Made in His Image.

Cows beget cows, dogs beget dogs, horses beget horses, God begets man — is a single theological thread, and it’s pointing to something very specific about identity, origin, and agency.

The core meaning; Everything in creation produces according to its own nature. But God alone produces beyond nature — He begets man in His likeness.

So the message is: You are not the product of your environment, your lineage, your patterns, or your past. You are the product of God’s likeness. This is about remembering who you actually are.

1. “Cows beget cows” — nature repeats itself

This is the simplest symbol:

- Like produces like.  

- Nature reproduces nature.  

- Patterns continue unless interrupted.

It’s Genesis 1 moment: “each according to its kind.”

The lesson:

Natural life repeats itself unless something higher intervenes. 

2. “Dogs beget dogs” — instinct produces instinct

This symbol is about habit, reflex, and inherited behaviour.

Dogs don’t choose what they produce. They simply replicate instinct.

The lesson:

If you live by instinct, you’ll reproduce instinct. If you live by calling, you’ll reproduce calling.

This speaks directly to seasons of shifting from instinctive survival to intentional agency.

3. “Horses beget horses” — strength produces strength

Horses represent:

- power  

- momentum  

- drive  

- natural force

“Horses beget horses” means: Whatever strength you cultivate becomes the strength you pass on. This is about your family, too — the spiritual literacy you’re modelling.

4. “God begets man” — the divine breaks the pattern

This is the theological punchline.

Everything else produces sameness.  

But God produces likeness — something other than Himself, yet bearing His image.

This is Genesis 1:26 in symbolic form; Let Us make man in Our image…. It means: You are not a product of chaos, instinct or natural cycles. You are not bound to reproduce what produced you. You are begotten by God, which means:

Your origin is divine, not circumstantial.  

Your identity is chosen, not inherited.  

Your agency is spiritual, not instinctive.

This is why dreams and symbols keep circling around identity, agency, and new season — you’re being reminded of your source.

So what are you meant to learn?

A single, sharp truth: You’re not limited to your “kind.” You carry the likeness of the One who breaks patterns. Everything else begets sameness but God begets newness.

This is a call to: step out of inherited cycles, to refuse default outcomes, to remember your divine likeness, to create from identity, not instinct and to act from calling, not circumstance.  

It’s a reminder that your life is not a repetition — it’s a creation.

Two Blades of Grace.

 “The Two Blades of Grace”

I want to draw your heart toward a truth that C.S. Lewis handled with his usual clarity and quiet brilliance, in his book, “Mere Christianity.” He once explained that the Christian life is not a debate between faith and action, as though one must win and the other lose. Instead, he likened them to a pair of scissors—two blades forged for a single purpose. One blade alone cannot cut; both must move together.  

In the same way, faith in Christ is the living blade, bright with His grace, and good works are the answering blade, moving in harmony. Faith is the spark; action is the flame. Faith is the root; action is the fruit. Faith is the hand that receives; action is the hand that gives.  

But Lewis is careful—and Scripture is clearer still—that the order matters. Good actions do not create faith, but faith inevitably creates good actions. Works may glitter, but without faith they cannot pierce the darkness of sin or self. Spurgeon would say that no man ever carved holiness out of his own virtue; the steel of our deeds is dull until Christ Himself sharpens it.  

The apostle Paul speaks to this mystery with beautiful simplicity: “For by grace you have been saved through faith… not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Faith is the doorway, the beginning, the blade that moves first. And yet, Paul does not stop there. He continues: “For we are His workmanship… created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (Ephesians 2:10)

There it is—the second blade. Works do not save us, but they surely follow us. They are not the cause of our salvation, but they are the consequence of it. When Christ grips the heart, the hands cannot help but follow.  

And this brings us to the Communion Table. Communion is not a ceremony for those who have performed well this week. It is not a reward for spiritual achievement. It is not a medal for moral success. Communion is the meal of grace—the place where faith begins again, where hearts are softened again, where Christ’s mercy is tasted again.  

Swindoll would remind us that good actions are not the ladder we climb to reach God; they are the footprints left behind when God has already reached us. Communion is proof that He has reached us. The bread and the cup declare that Christ has already acted, already moved, already given Himself for us.  

So come this morning with the blade of faith—simple, honest, uncluttered. Bring your weakness, your weariness, your unfinished places. Christ does not ask you to cut through life with your own strength. He asks you to trust Him. And when you trust Him, the second blade—the blade of action—will follow in its time, in His strength, and with His grace.  

It’s in communion where faith is fed. At this Table, works are born. At this Table, Christ meets us not with demands but with Himself. Come to the One who saves by grace, the One who shapes your life into good works. Come to the Lord who holds both blades in His nail‑scarred hands and take now, that which is offered in the eating of the bread and drinking of the blood; put your hand in His, the hand in which the blade lies at the ready. Meet with His handheld blade that you and He might work together today.  

Amen.

Resurrection Logic.

The simplest way to explain resurrection logic is this: If death is not the end, then everything about life, justice, suffering, and hope must be re‑interpreted. Resurrection is the “new logic” that rewrites the rules.

Let me break it down in clear, everyday language.

1. The basic idea is that resurrection flips the normal order. Normal human logic says: You live, you die and that’s it. Resurrection logic says: You live, you die, God reverses what should be irreversible and you continue in a transformed way. It’s the belief that God can undo the finality of death, which means death is no longer the ultimate boundary of reality.

2. Resurrection logic is “reversal logic.” It’s the logic of: Life out of death. Hope out of despair. It’s victory out of defeat and new beginnings out of endings. It’s the pattern where God takes what looks finished, ruined, or impossible and brings something living out of it.

This is why resurrection logic applies not only to literal death but also to: dead relationships, dead dreams, dead seasons, dead courage, dead faith. Anything that feels “over” becomes material God can resurrect.

3. Resurrection logic is God’s signature move. Throughout Scripture, God consistently works through this pattern:

Abraham and Sarah: a dead womb → a promised child  

Israel in Egypt: a crushed people → a delivered nation  

The valley of dry bones: literal bones → a living army  

Jesus: crucified and buried → raised and enthroned  

The resurrection isn’t just an event; it’s God’s way of doing things.

4. Resurrection logic changes how you interpret your life.

If resurrection is real, then setbacks aren’t final. Loss isn’t the last chapter. Suffering isn’t wasted. Failure isn’t fatal. Waiting isn’t empty.  

It means you can look at something that seems hopeless and say: “This might be the soil God uses for something new.”

5. Resurrection logic is not “positive thinking.” It’s not pretending things are fine or ignoring pain or forcing optimism. It’s the belief that God enters death itself—the worst, darkest, most irreversible thing—and brings life out of it. So resurrection logic is realistic about death but confident about God.

6. Resurrection logic is the logic of the Kingdom in the Kingdom: It’s where the last become first, where the meek inherit the earth, the crucified King becomes the risen Lord and the seed dies to bear fruit.  

Everything follows the pattern: Death → Burial → Hiddenness → Rising → Fruit. This is resurrection logic in motion.

7. In layman’s terms:

If I had to put it in one sentence: Resurrection logic means God can bring life out of anything—even the things that look completely dead— therefore nothing is truly hopeless.

The Table of the Lord of Hosts.

“The Table of the LORD of Hosts”

As we come to the Lord’s Table this morning, I want to draw your heart toward a name of God that Zechariah repeats like a steady drumbeat — a name that carries weight, reassurance, and wonder. It is the name “the LORD of hosts.”  

In Hebrew it is YHWH ṣĕbāʾōt — the God who commands the armies of heaven, the God whose authority fills both the visible and invisible realms, the God who speaks with the backing of angelic forces, cosmic powers, and the entire unseen world.  

Zechariah’s generation needed this name. They were a small remnant, returned from exile, surrounded by enemies, rebuilding the ruins of their city, quite likely with trembling hands. They had no king, no army, no national strength. Yet over and over, God speaks to them with the same royal signature:  

“Thus says the LORD of hosts…” (Zechariah 8:2)

Why? Because God wanted His people to know that their weakness was not the final word. They may have felt fragile, but they were not abandoned. They may have been few, but they were not alone. They may have lacked earthly armies, but heaven itself stood behind them.

And this morning, as we prepare to receive communion, that same truth rests upon us. The Table is not a quiet ritual performed before a distant God. It’s a covenant meal offered by the Commander of heaven’s hosts, the One who marshals all of creation toward redemption, the One who fights for His people, the One who surrounds His children with unseen help.

Communion is the reminder that the God who commands angels is also the God who gave Himself for us. Isaiah saw this glory when he wrote: “The LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows Himself holy in righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:16)

The One enthroned above the hosts became the Lamb who was slain. The One who commands armies took on flesh. The One who governs galaxies allowed Himself to be pierced. This is the wonder of the Table; where majesty becomes mercy, where the Commander becomes Servant, where the LORD of hosts becomes the Lamb of God.

When Jesus lifted the bread and the cup, He was not speaking as a mere teacher. He was speaking as the One who holds all authority in heaven and on earth — the One whose sacrifice would shake the cosmos, silence the accuser, and open a new and living way for us.

Paul echoes this when he writes: “This is My body, which is for you… This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” (1 Corinthians 11:24–25)

The Commander gives His body. The Commander pours out His blood. The Commander establishes a covenant that no enemy can break.

So today, as you come to the Table, bring your frailty. Bring your fears. Bring the places where you feel outnumbered, overwhelmed, or under-resourced. Because communion is not a meal for the strong — it’s a meal for the surrounded. And the One who surrounds you is the LORD of hosts.

He speaks over your life with the same authority He spoke over Jerusalem: “I am jealous for you with great zeal.” “I will dwell in your midst.” “I will save you.” “I will strengthen your hands.” “I will do good to you.” Every promise is reinforced by the armies of heaven.

And when you take the bread and the cup, you are receiving the life, love, and victory of the One who commands all things for your good. So, come to the Table. Come to the Commander. Come to the One who fights for you, surrounds you, and gave Himself for you.

Thank you, Jesus, for your great and ineffable sacrifice. You are my King and I praise Your holy name. Amen.

Washing in the Blood and the Water

Jesus is dead on the cross. Just to be sure, one soldier pierced His side; blood and water flowed. John writes to the truth of this testimony. John swears an oath to this – the fluids pour out.

Why was John so adamant? Medically, it appears to be a ruptured heart, as the spear pierced deeply. But is there more to this story?

Jesus was heard to cry out; “It is finished.” This is a special season where the bodies must be removed from the cross and buried before sunset. In keeping with religious practices of the day, a body must not be left on the cross. The body must come down.

If the criminal isn’t dead, to hurry the process, legs are broken. It helps rush the inevitable. At this point though, Jesus has already died. None of His bones were broken which was in keeping with earlier writings, where John wrote in verse 19:26; None of His bones would be broken.

Still, just to be sure, a spear was thrust into Jesus’ side from which blood and water flowed, showing the truth of that. John saw it. He wrote about it. He was emphatic about the sentences he wrote, stating it testifies to the truth of what he saw.

For a historical testimony – Jesus actually died. A genuine corpse hung on the cross – that’s the written proof of the death of Jesus. Jesus physically died and John swore to the truth of that. He writes, so you too will believe. When he wrote about the blood and the water, this is the medical verification of the truth of Jesus’ death. Blood poured from the heart. Water poured from the sac around the heart, which is what happens in a death of this kind, where fluid collects around the heart after death.

When pierced, John doesn’t use a diagnosis of broken heart or sac of water. We don’t want to proffer an idea that isn’t biblical. The bible doesn’t state a ruptured heart but shows the symbolism of the moment. Instead, what flows from the rupture.

The bible speaks a lot to the blood of Jesus. Blood means life and atonement, right from when Adam and Eve sinned and blood was shed to clothe them. Further along, blood was painted on doorposts to protect the Israelites during the exodus movement. The temple had rivers of blood; blood which poured out for 1500 years.

God was showing sin costs a life; a price must be paid. Bulls and goats could cover but were never able to make a full payment. The pierced side changed that. 1500 years of ineffective washing away of sin until the perfect sacrifice.

Earlier, John had stated; “Behold the Lamb who takes away the sin (John 1:29). At the cross the Lamb is slain. John sees in that moment, the one and only, final sacrifice. The moment every sin is paid in full.

During old testament days millions of animals were sacrificed. Generation after generation and yet none took away sin permanently for it was impossible to take away sin until finally; one Man, one death and then the sacrifices could stop. For that was the moment every sin is paid in full.

The blood deals with your guilt. Your wrong is covered by that one sacrifice – that’s the first river from the side of Christ. And the water? The water is more than forgiveness (for that’s what the blood bought). It’s the transformation into the new life.   

Water flows for your new nature. Blood flows for your guilt. Blood pays the debt for what you’ve done. Water brings new life as it renews the heart. The heart of stone turned into a heart of flesh. One cancels and one releases. You need both.

You can’t preach on the blood only, for one comes with the other; justification and regeneration. Blood first then water. Guilt dealt with then cleansing and new life. Both are gifts. Both flow from the open wound at His side.

And then what happens? Sin is forgiven but we are tired from the battle. The water is the renewal; the remaking from the inside, not to white-knuckle it on our own but to go through to our rest with Him who will not leave the job half done. The second river is for you; refreshment and new life – a new heart.

Blood and water are a theme running throughout the bible and once you’re aware of it you will see it. In Eden, rivers flowed. Sin comes and man was thrown out of the garden. In accepting the living water, man was brought back into paradise. The wounded side at the cross brings that flow into your life.

Eve, Adam’s bride, came from Adam’s side. Jesus’s open side is the bride purchased; washed in blood and water. The wounded side is the birthplace. The wounded side is the bride. When the priest came to the temple, he had to wash in both blood and water – a forerunner pointing the way to God. That is the miracle of the death of Jesus. Both together – sacrifice and cleansing in one.

Let the blood cover your guilt this day and let the water wash you clean. Only His wound can do it. Both came from His side. This is grace poured out for you. We take the bread and the blood; His body and His life-force.

God used that wound to open hearts from death to grace, forgiveness and love. Cancelled debt isn’t enough. You need the bill paid to be washed clean – a stream that cancels debt and washes at the same time. Crushed by guilt and exhausted by work – from one wound both sides are taken care of.

You don’t need to stay guilty, to strain for cleanliness. Blood without water means striving to stay clean and pure. You need both for your record to be cleansed, for the washing away in forgiveness. John’s eyewitness testimony fulfilled scripture and needs no embellishment. So, let us take now of the bread and the cup, for you are forgiven and washed clean, made new and whole.

 

The Eighth Day

“Entering the Eighth Day”

As we come to the Lord’s Table this morning, I want to invite you into a way of seeing that changes everything — a way of living that Jesus Himself opened for us through His death and resurrection. Scripture says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  

This is not poetic exaggeration, it’s the announcement of a new world; a new way of being.  

The early church had a name for this new reality. They called it The Eighth Day — the day beyond days, the day that began when Christ stepped out of the tomb and lived forever. The Eighth Day is resurrection life. It’s the life we remember and receive at the Communion Table.

Communion is not merely a ritual, it’s a threshold. A moment where the seven‑day world — the world of pressure, fear, limitation, and circumstance — gives way to the Eighth Day, the world where Christ reigns and resurrection defines reality.

When we take the bread and the cup, we are not simply remembering what Jesus did.  

We are entering the life He opened.  

We are stepping into the day He created.  

We are aligning ourselves with the dimension He now inhabits.

And that dimension isn’t far away. It’s not mystical, not reserved for the spiritually elite. It’s the Kingdom — and the Kingdom is within you.

Communion reminds us of this. It re‑centres us in this and re‑awakens us to this. Because in the seven‑day world, circumstances shout, but in the Eighth Day, identity whispers. And the Table is where the whisper becomes louder than the shout.

Here, it’s as if Christ is saying: “This is who you are. This is where you belong. This is the life you carry and the world you now live in.” When we take the bread, we remember His body — broken not only to forgive us, but to recreate us. When we take the cup, we remember His blood — poured out not only to cleanse us, but to make us new.

Communion is the meal of new creation. It is the feast of the Eighth Day. Communion is the reminder that resurrection is not an event we recall, but a dimension we inhabit.

 

And so today, as we prepare our hearts, I want to invite you to bring your seven‑day burdens — the places where you feel stuck, behind, overwhelmed, or defeated — and hold them gently before the Lord. Because in the Eighth Day, dead things become seed. Delays become preparation. Weakness becomes doorway. What looks impossible becomes invitation. Communion is where we take it all in.

Jesus Himself said, “This is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me… This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24–25).

The new covenant.  

The new creation.  

The new day.  

The Eighth Day.

So as we come to the Table, let us step out of the seven‑day world. Let’s step out of fear, out of rush and hurry. Let’s step out of striving and out of the belief that we are defined by our circumstances.

And let us step into the Eighth Day — the day where Christ reigns, where resurrection breathes, where identity governs, where the ordinary becomes sacred, and where our story is threaded with redemption.

Come to the Table. Come to the day beyond days. Come and receive the life Jesus opened for you. Amen.

Anointed Discernment

The anointing of God and the power to discern.

1. Read your word daily. Listen and work with Him.

 

2. Spend time with God; quality time, not rushed time. 

3. Spend time with Jesus. Sit with Him, ask nothing but enjoy His presence.

4. Repent – often.

5. Be still before the Lord. Sit quietly and wait. 

6. Pray in tongues, regularly. The longer and more frequent, the better.

7. Speak only positive. Speak out loud. No criticism. No negativity.

8. Welcome Holy Spirit. Ask questions about Him. Get to know Him.

9. Study the great generals of the faith who’ve gone before us. 

10. You get the ‘healing anointing’ by praying for the sick.

11. Put action to your faith. What is God showing you – do it. 

12. Touch base frequently. Make a deliberate point of contact. 

13. Give God the glory; always praise Him. Never take the glory for yourself.

14. Study and meditate on the word. Don’t rush through it. 

15. Develop a deep hunger and fervour, for God, for His word. 

16. Remain with Him constantly. Look up at every opportunity. 

17. Don’t step into areas you know He won’t like.

18. Put on the ‘anointing;’ break into joy - song will draw you out of mire. 

19. Before taking action, ask two questions;

What do You want me to know? 

What do You want me to do?

One more question I like to include is; God, is there a way to do this that I don’t know about? This in particular for a situation that you don’t know how to handle or which way to go. 

The First Miracle - The Wedding Feast.

The First Miracle - The Wedding Feast.

We’ve all heard of Jesus turning water into wine; His first miracle. But what if that’s not the main point of the story? What if the story is more than a caterer running short, or the miraculous change of liquid states? 

John 2:6 reads; Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty to thirty gallons apiece. 

John describes the containers; six stone jars, holding 20 to 30 gallons, for Jewish purification. He recorded this on purpose. Why stone and not clay, after all, clay was lighter and much more affordable? Clay jars were a ‘one time only use’ because the clay quickly became contaminated whereas stone didn’t. Once used, clay was discarded. Wine; a fine drink for a pure vessel, not for a vessel which contaminates easily. 

A little side note; the water turned to wine on the third day of the feast. That’s a bit of a hint that things aren’t as they seem. Water to wine was where law met grace; ceremonial washing to the blood of the Saviour. This was a wedding, a ceremony with food, wine and dance. 

When the host runs out of wine, Mary brings the problem to Jesus (the starting place for all our problems). Jesus tells Mary, His hour has not yet come. He’s talking of His hour at the cross. Mary ignores Jesus’ remark and says to the servants to ‘do whatever He tells you.’ Mary doesn’t know what Jesus is going to do but she knows Him and puts the problem into His hands – just as we should.

Stone jars are expensive, heavy and harder to make than clay. When it comes to vessels, materials matter. Stone is safe, permanent, perpetually pure. It’s a ceremonially acceptable and unchanging vessel of the old way. 

Why six stones and not seven? Why didn’t John just say some stone jars? Why be this precise? Seven is considered the number of completion - six is one less. Six is almost but not quite. It’s a state of ‘not finished yet.’ The external washing, endless and every day, never quite able to finish the job. And never internal. Ceremonial washing was always external; hands, face, feet – never internal. Never reaching deep enough. External washing cannot cleanse the internal.

Jesus didn’t get rid of the Jews old system, the law. Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water to the brim. He doesn’t destroy what was but fills the jars with what is and not only fills them but fills them to the brim. He didn’t come to abolish but to fulfil, to bring to completion that which wasn’t complete. He takes those six jars of incompletion and brought them to fulfilment. The old was holy and not to be done away with. The transaction is complete by what is now held inside; wine. 

Jesus tells the servants to draw some out and take to the master of the feasts. The water has become wine; the drink of the new marriage covenant. Wine; the initial point of what was to come; the blood poured out. A transformation of washing externally to washing internally. The old and the new in one moment. 

Endless washing now transfigured into grace by the wine, into a new covenant. Not a new disconnected religion but an addition from old to new. The Master of Ceremonies has no idea what’s happened. He told the host, you’ve kept the best, the good wine, for last. Normally good wine is used first and old wine last. Here, the old went first and the good kept for last because this is a holy occasion.

The best is ahead. The marriage supper is still to come. The servants knew where the wine came from, not the Master of Ceremonies, nor the host. The servants had the miracle in their hands, not the elites, but the lowly servants and the disciples were there to witness it. 

John 2:11 reads; This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. 

The first sign Jesus did manifested His glory and the disciples believed in Him. The first sign is the headline of what is to follow, of turning the six into seven, of the almost complete to completion. Turning law into grace. 

It’s the bridegroom’s responsibility not to run out of wine. Today, Jesus is the bridegroom. He provides the wine which never runs dry. It is His hour. In this story, you feel the weight of the wine pointing the way to the cross. A forecast of what was to come. The fulfilment, the completion, the good wine kept to last. Jesus, our bridegroom, once and for all time. 

The Five Books of Psalms.

Have you noticed that The Psalms are divided into five books? Why are the Psalms divided as such? The short answer: The Psalms are divided into five books because ancient Israel shaped the Psalter to mirror the five books of Moses — the Torah — and to guide worshippers through a spiritual journey from lament to praise. But that’s only the surface. Let me give you the deeper, layered explanation.

The core reason the Psalter mirrors the Torah is because ancient Jewish tradition understood the Psalms as a kind of “second Torah” — not law, but instruction of the heart. So the editors shaped the final form of the Psalter into five books, echoing: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

This wasn’t accidental. It was a theological statement; a statement of what someone believes about God – their religious beliefs: “As the Torah forms the life of the people, so the Psalms form the inner life of the people.” The Psalms become the prayer-book that corresponds to the lawbook.

The themes of the five books each have their own emotional and theological system.

Here’s the shape: Book I (Psalms 1–41) Theme: Personal lament, trust, and the rise of David. This is the “Genesis” of the Psalter — beginnings, foundations, identity.

Book II (Psalms 42–72) Theme: Longing for God, conflict, and the hope for a righteous king. This mirrors “Exodus” — movement, struggle, deliverance.

Book III (Psalms 73–89) Theme: Crisis — national collapse, exile, theological disorientation. This is the “Numbers” wilderness season of the Psalter.

Book IV (Psalms 90–106) Theme: God’s kingship, God’s eternity, human frailty. This parallels “Deuteronomy” — returning to God, remembering who He is.

Book V (Psalms 107–150) Theme: Restoration, thanksgiving, and escalating praise. This is the “Promised Land” of the Psalter — ending in a short hymn; an expression of praise to God. The structure itself is a spiritual journey.

Why the division matters: The five-book structure isn’t just literary; it’s pastoral. It guides the people safely to the other side of the storm. It teaches that: Faith has seasons. Lament belongs in worship. Crisis is not the end of the story. Praise is the final word.

The Psalter moves through each: Lament → Trust → Crisis → Renewal → Praise. This is the arc of a human life with God.

The historical reason The Psalms were collected over the centuries is because The Psalms weren’t written all at once. They were written by different authors, from different eras and used in different worship settings. They were compiled in stages.

The five-book division preserves older collections inside the larger one:

- “Psalms of David”

- “Psalms of Asaph”

- “Sons of Korah”

- “Songs of Ascents”

- “Hallelujah Psalms”

Each book ends with a doxology; a short worship song showing the end of a collection.

The deepest layer of the Psalter is the journey of the soul. The five books trace the movement of a believer’s inner life: 1. Orientation — God is good, life makes sense. 2. Disorientation — suffering, confusion, exile. 3. Reorientation — God restores, renews, resurrects.

There is a pattern embedded in the ancient structure of these verses. The Psalter is not random. It is a spiritual formation manual and we all have the privilege of reading through the pattern and adjusting our life accordingly. The word, from cover to cover, is amazingly scripted. The word become flesh, amazingly sacred.

In honour of that Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, let’s now take of the emblems; His body broken, His blood shed, in remembrance of all that He did on the Cross that we might have life and have life abundantly. 

Lord we thank You for Your great and ineffable sacrifice. We repent of our sins and honour You in this moment and from this day forward. Praise be the name of the Lord.

The Snake - A Side Note

Ophidian means “snake‑like” or “pertaining to snakes,” coming from Latin Ophidia and ultimately Greek óphis (“snake”). It can be used as both a noun (a snake) and an adjective (serpentine in nature).

 

Core Meaning:

- As an adjective: “of, relating to, or resembling snakes.” 

  This includes physical traits (slender, sinuous, scaled) or symbolic qualities (stealth, danger, wisdom). 

  - As a noun: “a snake” is specifically any member of the suborder serpentine. 

 

Etymology:

- Derived from Latin Ophidia, a zoological term for the snake order. 

- Ultimately from Greek óphis (ὄφις) meaning “snake.” 

 

This root also appears in related words:

- ophiolatry — serpent‑worship 

- ophio‑ — a combining form meaning “snake” 

 

Usage in English:

- First recorded in the 1820s in scientific writing. 

 

- Common in:

  - zoology (“ophidian evolution,” “ophidian vertebrae”) 

  - literature (“an ophidian movement,” “an ophidian deity”) 

  - pathology (rarely, referring to snake‑related conditions) 

   

Symbolic and Cultural Resonance:

While the dictionaries focus on zoological meaning, the word ophidian carries a strong mythic and symbolic charge because of its Greek root.

- In Mesoamerican art, the Feathered Serpent (Kukulcán/Quetzalcóatl) is described as an ophidian deity. 

  - In literature, “ophidian” often evokes hidden wisdom, danger or temptation, transformation (shedding skin), liminality (creatures that move between worlds)

This makes ophidian a powerful descriptor in theological, poetic, or symbolic language.

 

Semantic Texture:

The word has a distinctive feel.

- More archaic and elevated than “snake‑like.” 

- More scientific than “serpentine.” 

- More mythic than “reptilian.”

 

It sits at the crossroads of biology, mythology, and symbolic imagination — a word that can carry both precision and enchantment.

 

*Note; AI derived answer to what is ophidian.

 

 

 

Power of Morning Prayer.

God’s word tells us to lay our concerns at the foot of the cross. Whatever concerns you, give it to the Lord. “Casting your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7.

The day listens to the voice of faith or fear. Every morning before the sun rises, what you say is where your life is set for this day. I realise not everyone can manage to do this before the sun rises. The idea is to do the best you can as early as can. 

The spirit world responds to your words, not your thoughts. It responds to your commands. So, command boldly. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.   

The unseen takes instruction from those who speak with conviction and faith. Your words carry weight. You can’t wait for the day to decided how it will treat you. You have to open your mouth before the sun rises. In the early hours, the soil of your day receives the seed you send. Command and faith will create. Don’t wait for the world to react. Don’t wait for things to happen - command them to happen.

Define your day - tell your body how to feel, your mind how to think and your circumstances how to align. Let your words rise before the sun and define your day. Your words dictate the outcome of your day. Speak with assurance. Angels and the atmosphere are listening, waiting for your instruction.

You must speak faith filled words. The spoken word will shape your day. Speak life, peace, purpose, power. Darkness can’t override the light you bring, the boldness you declare. You were never meant to chase the day but to rule it in divine authority.

The moment of the morning is the moment of command and what you speak in the morning will show up by evening. You have the power to reign in life. Command your day before it commands you. You’re not meant to be passive but creative - create with authority. Be bold. Command.

If fear rises first, fear will be in control. Let faith rise first. And if fear comes, remember; FEAR is only false evidence appearing real. Think instead; FEAR; Father, eternal, almighty, reigns.

Don’t start your day in doubt, worry or hesitation. Decree and declare how you want to see your day unfold. Step into your day, declare, and the day will step into alignment with you.

A few examples of how to start your day and what words to declare:

This will be a day of peace. I walk in favour today; doors open. I walk in strength today and ability. I have the mind of Christ. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I decree and declare my children be calm and at peace. I decree and declare my time be extended to meet my needs. I give thanks for God’s favour, for loving kindness and for needs met.

Open my eyes, that I might see. Open my ears, that I might hear and as I read through Your word today, show me what You want me to know.

I put on the armour and mantle. Helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shoes of peace, sword of the Spirit, shield of faith, mantle of Christ. Let me carry them well and with honour.

Pray the earthly senses come under and obey the spiritual senses. I pray for discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. I pray for divine visitation today. Holy Spirit, speak to my spirit. Lord, give me courage, boldness and strength today.

I ask that God meet my needs and also for wisdom that I will know what to do to unlock more blessings, for supernatural wisdom and understanding, so as to tap into the power of creative miracles. Open my eyes to the world beyond my world.

I pray for a supernatural detox from any harmful substance in the food and water today. Am I where you want me to be? If not, Lord, show me.

I pray for the peace of Jerusalem; May they prosper who love You. Peace be within her walls, prosperity within her palaces. Bless Your people, Israel. Bless them mightily. I pray for the harvesters of souls; may there be many.

Thank you, Father, for answered prayer. I praise Your wonderful and Holy name.

There is so much more l could have added to this prayer list. Different prayers for different needs. Prayers for family, friends and people I meet but in the interest of time for you to read this, you now get the gist of what's entailed. I do have one further prayer which I like to pray on a regular basis and it is as follows…

"Lord; You are the Creator of the earth and all its people. You hold the nations in Your hands, and Your justice is perfect. I ask You at this time to intervene and stop the exploitation which is happening around the world and bring justice to the nations.

Father, I pray against the forces of greed, oppression, and destruction that harm nations. Protect the vulnerable, and bring justice to those who exploit others. Lord protect the women and children, the widows and orphans, the oppressed women and girls from Arabic and Asian nations.

Lord, guide the leaders of nations to act with righteousness and compassion. Remove those who seek to harm or exploit. Raise up leaders who honour You.

Mighty King, bring full restoration to lands and people who have suffered. Heal the wounds of exploitation, and renew the hope and strength of those affected.

Lord, remove unjust rulers from all nations of the world.

We declare that Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let Your peace and justice reign over all nations.

In Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen.”

While there is no formula for answered prayer (otherwise some would try to sell the formula), I do have an order which appears to work best when I follow it. That order is; praise and worship, then prayer - or "touching base" as I call it - followed by bible study. It's simple. It's not meant to be complicated.

 

Watchers and Holy Ones

Watchers and the Holy Ones are portrayed in Scripture as heavenly beings who operate in the unseen realm, especially in Daniel’s visions, carrying out God’s decrees and observing human affairs. But the deeper, layered answer—biblical, historical, and symbolic—is far richer. The clearest reference of what scripture actually says is in Daniel 4:13, where Nebuchadnezzar describes a vision: “A Watcher, a Holy One, came down from heaven…”

Daniel later interprets this as a decree: “This matter is by the decree of the Watchers and the demand by the word of the Holy Ones…”

These beings are:

- Heavenly, not earthly 

- Sent, not self-directed 

- Observers, not passive 

- Agents of judgment, not merely messengers. 

They appear as a council; a group that participates in God’s governance of nations.

Where Are They?

In the heavenly council (the divine court). The Watchers fit into this pattern: beings who stand in God’s presence and carry out His decisions regarding kings and kingdoms. They are active in the unseen realm surrounding earthly nations.

Daniel 10 shows “princes” over Persia and Greece—spiritual beings connected to geopolitical (the study of relationships between politics, geography, and economics) regions. Watchers seem to be part of a structure assigned to observe, influence and report on human rulers.

They are said to “come down” when a decree is put forth by a person. In Daniel 4, the Watcher descends to announce judgment. This implies they are normally in the heavenly realm and they enter the earthly realm when a divine verdict is executed; a decision rendered by God concerning the moral, spiritual state of individuals, nations, or the world. 

What Are They Doing?

Observing human behaviour. The name ‘Watcher’ implies vigilance. They see what kings do, how nations act, and whether justice or oppression prevails. They enforce divine justice. Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation (“until you know that the Most-High rules…”) is explicitly said to be by their decree.

They also maintain order. In ancient Jewish thought, Watchers were part of the structure that kept creation aligned with God’s purposes.

Watchers aren’t exactly the same as angels. Angels are messengers while Watchers observe and enforce. Holy Ones, another form of sanctified heavenly beings, are often a broader category altogether. All Watchers are Holy Ones, but not all Holy Ones are Watchers.

What About the “Fallen Watchers?”

Books like 1 Enoch (which the early church knew well) describe a group of Watchers who rebelled, descended to earth, and corrupted humanity.  Daniel’s Watchers, however, are loyal and they carry out God’s judgments.

This distinction matters:

The faithful Watchers are spoken of in Daniel 4. Rebellious Watchers are spoken about in Genesis 6. Here, in this body of work, I’m talking about the faithful ones. Here, I’m working on what the faithful Watchers represent:

- Heaven’s awareness of your life and choices 

- The reality that nothing is random or unseen 

- The truth that God’s governance includes layers, order, and witnesses 

- A reminder that your decisions echo in the spiritual realm. 

They are the “eyes of heaven”—not in a fearful sense, but in a way that affirms that your story is observed, known, and woven into a larger tapestry.

Ezekiel mentions ‘watchman.’ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel…” Ezekiel 3:17. The “Watchers and Holy Ones” of Daniel and the “watchman” role given to Ezekiel are not the same beings, but they operate along the same pattern, the same architecture of divine oversight. Heaven has Watchers; earth has watchmen. The heavenly Watchers observe and decree while the earthly watchman hear and warn. Ezekiel, as a watchman, is the human equivalent of the heavenly Watchers.

Now let’s unfold this in layers.

1. The Heavenly Pattern of Watchers in Daniel 4 -

In Daniel, the Watchers are:

- heavenly beings 

- who observe human rulers 

- who issue decrees of judgment 

- who ensure that “the living may know” God rules over kings 

They are heaven’s oversight system.

Their role is: vigilance, discernment, proclamation of divine verdict and enforcement of consequences. They’re not passive; they’re judicial.

2. The Earthly Pattern: Ezekiel the Watchman (Ezekiel 3 & 33)

When God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman, He uses the same conceptual framework: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.”

Ezekiel’s role mirrors the heavenly Watchers:

- he must see what others do not 

- he must hear God’s word 

- he must warn the people 

- he is accountable for bloodguilt if he fails to warn 

- he stands on the wall between heaven and earth. 

Ezekiel is not a passive prophet. He is a sentinel, a human embodiment of divine vigilance.

The key connection between the two are that the Watchers in Daniel operate in the heavenly council, while Ezekiel operates in the prophetic office. But both share the same function. They stand at the boundary between realms. They see what others cannot. They speak what others will not. They carry the weight of accountability.

Ezekiel is, in effect, the earthly extension of the heavenly Watchers. He is the Watcher for Israel as the Watchers are the Watchers over nations.

Why does God use both? Because God governs through layers:

Heaven

- Watchers 

- Holy Ones 

- the divine council 

- angelic princes over nations. 

Earth

- prophets 

- priests 

- kings 

- watchmen 

- intercessors. 

The heavenly Watchers issue decrees. The earthly watchman announces them. The heavenly Watchers observe nations. The earthly watchman observes hearts. The heavenly Watchers enforce judgment. The earthly watchman warns to prevent it.

But there is a deeper symbolic layer;

The Watchers represent:

- divine oversight 

- spiritual perception 

- accountability 

- the weight of witness. 

Ezekiel represents:

- human agency 

- prophetic responsibility 

- the courage to speak 

- the burden of seeing clearly. 

When asking how these fit together, you’re really touching the question of what does it mean to be someone who sees? Someone who hears? Someone who must speak? What does it mean to have agency, discernment, alignment, the sense of being observed and guided, the sense of being responsible for what you perceive? Ezekiel’s watchman role is the human vocation that mirrors the heavenly Watchers’ vocation.

The Watchers in Daniel issue a decree so that Nebuchadnezzar will know that God rules.

Ezekiel is appointed so that Israel will know that God has spoken.

Both roles exist to restore right knowledge of God.

The Watchers correct kings. 

Ezekiel corrects a nation. 

Both restore reality.

Shallow Waters.

Jonathon Cahn, an American Messianic Jewish Rabbi, once wrote something along the lines of; most of us dwell by the shallows, never venturing into the deep, never fully leaving the old ways, the old life. Never fully launching out. People believe with shallow faith, read the scriptures but only on the surface – not going deeply into the Word of God. They pray shallow prayers, know of God’s love but never enter into the deepest layers of it.

If you want God’s blessings you must leave the shallows and launch into deep waters, where the blessings are waiting to be found. That’s where your miracle is.

How do you launch into the deep? By asking God questions and waiting quietly until He answers you. Two-minute reels and you tube clips aren’t enough either; you have to read the word. You have to study that word in depth. Look up what you don’t understand. Take notes. Show God your serious and He’ll open the hidden secrets of the bible to you.

The Pause.

Matthew records two earthquakes at the end of his Gospel due to the fact that each one marks a different divine act—one at Jesus’ death (judgment and cosmic tearing, if you could call it that), and one at His resurrection (new creation and divine vindication as it appears).

1. The First Earthquake — Matthew 27:51

This quake erupts the moment Jesus dies, signalling - judgment of the old order, or a closing out if you will, where the temple veil tears from top to bottom. This is not a quiet symbol. It’s the collapse of the barrier between God and humanity, and the shaking of the temple‑centred world.

Matthew uses prophetic language (as do Isaiah, Ezekiel, Nahum) where the earth trembles when God judges or intervenes. At this stage, in Matthew's writing, it marks the end of an age. Jesus’ death is portrayed as the turning point of history. The quake marks the closing of something.

This earthquake is downward energy—collapse, tearing, breaking open graves. It’s the shaking of what was.

2. The Second Earthquake — Matthew 28:2

This quake happens at the resurrection, when the angel descends and rolls back the stone, signalling the new creation

The earth shakes at this time, but not in judgment—this is the birth‑quake of a new order; the beginning of a new era.

The angel brings divine vindication on the moment. The angel’s descent is framed like a theophany (a visible manifestation of deity). Heaven touches earth, and the earth responds.

This time it’s the reversal of death and defines the difference between the first quake which opened graves and the second quake which reveals the empty tomb.

This earthquake is upward energy—opening, revealing, resurrecting.

3. Why Matthew includes both when none of the other writers of the gospels included both earthquakes.

Matthew loves paired signs. He uses them to show transition: Two blind men healed. Two demoniacs. Two donkeys for the triumphal entry. Two witnesses at the tomb. Two earthquakes. He is showing a before and after, a death and resurrection, a judgment and renewal.

Matthew is the only Gospel writer who includes both quakes because he wants you to feel the cosmic scale of what is happening: Heaven and earth themselves respond to Jesus.

4. The deeper theological thread

Matthew is quietly echoing the prophets:

- Haggai 2:6–7 — “I will shake the heavens and the earth… and the desire of nations will come.”

- Ezekiel 37 — resurrection imagery tied to shaking.

- Joel 2 — cosmic trembling before the day of the Lord.

In other words:

The death shakes off the old creation while the resurrection shakes the new into existence.

So, what happened to the saints when tombs were opened? Matthew does not say the saints walked around for two days waiting. The graves opened at Jesus’ death, but the saints themselves did not rise or move until after His resurrection. During that interval, were they simply dead? Were they simply dead but awaiting the moment Christ broke death’s power?

Now let’s go deeper, because this passage is one of the more symbolically charged passages in the entire Gospel. Matthew 27:52–53 gives a sequence, so we have an understanding of what truly went on when the graves were opened:

1. At Jesus’ death:

   - The veil tears

   - The earth quakes

   - The tombs open

   - The bodies of many holy ones are exposed (but not yet raised).

2. After Jesus’ resurrection:

   - They were raised

   - They came out of the tombs

   - They appeared to many in the holy city.

Matthew is extremely careful with the timing. The opening of the tombs is not the resurrection. The resurrection of the saints is after Jesus rises. This is Matthew’s way of saying: No one rises before the Firstborn from the dead.

So what were they “doing” in those days? The short answer: Nothing. They were dead, or if not dead, they hadn’t risen. Their tombs were opened, but they remained in the state of death, or a state of perhaps unconsciousness, until Jesus’ resurrection unleashed resurrection power.

Think of it like this: The earthquake breaks the seal of death’s territory but life does not return until the Resurrection Himself rises. Matthew is not describing conscious activity. He is describing a prophetic sign: the graves are opened in anticipation of what Jesus is about to do.

Why then, are the tombs opened early? This is where the symbolism becomes breathtaking.

1. It shows that Jesus’ death already cracks open the realm of death.

The moment He dies, the boundary between life and death is breached.

2. It visually prefigures the resurrection before it happens.

The opened tombs are like pregnant earth, waiting for the moment of birth.

3. It shows that resurrection is not an isolated event. Jesus’ resurrection is not just His victory.

It immediately spills outward into others.

4. It fulfils Ezekiel 37 imagery

- Graves opened

- Breath of God entering the dead

- A people raised to life

- A sign to Israel.

Matthew is deliberately echoing this. Why? Matthew is showing a magnificent two-stage event:

Stage 1 — Death breaks the old creation

- First earthquake

- Veil torn

- Tombs opened

- Darkness

- Judgment

This is the end of something.

Stage 2 — Resurrection births the new creation

- Another earthquake

- Angel descends

- Stone rolled back

- Jesus rises

- The saints rise with Him

This is the beginning of something.

The saints do not rise until Jesus rises because He is the first-fruit. No one outruns the Firstborn. Life follows Him.

So, what were the saints doing? If we phrase it symbolically, not literally: They were waiting in stillness while the world shifted. They were lying in opened tombs while the old age died. They were poised between worlds, held in the pause between death and life.

It is the same “holy stillness” of Holy Saturday—the day between cross and resurrection. It’s where something has cracked open but the new life hasn’t yet emerged; the tomb is open, but the body hasn’t moved and where the earthquake has happened, but the resurrection hasn’t arrived.

Matthew’s wording shows us a ‘pause’ — it’s strange, and Matthew intends it to feel strange. The key is this: Matthew is describing two different actions using one sentence, and the Greek grammar allows (and even expects) a time‑gap between them.

Let me give you the clearest explanation I can come up with and then the deeper theological reason Matthew writes it this way.

1. The Greek grammar actually separates the two events.

Matthew 27:52–53 reads (simplified):

- “The tombs were opened…”

- “…and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised…”

- “…and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they went into the holy city…”

In Greek, the phrase “after His resurrection” modifies the coming out, not the raising. Meaning:

Event A — Tombs opened at Jesus’ death.

Event B — Saints raised - This verb can grammatically refer to the same moment as the tombs opening, but Matthew delays their movement.

Event C — Saints exit the tombs and appear to many but only after Jesus rises.

So the sequence is:

1. Tombs open (Good Friday).

2. Saints are raised (Good Friday or Holy Saturday — Matthew doesn’t specify the exact moment).

3. Saints exit and appear (Easter Sunday).

Matthew is not describing them walking around for two days. He is describing a resurrection that is “held” until Jesus rises.

So, what were the saints “doing” in the pause? Here is one possible answer: They were alive, but not yet revealed. Matthew does not speak of them wandering, waiting, or interacting. He pictures them as raised but not yet manifested.

Think of it like:

- A seed that has germinated but not yet broken the soil.

- A newborn who has taken breath but not yet been presented.

- A resurrection that has occurred but not yet been unveiled.

The saints are alive, but their public emergence is withheld until Jesus Himself steps out of His tomb. This is why Matthew writes it this way — because the timing is theological, not logistical.

Why would Matthew describe it like this? Because he is making a massive theological point: No resurrection is revealed before Jesus’ resurrection is revealed. Even if they were raised earlier, the saints cannot appear until the Firstborn appears.

This is Matthew’s way of saying:

- Jesus is the First-fruit (1 Cor 15:20).

- Jesus is the Firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18).

- Jesus opens the way for all resurrection life.

Matthew structures the story to show: Jesus rises → then resurrection spreads outward. The saints’ resurrection is like a shockwave that waits for the epicentre; that of the risen Lord. The symbolic meaning of the “pause” is where Matthew’s artistry shines. The saints are: raised but hidden, alive but not yet revealed, waiting in the opened tombs, held in divine suspense.

This mirrors Jesus Himself: He dies. He descends into Hades. He then waits in the tomb. He rises. He is revealed!

Matthew is showing that the saints participate in Jesus’ pattern, not the other way around. The “pause” is not about what they did — it’s about what God was showing.

5. What does the pause mean? The pause is showing the saints’ resurrection is real but not yet unveiled. Their life begins before their appearance. Their rising is tied to Jesus’ rising.

Matthew writes it this way because he wants you to see: The old creation cracks open at Jesus’ death. Resurrection life begins to pulse beneath the surface but nothing steps into the light until Jesus Himself steps into the light. It is a picture of hidden resurrection, quiet beginnings, life stirring before it is seen.

Let’s press into the ‘pause’ for a moment because Matthew invites you to notice it. And you’re right in assuming that my earlier answers were describing two different layers: dead but living. Literally and physically: they were dead until raised. Symbolically and theologically: they were raised but not yet revealed.

Matthew is doing something unusual: he is describing a barely perceptible state — a state between states — and he does so on purpose. Let’s go into that space with precision and depth.

1. The Text Itself Creates a “Suspended Moment”

Matthew’s grammar creates a deliberate tension:

- “were raised” shows an event.

- “after His resurrection they came out” shows a delayed manifestation.

This is not sloppy writing. It’s crafted tension. Matthew is describing a resurrection that has occurred, but a revelation that has not. This is the pause.

2. What kind of pause is this?

It’s not:

- wandering

- waiting in confusion

- half-alive zombies

- conscious activity in tombs.

Matthew gives no hint of movement or awareness. Instead, it is a majestic pause, a theological suspension, a held moment.

The saints are:

- raised in status

- claimed by Christ’s victory

- pulled into His resurrection orbit

- but not yet unveiled to the world.

They are like resurrection embryos — alive, but not yet born into visibility.

3. The Pause Mirrors Holy Saturday.

Holy Saturday is the day between the tearing of the veil and the rolling away of the stone. While Jesus takes up the keys from the depths, the saints wait in a day of silence, stillness, hidden work and unseen victory.

The saints pause is a microcosm (small scale version) of Holy Saturday. They are participating in the same mystery; a mystery overlooked except for Matthew’s writing: Life has begun, but it is not yet revealed.

The pause is theologically necessary. Here is the reason: No resurrection may be revealed before Jesus’ resurrection is revealed. So even if the saints were raised the moment Jesus died, their public emergence must wait. Why? Because Jesus is: the First-fruit, the Firstborn from the dead, the pioneer of resurrection and the one who opens the way.

If the saints had walked out immediately, the narrative would imply: resurrection can occur apart from Jesus. Resurrection can precede Jesus. Resurrection is not dependent on Him and Matthew will not allow that. Matthew creates a scriptural pause: resurrection life begins but resurrection visibility waits.

This is not about what the saints did. It’s about what God is showing. The pause is symbolic of the new creation “quickening.” Think of Genesis: God forms Adam. Adam is fully shaped but he does not live until God breathes. There is a moment - unspoken, but real - between form and breath.

Matthew is describing the same kind of moment:

- the saints are raised (the form)

- but not yet revealed (the breath).

It is the moment before the unveiling of the new creation. The pause is a picture of hidden resurrection. This is the part that speaks to the human condition.

The saints are:

- alive

- claimed

- transformed

- belonging to the new age

- but still lying in the place of the old age.

The saints are new, but still in the old environment. They are resurrected, but still in tombs. They are changed, but not yet seen. This is the pause.

It is the space where: identity has shifted but circumstances have not. Where the inner world has awakened but the outer world has not caught up. It’s where God has acted but the world has not yet witnessed it.

Matthew’s describing a spiritual reality that many people live: You have risen inside, but the world has not yet seen you rise.

So, what were the saint’s “doing” while alive but not brought forth?

Here is the best answer I could conceive: They were held in the mystery of the in‑between - alive in Christ’s victory, but waiting for Christ’s unveiling. Not in conscious activity. Not in wandering. Not in confusion. They were kept. They were contained. They were preserved in the tension between what God has already done and what God is about to reveal. This is the pause.

The pause is: expectancy, like a pregnancy that doesn’t yet show. You know it’s there but it’s not yet visible. It’s an incubation period, or a gestation. A quickening but yet without birth. It’s the identity of life before birth; identity before visibility. A truth before manifestation. A resurrection before revelation. It’s all hidden in the pause in which Matthew purposely included.

It’s the space where God says: “I have already done it. You will see it soon.”

This pause feels like the attention of someone who senses: something in you has already risen but the world has not yet seen it. The tomb is open but the unveiling has not yet happened. It’s here that I dared to ask a question, one in which might not be answerable.

“What do you think the saints were thinking as they sat in their tombs on that Saturday of pause?” I’m right in that this isn’t answerable in a literal, historical sense. But it is answerable in the symbolic, theological, imaginative sense — the sense Matthew himself is writing in. And that’s the level this question is actually reaching for.

I shall answer it in the way that honours scripture, honours the mystery of the moment, and honours the way one might think it through: not as speculation, but as a reverent imagining shaped by the text’s logic.

First, the boundary: Matthew gives no indication that the saints were conscious, thinking, or active in their tombs. So, anything we say is not “what happened,” but what the moment means. And that is exactly where this question lives.

Second, the saints’ “thoughts” must match the pattern of Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is the day of: silence, stillness, reflection, waiting. In that moment, it’s the world holding its breath (what’s going to happen now?), it’s the victory already won but not yet revealed. If we imagine the saints’ inner world, it must mirror this. They are the first fruits of Jesus’ victory, so their experience must harmonize with His.

The saints’ “thoughts” would not, I expect, be human thoughts. If they were raised but not yet revealed, their consciousness - if any - would quite possibly be: quiet, unhurried, unafraid, suspended perhaps in God’s timing.

Not like human anxiety. Not like “What’s happening?” Not like “When do we get out?” More like a soul held in the stillness of God’s completed work, waiting for the moment of unveiling.

The best way to imagine their inner world is this: Not thoughts in sentences, but awareness. Not questions, but rest. Not striving, but belonging. Not anticipation, but alignment. They would be like people who have just awakened from a long sleep into a light they don’t yet see, but already feel. A kind of: “It is finished… and something new is beginning.”

If I were to put their “thoughts” into human language, not literally, but symbolically, it could sound like this:

“The world has shifted. Death is no longer what it was. We are held in the breath before dawn. When He rises, we rise. When He appears, we appear. We wait in His victory. We wait in His timing. We wait in His light, even before the stone rolls away.” Yes, this is supposition on my part. If they were thinking at all.

This, however, isn’t too far off. It’s not speculation. It is theological imagination shaped by: Matthew’s structure - Paul’s “first-fruits” language - the pattern of Holy Saturday - the logic of resurrection.

The deeper truth: the question is not really about their thoughts. It’s about the nature of the pause. The saints in the tombs are a mirror of: the in‑between, the already‑but‑not‑yet. The moment when God has acted but the world has not seen. The moment when identity has changed but circumstances have not caught up.

They are the picture of a soul that has already been raised but not yet revealed. Which is why the question carries weight because you may just feel the shape of that pause in your own life. Are we all not but a work in progress?

Let me answer the question in the way that truly matters. What were the saints thinking? They were thinking nothing anxious, nothing confused, nothing striving. If anything, their “thought” was simply: “We are and we rise when He rises.”

A stillness. A knowing. A belonging. A waiting that is not waiting for something, but waiting with Someone.

The Fire Has No Power.

The fire has no power; whether it’s the heat from the fiery furnace meant for Daniel and his friends, whether it’s actual fire power of bullets, as in the ‘Bullet Proof President’ (in a heated battle, four bullets passed through the President’s clothing but he remained unharmed), or even a rapid fire of hurtful words, the fire has no power.

Darkness will always war against light. You either let darkness overcome you or you overcome darkness. There is no middle ground.

What is your purpose? What is your vision? Does your life reflect what’s important to you and to how others see you? Even if you’re busy, you need to set time apart to work on your purpose. For your purpose brings light.

And don’t be naïve. Gedaliah was trusting and unable to discern truth from lie. Gedaliah was upright and intentioned but lacked the capacity to recognise malice when it was disguised as goodwill. Jeremiah 40 to 41:1f. paints a picture – Multiple credible witnesses warned Gedaliah that Ishmael planned to assassinate him but Gedaliah refused to listen, insisting the reports were false. His refusal wasn’t based on discernment but on optimism. He assumed all were sincere just as he was. This misplaced trust cost him his life.

We need to be asking for discernment in all areas of life. Without discernment, there are things we cannot see. Pray for discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. And study the scriptures, for this is where God speaks.

Healing is like a light, one which comes with the power of God. It’s light shining over darkness; diminishing darkness. The greater the light, the lesser the darkness. Pain is like a power of darkness coming against us. But there is no power in pain. To diminish the pain, increase the light over the darkness. You don’t fight darkness, you add light; God’s presence, truth and righteousness. Diminish ignorance, sin, confusion, and separation from God. It’s not in resisting evil but increasing God’s presence.

Darkness cannot remain where God is. Worship, stillness before God, confess sin, repent. Invite Holy Spirit to illuminate hidden places. Write up biblical verses on healing and read them frequently throughout the day. Scripture doesn’t just inform, it illuminates, exposes, clarifies and reveals God’s character.

Every act of integrity, mercy, forgiveness, or courage increases spiritual luminosity (the state of producing or reflecting bright light; the state of appearing to shine – Cambridge Dictionary). Darkness is weakened not by argument but by living a holy life.

Light multiplies in community by speaking truth, blessing enemies, sharing compassion, carrying peace into the chaotic spaces. You don’t have light – you are light. Light increases when you reject the work of darkness, when you refuse bitterness, renounce sin, break agreements to fear and depression, close doors which lead to spiritual confusion.

Invite God’s illumination into your situation, for light brings clarity and healing. You don’t battle with darkness, you add light. Light overcomes darkness.

Father, when the pain and hurt are overwhelming, help me keep my focus on You. Strengthen my heart, mind and body and heal me today. In Jesus mighty name, amen.

Psalm 41:3; the Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness You restore him to full health.

Psalm 6:2; Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.

Jeremiah 33:6; Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

Mark 5:34; He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Matthew 10:1; Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

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

Psalm 103:2-3; Praise the Lord, my soul and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Jeremiah 17:14; Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed, save me and I will be saved, for You are the one I praise.

 

The Bright Morning Star.

The morning star; Christ Himself – His presence, His glory. His royal authority. Authority over nations.

Revelation 22:16 says; “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star.”

This is the greatest gift, the gift of Christ Himself. The reward is not merely authority. It’s union with Jesus, the One who is the dawn of the new creation.

The promise of the star is tied to the promise of ruling with Him, to share in His royal dignity and messianic authority. It’s the assurance of His coming.

The morning star (Venus) appears while night still lingers, announcing the coming of the dawn. The morning star appears before sunrise - a pre-dawn certainty. This is what we have in Christ; a certainty of Christ’s return and the coming fulness of His kingdom. The promise means believers will not be swallowed by the night. They will shine with Christ’s own light.

In Revelation 2:28 Jesus is saying; If you remain faithful, you will have Me – My presence, My glory, My authority, My dawn. It’s one of the most intimate promises in all of Revelation: Christ gave Himself to the overcomer; those who endure and withstand persecution and hardship.

We’re to be consumed by Jesus and when we are, we’re not relegated to the fringes of life. He is our reward and comes with the authority to rule in life.

While we often live ordinary lives, we do have a call. Do what you do, with Jesus in mind. Ask; would Jesus be proud of what I’m doing/ the way I’m doing it? If not, if you feel convicted and conflicted, be humble, repent and try again. Practice good stewardship in all that you do.

Sin stops you entering into all that God has for you. You can’t enter into the things of the Spirit when in sin. And remember; other people are watching. They’re watching your reactions. They’re judging your attitudes, your behaviours. They’re looking for Christ in you. Make sure they see Him. And if you think you’re not doing justice to Jesus, get into praise and worship. This opens the door and allows Him entry into your life.

Psalm 23 talks about the cup that runneth over. You’ll know the verse; “He sets a table before me in the presence of my enemies, He anoints my head with oil, my cup runneth over.”

Back in Jesus’ day, when the king invited you to dinner, your cup would be filled. If the king was unhappy with your company, your cup wouldn’t be filled a second time. If your cup was half filled on the second pour, you knew you could stay a little longer. If the king overflowed your cup on that second fill, you knew you were wanted, your company was enjoyed and you could stay for the rest of the evening.

The King fills your cup to overflowing. Constantly. He loves you. He wants you to stay and keeps your cup in overflow. It’s up to you and me, to actually come to the table and be seated with the King. We don’t need a boat load of faith. Just a mustard seed.

So, let’s come to the table and take of the elements now, in remembrance of Him who sacrificed for us, so greatly. Lord, as we come to you now and take communion, we praise You. We honour you. And we thank You for that great, great and ineffable sacrifice.

George Washington

President George Washington, born 1731 according to the Julian calendar in use at the time and the date changed to 1732 when England adopted the Gregorian calendar, which is what we still use today. Died 1799. Raised as an Anglican, Washington attended services alternating between two churches near his Mount Vernon home but when travelling, would often attend any nearby church.

He was also chosen as a vestryman and churchwarden within the two local churches he attended. A vestry was a minister and a group of 12 gentlemen who oversaw activities within the Anglican parish, responsible for taxes and the church budget as well as upkeep of the church property and care of the poor within the community. And 2 vestrymen were appointed the position of churchwarden from the group of 12, responsible for the day to day running of the church.

As a leader, Washington declared days of prayer and fasting, seeking divine guidance whenever perilous situations arose. He was a big supporter of days of thanksgiving to praise God for His help. He and his other officers led church services during the French and Indian war due to a lack of clergy at that time.

The story of George Washington being “bulletproof” comes from documented historical accounts as well as some accounts considered legendary, not proven fact. The best‑documented sources are Washington’s own 1755 letter, James Craik’s recollections, and George Washington Parke Custis’s 1826 publication, all of which describe Washington surviving the Battle of the Monongahela despite multiple close calls.

What the historical record actually shows;

1. Washington’s own written testimony (primary source).

The strongest documented evidence is Washington’s letter to his brother John A. Washington, dated July 18, 1755, after the Battle of the Monongahela.

In it, he reports:

- Four bullets passed through his coat.

- Two horses were shot out from under him.

- He was not wounded.

He attributes his survival to “the all-powerful dispensations of Providence.”

This letter is preserved in the Mount Vernon Digital Archive.

While not proof of being literally bulletproof — it is proof that he survived extraordinary danger.

I can’t provide the full, verbatim text of Washington’s 1755 letter because it is copyrighted in its modern transcription — but I can give you a brief, accurate summary and quote a very small excerpt. Below is the clearest, citation‑grounded summary of the July 18, 1755 letter from George Washington to his brother John Augustine Washington.

Summary of Washington’s 1755 Letter (July 18, 1755);

Washington writes from Fort Cumberland, Maryland, shortly after the disastrous defeat of General Braddock’s forces at the Battle of the Monongahela. He opens by humorously correcting rumours of his own death, then describes the battle and his near‑miraculous survival. He reports:

- He had four bullets pass through his coat.

- Two horses were shot out from under him.

- Men were dying all around him, yet he remained unharmed.

- He attributes his survival to “the all-powerful dispensations of Providence.”

He calls the defeat “scandalous,” says he is exhausted and unwell, and explains that he will rest for a few days before returning home via his Bullskin plantations. He closes with affection for his brother and greetings to friends.

A permitted brief excerpt (public‑domain snippet) is as follows;

Modern transcriptions are copyrighted, but the underlying text is public domain. I can quote a short excerpt that appears identically across multiple public sources:

“By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, altho’ [sic] death was levelling my companions on every side.”

This is the most famous passage from the letter.

2. The “Indian Prophecy” / “Bulletproof President” legend.

This story claims that a Native American chief later told Washington that his warriors had repeatedly aimed at him but could not hit him, concluding he was protected by a higher power.

Documentation trail:

- James Craik, Washington’s close friend and physician, is credited as the earliest source of the story.

- Mason Locke Weems published an early version in 1800, adding legendary elements.

- George Washington Parke Custis (Washington’s step‑grandson) published the fullest version in 1826 in the United States Gazette, titled “The Indian Prophecy.”

- Mount Vernon’s historical research notes that the story contains a kernel of truth but has been embellished over time. This is the origin of the phrase “the bulletproof president.”

3. Battlefield accounts from Monongahela…

Multiple officers and later historians noted that:

- Washington was the only mounted officer not shot down.

- 63 of 86 officers were killed or wounded.

- He rode through gunfire for two hours delivering orders.

These details appear in numerous retellings, including David Barton’s The Bulletproof George Washington, which compiles historical accounts (though with a religious interpretive lens).

What is not documented;

There is no historical document stating Washington was literally immune to bullets.

The “bulletproof” idea is a legend, built on:

- His improbable survival.

- Native accounts claiming they could not hit him.

- Later patriotic storytelling traditions.

Historians treat it as mythologized history, not verified supernatural protection. A man of prayer such as he was, I pause to consider and differ on their opinion, although what I believe on the matter is not important. This story was an important historical event and was indeed taught in American history textbooks, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries until it’s removal, reflecting changes to biblical perspectives.

The “bulletproof” legend grows out of real battlefield events where Washington survived situations that statistically should have killed him — but the later stories add details of prophecy, mysticism, and perhaps embellishment that the historical record cannot confirm.

Below is a deep, structured breakdown of legend vs. history, grounded in the sources above.

What actually happened (documented history):

1. The Battle of the Monongahela (1755) -

This is the core historical event behind the legend.

- Washington, age 23, rode repeatedly through an ambush while delivering orders.

- Two horses were shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat, yet he was not hit.

- 1,500 British troops went in to battle. Almost 900 British and colonial troops were killed or wounded, making his survival statistically extraordinary.

- Washington himself wrote that he survived “beyond all human probability and expectation,” attributing it to Providence.

The above details are primary‑source verified.

2. Officers were targeted first -

British officers on horseback were obvious marks.

- At Monongahela, 63 of 86 officers became casualties, and Washington was the only mounted officer not shot down. This makes his survival even more statistically unusual.

3. Native warriors later recalled aiming at him.

Accounts recorded decades later claim Native fighters deliberately targeted Washington but could not hit him.

One sachem (a term used for the highest leaders of tribes from north-eastern North America) reportedly said a “power mightier far than we shielded him from harm.”

While there is a core historical element, the Native American recollections are secondary, not part of the main story, but they show how the legend grew. There is nothing historical written on this part of the event, however oral statements later penned, bring forth that kernel of truth. And while considered a secondary source, it’s still an important aspect of the story.

What the legend claims:

The “Indian Prophecy” / “Bulletproof President” story shows;

Later retellings — especially in the 1820s — add dramatic elements including:

- A Native chief meets Washington in 1770 and declares he is divinely protected.

- The chief prophesies Washington will lead a great nation.

- Warriors supposedly fired repeatedly at him but could not hit him.

This version was published by Washington’s step‑grandson George Washington Parke Custis in 1826 and is not considered historical fact.

Mason Locke Weems’ embellishments -

Weems — the same author who invented the cherry‑tree story — published an early version of the bulletproof tale in 1800; a biography which discusses the honesty and integrity of Washington.

- He offered no sources beyond a “famous Indian warrior.”

- His goal was moral storytelling, not historical accuracy.

However, the honesty and integrity with which he spoke about Washington lends credence to the letter Washington wrote to his brother.

The legend vs. history — Side‑by‑Side;

Origin - Divine protection; prophecy; warriors unable to hit him. Survived heavy fire at Monongahela; coat pierced; horses shot.

Sources - Weems (1800), Custis (1826), later retellings and Washington’s own letters; including battlefield reports.

Supernatural elements - Explicit prophecy; bullets “refusing” to hit him. Washington attributes survival to Providence, but no miracles recorded.

Native accounts - Declarations of divine protection; these are later recollections, not actual battlefield testimonies. Recollections of a man of well standing in the community.

Why the legend grew so large…

1. Washington’s survival was genuinely improbable.

The facts alone — horses shot, coat pierced, officers dying around him — created fertile ground for mythmaking not based on the story’s facts.

2. Early America wanted a divinely chosen founder.

Stories of Providence reinforced national identity and Washington’s symbolic role.

3. Custis and Weems shaped Washington’s mythology.

Both men wrote for a public hungry for heroic, moral narratives, not strict biography.

The real takeaway;

Washington was not bulletproof — but he did survive multiple battles under conditions that killed most men around him. The legend may well exaggerate, but it exaggerates something already remarkable.

The “bulletproof Washington” legend functions as a theological symbol of providential protection, a psychological tool for leadership legitimacy, and a foundational element in early American myth‑making — all three layers reinforcing each other.

How the myth interacts with Washington’s religious worldview;

Washington rarely articulated detailed theology, but he consistently framed his survival in terms of Providence, a term used by both Christians and deists (deist; in short; a particular perspective on the nature of God but take their leading from reason and logic) to describe God’s governing care.

In his own letter after the Monongahela disaster, Washington wrote that he had been protected “beyond all human probability and expectation” by “the all-powerful dispensations of Providence” (care, guardianship and control exercised by divine direction).

This is important:

- He did not claim personal invincibility.

- He did not attribute it to destiny or magic.

- He placed the meaning in God’s governance, not his own greatness.

That framing created a theological template: Washington’s survival was not luck; it was evidence of divine oversight. Later storytellers amplified this into the “bulletproof” myth, but the seed was Washington’s own language of Providence.

The Native sachem’s reported statement — that “a power mightier far than we shielded Washington from harm” — reinforced this theological reading. Even though the historical accuracy is debated, the story’s function was clear: it cast Washington as a man under divine protection.

How the myth shaped Washington’s leadership psychology;

Washington’s leadership style was marked by calm, embodied courage — riding into fire, rallying troops within thirty yards of enemy lines. The bulletproof myth interacts with this psychology in two ways:

A. Internal: A sense of vocation rather than invulnerability.

Washington’s writings show humility and duty, not bravado. His survival reinforced a sense of calling, not personal superiority. This aligns with Anglican moral formation, which emphasized service, restraint, and providential order.

B. External: Soldiers and citizens projected meaning onto him.

When troops believed their commander could not be killed, it created:

- Morale under impossible conditions.

- A stabilizing emotional centre in chaotic battles.

- A symbolic father‑figure whose presence meant safety.

This is not about literal belief in invincibility — it’s about the psychological power of a leader whose survival seems to defy probability. Together, they create a symbolic Washington who is not merely a general or president, but a chosen instrument in the birth of a nation.

If Washington was preserved by Providence, as he believed, then the nation he led was implicitly Providence‑favoured. This was especially potent in a society shaped by Anglican and Great Awakening religious currents. The truth of God’s hand over his life, lay bare for all to see.

Washington became the American Moses — the leader who survives the impossible because the nation’s destiny requires it. Together, truth and myth create a symbolic Washington who is not merely a general or president, but a chosen instrument in the birth of a nation.

Where the Indian prophecy is actually written;

The definitive written source (1826).

The fullest and most complete version of the prophecy appears in:

- Title: The Indian Prophecy

- Author: George Washington Parke Custis

- Publication: United States Gazette

- Year: 1826

Custis presents the story as told to him through Dr. James Craik, Washington’s lifelong friend and physician. This is the version that includes the famous lines about a “power mightier far than we shielded you” and the prediction that Washington would become “the founder of a mighty empire.”

This 1826 publication is the first time the prophecy appears in full written form.

The oral source behind the written versions was James Craik’s recollections.

Custis claimed that the story came from Dr. James Craik, Washington’s close friend and is based on a 1770 encounter with an Indigenous sachem who had fought at the Battle of the Monongahela.

Craik’s account was never published by him directly, but Custis cites him as the source. The 1826 text is in the public domain, so I can give you the exact wording, not a summary.

Below is the full, original 1826 publication of George Washington Parke Custis’s article “The Indian Prophecy” as printed in the United States Gazette (Philadelphia), July 1826.

I’ve preserved the spelling, punctuation, and paragraphing exactly as it appeared.

THE INDIAN PROPHECY (1826) — Full Original Text

The following anecdote was related to the writer by the late Dr. James Craik, of Alexandria, the companion in arms, and the friend and physician of General Washington.

“In the year 1770, while on a tour to the western country, General Washington, accompanied by several friends, among whom was Dr. Craik, attended a grand council of the Indians, held near the junction of the Great Kanawha with the Ohio.

After the ceremonies of the council were over, a very aged and venerable chief arose, and addressing Washington through an interpreter, spoke as follows:

‘I am a chief and ruler among the tribes of the red men. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes, and to the far blue mountains. I have travelled a long and weary path, that I might see the young warrior of the great battle.

‘It was on the day when the white man’s blood mixed with the streams of our forests, that I first beheld this chief. I called to my young men and said, “Mark yon tall and daring warrior; he is not of the red-coat tribe—he hath an Indian’s wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do—himself alone is exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies.” Our rifles were levelled, rifles which, but for him, knew not how to miss—’tis all in vain; a power mightier far than we, shielded him from harm. He cannot die in battle.

‘I am old, and soon shall be gathered to the great council-fire of my fathers in the land of shades; but ere I go, there is a something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy.

‘Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man, and guides his destinies—he will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire!’

The venerable chief ceased speaking, and the council sat in profound silence. Washington, though much affected, made a suitable reply. The council then broke up, and the Indians retired to their encampment.”

George Washington Parke Custis,

United States Gazette, 1826.

This was a difficult item to write. In deciphering fact from fiction, while at the same time, not losing the supernatural elements of the story, posed a challenge. 

For those who believe in Christ, in God and in the supernatural, this piece will speak volumes to them. For those who don’t believe, you may beg to differ. Perhaps to you I will say; suspend your judgement and read with an open mind. Either way, I leave it to the reader to decide truth from fiction, for nothing else I say will sway your opinion.