’s speaking and yearned for His Fathers words! His
prayer lays the foundation for hearing the voice of God and living in His Kingdom!
The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus believed the kingdom of the Father was a reality that was meant to be
known in this world, not just in the future sometime. Christ also knew the
importance of hearing from the Father and how the kingdom came to light only
through His revelation! The prayer that Jesus prayed said, “Our Father in
Heaven, hallowed by your name. You kingdom come, your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil.” (Matthew 6: 9-13) Jesus first gave praise to His Father. Praise comes
from a heart of gratitude. It is nearly impossible to give praise to something or
someone that you are not grateful for. Do you love the Father? Then Christ
petitions two things: His kingdom come and His will be done. Not only did Christ
petition these things, but Jesus asked the Father to allow them to happen “on

58. earth as it is in heaven!” (Verse 10) Jesus believed the promises of God were to
be fulfilled on earth as a present reality. God wants to be God and He wants us
to be His people! He has not change his mind and I am so thankful He has not!
Jesus said “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) The heart
of Jesus is the heart of the Father!
So, how will the kingdom of God and the will of God be done on earth as it
is in heaven? Jesus also asked, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Here is that
mysterious “bread” word again! The bread is God’s voice! Are you listening to
the voice of God? The voice of the Lord is what establishes His will on earth,
which establishes His kingdom! We can hear the voice of the Lord because
Jesus paid our debt and forgave us for our sins against the Father! In
remembrance of the depth of sins that have been forgiven us, we need to forgive
others! Let’s be Jesus to the people!
Jesus spoke a parable on forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-25. To sum up the
parable, the king had a slave that owed him a large amount of money. They due
penalty would have been for the king to sell the slave, his wife, and his children
to recovery the money. The slave begged for mercy and the king granted mercy
to the slave. After the slave had received such awesome compassion from the
king, he went to a fellow slave that was in dept to him a much smaller amount
than what the king had pardoned. Instead of treating his fellow slave with the
same compassion he had received, he ordered the incarceration of the fellow
slave and his whole family. Once the king heard the report of how the slave
treated his fellow slave after the amount of compassion he had seen from the

59. king, he chastised the slave and threw him in prison. Jesus commanded, “My
heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his
brother from the heart.” (Matthew 18:25) Forgiveness is at the heart of the
kingdom of God. Wasn’t it only by the mercy of God that we receive salvation
through the cross of Christ? Didn’t God forgive us and redeem us from a live of
total depravity? What hinders us from showing love to one another? I am
reminded of a chorus from Leeland. “We need to wake up. Wake up! Live like
God. Pour out love!”
It is by God’s forgiveness that we can see and hear Him. Are we listening?
At times I find myself unable to hear, and I often assume that I have stopped
listening. It is a fairly safe assumption. The forgiveness of God leads to a
relationship with Him and an ability to walk and communicate with Him daily,
which will allow us to know and do His will – this is the kingdom of God brought
to earth! Why do you think Jesus spent the time He did to speak and listen to the
Father?
Personal Testimony
I remember the night the reality of the kingdom of God came crashing
down on me. I was with two good friends, Jonathan and Ryan, on a balcony at a
seminary. I had been following the voice of the Lord intently for about a week or
so and I could see that God wanted to do some serious make-over work in my
heart and soul, as well as in my life circumstances. I could see that everything I
had believed about God, Christianity, church, the Bible, fellowship, education,
doctrine, philosophy, relationships, metaphysics (one’s perception of everything),

60. and others would change – probably forever. I was sharing with my two friends
the things the Lord was laying on my heart. Many of these ideas are what
prompted me to write this book. The Lord met us on that balcony that night in a
way that seemed so 1st century! There was an Acts 2, Pentecost-type explosion
of the presence of God through the Holy Spirit! He came with such authority and
presence that we were shaking with fear and awe…literally! The life of me and
my friends has been radically altered. The Lord showed us many visions that
night, and I slowly see some of the revelations coming true in each of lives
separately and how it pertains to our friendships with one another. Some of the
most pressing issues were:
1) The reality of the kingdom of God.
2) The desire to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
3) The ability to trust that God is big enough to make it happen.
After the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus talks about fasting and laying up treasures in
heaven. The treasure in heaven cannot be destroyed by moth and rust; where
your treasure is acts as a strong indicator of where your heart is! (Matthew 6: 20-
21) Going to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel to the people that have
never had the privilege of hearing the Gospel of Christ would be one way to put
treasure in heaven that cannot be taken away! Jobs, money, intellect, degrees,
pride, respect, life, family, friends, land, possessions, virginity, innocence, sight,
taste, touch, and hearing can all be taken away from us, but treasure sown into
the kingdom of God can never be taken away!

61. I can already hear it again, “That sounds great and everything, but I still
have to feed myself and my family. We can’t just go homeless for the sake of
‘preaching the Gospel.’” I know this question well. It was a question that my
friends and I had to ask ourselves once the reality of the kingdom came upon us.
It was the question posed to us by all of our family and friends, most as rhetorical
questions that were used to tell us that we had missed something somewhere. I
found the answer in the next section of the Sermon on the Mount! “Therefore I
tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,
nor about your body, what you will put on. For the Gentiles seek after all these
things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
(Matthew 6: 25, 32-33)
We serve a big God who controls everything in the universe. He created it!
In the end, the answer came back to faith. Did I believe that God was big
enough? If God was calling me to do something, would he be able to complete
the work in me and through me…and keep me alive long enough to do it? The
answer flashing in neon sign is a resounding, “YES!” God is big enough! Praise
Him!
Judging Others
The next few verses are probably the most quoted/misquoted verses in all
of scripture. I will not try to pretend and have this passage nailed down and
proclaim, “It is all done ladies and gentlemen. There is no longer a need to
discern what the Lord is saying through this passage. I have the complete and

62. final answer.” I would rather like to offer up and idea or suggesting based upon
the prayer and study that went into the passage, as well as a helpful insight from
a brother in the Lord.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce
you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why
do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is
in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out
or your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the
log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of
your brother’s eye. Do not give to dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls
before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (Matthew
7:1-6)
An individual cannot deny the simple fact that this passage is
controversial. Sometimes these verses are used as a half-hearted attempt to
justify any type of behavior, and other times it is used as an excuse or final
statement to end a disagreement. I personally believe that verses one and two
are the proposition that the Lord gives, and that verses three through six are a
metaphor or small parable that explains or gives us a glimpse into Christ’s heart
and what He is communicating to us. So what is the parable about? My brother
in the Lord, Anthony, one day when I was visiting with him asked me, “What is
the speck of dust in the other’s eye? Wouldn’t a speck in your own eye look like a
log to you?” From there we went on to talk about how the seemingly small things

63. that hold us apart from God and each other are actually large problems that
everyone has!
Obviously, the problem is sin. Anytime we are jealous, angry, bitter,
selfish, and covetous of God or of other people we cross the threshold of log
ownership and we become unable to see clearly. Once we allow our Creator to
shower His grace upon us and wash our eyes clean of all contaminants, then we
will be able to show people, through testimony of action and speech, that God is
real and truly capable of healing us of afflictions -- seen and unseen! Praise Him!
The whole purpose of seeing clearly to remove the speck from our brother’s
eye is to live in harmony and the powerful fellowship of the Holy Spirit and one
another! Vengeance is the Lord’s. Removing the speck will be painful because
of the nature and sensitivity of the location (the eye of the soul is the heart), but
that gives reason to handle one another with gentleness, patience, kindness and
respect instead of hostility, anger, alienation, and abuse. “Finally, brothers,
rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in
peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11)
We need to live at peace with those that are the children of God and leave the
judging up to the One who is righteous, just, merciful, gracious, all-knowing, and
ever-loving!
Another reason to pour out love and mercy is very practical. Wouldn’t you
want to be treated that way? The next part of the Sermon on the Mount after a
passage on prayer is the Golden Rule! I remember an instance a little while back
with a friend of mine, Nick. We were hanging out late one night in Norfolk, VA

64. and a man, seemingly homeless, approached us. Nick met him about fifteen to
twenty feet away from where we were originally standing. I stayed put. While
Nick was chatting I heard the Holy Spirit say, “This is one of my angels.” Nick
came back and I asked him how the conversation went. “He said He knew Jesus,
but He never said anything about Him being his savior” Nick replied. I grinned
and asked Nick, “Who said He needed a savior?” And I could tell that Nick got it!
Hebrews 13:1-2 says, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show
hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Do we need to hold our close friends accountable to the lifestyle and heart of
Jesus? Absolutely! Could we show some more gentleness and mercy to them
and to strangers that we only pretend to understand? Definitely! How can we
identify those that display and walk in this grace from God?
A Tree and Its Fruit
The evidences of people that are determined to live in destructive ways,
even in the name of God or a religion, are rampant and have existed since
human-kind has been jotting down their thoughts, cares, and concerns. We are
warned about these false teachers who peddle their own truth for the purpose of
selfish gain. Peter told us, “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and
their destruction is not asleep.” (2 Peter 2:3)
The destruction of these false teachers is coming, because the Lord is just
and He will protect His people. I do not wish to be near or associate with anyone
who is making the Lord angry! I can hear an interruption coming from some
people as they say, “Didn’t you say just a few paragraphs ago that we shouldn’t