Easter 2026
Two nights ago, we sat in the pews of Wayside Chapel in San Antonio as part of a community recognizing the weight of Yeshua's gruesome death 2,000 years ago. Our speaker, Cameron Contrestano, invited us into an earlier conversation he’d had with a young man who was struggling to bridge the gap between his need for a Savior and his skepticism of the Good News message. The young man’s barrier was simple: “It’s just too good to be true.” Cameron forced us to stop and evaluate: in a world defined by "bad news," does the "Good News" actually hold weight?

We are a world at odds. America is at war with its enemies and, increasingly, with itself. If you followed Mimsie’s recent blogs from Israel, you vicariously saw a country under siege, a region stretched by the tension of explosion after explosion. It is easy to look at the global stage and wonder where this is all headed. The Church exists in the middle of this chaos, often succumbing to the feelings of discouragement, discontent, and destruction that plagues the secular world.

The unbridled brokenness seemingly engulfing mankind isn't just a headline; it’s heartbreaking. A couple of weeks ago, a young pastor’s family from our own community was struck by tidal wave of grief. Their child—a light in their lives—was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. When the medical community says further traetment would be futile and the only human course left is palliative care, the specter of death feels far more real than the promise of a Resurrection. We find ourselves asking: Is the message of the Church Jesus is building too good to believe?

To understand what is happening to all of us, we must understand the source of our anxious desperation. The roots of our global and personal wars are found in the Garden of Eden. A spiritual war that began with a lie—“Did God really say…?”—shattered the perfection of the cosmos. Yet, the beauty of the Gospel is that God didn't leave us in the wreckage. The Redeemer stepped into the brokenness, taking on our flesh and our failures. He was buried in a gifted tomb, but that was merely the transition to a new chapter.

I see the parallels everywhere. I see the heartache of my friends grieving over the losing of a child before it happens. I see the heartache of a Father who gave His in eternity past. I think of Mimsie, who two weeks ago left her family in Israel to fly home. That word—Home—is the heartbeat of the Gospel. Whether we celebrate Easter or Passover, we are celebrating a certain future return with the King to the place where we belong. Our lives and our lips have the power to deliver hope to the hopeless in the "allowed time" we have left.

The Gospel feels too good to be true because it is an impossible human grace. 

But...

Easter Sunday happened, and home is closer than we think.

March 22, 2026

Getting home wasn’t easy.

And honestly… leaving wasn’t either.

I’m home now—but part of my heart is still in Israel.

First was just getting a ticket. With restrictions in place, most flights were rescue flights, which made them hard to get. But Keith did his magic—still not sure how—and somehow found one.

It was supposed to leave at 2:10pm.

But Saturday had already been a hard day for Israel. A few missiles got through, causing significant damage in southern Israel, injuring over 180 people and damaging infrastructure in Arad and Dimona near a nuclear research facility. And as the day went on, my flight kept getting delayed with very little information.

By evening, it looked like it might actually leave… at 1:45am.

So at 10:30 that night, we headed to the airport.

The 45-minute drive felt more tense than I expected. None of us had experienced a siren while driving outside the city, but we all knew the plan—pull over, get out, lay flat, hands over your head.

Not something you prepare for in New Braunfels.

But we talked about it… even laughed a little… and just went.

Thankfully, no siren came.

Instead, we spent the drive remembering. Talking about the beginning of my trip—before the war—when everything felt normal. And somewhere in that conversation, I realized the peace I had felt over these weeks hadn’t left. It was right there in the car.

Saying goodbye was hard.

I was leaving… and they were staying.

That part doesn’t sit easy.

The airport was quiet, almost empty. Extra security. Limited flights. And I found myself noticing where all the protected spaces were… just in case.

Eventually, after all the delays, we boarded and took off around 2:30am.

Twenty-three hours later, I landed in Austin, Texas, where Keith and Becca and Ashley were waiting for me—sign in hand.

I wish I could have captured them standing at the bottom of the escalator with that sign… but there were too many tears and big hugs to think about pulling out my phone :-)

Since being home, I’ve felt something I didn’t expect.

In Israel, I felt like we were handling the pressures of war okay. You adjust. You move with the rhythm. You learn what to do.

And in doing that… you don’t always notice what you’re carrying.

But being in a war zone has a weight to it. You just live with it.

It wasn’t until I got home that I realized it was there…
because it was gone.

A quiet sense of relief.

Not having war hanging over your head.

I got to leave.
Jen and Elly… and all the people I met… they’re still living with it.

If you’ve ever been on a mission trip with Keith, you know he always prepares you for the question you’ll get when you return:

“How was your trip?”

And he challenges you to have a two-minute answer—because that’s about all the time most people will give you. If you just say, “It was great,” you miss the whole point… the impact… what God actually did.

So on the way home, I found myself thinking about that.

What would I say?

What’s my two-minute answer?

And honestly… I think I’ve flunked that assignment. I’m not sure I can sum this up in two minutes. But I have been trying to put words to it.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I’ve been studying Proverbs with a group of women from church—short, simple statements… but full of truth.

And somewhere between boarding that plane and getting home… these thoughts started forming. Not truth statements like Proverbs… just me trying to process what I’ve experienced.

It’s just a start…
but probably the best way I know how to share what I’m bringing home—a few simple observations lived, not just learned.

And if I run into you in person… I’ll try really hard to keep it under two minutes :-)

This has also clarified something for me.

My faith doesn’t come from governments trying to promise a good life… a happy life… a life with no war.

They don’t govern my soul.

My hope is in the One who does.

Saturday morning, before the boys came in for snuggles, I was reading Psalm 64.
David was surrounded by enemies… bringing his fears honestly before God… trusting Him as his defender.

But what stayed with me most was in verse 9—
“…they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done.”

I have a feeling I’ll be pondering for a long time what God has taught me. And proclaiming what I witnessed.

That’s my part in this story—
to be a witness to what I saw, the people I met, and what it looks like to live through war.

That’s what I’m doing now. Pondering what I can only describe as miracles in the land of miracles.

Israel is a very small place, facing very real threats…
and in many ways, protecting those around it from what’s coming its way.

Five weeks ago I came for time with Jen and her family.
And I got that.

But I’m leaving with more than I expected.

I’ve seen the reality of evil…
and at the same time, I’ve seen the goodness of God in the middle of it.

And you don’t walk away from that the same.

I’m going home different.
And I have a feeling I’ll be pondering all of this for a long time.

– Mimsie in New Braunfels

P.S.
Thank you for praying for me—I truly felt those prayers.

I’m home now… but my sweet family is still there. If you think of them, please pray for Jen and Elly and the boys as they continue doing the good work of the Christian church there in Jerusalem called Jerusalem Assembly.

March 16, 2026

Today I learned something surprising about living with missile alerts.

Apparently Jerusalem still has a few lessons left to teach me.

I have absolutely no idea how long five minutes is.

Here’s how the warning system works here: first an alert pops up on my phone saying a missile has been launched toward our area. When the alert comes through, my phone lights up and buzzes with that warning — and suddenly the next five minutes matter.

That alert from Home Command gives us about five to seven minutes to get close to a protected space — time intentionally built in so people can respond before the siren sounds. Then the siren goes off and we have ninety seconds to get inside.

I’ve learned that this early alert was added after the October 7th invasion, when it became clear that ninety seconds wasn’t enough time for everyone — especially older people — to safely reach shelter.

You can see the care in it… years of planning, even down to building codes that include protected spaces in public places.

The problem is… five minutes can feel like ten seconds when your brain starts racing.

So I’ve started doing something simple.

The moment the alert comes in, I look down at my watch… and start the stopwatch.

Today that little timer turned out to be incredibly helpful.

We had two sirens today.

The first one happened when Benley and I went out to grab pizza. Jen and Elly had taken Yahley to renew his Israeli passport… so it was just the two of us.

With his birthday coming up on Wednesday, we took advantage of mom and dad being gone… pizza and a little treat felt like the right thing to do. (I captured the moment below.)

Before leaving the apartment, I made sure I knew where the protected spaces were along the way to the pizza place. It’s just a short ten-minute walk… and my watch was ready in case an alert came through.

Which it did.

But thankfully we had already picked up the pizza — the moment you just saw — and were only a few minutes from Jen’s apartment… so no running this time. We had enough time to get back to the building and even ride the elevator up to the second floor (you can’t use the elevator once the siren sounds).

When the siren went off, we simply stepped into the mamad.

The hot pizza stayed on the kitchen table… and our tummies weren’t too happy we didn’t think to bring it with us.

The second siren came later when Jen and I were driving Benley to soccer practice.

Yes… they are still having soccer practice.

It’s just been moved indoors to a school gym because the building has protected space.

We had already had a siren earlier in the day, so we kind of assumed we might be okay for a while. In fact, we even talked about walking — it’s only about a fifteen-minute walk.

But we were enjoying our afternoon coffee — mine iced, of course — and suddenly realized we had run out of time to walk.

So we loaded up in the car and headed toward the school.

About halfway there the alert came through.

I immediately looked down at my watch… and started the stopwatch.

We had one stoplight to sit through… a few turns to make… and then came the real challenge in Jerusalem–

finding parking.

But suddenly… there it was. A perfect parking spot right near the entrance to the school.

I had a brief George Costanza moment — if you’ve seen Seinfeld, you remember the episode… perfect parking spot… and he’s just so proud of himself.

Three minutes left.

We parallel parked (which isn’t exactly the fastest maneuver), got the kids out of the car, and walked into the gym.

Two minutes to spare.

We were inside… with time left.

And then, right on cue, it all started.

The siren sounded — and almost instantly phones all around the room began going off too.

A mix of sounds filled the space… the rising siren outside and the loud phone alert repeating in Hebrew, “Tzeva Adom… Tzeva Adom…” — the final warning to take shelter.

It’s a lot of noise… especially for little ones.

At the apartment, we’ve learned to grab Yahley’s headphones to muffle it so it doesn’t scare him.

But this time… there were no headphones for little Yahley.

For a few minutes we stood there with a crowd of people — mothers and fathers, kids of all ages — probably somewhere between seventy-five and a hundred of us — all strangers waiting together for the all-clear.

And as often happens here, people start talking.

But what caught my attention were the kids.

They started looking around… spotting familiar faces… and before long a few of them recognized teammates and began talking like it was any other day. Meanwhile, the parents were all doing what parents do — checking phones, looking for updates, waiting for the all-clear.

If you’re wondering what you could pray for…

Pray for the kids growing up with these sirens.

Poor little Yahley had enough tonight. The sound of the siren really frightened him.
And pray especially for the moms.

Earlier I watched mothers pushing strollers, trying to navigate babies and little ones down staircases toward shelters. It’s not easy managing children and fear at the same time.

But something beautiful happens in those moments. People hold doors. Someone helps carry a stroller. Kids get gently guided along by strangers.

Even with the help … it’s not easy on mothers.

When the all-clear came, we headed back upstairs… 

... and soccer practice started.

Just like that.

I continue to be amazed at the resilience of the people around me.

Watching all of this today made me think about something else.

My nephew Brennan is the starting quarterback for Bryant University. I’ve watched him — and his brothers — play football since they were little boys.

One thing that has always impressed me is how quarterbacks seem to know exactly how much time they have left.

In college football they have 40 seconds between plays before they’re penalized for delay of game.

But Brennan rarely looks rushed.

Even when the play clock is ticking down, he studies the defense, calls the play, and somehow still snaps the ball with a second or two to spare.

That little stopwatch on my watch did something similar for me today.

When the alert comes through and I start the timer, suddenly those five minutes aren’t just a vague feeling anymore. I can actually see the time passing.

And strangely… knowing the time brings calm.

Instead of reacting in panic, I can think more clearly and make better decisions.

The Bible reminds us that God has already numbered our days.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” — Psalm 139:16

And Scripture also reminds us that God is still completing the work He has planned for our lives.

“... He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6

When I see time through God’s lens, it changes how I live the minutes in front of me.

Instead of rushing around like I’m running out of time…

I can pay closer attention to what God has placed right in front of me.

The conversation.
The child who needs comfort.
The person standing next to me in a shelter.

Today I learned something new.

Five minutes can feel very short… or surprisingly long.

But when I see time through God’s lens — when I remember that He has numbered my days and is completing His work in me — I can slow down… pay attention… and use the time He has given me well.

Because sometimes…
a lot really can happen in five minutes.

And maybe that little stopwatch is reminding me… to spend those minutes better than I did yesterday.

– Mimsie in Israel

March 12, 2026

I was sitting on Jen’s balcony just before lunch, iced-coffee in hand, when a familiar sound drifted across the valley — one that made me stop and listen.

The Muslim call to prayer.

[The call to prayer drifts up from this valley to Jenn's apartment.]

If you’ve never heard it in Jerusalem, it’s hard to describe. It rises from nearby mosques and rolls across the hills like an ancient echo calling people to stop what they’re doing and pray.

But interestingly… it doesn’t stop all activity.

Life keeps moving. Cars keep driving. But for practicing Muslims, it’s a signal to pause and turn their attention toward prayer.

Others simply carry on with their day.

And as I sat there listening, one thought kept coming to mind.

Israel is currently at war with a radical Islamic regime in Iran — missiles flying toward this tiny nation — yet that call still rings out across the city.

No one turned it off.

Which struck me as remarkable.

Sitting here on this balcony, I’m reminded again that I’m living in a country where freedom — even complicated freedom — still exists.

Hearing that sound drift up the valley brought back a memory from about ten years ago. I became curious about Islam and started writing down questions and looking for answers. One rule guided the whole process: any question I asked about Islam, I also had to ask of my own faith — Christianity.

When my little “study” was finished, I invited a group of special mom friends — women I had studied the Bible with for years — to walk through it with me. I’ve always believed the best way to really learn something is to commit to teaching it… which basically meant they graciously agreed to listen and help me talk it through. If they happen to read this, they know exactly who they are :-).

One thing we learned was about the Five Pillars of Islam. One of those pillars is prayer. Practicing Muslims pause five times a day — wherever they are — turning their attention toward Allah. Near a mosque, the call is broadcast so people know when it is time.

As we talked about that, I challenged my friends with a small experiment.

What if we tried something similar?

I asked them to set five alarms on their phones throughout the day. Each time the alarm sounded, we would simply pause wherever we were and pray the prayer Jesus taught His followers: “The Lord’s Prayer.” Matthew 6:9–13

My girlfriends were gracious enough to go along with my slightly crazy challenge — which, if you know us, probably wasn’t the craziest thing we’ve done together. So we committed to try it for one week.

That little experiment came back to mind as I sat there listening again.

The call to prayer sounds throughout the city five times daily, beginning early in the morning and continuing until night. Hearing it now reminds me of the rhythm of turning my  attention back to God again and again.

Sitting here today, hearing the call to prayer drifting across the valley, I’m struck by something else.

Israel could have silenced that broadcast the moment missiles started flying toward its cities.

But it didn’t.

This nation is tiny compared to Iran — about nine million people facing nearly ninety million. Iran is vast. Israel is small.

Yet here I sit on a balcony in Jerusalem hearing that call continue — a call that lasts three to five minutes.

The call itself isn’t a call to war. It’s a call for Muslims to acknowledge Allah and bow in prayer — a different god than the One I pray to, but still a call to worship.

People outside of Israel often talk about how much of an apartheid state it is. But when a country allows the call to prayer of the same religion that is attacking it right now… that says something about the kind of freedom that exists here.

Israel is complicated.

The population here is incredibly diverse — Jews, Arabs, Muslim, Christian, secular, religious — people from dozens of nations who now call this land home.

Living together isn’t always simple.

But last night I saw a small picture of that diversity in Jen’s apartment. We invited a family over for dinner and a night of games — six adults and five little kids gathered into a space that Jerusalem would simply call a normal apartment.

The place is small, but that doesn’t seem to slow anyone down. People just keep adding chairs, pulling kids onto laps, and making room.

This was our version of fellowship last night.

The family we invited over is currently staying in a small ministry apartment here in Jerusalem. They’re sharing it with another family while visiting parents because the place where they normally live doesn’t have a good protected shelter. With sirens and alerts still happening, they could use a little different scenery — and honestly, a little breathing room.

As I looked around the table, I was struck by the diversity in that little room.

A Hungarian.
A German.
A Romanian.
And an American… plus me — the American grandma who just happened to arrive before this war started.

Most of our conversation happened in English, but the kids moved easily between Hebrew, German, and English — sometimes all within the same sentence.

As the evening went on, the apartment filled with the simple things that make life feel normal again.

Kids playing together.
Adults playing games after a good meal around the table.

Outside the apartment, the world is tense. Missiles cross borders. Sirens interrupt sleep — and one interrupted our evening, the siren sending all of us to the mamad ... our protected space. 

But inside that small apartment in Jerusalem, people from different nations were simply sharing an evening together.

Life continuing.

And sometime during the evening, the final call to prayer sounded again across the valley. 

I didn’t hear it this time — dinner, kids, and games filled the apartment — but I know it came just the same.

Sirens may interrupt the evening…
but prayer still fills the air.

And in this small, complicated country, that sound is a reminder that freedom still has a voice.

March 10, 2026

This morning I was sitting in a little bakery near Jen’s apartment, working on this blog.

Ironically, I was typing the part about how our area of Jerusalem had been free of sirens today when phones around the bakery suddenly started sounding alerts.

I had been talking with the owner, who was curious about what I was doing here and even asked, “What’s the difference between a church and a ministry organization?” I love it here… it’s never hard to get into a spiritual conversation. Maybe because tomorrow is never taken for granted like it often is back home.

At first I stayed put. An alert doesn’t always mean my neighborhood will get the siren. But when the siren actually sounded, I quickly closed my computer, grabbed my coat and purse, and headed for Jen’s apartment.

As I rushed out the door, the owner called after me with a smile, “Run Alice, run!”

And I did run… mostly because I’m not quite sure how to measure 90 seconds. Let’s just say two cups of coffee, a siren, and a burst of adrenaline don’t always cooperate perfectly — enough that a quick wardrobe change was in order afterward :-)

By the time I reached the building, people from the street and nearby businesses were heading toward shelter — including a few ladies from a nearby salon who were midway through color processing… yikes!

Some were heading downstairs to the basement while Jen’s apartment is two floors up. I briefly thought about running up the stairs to the mamad in the apartment, but instead followed the strangers heading down.

It’s amazing how quickly you bond with people you’ve never met when you suddenly share the same situation. Even though I was clearly the only non-Hebrew speaker, everyone made sure I was okay.

Running to shelter is still a strange experience. I wouldn’t say I felt afraid… more aware of the situation.

At the same time, I know what I experienced today is only a small glimpse of what many Israelis are facing.

A few days ago Hezbollah joined the fight from the north, opening another front in this war. Just last night citizens there endured more than seventy rockets throughout the night. Unlike here in Jerusalem, they don’t always get the luxury of ninety seconds to reach shelter. Sleepless nights are another part of war strategy.

And while the bright daytime sky makes it harder to see what’s happening above you, I knew exactly what could be overhead as I ran to shelter.

Just last night Elly captured video of a cluster bomb passing over our area. These ballistic missiles travel high above the atmosphere and release smaller projectiles designed to scatter and cause maximum damage when they come down — aimed at civilian areas like the one I’m sitting in.

So even when the sky looks calm and blue… you understand what could be happening above it.

Moments like that are becoming part of the rhythm of daily life here right now.

Earlier this morning — before the bakery, the siren, and the sprint to shelter — the living room floor had disappeared under a pile of Legos.

Benley and Yahley were busy building a city. Before long there were buildings, cars, and little streets taking shape. They grouped the houses together, lined up the cars, and arranged everything so the city had a kind of order to it.

They were creating a world that made sense.

Of course their city also had sirens — or at least the kind of sirens two little boys can make with their voices. “Woo-woo-woo!” followed by the occasional “Boom!” as imaginary explosions shook their Lego buildings.

It sounded strangely familiar.
But what struck me most wasn’t the explosions.
It was the instinct to create.

They weren’t just stacking Legos. They were building a world — organizing it, protecting it, arranging it so everything had a place. Homes together. Cars parked. Streets laid out in a way that made sense.

And in the world they were creating, there were protectors.

Dinosaurs.

Apparently dinosaurs had been assigned the important job of defending the city.

And both of the boys wanted the same role.

The protector. The hero.

No one volunteered to be the villain.

Watching them made me realize something simple but powerful. Deep inside us, there seems to be a spark of the Creator Himself.

We build.
We organize.
We create order out of chaos.

And we instinctively want to protect what we’ve made.

In many ways, what they were building looked like the kind of world humanity has always longed for — a safe place, an ordered place, a place where things work the way they should.

Maybe that longing runs deeper than we realize.

Maybe every human heart carries a quiet memory of Eden — a memory of the ordered world God created before chaos entered the story.

And maybe that’s why the chaos of war feels so unsettling. Missiles, sirens, and destruction are the opposite of the ordered world God created in the beginning.

What also weighs on my mind is that there are children on the other side of this conflict being raised in a world of chaos. The truth they are being taught about the world is shaping their hearts — and when that truth is rooted in hatred, it can lead to more chaos and destruction.

Maybe this is part of why Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48)

When we stop praying for the salvation of those we call our enemies, our own hearts can slowly drift toward the same hatred we fear. And when hatred takes root, we can lose sight of what matters most — raising our children to love others, even in a broken world.

What a sobering consequence. Innocent children, on every side of this war, are growing up inside stories that will shape the kind of world they someday build.

But watching the boys this morning reminded me of something hopeful.

Even in the middle of a world that feels chaotic, children still sit on the floor and try to build a world that makes sense.

A world that is ordered.
A world that is safe.
A world worth protecting.

And maybe that longing is a reminder that the story of God isn’t finished yet.

Because even in a chaotic world, children still sit on the floor and build cities worth protecting.

– Mimsie in Israel

March 7, 2026 - Shabbat Shalom

A week into this war, a few lessons are already surfacing.

Not political lessons. Not military analysis.

Just observations from living here… one day at a time.

Before getting to the lessons, here’s a quick snapshot of the morning… and I hadn’t even had breakfast yet.

At 5:30 this morning, we were woken up by a siren. Not the early phone alert — the actual siren. The one that means you have 90 seconds to get to a safe place.

Let’s just say I’m very thankful I wasn’t on camera as I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the mamad. The boys were already sleeping in there, and I met Jen and Elly in the hallway looking just as discombobulated as I was.

We got the heavy door shut just in time.

And then it hit all of us…

We forgot to “take care of business” before shutting the door. Thankfully the all-clear message came about ten minutes later.

Crisis averted.

Later in the morning at 9:30am, we joined Jerusalem Assembly’s Zoom church. Coffee in hand, we settled in to listen to the sermon.

About ten minutes in, the pastor casually acknowledged that a Red Alert warning had just come across his phone. It was in his area too.

But he kept preaching.

Right up until the siren sounded.

Then he — and hopefully everyone watching like us — made their way to their safe room.
About 15 minutes later, we were back on Zoom… picking up right where the sermon left off.

Just another Shabbat morning in Israel.

Being in Israel during a war can give people the impression that you somehow know more than everyone else watching from afar.

After one week here, I can tell you that’s not really true.

I may understand the complexity of this region a little better than the average person back home. But when it comes to what will happen tomorrow? My guess is about as good as anyone’s.

And maybe that’s one of the most important lessons this week has taught me.

My confidence isn’t in the players shaping this war.
My confidence is in the God who already sees tomorrow.

He sees me.
He knows the plans He has for me.
I trust God more than any player in this war.

T Bar M Camps is a special place for me and my family. One thing they say often there is:
“Don’t Waste Fun.”

It comes from John 10:10. But before Jesus says He came to give life — and give it abundantly — the verse begins with another reality:

The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy.

Both truths exist.

There is a thief who tries to rob us of life. And that theft doesn’t always look dramatic like missiles or war. Sometimes it’s far more subtle.

It can be worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet.
It can be chasing success so hard that relationships quietly slip away.
It can simply be paying attention to the wrong things.

From what I’ve heard, the phrase “Don’t Waste Fun” started with a little boy trying to get his dad’s attention. His dad kept saying, “In a minute… in a minute…” while focusing on something else.

Finally the boy blurted out:
“Dad… you’re wasting fun!”

How many times do we do the same thing?

Even this week — in the middle of sirens and safe rooms — there have been moments of joy I would have missed if I had my focus glued to the news.

Jesus didn’t just promise life.
He promised abundant life. And I don’t want to waste it.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years spending time with Israelis is their humor.

It’s often a little dark… sometimes sarcastic… occasionally right on the edge of what feels appropriate.

But it’s also incredibly human.

Living here this week, I’m starting to understand it more.

When life gets unpredictable, humor becomes a way to breathe.

I recently read an article about how humor has been showing up across Israel during this war — sometimes walking a thin line between laughter and grief. But for many people, humor is simply a way to process reality and keep moving forward.

And honestly… I’m starting to find myself doing the same thing.

Jen has been showing me the war memes circulating here. Israelis are unbelievably quick to turn almost anything into humor.

Here's a good one ... it's an app that predicts the best time to take a shower between missile alerts.

Yes… really.

Only in Israel would someone think, How can we solve the problem of getting interrupted mid-shampoo by a siren?

Here's one more trending app. (I'll stop with this one ... there's too many to share)

But when you think about it… humor shouldn’t surprise us.

Even the Bible — which is already an incredible story of God’s redemption — has moments of humor tucked inside it.

A prophet arguing with a talking donkey.
Elijah suggesting maybe Baal is “busy… or sleeping… or on a journey.”
Jesus describing someone trying to remove a speck from another person’s eye while a giant plank sticks out of their own.

Sometimes truth lands deeper with a little laughter.

And maybe that’s part of what humor does in hard moments.

It reminds us that fear doesn’t get the final word.

When the siren went off at 5:30 this morning, none of us knew what the day would hold.

We just knew we had 90 seconds to move.

By 9:30am, we were drinking coffee and listening to a sermon… until another siren sent everyone to their safe rooms again.

That’s what life looks like here right now.

One week into this war, I still don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

But I do know this:

God sees tomorrow before we get there.

Life is still meant to be lived abundantly.

And sometimes the healthiest thing you can do in uncertain moments…
…is laugh, finish your coffee, and keep listening to the sermon.

– Mimsie in Israel

March 4, 2026

One of the strangest things about being here right now is living between two very different worlds.

One world feels normal — the kind of world where I can decide what to do with my time.

I cook. I exercise (which, by the way, is easy when you have a licensed Pilates instructor living in the apartment — my daughter Jennifer). I play with the boys and their neighborhood friends. I even sit down with my computer and get work done for Disciple Daily.

In that world, I feel productive. Useful. In control of my day.

But there is another world running alongside it.

A world where I have absolutely NO control.

Missiles launch. Alerts sound. Decisions are made far above anything I can see or influence. In that world, I’m simply a spectator watching history unfold.

It reminds me of when my kids played competitive sports years ago. As a parent sitting in the stands, there were so many things I couldn’t control. I couldn’t control if they got hurt in practice or during competition. I couldn’t control the schedule or who we played. I couldn’t control how strong the other team might be — or what decisions the coaches would make about who played or what strategy they used.

All I could do was sit and watch and cheer.

Living here right now feels a little like that.

I much prefer the world where I feel like I’m in control. But the truth is… that control is mostly an illusion.

The other world — the one I can’t control — just makes that reality more obvious.

Back home I’ve been studying the book of Proverbs with women from our church. Proverbs is full of wisdom about the kind of decisions we can make that generally lead to a better life. But Proverbs doesn’t offer promises or guarantees. They are principles — wise ways to live.

And Proverbs reminds us where wisdom really begins:

Proverbs 9:10
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
 and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

In other words, wisdom doesn’t start with controlling circumstances.

It starts with the right orientation toward God.

So while I can’t control the bigger world around me, I can choose how I spend my time. I can encourage my family. I can open God’s Word and ask for wisdom.

And maybe that’s the real lesson of these two worlds.

The one I think I control…
and the one that reminds me I don’t.

— Mimsie in Israel

P.S. As I was finishing this blog… the siren went off and we headed to the mamad. See what I mean? Apparently my writing schedule is not in my control either. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that “the mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” Seems like He’s directing mine in very real time these days.

What in the World Is a Mamad?

Until Jen moved to Israel, I didn’t know what a mamad was.

Now it’s part of my everyday vocabulary. It also answers the question I’m being asked most right now: “Where do you go when the siren sounds?”

For Jen and Elly, that’s their mamad — a reinforced safe room built right into their apartment.

It looks like a normal bedroom. But the walls are thick concrete. A heavy steel door. A window with a really heavy metal shutter. It’s Benley and Yahley’s room … until the siren sounds — and in an instant, their sweet little bedroom becomes the safest place for all of us.  

Here's Jen shutting the metal "shutter" — definitely not from the Pottery Barn catalog :-)

I’m deeply grateful that I’m only steps from the mamad. No stairs. No scrambling outside. Just a few strides down the hall and we’re inside.

Some buildings have a mamak — one reinforced shelter per floor that neighbors share. 

Others rely on a miklat, a larger shelter usually on the ground floor or underground for the whole building. 

Elly’s parents live nearby, and their miklat requires walking down five flights of stairs. That’s right … five. Count ’em: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 — all while the siren is sounding.
 
In the daytime that’s one thing. But in the middle of the night? When it’s cold? You have to be dressed enough to leave your apartment. Shoes ready. Coats nearby. Because once the siren goes off, you move.

Before the loud neighborhood siren ever sounds, there’s an alert on my phone. It comes through the Tzofar app — the one I downloaded after October 7th.

I’m not an expert in any of this. I’m just learning as I go. But here’s how I am experiencing it.

First, an early notification is triggered when a missile is launched from Iran and is headed toward your area. Our area is Jerusalem South.

The alert tone is distinct. It gets your attention. It tells you to get close to a protected space. From launch to Jerusalem, that missile can take about 7–8 minutes.

So you don’t need to run.

You wait.
You listen.
You move closer to the safe room … and stay ready.

This is Yahley’s cue for headphones :-)

Then, if your specific neighborhood is targeted, the really loud Red Alert siren sounds. That’s the one that makes your heart race.

From that moment, you have about 90 seconds to get to a safe room. Ninety seconds is plenty of time — if you’re following the rules to stay close to your shelter (and I'm a rule-follower).

When the sirens sound, we don’t have to call for the kids. Benley and Yahley already know the routine — just like thousands of children across this country. They move quickly, small feet headed to safety. It’s amazing what becomes normal for little ones.

We’ve also learned to pause just long enough to ask, “Anyone need to go to the bathroom?” — because once the heavy door closes, we stay there until the Home Front Command tells us it’s safe to come out. Sometimes that’s 15 minutes … sometimes it’s over an hour. Which is exactly why we handle “all necessary business” before the door shuts.

Sometimes, from inside the mamad, you can hear the interception booms overhead — usually distant, because they’re happening high up in the sky.

– Mimsie in Israel

Before I went to bed last night, I had a new kind of dilemma:
do I sleep in pajamas… or stay fully dressed?

Interesting thing to consider before brushing your teeth.

I chose something in between. Comfortable. Layered. Shoe-ready.

That felt like a reasonable middle ground for wartime.

1:30 a.m. — Sirens. Into the mamad (safe-room).

6:30 a.m. — Sirens again. A widespread barrage.

By breakfast, we had already logged solid time sitting on the floor of the safe room. You must stay lower than the fortified window — which means floor seating. Crisscross applesauce is not as easy as it once was. I might need to add some stretching between mamad visits!

At 10 a.m., Benley had school. Only in Israel would school meet on the second full day of war, on Zoom, of course. Until the sirens went off...

We gathered up all the books and paper and relocated to the mamad mid-lesson. Five minutes later his teacher had her own siren. Let’s just say… productivity dipped.

Thankfully we had some good gaps of time where there were no sirens. Jennifer and I were able to cycle through some laundry and even made challah from scratch (something I never do at home). Elly ran to the grocery store — yes, they’re open and fully stocked. Another siren sounded just as he put the milk away and back into the safe room we went.

One mamad note: airtight rooms and small boys are a risky combination (if you know what I mean). We’ve now added air freshener to our mamad inventory :-)

By afternoon, the boys needed to burn energy. So did the neighborhood. A full soccer game formed in the courtyard between alerts. Life keeps moving — just closer to shelter.

By evening came harder news. A missile struck a residential suburb about 45 minutes from us. Nine killed. Eleven missing. No military target nearby.

War. It’s not pretty.

Today is officially Purim.

Normally tonight would be filled with costumes and celebration. I’m sure many parties were canceled or moved indoors.

Jennifer and I had the boys watch Veggie Tales: Esther – The Girl Who Became Queen. Honestly, we laughed more than they did.

Purim remembers the story of Haman — a Persian official who plotted, with government backing, to annihilate the Jewish people. It was organized. Legal. Empowered by a regime.

And it failed.

I read in All Israel News today that Purim is a warning across history — from Haman to modern threats rising out of Persia, now Iran. Different century. Same spirit.

God’s name is never mentioned in the Book of Esther. Yet His hand is everywhere.

Empires rage. Plans are made. Threats feel real.

But Purim reminds us: what looks overwhelming is not the outcome.

And perhaps even now, more is happening behind the scenes than we can see.

There are moments when it feels scary here. 



We can hear the missile interceptions overhead — the deep thuds in the sky remind you this is real. The sirens absolutely get your attention. Little Yahley puts on his headphones as soon as the first alert comes through so the sound doesn’t frighten him. 




We keep our phones charged.

Our safe-room is ready and stocked.

We are fortunate — our mamad is inside the apartment. Many families run down flights of stairs to reach shared shelters.

Hard to believe this started less than 48 hours ago.

Tonight I’ll make the same wardrobe decision.

Somewhere between pajamas and readiness.

                                                                         — Mimsie In Israel (Alice)

I did not expect to be in Israel when history shifted.

This morning Israel and the U.S. struck Iran. Within an hour Iran began responding with missiles. And I am here in Jerusalem with Jen, Elly, and my two grandsons — Benley (6) and Yahley (4).

I was supposed to fly home Monday. Flights are canceled.

I have mixed emotions. My heart is so glad to be here with my daughter and her family. Going through the same thing at the same time feels right. At the same time, I don’t want to add worry for my people back home.

But I feel settled. This is where the Lord has me.

Friday we were told embassies were evacuating and that if you wanted out, you needed to leave immediately. But flights were full, and many were heading toward Egypt or Jordan. I felt peace about staying put with family.

We went to bed expecting sirens in the night.

At 8:13 a.m. Saturday morning — while Jen and I were drinking coffee (mine iced, of course) — the national alert sounded.

The war had officially begun.

Before we even stood up, Benley said, “Yay… Mimsie is staying longer!”

Only a six-year-old could interpret war as extended grandma time.

Today was Shabbat. We should have been worshiping at Jerusalem Assembly. Jen and Elly’s church.

Instead, we were in the mamad — the reinforced safe room in the apartment.
We spent nearly two hours there in the morning, then in and out throughout the day as sirens sounded.

But church still happened.

Because Purim is Monday — when Jewish families read the Book of Esther and kids wear costumes — the church set up a Zoom call so the children could put on their Purim costumes and connect from their safe rooms.

That’s a whole new level of “let us not neglect meeting together.”

Concrete walls. Costumes. Community. 

Faith finds a way.

Since I arrived on February 17th, there has been steady talk of an expected war.

It was in conversations at church. In Pilates classes. Around dinner tables. People knew something might be coming. But what struck me was this — it wasn’t spoken with fear.

Instead, I heard humor. I saw resilience.

A 78-year-old woman in Jen’s Pilates class mentioned casually that she has her “go-bag” ready — smiling as she said how much she loves living in Jerusalem. Moms with young kids swapped ideas about how to keep children entertained during shelter time. There was seriousness, yes. But also steadiness.

Then the sirens went off this morning.

Later, as alerts continued, little Yahley stood in the apartment singing “Our God is an Awesome God” with full hand motions while sirens echoed outside.

Tonight we watched The David Movie. Watching David face giants while missiles are flying overhead feels different. The themes land deeper. Faith over fear. God’s faithfulness in uncertain days.

Peace that passes understanding is not just a verse. I am watching it lived out — in children, in grandmothers, in a city that refuses to panic.

And somehow, it's in my own heart too.

For thousands of years, a singular, recurring objective has echoed through the halls of history: "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more" (Psalm 83:4). This "crafty counsel," identified by the Psalmist Asaph, is a spiritual and geopolitical confederacy driven by a deep-seated animosity not just toward a people, but toward the God they represent.

Psalm 83 serves as more than a lament; it is a diagnostic framework for understanding the nature of antisemitism in our current time. It describes a hatred that is unified, strategic, and existential. By examining this framework, we see that the events of the 21st century are not new phenomena, but the latest chapters in an eternal conflict.

Spiritual War: The Unseen Conflict
At its heart, the persistent and growing hatred toward the Jewish people is the physically visible manifestation of a profound spiritual war. This is not merely a clash of cultures or a dispute over land; it is a cosmic struggle between the Creator and the Adversary.

Because Israel was chosen to bring forth the Word of God and the Messiah, the forces of darkness—mechanized by Satan—have sought to annihilate the Jewish nation to thwart God’s redemptive plan for all humanity. The episodes of "crafty counsel" recorded in history are a tactical move in this larger spiritual campaign to prove God’s promises void. When nations or individuals rise against Israel, they are, in essence, lifting their heads against the Most High (Psalm 83:2).

Pharaoh’s Decree to Present Day
The lineage of this hatred begins in the shadow of the pyramids. Pharaoh, the first great architect of Jewish genocide, did not merely seek to enslave; he sought to dismantle the future of the nation. His command to the midwives to kill all Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:16) was a surgical attempt to end the Israelite lineage at its source, echoing the serpent's ancient desire to crush the "seed" of the woman.

This "spirit of Pharaoh"—the desire to rid the world of the Jewish presence by targeting its future—has resurfaced with chilling consistency:

• The Inquisition: During the Spanish Inquisition, the "crafty counsel" took the form of religious coercion and systemic expulsion. The goal was the erasure of Jewish identity—forcing a choice between the loss of soul (forced conversion) or the loss of existence (death or exile).
• The Holocaust: In the 20th century, the Nazi "Final Solution" represented the ultimate manifestation of Psalm 83:4. Hitler industrialized the"crafty counsel" of history, attempting to ensure that the name of Israel would indeed be remembered no more. Like Pharaoh, the regime targeted the most vulnerable, seeking to prune the Jewish family tree until nothing remained.
  
  

The Modern Tumult: October 7 and the Rise of "Christian" Antisemitism
Since the horrific events of October 7, 2023, the world has entered a heightened period of what the Psalm calls "tumult" (Verse 2). The masks of civility have slipped, revealing a global surge in antisemitism that mirrors the ancient confederacies.

Perhaps most alarming is how this hatred has found its way into the hearts of many who identify as "Christians." Influential commentators like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens have increasingly utilized their platforms to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Jewish state and the identity of the Jewish people. Their rhetoric often leans into Replacement Theology—the erroneous belief that the Church has entirely replaced Israel in God’s plan and that the Jewish people are no longer "Israel" in a biblical sense.

By feeding the minds of new leadership around the world with the idea that Israel’s covenant is void, they provide an intellectual and "spiritual" justification for the "cutting off" of the nation. This theological shift is the "crafty counsel" of the modern era, attempting to delegitimize the Jewish people's right to their land and their identity under the guise of religious commentary.

A New "Lawfare" Battlefield: The Arrest in Chile
The "crafty counsel" of today has expanded into the realm of "lawfare." A striking example occurred in February 2026, when Rom Kovtun, a young Israeli-Ukrainian soldier vacationing in Chile, was targeted by a criminal complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation.

Invoking the principle of universal jurisdiction, the complaint sought his arrest for alleged war crimes during operations at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. This incident illustrates a new front in the Psalm 83 conflict: the attempt to trap, isolate, and prosecute the "sheltered ones" (Verse 3) of Israel wherever they go. By using domestic courts in South America to criminalize those who defend the Jewish state, the confederacy seeks to paralyze the nation’s ability to protect itself, branding its defenders as outlaws on the world stage.

God's Ultimate Goal: Turning Shame Into Salvation
While Psalm 83 is a plea by Asaph for Israel's protection by God, His conclusion reveals a surprisingly redemptive plea. The Psalmist does not merely ask for the destruction of his enemies, but for a specific outcome to their defeat:

Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O Lord. (Psalm 83:16)

The framework of Psalm 83 suggests that the "shame" of failed schemes and the "confusion" of the hatred of God's enemies are tools of divine mercy. The ultimate objective is that those who "hate God" by hating His people would reach a point of existential exhaustion—a moment where their hatred no longer sustains them, and the futility of their war against Israel leads them to a place of repentance for their sin.

The goal is that through the manifest failure of every attempt to "cut off" Israel, the nations would finally recognize the sovereignty of the Most High. Asaph concludes with the hope that the world would know that "You, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth" (Verse 18). In this light, the survival of Israel and the Jewish people is the Church's strongest argument that God exists, that He is true to His Word. The defeat of global antisemitism is a precursor to God's ultimate reconciliation to their Creator.

To understand the grand story of the Bible, one must look beyond the horizon of human history, into eternity past. An eternal King existed outside of time and space. Before “in the beginning,” The King spoke His kingdom into existence. His kingdom is comprised of spiritual beings occupying spiritual space. Likewise, the Kingdom of God is filled with physical subjects occupying the world around us. At the heart of the Kingdom of God is His desire to extend an offer of an eternal loving relationship to all who choose Him over themselves. 



The Bible tell's the story of an eternally existent King. His story, beginning in Genesis, is one continuous story that details the progressively reveals the extent of the King's kingdom. Think of the Kingdom of God as a masterfully cut diamond that possesses five distinct facets. Each facet works in relationship with the others to reflect the light of God’s glory through His Creation. Mankind alone was created inn the image of God. We exist in a physical space, bound within the fixed time God has alloted to each person. At this time in history, we exist in a facet of the kingdom the saints of the Old Testament had no knowledge. It was a complete mystery explained to Jesus's first disciples towards the end of His life.

God stands outside time and space. For Him all five facets of His Kingdom are complete!



• Universal Kingdom 

• Spiritual Kingdom

• Theocratic Kingdom 

• Mystery Kingdom
 - (where we are now)
• Messianic / Millennial Kingdom



This post begins an examination of how each facet of God's Kingdom program is working itself our in out in our physical world, when heaven (spiritual) and earth (physical) will occupy one space.


In The Beginning, God…
Before we can grasp the "very good" world of Genesis 1 and 2, we must strip away our modern, Western lenses. We live in an era of abstract ideas and digital signals, where "words" are often viewed as mere descriptors for things. Ask Jesus’s 21st Century followers to describe God, and you will hear words like love, perfect, just, mighty, forgiving, and strong. These are abstract words. You can't touch any of them. But the Bible is an ancient Hebrew text. Its concepts were forged in a world that valued the concrete over the abstract. Ask an ancient Hebrew to describe God and the answers would have been, "He is strong tower, eagles wings, might fortress", and more.

When a king in the ancient Near East issued a decree, the words he use were considered an extension of the himself. In the Hebrew mindset, a word—davar—is substantive. The Word of God carries the weight, authority, and essence of the One who spoke His entire realm into existence. 

Four thousand years after God created our world, John wrote:

In the beginning was the Word (Logos/Davar), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him. -  (John 1:1-3)

John identifies the Creator. The "Word" that spoke the universe into existence is Jesus, the King of Creation, the Anointed One, Israel’s Messiah! When Jesus said, "Let there be light," He was releasing His creative power—into the darkness. The Kingdom of God is not a philosophical ideal; it is a physical and spiritual reality constructed by and for Jesus Christ. Every atom of the physical universe and every rank among the heavenly host exists because the Davar, the Word sustains them. Jesus IS the Word.


The Universal Kingdom: Sovereignty Without Border
The first facet of our kingdom diamond is the Universal Kingdom. This refers to God’s absolute, timeless sovereignty and rule over all that exists. It is the broadest expression of His rule. Whether spiritual or human beings acknowledge Him or not, He is King.
Jesus owns the cosmos. Jesus’s realm encompasses:

• The Spiritual Realm: The "unseen" dimensions populated by angelic hosts, cherubim, and seraphim.
• The Physical Realm: The "seen" universe, from the farthest galaxies to the microscopic elements of life.

The Creation account in Genesis is the record of the King "blueprinting" and building His house, His realm. In this facet of the Kingdom, God’s rule is exercised through His providence and His natural laws. He is the Architect who sets the boundaries of the sea and the orbits of the planets. He is the Sovereign who governs the spiritual hierarchies. In the Universal Kingdom, there is no "secular" space. Every square inch is holy, set apart for His purposes.


The Mystery of the Void
As we move into Genesis 1:2, we encounter a profound tension that modern readers often overlook: "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep." If a perfect, all-powerful King creates a world, why does the narrative begin with formlessness (tohu), emptiness (bohu), and darkness? In the ancient Hebrew context, tohu va vohu are terms associated with judgment and the aftermath of a catastrophe.

This tension points to a cosmic insurrection that occurred before the six days of our current world's restoration beginning in Genesis 1:3. The "Creation" text of Genesis suggests that God had already established a spirit / physical kingdom before the world mankind now inhabits. Within that kingdom, an "anointed cherub" or the Satan—led a rebellion against the King.

A formless, empty, and dark void was not God’s original design. It was the result of a spiritual coup. The "void" was the wreckage of a spiritual war. This is crucial for understanding God’s Kingdom program: the restoration of the world in Genesis 1 is the King’s first move in a long-term strategy to reclaim His territory and re-establish His "very good" order in the face of rebellion. The Kingdom program is, from its inception, a story of reclamation.


The Spiritual Kingdom: The Desire for Fellowship
While the Universal Kingdom is about God’s position as King, the second facet—the Spiritual Kingdom—is about the relationship between the King and His sentient subjects.
Everything God does is for His own glory. To a modern ear, that might sound selfish, but we must remember who God is. He has eternally existed as three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in a state of perfect, infinite, and joyful fellowship. Because God is inherently good, He is not a "taker" of all that is good, but a "sharer" of it.

The Spiritual Kingdom is composed of all thinking and reasoning beings—both spiritual and human—who desire God’s rule over them. God did not create these other beings because He was lonely; He created them out of an overflow of Trinitarian love. He wanted others to enjoy the same eternal fellowship that has always existed within the Godhead.

In the Garden of Eden, we see the ideal state of the Spiritual Kingdom. Adam and Eve were not just subjects; they were “viceroys,” representatives of the King. They were invited into the "inner circle" of God’s presence. The Spiritual Kingdom is where the King’s Davar is not just a law that must be obeyed, but a truth that is loved.


Humanity’s Role In God’s Story
A king governs his territory through representatives. In the creation of man and woman, God established  in them the Imago Dei—the Image of God. This was not merely a spiritual likeness, but a functional appointment.

Humanity was designed to be the bridge between the physical and the spiritual. We are made of the "dust of the earth" (physical) but animated by the "breath of life" (spiritual). This unique composition allowed us to function as the King’s stewards on Earth. The mandate to "subdue" and "have dominion" was the first Kingdom Commission.

The King’s intent was for the Spiritual Kingdom to find expression in the physical world through human obedience. As long as the human viceroy remained in fellowship with the Trinity, the light of the Spiritual Kingdom would saturate the physical realm. Each individual who “believes God” has membership in His Spiritual Kingdom. From the very beginning, faith in the revealed Word of God at the time in which they lived, was the mechanism that restored individuals from death to life.


The Sabbath Rest and Shalom
The first chapter of the Kingdom story ends not with work, but with rest. The seventh day of Creation—the Sabbath—introduces the concept of Shalom. In the Hebrew context, Shalom is much more than the absence of conflict; it is wholeness, completeness, and the flourishing of all things under the King’s care.

The Sabbath was the "very good" state of the Kingdom. It was the destination toward which all of creation is moving. A kingdom is only successful when its subjects can rest in the security and provision of their King. The Sabbath represents the ultimate goal of the entire Kingdom program: a universe where rebellion has been quelled, fellowship has been restored, and the King dwells among His people in a state of eternal rest.


The Diamond Reflecting: Genesis Meets John
When we tie the Creation account of Genesis to the Prologue of John, the "fiery light" of the Kingdom diamond is indescribable, beyond spectacular. We see that the King who created the world is the same King who eventually entered the world to save it.

• Jesus, the Architect: He is the Davar that entered the void.
• Jesus, the Bridge: He is the perfect union of the physical and spiritual.
• Jesus, the Goal: He is the "Lord of the Sabbath" who provides the rest mankind rejected in the Eden.

The first two facets of God’s Kingdom program—the Universal and the Spiritual—provide the framework for the rest of the Bible. The Universal Kingdom ensures that God has the authority to act, and the Spiritual Kingdom defines the relationship He is seeking to restore.


Conclusion: Preparing for the Next Facets
The stage is now set. We have a King whose Word is law, a cosmos that reflects His glory, and a human race invited into the fellowship of the Trinity, as it is in heaven. However, as we know, the rebellion that caused the "void" of Genesis 1:2 eventually reached the hearts of God’s human viceroys in Eden, infecting all who came after them.

This disruption necessitated the additional facets of the Kingdom Diamond. The King would not abandon His program. He would begin a specific, mediated rule through a chosen people—a Theocratic Kingdom of judges and kings. He would speak through prophets pointing toward a "Mystery" and a "Millennial" future where the Davar would once again reign supreme over His restored earth.

The story of the Kingdom is the story of a King who refuses to let His creation stay in the dark. It is a story of light, spoken by the Word, and destined to fill the earth.



Study & Tell the Story of Creation 

We are on a journey. As believers in Yeshua’s death, burial, and resurrection, our ultimate destination is to be with Him forever. Along the way, there are intermediate stops. Sometimes they are planned. At other times, they wreak havoc.

Yesterday, we were in Frankfurt, Germany, en route to Israel. We had not planned on flying through Frankfurt, but the route was filtered through God’s hands. It hasn’t been easy. There have been numerous flight cancellations and rebookings. Following a lengthy delay in Houston, we needed the entire six-hour layover. Now we are unexpectedly forced to overnight in Athens due to another cancellation while we were over the Atlantic.

Now this is crazy. Waiting to leave Frankfurt, we overheard a group of four men discussing spiritual warfare in relation to the nation of Israel. We struck up a conversation and discovered that they are doing exactly what we are: visiting Israel as a small, self-contained group. We spoke with them in Frankfurt and also upon arrival in Athens.

This morning, we spoke again at the airport. We are on the same flight to Tel Aviv. When they entered the boarding gate area, we were doing our morning Bible reading.

Hmmmm? I wonder. Did God plan this long ago for reasons we will never know? This is what the “come and see” lifestyle is all about. It’s not about us. It’s about the One who has both the destination and the itinerary all mapped out.

In a few minutes, we will land in Tel Aviv. We have a plan for our time in Israel. However, what has happened over the last week tells me the Lord of all has something more in mind than we could ever dream or imagine.

Their Own Words

Jenifer Cortés
Today, we saw the Valley of Elah, where David and Goliath had their encounter. While I looked down, God gave me this.

It was not the rock.
It was not the young, brave guy.
It was the Almighty God
Who wanted to use them
To make His name known
To all the Nations.

Caleb Stratemann
From the airport, we went straight to Bet Shemesh, a predominantly Orthodox Jewish city. It was interesting to see the everyday lives of the people. Since this is not a standard tour-in-a-box program, we have a greater opportunity to walk among real people and experience their culture.

Bet Shemesh is very close to Tel Azeka, a nature reserve and archaeological site, famously known as the place where camping is mentioned in 1 Samuel, opposite Saul's army on the mountain across the valley below.

From the very spot we were standing on, Goliath shouted insults at Israel and her God. No matter what the Enemy throws at us, God is always in the midst of the seemingly impossible situation of life.

Rob Townley 
Today, I took my first steps in Israel. If I am honest, it's hard to believe I am here! We haven't even scratched the surface, and my mind is blown by the fact that I will walk on the same land the people of the Bible walked. This is going to add so much to the stories we have been learning to tell.  

Stay tuned.

Following two weeks in Israel with the Fellowship Team, one thing is clear. The Church needs to do a better job of teaching young people how the trajectory of world history is connected to the spiritual war between God and Satan. That war is the catalyst for all the death and destruction mankind has experienced since the beginning of time.  Forgetting this fact allows the Enemy of God to disconnect human history from the spiritual realm.

The spiritual war originated in the heavenly throne room of God, before the events of Genesis 1:3-2:4. Satan convinced an untold number (Revelation 12:3-4) of the "sons of God," heavenly spiritual beings, to follow him in a rebellion against their Creator. The result was their exile from the Lord's presence in a dark and chaotic place, as described in Genesis 1:2. What happened in the spiritual world destroyed the original perfection of this physical world.

Since that time, Satan has remained at war with God on planet Earth. His objective is to steal what rightfully belongs to God in both the spiritual and physical realms. In the Garden of Eden, he fomented the rebellion of mankind with a simple suggestion. "You can be like God." All the chaos and confusion, all the darkness and evil of this world, are rooted in Adam and Eve's response. Today, Satan is the ruler of this world. Tomorrow, it could be different. But that is another story. For now, I want to focus on what our team has discovered through their study of the Bible in our program and during their time in Israel.

The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) serves as the foundation for the life and ministry of Jesus and his first disciples. The Bible that Jesus taught establishes the reality of spiritual warfare, as evidenced by the recognizable downward spiral in the moral character of both the nations and Israel.

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him." - John 1:10-11

From the very beginning, God made His intentions known.

• The Seed of the woman would destroy the seed of the Serpent, the one known as Satan.
• At the Tower of Babel, God separated the Nations from the people He would take as His own, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• God eternally and unconditionally promised that one nation, Israel, would be the exclusive avenue of redemption and restoration offered to the entire world.
• In fulfillment of all the forward-looking prophecies of the Hebrew Bible, God took on human flesh during the first century in Israel and made Himself known to His Jewish people first and to the Nations afterward.
• The Father has made an exclusive offer to all of mankind.  "My Son, Yeshua, has made me known to the world. Listen to Him. Through Him alone can our relationship be restored.  
• The God/Man was/is Jewish, born in the nation known today as Israel. Yeshua will return to earth to rule all Nations from His Jewish throne in Jerusalem for 1,000 years.
• Satan knows all of this.

Throughout history, Satan has been behind the most evil atrocities imaginable to encourage mankind to abandon God and take matters into its own hands. Humanity has bought into the original lie. "We can be like God."

During our first full day in Israel, the Fellowship Team traveled to two sites in Judea closely tied to the spiritual war we have been discussing: the Herodium and Bethlehem. Both locations are tied to Herod the Great.  

Herod came to power as the puppet king of Israel under the authority of the Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar. Paranoia and brutality are a dangerous brew. It was said that it was "better to be a pig in Herod's kingdom than to be his son." Discovering a plot to betray him, in retaliation, Herod murdered his wife and two sons. Nonetheless, Herod is well known for his magnificent building projects, particularly his extensive refurbishment of the Temple Compound in Jerusalem. It is an engineering marvel to this day. Less well-known are the five fortress palaces that Herod constructed throughout his realm.

The five palaces, one of which he never occupied (Masada), were built as safe havens in the event Herod needed to abandon Jerusalem during possible rebel attacks. The Herodium stands just outside the ancient town where Yeshua was born, Bethlehem. Needing a commanding overview of the territory surrounding Herodium, Herod moved one entire hill on top of another to make a small mountain. This may have provided some context to Jesus' words.
 
"Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." - Matthew 17:20-21  

Not included on most Israel tours, it was well worth our effort to visit. We even had a private guide who works on the site. It isn't hard to imagine that a man with a big enough ego to build as Herod did would be threatened by even the slightest suggestion that someone would soon take his place as king.

In 5 B.C., a caravan of wealthy men from Persia (Iran) arrived in Jerusalem. They were looking for the location of the recently born King of the Jews. Hearing of them, Herod inquired how they had known of his birth. They were Gentile god-lovers who knew that the birth of a Jewish king would be announced by the appearance and guidance of a brightly moving star.

"I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel, and crush through the head of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth, Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel performs valiantly." - Numbers 24:17-18  

Herod was of Edomite descent. This prophecy did not bode well for his future. Discovering from his own biblical scholars that the child was to be born in Bethlehem, he sent the men on their way to worship Him. Afterward, they were to return to Jerusalem and report where they found Him. They did not. Alerted to the fact that Herod sought to destroy the child, they returned home another way. Possessed by paranoia and demonic delusion, Herod sent soldiers to murder all of Bethlehem's male children under two years old, corresponding to the time the men first saw the star.

Herod's murder of male Jewish children is a fact of history. It was not the first time. Pharaoh ordered the drowning of all male babies born in Egypt. As if the boys were not enough, Hitler ordered the destruction of over one million Jewish children during the Holocaust. Jewish mothers have grown accustomed to the enemies of Israel murdering their children. The lessons of history should be learned. If someone says they are going to destroy your future by murdering your children, you should believe them. The Israelis are all too familiar with this lesson. Never again!

While in Bethlehem, we made a stop at the Shepherd's Fields to get an idea of how it might have looked on the night Yeshua's birth was announced to the men who raised sheep for the sacrifices in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, due to the Houthi rocket attacks, there have been very few visitors to Bethlehem in recent months. The place we normally visit was inaccessible. We also visited the Church of the Nativity. It was eerie. The five members of our group were the only visitors to the church at the time. The continual conflict in the region has had a devastating effect on the Palestinian community as well.

The Muslim Palestinian leadership is the real enemy of their people. Fifty years ago, Palestinian Arab Christians represented eighty-five percent of Bethlehem's population. Today, it is less than half of one percent!

The historical Christian towns of Bethlehem and Nazareth, once home to large Christian populations, have seen that population flee en masse due to Muslim intimidation and violence.

• Over 100 Palestinian terrorists took over the Church of the Nativity in 2002, using it as a fortress from which to fire upon Israeli troops while holding nuns, priests, and monks hostage and looting or destroying virtually everything of value inside the building.
• During 2000-2002, the Palestinian Authority's Tanzim militia chose the Christian town of Beit Jala as a base for unprovoked shooting at Jerusalem. The Tanzim was specifically positioned in or near Christian homes, hotels, churches, and the Greek Orthodox club, knowing fully well that these sites would be hard-hit by Israeli return fire.

The last thing we did in Bethlehem was something most Israel tourists experience: a visit to an olive wood store. Our visit was unlike anything we could have imagined. I have known the owner of the shop we went to for many years. It is a family business. The store owners opened it exclusively for our small group of five people. They hadn't seen any tour groups in months. We were the first. Only five men from the owner's immediate family assisted our group in making their purchases. We didn't buy much. But we left something of eternal value behind. We joined hands and prayed for the end of the war, for prosperity to return to Bethlehem, and for eternal peace in Yeshua to become the law of the Land.    

It was a sweet, bitter moment that I will never forget.

Their Own Words

Caleb Stratemann
What amazed me the most during our time in Bethlehem was the people. Bethlehem is part of what most people know as the West Bank. Actually, it is part of Judea, situated near Jerusalem. The Christian population is under attack in Bethlehem. Although oceans, borders, and fences separate us, we are not separated from our brothers and sisters in Christ, still living in the town where Jesus was born. Jesus is the Son of the Living God. He still has followers there.

Rob Townley
Today, I kept seeing and remembering things that happened in the Bible over and over again. I was struck by how connected everything is. My only conclusion is that for things to be this deeply connected across thousands of years, there has to be an Intelligent Creator.

Jenifer Cortés
Belén is the hometown of Noemí, David, and Yeshua, my Messiah. It's a place I will remember seeing with my own eyes. Looking at the landscape, I could imagine what it must have looked like during Biblical times. I am speechless at how my understanding of the Bible is being taken to a whole new level, how everything is connected, and that I am now writing this in Jerusalem!

Stay tuned for our next installment about our time with a pickle planter near the Gaza Strip.

In our constant pursuit of the "good life," we often forget the transformative journey God intends for His followers. The comfortable, easy path rarely leads to spiritual growth. Instead, it's through adversity and struggle that we truly become disciples of Jesus Christ. Is the “good life” inherently dangerous to the Great Commission lifestyle demonstrated by Jesus and His first disciples?

The Hebrew word for "good" is "tov." Is it possible to have too much of the “tov?” In the Western world, and increasingly across the globe, Christians find themselves caught in a relentless pursuit of comfort and security. We focus on acquisition, accumulation, and self-determination. Biblically, there’s nothing inherently wrong with seeking stability. However, the pursuit of stability for personal comfort distracts us from our true calling as followers of Christ.

As believers, we're called to be "salt and light" in the domains God has placed us. Yet, how often do we lose sight of this mission in our race for the “tov life?” The challenge for modern Christians is to break free from the allure of physical comfort and rediscover the transformative power of adversity.

In The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Consider the recent wildfires that ravaged Southern California. In a matter of minutes, the neighborhoods of Altadena were reduced to ash and rubble. The devastation was absolute, leaving behind only remnants of what once was. Caleb Stratemann, a 2025 Fellowship Team member, observed, "It's impossible to grasp the absolute destruction of this tragedy without walking through the ash heaps that were once someone’s home."


This stark reality was a wake-up call to this year’s Fellowship Team at Disciple Daily. In the face of such loss, they were confronted with essential questions about what truly matters in life and the next. Amidst the destruction, stories of hope and human connection emerged. Caleb, Jenifer, and Rob joined other Samaritan’s Purse volunteers to sift through the ashes, searching for lost treasures and offering comfort and counsel  to those who had lost everything.



Standing in the rubble of his former home, one homeowner asked for a picture with our team. Rob recalled what he said. ”All my memories from this place have been burned up. I need to remember what you did here today." Their simple acts of kindness and presence meant more than any material recovery ever could.

Jenifer had the privilege of finding a lost wedding band. The property owner had said, "I will be satisfied if my ring is found." When presented with the recovered ring, both Jenifer and the woman shed tears of joy. These moments of connection and compassion amidst devastation highlight the enduring power of human kindness and the importance of community in times of crisis.

The true purpose of our Fire Zone Mission went beyond the physical act of helping people recover lost items. Keith Myer, the Fellowship Team Director, reflected, "Even though we worked hard shoveling and sifting ashes, hoping to find something of value that the people had lost, we didn't find very much. Discovering lost treasure wasn't what this mission was about. We were there to stand beside people, listen to the stories of what life had once been like until they were ready to let go."

This insight cuts to the heart of Christian discipleship. Our calling is not just to provide material aid but to offer hope, companionship, and direction to lost people. In moments of loss and vulnerability, we have opportunities to share the redemptive story of Jesus, which points towards hope that transcends earthly possessions.

Growing Pains
The pattern of growth through adversity is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. From Joseph's journey from slave to ruler to the Israelites' wanderings in the desert to the early church's persecution and subsequent spread, we see time and again how God uses challenging circumstances to shape and refine His people, not for their comfort but to be a light that leads to spiritual rest, to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  

When we face personal struggles, natural disasters, or societal challenges, we can grow in our faith by becoming more like Christ for the sake of others. In these moments of adversity, we experience significant spiritual breakthroughs. Spiritual growth doesn't happen automatically. It requires a conscious choice to view struggle through the lens of faith and actively seek God's purpose in those challenges. We must also be willing to step out of our comfort zones and engage with the pain and suffering around us.

As you reflect on these truths, you join others responding to the challenge to examine the dangers of the “tov life.” Are we too comfortable? Have we become so focused on pursuing our objectives that we've lost sight of our calling to be salt and light in the broken world around us? 

How can we create new rhythms that align more closely with God's purposes? One practical step is to engage with those who are suffering intentionally. This could mean volunteering in disaster relief efforts, serving in local community outreach programs, or simply being present for a friend or neighbor going through difficult days. By stepping into these spaces of pain and loss, we serve others and open ourselves to the transformative work God wants to do in our own lives.

Character Cultivation
Another important aspect is cultivating a perspective beyond material possessions and earthly comforts. While it's not wrong to enjoy God's blessings, we must hold them loosely, recognizing that true security and fulfillment come from our relationship with Christ, not from what we own or achieve.

Ultimately, the goal is not to seek out suffering for its own sake, but to be open to the growth and transformation that comes through life's inevitable challenges. As we embrace struggle and walk alongside others in theirs, we can experience God's presence in profound ways and become more effective disciples of Jesus.

Have you ever wondered why the world seems so broken and beyond repair if God made it? That's a question that billions of people have considered since the beginning of time. 

The “Most High God,” Creator of all that is unseen (heaven) and seen (earth) is the absolute ruler of all things. God, Himself is spiritual. God’s plan for His Creation has always existed. The host of heaven (angels, cherubim, seraphim) were created to glorify the Lord in His heavenly tabernacle, the throne room of God. The host of heaven are identified as the “sons of God.” Together in heaven, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the sons of God formed the heavenly council identified in Jeremiah 23. The sons of God rejoiced when they saw their Creator speak the physical world into existence, according to Job 38:7. 

Everything God created was perfect until it wasn’t. Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 provide the backstory of what happened in the spiritual world that has so devastated our physical world.

The origin of evil cannot be understood without a clear picture of Satan, who he is, where he comes from, and what he is doing. When was the last time you heard a sermon on Satan? Buckle up, Buttercup. Here it comes. 

Isaiah 14:12  reads, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations.” Historical context for this verse is critical. Isaiah was a prophet of Israel before the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. He knew that the sin of idolatry was the reason God would use ungodly Babylon to discipline Israel. That is another lesson for another time. For now, it is important to identify the “star of the morning.” 



According to the Jewish prophets of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), “stars” always point students to the heavenly host, fallen and unfallen. A better English translation of “O star of heaven, son of the dawn,” would be “O day-star, son of the morning.” The Bible has ten specific titles for Satan. “Day-star, son of the morning” is only one of them. This is where many have mistakenly identified the “shining one” as Lucifer, which comes from the Latin Vulgate. Lucifer is Satan. He is the shining one. According to Ezekiel 28:13, Satan, the most beautiful of all that God created in the heavens, was a cherub. He was covered in precious stones that reflected God’s glory throughout heaven. Even today, Satan appears on earth as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).



In Isaiah 14:12-15, Satan’s strategy to overthrow God is revealed in five “I will” statements.

• I will ascend to heaven.
• I will raise my throne above the stars of God.
• I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north.
• I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.
• I will make myself like the Most High.

Let’s unpack this. 


1. “I will ascend to heaven.” - The Day-Star was already in heaven. He wasn’t satisfied with two facts. Satan was the guardian of God’s throne, perfect in every way, according to Ezekiel 28:11 & 12. Satan couldn’t get in higher, have any more authority, without displacing God.
2. “I will raise my throne above the stars of God.” - Satan declared his intention to rule over all of the heavenly host.
3. “I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north.” - The Old Testament prophets used this type of expression to identify and describe the Messianic Kingdom, when Messiah Jesus rules the world from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. Satan wants the rule that belongs to the Jewish Messiah of Israel over the entire world.
4. “I will ascend over the heights of the clouds.” - “Cloud,” when used symbolically, should spark some hyperlinks in your mind, if you are a student of the Bible. Israel was led in the wilderness by a pillar of cloud on their way to the Promised Land. Moses disappeared into a cloud on Mt. Sinai to receive the Mosaic Covenant on behalf of Israel. Jesus was enveloped by a cloud to discuss His impending death in Jerusalem. “Cloud” is associated with God’s own Shechinah glory. Satan wanted that for himself.
5. “I will make myself like the Most High.” - The Most High owns heaven and earth. It has always been Satan’s objective to be the sole ruler of what God created.

It is clear from what has been discussed today, that Satan is a reality most Christians are woefully unprepared to understand, much less teach to others. The spiritual war between the Creator (God) and His once heavenly adversary (Satan) has broken out on planet earth. This is just one part of the origin story of evil. What happened in heaven came to earth.

“The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” - Genesis 1:2

The second verse of the Bible presents the picture of a world of chaos and disorder, a world in darkness. As a follower of Jesus, I know that wherever God is, there is light. But this verse indicates there is no light to be found. Why is it dark? This question relates to our title, “The Spiritual War, Origin of Evil.” Earlier we took a Deep Dive into Isaiah 14. Isaiah understood the ruler of Babylon was empowered by a greater king, Satan. 

Now, let’s turn our attention to Ezekiel 28, to the King of Tyre, who is the ruling authority over the prince of Tyre, as discussed in verses one through ten. The prince of Tyre believed himself to be God. The same is true of Satan, the King of Tyre. Read verses eleven through nineteen. This section of Scripture identifies the King of Tyre with certain attributes, some of which have already been spoken of.


• Resident in the heavenly garden of God, the Tabernacle
• Body encrusted with light reflecting precious stones
• THE anointed cherub, guardian of God’s throne
• Possessing blameless perfection
• Traded his perfection, power, and position for violent rebellion against God
• Pride resulted in expulsion from residency and cast down to the ground
• Turned into ashes, and  
• Will cease being a disruptor in heaven or on earth


In English, Genesis 1:3 starts with an interesting word, “then.” This word suggests sequencing. What happened in God’s heaven resulted in the darkness of verse two. Because of the destruction, God began a renovation project on Earth. He spoke into the darkness, saying “Let there be light.” 

The prologue of John’s Gospel, the first eighteen verses of chapter one, identifies the Creator as Jesus. He is the Light where there is no light. Furthermore, as the heavenly enemy of his Creator, Satan knows the identity of Jesus. History then is the story of Satan’s battle within the cosmos to prevent Jesus from recreating that which belongs to Him.

1. 

Satan knows the Creator is Jesus, who will become the “Seed of the Woman.”
2. Satan knows that Jesus will destroy him.
3. Satan knows that Jesus will enter the world through Abraham’s descendants, Isaac and Jacob.
4. Satan knows that Jacob’s descendants will become the nation of Israel through which Messiah Jesus would enter His Creation.
5. Satan knows that the Jewish God/Man will rule from Jerusalem for 1,000 years.
6. Satan knows that at the end of 1,000 years, he will be cast into the Lake of Fire and turned to ashes.

The story of Satan’s demise runs through the history of the Jewish people. Have you ever wondered why throughout time, the Jewish people have been the target of global hatred? 

Satan knows the story. Do you? We will continue this discussion in the next Disciple Daily Deep Dive. But we do not want to leave you without a practical application. 

Jesus defeated death 2,000 years ago through His death on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead three days later. All of this was prophesied by the Jewish prophets of the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament.

The thing Satan fears the most is people having no fear of death, the eternal exile from God’s presence. Second Corinthians explains that for believers in Jesus, absence from the body (death) is presence with the Lord. Those who do not believe, those without faith, will be separated from God forever along with Satan and his fallen angels. Satan is further crushed with each individual who believes Jesus and breaks the darkness to enter the Light. 

Each individual must decide about the truth of the Jesus story. Nobody can do this for you. If you want to experience Satan’s defeat in your world, believe in Jesus and teach others to do the same. Take Jesus’s gift of life as your own by accepting what He has already done on the cross, in the grave and now in the skies.

Welcome back to another week with the Fellowship Team. We are so excited to tell you what we learned this week. So, without further adieu...

Howdy y'all, I (Caleb) hope you have seen the Lord's blessings in your life like I have recently. We have been reading through Numbers this week, which has been very interesting to study in depth. In chapter 20, many things happened that stood out to me. Starting in verse 23, we are told about the very interesting death of Aaron.

Moses and Aaron rebelled against God at Meribah when the people complained again about thirst. Moses struck the rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it as God had commanded. Because of this disobedience, Moses and Aaron were forbidden to enter the Promised Land.

In verse 26, God tells Moses and Aaron to go to Mount Hor, where Aaron will die. There are few things I can think of that would be as unsettling as knowing when you are going to die. Without looking at this story through a spiritual lens, this can seem scary and a form of punishment that God is telling Aaron that his time is up. However, this is not what God is telling him at all. Did Aaron make mistakes? Sure, but don't we all? Our sinful natures do not limit God; if He only used people who don't mess up, He'd never use anyone. God equips the called; He does not call the equipped because there are none without God. In the case of Aaron, God letting him know that he was about to die was a blessing. How awesome is it to discover that you're about to be in God's presence for the rest of eternity? God used Aaron to do amazing things and set an example for the Israelites at the specific time meant for him. God has amazing plans for us that are far beyond anything we can plan for ourselves, and the same goes for Aaron. He fulfilled his role in bringing glory to God, our ultimate purpose as well.

Hey everyone, back at it again with your favorite teamer, Rob. I'm just kidding, but not really.

I am like the Israelites in that God tells me to do something, and I don't do what he commands. For a long time now, over and over again, God has been telling me to be patient; He has a plan for me. However, I want to be in control and say, "No, I want (insert thing here)." This week has been no exception. At the end of this week, we (the Fellowship Team) are going to California for a mission trip. I can't wait to get there. But the Spirit planted a thought that I couldn't shake: "The more time you spend looking to the future the more time you miss in the present."

I am the type of person who plans ahead and has certain things that I want and want to achieve. I have a hard time accepting that what I want isn't what God wants. So this simple thought put me at peace with leaving my future in God's hands so I can focus on the here and now. Focus on the here and now, put your future in God's hands, and surrender your worries.

Hello, hello, Jenifer here. This week was one of a lot of growth and learning for me because I was able to reinforce the previous learning of the hand signs of the Old Testament (which I was tasked to do in my application process for this program). I remember feeling very challenged, and in fact, I was practicing them in Spanish and showing them to my family. However, the signs hadn't come to life as they have now that we are complementing them with the scripture readings, stories told, and dramatizations (thanks to Arlie and Keith). I am in love with how the Bible has come to life through the hand signs, which have helped me connect the narrative of the Bible and its chronology.

Last week, we learned and practiced the New Testament and intertestamental hand-signs together, and well, I felt a little frustrated about not understanding several of the words. I need to learn all the signs twice, once in Spanish and once in English, to understand them fully. However, practicing with my team was special and fun. I am very grateful for my team, without a doubt, the brothers that God predestined for me this season; I can really see how important it is to have a team with fellowship.

Two years ago, our second Fellowship Team flew to Maui to assist with fire disaster relief that devastated the island. That trip was life-changing for our team and the people they served. We proclaimed the Gospel with our lives and our words.

By the time you read this blog, this year's team will be on the ground doing something similar in Pasadena, California. People lost almost everything they held dear in a raging inferno just a couple of months ago. Keep watching the Fellowship page for regular updates from the field.   

Welcome back to The Fellowship Team blog for another week. As we embark on our first missionary trip to Pasadena, California, here are some thoughts and lessons the Lord is highlighting for us.

Hello, Jenifer here. This week, I'll be quoting the book "Live to Love" by Norm Wakefield, where we're learning about the change of mind and heart dedicated to living to love others, loving others with Jesus and for Jesus.

Now, we find ourselves in the second part of the book Pull the Weed, focusing on idolatry and how it's very easy to fall into idolizing someone or something. I used to believe everything my parents said about me, whether good or bad. It's easy for me to put relationships as my source of joy. However, I now understand that when I put anything or anyone in the place of God, nothing will go right. It's corrupting the first and greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:37 says: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."

This instruction is not something I wish not to do. It's a duty; I long to do it because the reality is that nothing and no one will satisfy my heart and soul the way my relationship with God does. I long to know Him more every day and fall in love with His way of loving and accepting me, without conditions, without perfection. HE loves me better than anyone.

Hey, y'all, this is Caleb. I hope you are doing well.  One of the many books we are reading during our time in this program is Revolution Within by Dwight Edwards. This book does a very good job of explaining how God replaces our old sinful heart at the moment of conversion with a new one that desires to serve God for His glory. It then describes that sanctification is falling in line with the new design that God gave us. Sanctification is a continual process of unveiling the Godly characteristics that have been installed in us.

One of the chapters we read this past week talked about how God views us as opposed to how many believers see themselves in a different, untrue way. They slip into a different mindset without noticing how their thinking does not align with what the Bible says is true of them. By referencing Romans 5-8 and 1 John 3, this chapter explains that God no longer views us as sinners when we're saved. Instead, He sees Jesus, who died and was resurrected to cleanse us of all past, present, and future sins.

Here is an amazing analogy. Imagine you bring your car into the mechanic shop for engine repair. Many Christians see themselves as a broken car that needs its engine fixed. However, that's not what God does; He removes the old engine and puts in the best brand-new one. I want to add to this analogy; also, imagine that even before your engine swap, though it was your car, sin was in the driver's seat, taking you around wherever it wanted to go. After God's complete engine replacement, He is in the driver's seat with you as the passenger and sin in the back seat. Sin will still try to reach over God's shoulder and take control of the steering wheel, but now, with the strength of the Holy Spirit, he can be prevented from doing so. The difference is that before Christ, sin controlled your life. Whether you liked it or not, there was no choice. However, after he has saved us, we have the choice and opportunity to reject temptation and sin.

Hey everyone, Rob here. This week, we finished up Leviticus. As always, there were many interesting topics we read and discussed. What piqued my interest was the first mention of the year of Jubilee. The year of Jubilee takes place every fifty years. The best way to describe it is a year of reset. In Leviticus 25, God commands Israel to celebrate and observe the year of Jubilee. God then instructed Israel to return to their homelands and return any property bought. This concept is mostly foreign to us. Lands and properties were valued based on the time between that year and the next year of Jubilee when it would be returned to the original owner. When an Israelite bought a piece of property, if they were buying it a year or two after the year of Jubilee, the property would be worth its maximum value. Likewise, if the property were being sold a couple of years before the next year of Jubilee, it would be worth much less since the property would not be able to be used for long.

This concept is almost entirely foreign to us today; the only thing that resembles this is that older store items have reduced prices if they have been sitting for a while and are not sold. This topic was very interesting because today, our value-based system completely differs from the Israelites'.

Greetings all. Welcome back to another week with the Fellowship Team from Disciple Daily. Each morning, we start the day reading the Bible together. This week, we completed Exodus. We focused on learning about God's earthly Tabernacle. The Lord specified many different items to be made for use in His home on earth, including what materials to use in its construction. The Tabernacle required one ton of gold, two and a half tons of silver, and four tons of bronze (which we know to be copper because of its high melting point and getting lost in translation).

Some of you might wonder how Moses got all these precious materials in the middle of the desert. We see in Exodus 12:35-36 that God used the Egyptians to provide the Israelites with all the materials required to build the Tabernacle. They received them before knowing how or when they would be needed a few months later.
 
We read in Exodus 35:4-5, "Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, 'This is the thing which the Lord has commanded,' saying, 'Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart is to bring it as the Lord's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze,"

The people responded with such a spirit of generosity and willingness that Moses did something rarely seen: he asked the people to stop giving. Their selfless giving is a testament to the power of faith and the abundance of God's provision.
 
Those reporting to Moses said, "The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform.' So Moses issued a command and circulated a proclamation throughout the camp, saying, 'No man or woman is to perform work any longer for the contributions of the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing any more. Their material was sufficient and more than enough for all the work.
 
While still in Egypt, the Lord provided all the necessary materials to build the Tabernacle. He also gave the Israelites such an abundance that they had lots left over as provision for themselves. This abundance reminds us of God's faithfulness and ability to provide more than we need.
 
With that in mind, we ask you to partner with us in three ways. The first and most important is prayer; Philippians‬ ‭4:‬‭6‬ tells us to pray and bring everything before the Lord. If the Lord is willing, we will go where He sends us to preach the Gospel and share our Savior's great news. We will never go to a place where we believe God is not guiding us.
 
The second way you can partner with us is financially. In the same way, Moses asked the Israelites to be willing to contribute to the Lord's work, we ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with us to become a patron of this work with a gift of $10 or more a month. Of course, one-time gifts are appreciated as well. If you feel led by the Spirit to give, that is wonderful. If you do not, we completely understand and count on your prayers.

We know money is a taboo topic today, so we want to ensure we approach this with Biblical principles and transparency. We want to be completely honest about the money we need. We hope to raise $40,000 for this year's off-campus activities. This money would go towards funding the mission trips we will go on, Lord willing, to spread the Gospel, provide relief, and share our storytelling strategies with communities in need.

• We are headed to Los Angeles to work with Samaritan's Purse in fire relief efforts.
• As part of our training, we want to represent the Lord to people in the war-torn nation of Israel.
• We have been asked to go to Mongolia and share our storytelling strategies with the nomadic people groups. This trip would be the first stop of our Summer Serve in June and July.
• Our remaining Summer service time will be in either the Philippines or Zambia.  

When we reach our financial goal of $40,000, we will send a message to all of our supporters, just like Moses did in Exodus 36, notifying everyone that God has provided the necessary funds and that they do not have to continue giving if they don't want to.
 
The final way to help support us is by sharing our story and ministry with your friends, family, and anyone you think would like to hear about what we're doing at Disciple Daily. We know first-hand how important the training we receive at Disciple Daily is. We want the Fellowship Team to be known worldwide, so sharing our website and story with your community will be a huge blessing.

Thank you to all who are praying for us and this ministry. Your support is invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership. We can't wait to see how God plans to use us in His story.

Jenifer Cortés, Caleb Stratemann, Rob Townley
(The 2025 Fellowship Team at Disciple Daily)

P.S. - We will determine whether the Lord is leading us to these places by the response to our funding appeals over the next couple of months. Please pray with us on this matter. 

Hello and welcome to Lone Oak, where another week of study and learning with Keith and Arlie ends. Today, you will hear from all three team members explain what happened this week and some key takeaways. Without further adieu, here is the team.

Greetings y'all, Rob Townley here. My biggest takeaway from this week is the composition of man according to the Bible. Keith taught us that the Bible breaks down man into three parts: spirit, soul, and flesh/body. He explained that the spirit cannot communicate directly with the flesh and that the soul is the go-between the two. The fascinating part for me was that the Holy Spirit communicates to our spirit, thus informing us of what God wants us to do. However, the soul doesn't want to listen to the spirit; instead, it wants to give in to its desires, which are mostly non-righteous. Hearing it laid out this way helped me recognize temptation and how to avoid it. Now that I know the whole process under which it operates, spotting when and where my flesh and soul want to ignore what the spirit has for me is much more obvious daily. 


Jenifer Cortés here. This was an exciting and new week for me, experiencing my first time camping and paddling a kayak!!! The truth is that I was scared to death, I have a lot of respect (not to say fear) of the water and what hides beneath it, the good thing was that this time the water was not so intense, so I could really feel God holding my hand on this first time paddling for 5+ hrs in a kayak. Aside from the very special time we had camping, my highlight of the week was getting to know in greater detail the history of the 12 tribes and their imperfect origins. Getting to know the history of the great characters of the Bible has been highlighting in my heart the fact that I don't have to do things perfectly and "without error" to be part of God's plan, God will do what He wants to do with my life no matter if I go right or left. I long to make decisions that honor Him and His purposes on earth. I am so excited to continue seeing everything that God wants to do in my life and in the lives of my team these next few months.

Howdy y’all, this is Caleb Stratemann.  Over the past few weeks, Arlie has been teaching us hand signs and keywords that tell the complete story of the Bible.  We are not learning this important knowledge and solidifying how these stories connect linearly so that we can remember it whenever needed. We are memorizing these hand signs and keywords to teach them to the people we will be working with when we go on our mission trips. I bring this up because when we are taught these hand signs, Arlie goes in depth and tells us the necessary historical, cultural, and geographical context of these Bible stories.  On Wednesday we started memorizing the hand signs for the New Testament.  I already knew that the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are four distinct and different views of the life of Jesus. I didn’t know that one reason behind this is that these books were written to different audiences. Matthew was written to the Jews, so Matthew talks a lot about the prophecies they would be familiar with.  Mark was writing to the Romans and depicts Jesus as the perfect servant, which was culturally relevant to them then. Dr. Luke wrote to the Greeks who were obsessed with physique, focusing on Jesus being the perfect man. Finally, John is written to everyone so that all can have an opportunity to understand that Jesus was truly the son of God.  It is amazing how much I thought I knew about the Bible, to learn something new daily.



We will report again next week.

On January 16th, the 2025 Fellowship Team embarked on a unique journey at Lone Oak Retreat, their home for the next 8 months. The Fellowship is a residentially based, life-on-life, discipleship training experience. Our new Fellowship Teamers will study the Bible together and practice what Jesus teaches them as they work around Lone Oak Retreat. This hands-on approach is the beginning of a lifetime of teaching others to find their role in God’s grand story.    

Today, much of what passes for discipleship is industrialized. 

A film released in 2019 tells the back story of the famous 1966 Le Mans Grand Prix auto race. Ford v Ferrari explains how the American Ford Motor Company defeated Italy’s Ferrari. The two companies' car-building approaches were as different as night and day. Ferrari hand-crafted each car they produced, one at a time. No two cars were exactly alike. At the time, Ferrari was winning the grueling Le Mans auto race year after year. Winning the Grand Prix was Ferrari’s primary marketing strategy.

Ford mass-produced cars on mechanized assembly lines. In 1966, the Ford Motor Company entered the Le Mans race to knock Ferrari off the winner’s podium. Like Ferrari, the car they raced that year was hand-crafted. It won. But the car Ford raced was a bait-and-switch operation. Ford mass-produced automobiles to make them cheaper. There is nothing inherently wrong with a mass-produced automobile. But they don’t win races.  

Jesus' First Disciples
The earliest church made disciples at home and in neighborhoods. Acts 2 paints the picture of the people of The Way meeting together from house to house. They gathered to hear the Apostles teach and to pray. They enjoyed one another’s fellowship, frequently eating meals together. They shared everything they owned with those in need. At every get-together, there were plenty of open seats. Day by day, the Lord built the Church that belongs to Him.

During the early days of the Church, disciples of Jesus were not mass-produced. They were handcrafted, one person at a time. This personal touch demonstratd house by house, block by block, street by street, is what allowed Jesus’ first disciples to experience miraculous success. In less than 100 years, Jesus’ first Jewish disciples had managed to turn the entire Roman-ruled world upside down.

We are but of yesterday, and yet we have filled all the places that belong to you (Roman Empire) — cities, islands, forts, towns, exchanges; the military camps themselves, tribes, town councils, the palace, the senate, the market-place; we have left you nothing but your temples. - Tertullian (155-220 A.D.)

The world is radically different from what it was 2,000 years ago. However, something is happening worldwide, including in the United States. Many are looking back to a time when people were more important than projects, paperwork, and production lines.

Harnessing the energy of this moment, Jenifer Cortés, Rob Townley, and Caleb Stratteman have come together to explore disciple-making like they used to, one person at a time. They have already made an impact on their new neighborhood. Last week, they prayer-walked the area. Stopping at each house, they prayed for the people living there. “Bill” wondered what they were doing, so he introduced himself. The team listened to the story of his life.

“We used to have neighborhood potluck dinners. Everybody came. But the lady who organized them died,” Bill disclosed. “Do you think people would come if we invited everyone to our house,” the team asked. Excitedly, he responded. “Oh, yeah. I could even welcome them with my bagpipe!”

As we continue studying and practicing the Scriptures, we are beginning to plan a neighborhood potluck at Lone Oak Retreat. Who knows? Maybe Ferrari knew something Ford didn’t. Did first-century disciple-makers know something we have lost. Might we experience disciple-making like they used to, one person at a time?

The potential impact of this approach fills us with hope and optimism.  Stay tuned.

Keith attends the Carpenters Class, our Sunday Study at Wayside Chapel in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife, Becky, are the founders and directors of Evidence Ministries. Evidence is a ministry that equips Jesus' followers for Good News outreach to Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. You can learn more about Keith and Becky's ministry at https://www.evidenceministries.org.

Congratulations to all my friends who voted for Trump, particularly my Christian friends. I know most of you are ecstatic about the results of this election, though some of you are not exactly excited. Because of the content of Trump’s character, you voted for the lesser of two evils. I understand that. Even though I did not vote for Trump, I believe our country has a better chance of staying true to our Constitution with a Republican President, House, and Senate. One thing I am not certain of, though, is whether this will be good for the Church.

While our Country may prosper, will that also be true of the Church? The writing was already on the wall. If Kamala Harris had won, it would have been harder to be free to live our Christian faith without the slow creep of persecution continuing to invade our lives. I know that thought isn’t pleasant, which is part of why so many of you are thrilled about the results. But again, is that necessarily good for the Church? Remember, the growth of the first-century Church was fanned through the flames of persecution. While a Trump Presidency may be better for our Country, it is also possible that a Harris Presidency would have been better for the growth of the Church.

Think about it. What would you be doing right now if Harris had won? You would probably be begging God for mercy for the oncoming judgment brought upon our Nation. You would rightly be praying for revival like our family has been doing for some time now. If that would have been your prayer if your candidate lost, I implore you to pray it now, even though your candidate has won, especially now that your candidate has won.

Don’t think for a moment that a Trump Presidency could not also be a sign of judgment upon our nation. In fact, I would dare say that if you haven’t been praying for revival yet, you are already being lulled to sleep by the soothing feelings of complacency. Trump is not our solution. If you think for a moment that he is, you have already been deceived. We are not out of the woods yet.

All is NOT well because Trump has won. We have serious issues to face in this country. I believe the solution to those issues begins with God moving through the Church. I honestly don’t think Satan cares one whit about the future of America. What he does care about, though, is discrediting and destroying the Church. If he can do that through the prosperity of the Church in America, then guess what? That is exactly what he will do.

I firmly believe Romans 13:1-7 and am 100% assured that God has sovereignly arranged this election to elect the person He wants in office for our time. He did the same thing when Joe Biden was elected last term. God has His reasons for choosing whom He wills. We may not know or understand those reasons, but we trust Him with the results anyway. That is why I am free to vote my conscience.

I am also a firm believer that Satan will do whatever he can to continue his war against us. He may have to adjust his strategy and pick different tools to carry on his schemes, but he will never quit. Don’t let Satan fool you with the promise of a prosperous Nation. Pray. Pray against his schemes as if Kamala Harris won the election. Pray for revival. Pray that God uses our freedoms to bring more people to Jesus Christ. Based on our history, we know that persecution will help us grow. It is doing so even now in countries all over the world, but the question I have for you now is this: Can the Church be healthy in a prosperous Nation? We shall see. Don’t make our Nation an idol. It is about the KOG (Kingdom of God), not the USA.
Hit your knees and rise, Church. Pray for revival.

The big story of the Bible begins with nightfall.

“There was evening, and there was morning, one day (Genesis 1:5b).

It was still dark as New Year’s Eve revelry was winding down on Bourbon Street. You may have heard, “Nothing good happens after midnight.” A large crowd was still celebrating around 3 A.M. when an evil man drove his truck around protective barricades into a crowd of unsuspecting partygoers. At least 15 people were killed. Some died from injuries related to vehicular assault. The assailant jumped out of his truck to gun down the stunned survivors until he was shot and killed. Investigating authorities discovered live bombs and the flag of ISIS in the vehicle, which had been rented in Houston two days earlier. This incident was not a random event. It was inspired. But by who?

The clues and motives authorities are investigating are like the breadcrumbs in the story of Hansel and Gretel, intentionally placed by a cannibalistic witch to lead the siblings to her home and their destruction. Greater security, stronger policing, and other corrective measures address symptoms, not the root cause and effect. The conflict between evil and good, dark and light, death and life, is the major theme of the entire Bible. The first scene in the grand narrative of redemptive history begins in darkness.

The earth was formless and void, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1:2-4).

God created people to have a relationship with Him. They desire answers to legitimate questions.

• Where did the darkness come from?
• Did God create a chaotic mess that had to be cleaned up?
• If God is light, why is there darkness in God's prelude to his story?
• Is God responsible for what is evil in this world?

Evil is the result of a cosmic conflict over God’s right to rule His Creation. A war between God and some of His heavenly hosts (unseen spiritual beings) shrouded God’s glory in darkness. But the dark is overcome by light. Light ultimately wins every time. The spiritual war in heaven is the background of Genesis 1:2. Once you see this biblical fact, you can never unsee it.  

As its Creator, God stands outside the space and time of His Creation. Time, as we know it, began with a declaration. “Let there be light! Darkness and death do not come from God; they are symptomatic of Satan’s infectious disease. “You can be like God.”

The terrorists in New Orleans and Las Vegas. The Christmas Eve murderer in New Jersey. The October 7 maniacs in Israel. Even Hitler. They all had something in common. They all bought the lie. So what’s to be done?

Rest in what has already been done. Two thousand years ago, Jesus stepped into the darkness and became part of Israel’s story, a story that offers light to the entire world. The perfect One from heaven took on the sin of His broken Creation, offering a way for anyone to step into His Light and out of the darkness of this broken world. Once you see Jesus, the Light of the world, nothing outshines Him.

César Muñoz, a 2022/2023 Fellowship Team member, was discipled using our Bible storytelling strategy. He is now on staff with a church in Hawaii. Watch César tell the Story of Creation at Disciple Daily's Lone Oak Retreat.   

We (Arlie & Noemí Francis) took ownership of our house on Royal Port in June 1983. We are the original owners. No other family has lived here. A lot of life happened in this house. It is now a home. It has been said, “Home is where life makes up its mind.”

The week before Christmas, we decided to invite forty neighbor families to a Christmas Eve open house in our front yard. About half of our neighbors opened their front doors to receive their invitation. Most of those were pleasant and curious. Several neighbors cracked their front doors and stood suspiciously behind them for protection. When no one answered, an invitation was left at the front door.

As Christmas Eve arrived, we had no idea how many people might attend our impromptu gathering. I declared, “We might have two, forty, or none, and I really don’t care. We’re doing this!” Gabe (our son) and I set up the hot chocolate and cookie station. We assembled ten “luminarias” as a visible guide to our house. When all was in place, we prayed. “Lord, this is Yours. Use it.”

Our event was scheduled for 7:30 - 9 P.M. At 7:30 sharp, a car pulled up, and the Pizarro family spilled out. Long-time friends from our local congregation, Wayside Chapel, arrived to help. The children, five in all, quickly learned the fine art of luminary assembly and operation. Each one added their luminary to our display. The Light was displacing darkness. My “luminaria disciples” got into position to train our neighbors to do what we had just taught them.

 Making disciples of Jesus is simple. You don’t have to do it alone!
Decide to be a light in your neighborhood.
Engage and equip your family.
Recruit participants.
Open your home, be hospitable, and have a simple plan.
Let God lead the way. Follow Him. Invite others to “Come and See.”

By 9 P.M., about forty people had shown up. Luminarias spotlighted our corner lot, casting a warm glow over the gathering. Neighbors previously “home alone” met new friends, their faces lit up with joy. Standing side-by-side in our front yard, they listened as Noemí told the story of how light displaced darkness in the birth of Jesus. Passing cars slowed to watch what was happening, their curiosity turning into a shared sense of community. “Merry Christmas,” some shouted. Our little choir sang “Silent Night” under the stars of heaven, their voices carrying the song of the season. The expected One has arrived. To the east, lightning flashed across the sky. Heaven applauded, echoing the joy of our shared celebration.

Noemí and I are a part of what God is doing in creatively making a spectacle of Jesus. We want others to experience what we experienced what w experienced throughout 2024, including Christmas Eve. But I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I wrestle with a lack of faith that God will provide for this ministry. I know He has all the resources we need in the pockets of the Church Jesus is building.

If the Lord is speaking to you about joining our financial team with a one-time end-of-year gift or a continuing monthly donation, it could make a huge difference in what we can accomplish. All I ask is that you to listen to what the Lord may saying to you about Disciple Daily. Whatever you decide, we are in His hands.

May the Lord abundantly bless you and those around you in the year ahead.

Arlie & Noemí Francis

Make no mistake. Do not be deceived. The birth of Jesus was an act of war. He was born to die!

Before anything on earth was made, God created the heavenly host of angels, cherubim, and seraphim. Their purpose, as is ours, was to worship and glorify God forever. They rejoiced with one voice as the Lord spoke this world into being (Job 38:7).

But it was too good to last. A spiritual war broke out in heaven. It corrupted Creation. "Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1:2)." Into the broken, chaotic darkness, God said, "Let there be light." The Light was everywhere. But God will not force Himself on anyone.

Satan convinced one-third of the heavenly host that they could wrest control from their Creator. The result? They went to jail; they were exiled from His presence. Throughout the next 4,000 years, darkness held Creation captive. Like the rebellious heavenly host, humanity continually chose darkness over the Light. Thankfully, that is not the end of the story.

From the Garden of Eden to the birth of Jesus, Jewish prophets proclaimed that Satan's power over this world would one day come to an end. The stage had been set. It was inevitable. "When of the fulness of the time came(Galatians 4:4), God sent forth His Son." When God took on human flesh as a baby, it was a declaration of war. On the night of his birth, the sky over Bethlehem burst forth with Light. Shepherds tending their sheep in nearby fields could not look away. Darkness cannot compete with Light.

The shepherds, obedient to the call, left the fields to find the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, the world's Savior. When they found Him, they worshipped the baby alone. No wise men were present that night; they would come much later.

Please don't miss the point. Light defeats darkness. The Gospel of John tells the world that Jesus is the Creator and the Light of Men. He offers Himself as the victor over the darkness each human being experiences. Right now, there is still time, but everybody must choose. Not choosing Light over the dark is a choice for the dark. The Light is life. The dark is death. Each of us is responsible for our own choice.

Jesus' birth was a declaration of war. The end of this mess we have made of everything is around the corner. Which side are you on?

This is my neighborhood. I have been praying for forty households by name for over three years. Tonight, Christmas Eve, every household has been invited to our house to share hot chocolate, cookies, and a few Christmas carols. Neighbors will hear the "Story of Light" before they make luminarias (paper lunch bags, two cups of sand, a tea light) and place them around our yard. They will fill the night with light.

Join us today in becoming a "Light" in your neighborhood. You can start blessing your neighbors today and tomorrow in five easy steps. Find out how now!

Arlie & Noemí Francis
Co-Founders of Disciple Daily 

Seven days may seem short, but a lot can happen in one week. God created this world in six days and then had a day of rest. He has patterned history on that model.

One week ago today, Americans chose the 47th president of the United States. Donald Trump delivered a reflective and forward-looking victory speech at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday, December 6th. The President-Elect's plans for Day 1 of his return to Washington have stirred many emotions- jubilation, indifference, and horror. Despite the decisive victory, America remains a nation divided.
 
What will happen on Day 1 of a new Trump administration? Donal J. Trump has been planning for January 20, 2025, for four years. For all of his bluster, Trump is a doer, not a waiter. He is working hard today for an anticipated yet uncertain future day. Now, let's make a spiritual switch. Almost fifty years ago, I learned about spiritual switches from one of my disciplers. To Russell Kelfer, a spiritual switch was the spiritual application to a story or an event he would often use to make his point.

As followers of Jesus Christ, all we have is Day 1. The end of your time on earth could be today. You could die, or the Rapture could occur. If either of those were to happen today, what would become of all your plans?
 
Today is Day 1! 

Please take three significant steps. First, step outside your home. Ask yourself, 'Do I know the names of all the people living in the ten houses closest to me?' Second, pray today and every day, asking God to open your neighbors' doors.  Third, prepare yourself to step through their homes as a disciple of Jesus Christ. God placed you in your neighborhood for a reason. Introduce your neighbors to His Son, Jesus. Let's unite in prayer for this high calling. Jesus is the Light, the only beacon of hope for America!

The spiritual renewal of America will not begin on January 20, 2025, on the steps of the Capitol. It's been said that all politics are local. Barak Obama stakes his claim to fame on how he came to power as a community organizer. Observe the worldly lessons of those who sought your vote over the last four years. They organized their outreach house-by-house, neighborhood by neighborhood. Democrats and Republicans campaigned as if they had read, understood, and believed the power of community building found in Acts 2.
 
Listen Church! If we do not act today according to Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations, we should be ashamed. Spiritual renewal in America cannot be achieved via retribution or anger. It cannot be accomplished through force. It must be done through the personal gentle urging of our Savior.
 
"Come to Me, all who are weary and have laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from  Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - Jesus
 
Friends, today is Day 1. Let's not underestimate the power of this moment. It's a day filled with potential and opportunities. Let's seize it and use it well. Carpe Diem! 

If you have already done this, thank you. If you have not, the app is how we are going to organize our outreach in 2025. Make sure to set up a personal account. It is FREE!