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The message of grace that empowers you to stand as an overcome beleiver.

  1. MAR 22

    Real Value | Mar. 22, 2026 | Pastor Raph

    Real Value - Reclaiming Your Time and Identity How often do we introduce ourselves by what we do? "I am a manager," "I am a teacher," or "I am a business owner.” We wrap our sense of security in the "walled cities" of our lives—our bank accounts, our professional titles, our social media profiles, and our abilities. If your identity is tied to the temporary, you will live in constant fear of losing it. Matthew 6:19-21 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Money is, in a very real sense, a reflection of your life energy. It is the direct exchange of the limited time you spent earning it. When you exchange your precious days just to chase money to buy things you do not need, you are essentially trading your life for vapor. Psalms 52:7 7 “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!” This is how the world lives. The more he gets, the more he would get; the more you get, the more you want. A man caught in quicksand. He sees a heavy chest of gold coins sinking right next to him. Instead of reaching for the sturdy branch being held out by a rescuer on solid ground, he lunges for the chest, thinking its weight and "value" will give him something to hold onto. But the very thing he trusts for security is the weight that pulls him under faster. Who chooses to settle his emotions and security in his bank account rather than in the finished work of Jesus, always walks in anxiety, heaviness, and a sense of imminent affliction.  We must understand that money is neutral. Money itself does not have a moral character; rather, it reveals the character of the one who holds it. In the hands of wicked people, money becomes evil. However, for a believer, money is a tool that can be a blessing for many. It is a means of expressing generosity and fulfilling God's purposes on earth. Jesus became poor so that we might be rich, and when we tithe, we are not fulfilling a law to get a blessing, but sanctifying our finances to declare that God is our true provider and refuge. In that sense, "financial independence" is the process of reclaiming that precious time and giving it to the right master of your life.  You must be able to actually answer the question of who you are outside of your job or your “stuff". True faith sets us free from possessions to identity. A faith that frees you from the love of things. It is time to stop buying more stuff—things we really don’t need to impress people who don’t even care. We are called to identify ourselves with the God who provides us with everything we have. Deuteronomy 6:10-12 10 “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. For us, the provision is already prepared before we even arrive.  When we identify with the God who allows us to reclaim our time and peace to serve the right Master. Jesus became poor to cancel our ultimate debt; we must walk in the reality that we are called to be lenders, not borrowers. Beyond the Prosperity Gospel 2 Corinthians 9:10-12 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. Why does God want to enrich us? So that we can be generous.  When? On every occasion.  And the result? Everybody is more grateful to God for the supply of resources, the heart to give, and the impact on those in need.  Blessed to be a blessing. The problem is the mistaken belief that we can manipulate God to make us wealthy instead of prosperous. This is often called the “prosperity gospel,” the mistaken belief that financial wealth and physical health are always for our selfish benefit. It is the mystical idea that positive affirmations and big donations are sure sources of wealth. This concept, on the other hand, affirms that the lack of wealth and wellness are signs of God’s disfavor. The focus is on doing whatever it takes, utilizing leverage, to obtain these blessings from God.  These pastors and prosperity-gospel teachers interpret Scripture like lawyers rather than as children of God. They believe they’ve caught God on a technicality that He cannot evade.  They have faith in a God of infinite blessing, but the channel is clogged with their desire to have more for themselves. They’ll give some of it, but they want so much that they won’t even notice what they give. The mentality of scarcity has been a problem in the church for centuries, but the prosperity gospel is a phenomenon where people take kingdom principles and manipulate them for their own gain. That is a wrong appropriation of the word “prosperity.” The goal there is only to be blessed with selfish wealth. But real prosperity makes a blessed person a blessing. Prosperity confirms his covenant.  We are God's people. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.  Although we are not prosperity-gospel preachers, I can affirm with conviction that poverty is never God’s will for His people. Prosperity is. (2 Corinthians 8:9) 'For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.’ This is the "great exchange" of the New Covenant applied to finances. Jesus took the curse of our poverty so that we might legally inherit His riches.  Prosperity is not about greed; it is about the "indicative" of what Christ has already done, allowing you to live a debt-free life of purpose and generosity. That is why the "self-made" success is really dangerous. When we believe our "sweat"—the very symbol of the curse on Genesis—is the source of our provision, we connect our emotions to our skills and abilities and enter a state of high-stress self-maintenance. God is our Source. Acknowledging that makes us stewards of the "power" He provides to fulfill His purpose. We are so loved by our Heavenly Father. That is our ultimate identity. It is time to leave behind the weary race of defining ourselves by what we own. Aim for a Debt-free life In the next few months, as many of you are dealing with your taxes, aim to be debt-free.  Most of us would have to face our financial decisions of the past year, and that is a great opportunity to set new spending priorities. It can take a month. 6 months. A year or two. But it all starts with one step. The first step to getting out of debt is to stop going further into debt. Isaiah 55:2-3 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. First, identify what you are spending money on.  Then, learn to spend less.  That means learning priorities. The only way to find out where you are spending, and probably wasting, what you can't, is to keep a record of your expenses.  A simple piece of advice: use your debit cards to make it easy to record. Your bank keeps a record of all your expenses. Research shows that when people pay attention to the flow of money and "stuff" in their lives and become conscious of their spending, their consumption naturally drops by about 20% to 25%. Think like this: every cent is a unit of “my life.” That will force me to ask: "Is this purchase worth the hours of my life I spent to get it?"  This turns every financial transaction into a purposeful choice and reminds us of our true value.  The problem is that many people don't even remember what they spent money on. So, maybe it is only a matter of learning where and how you are spending. Many people, once they become aware of their spending, often react with surprise, saying, “Oh, I'm spending less”, and wonder how that change happened. The reason so many don’t want to be aware of their spending is that we often use stuff as a shield to avoid deep "gut-level emotional feelings,” using it as a psychological distraction or a substitute for addressing our actual human needs. Jesus said about that 2000 years ago.  Luke 8:14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. Instead of dealing with the existential truth that life on this side of heaven is unpredictable and precarious, they tell themselves, “While I can still buy that last gadget, life is good.” Many use the pursuit of “more" to avoid facing the fear of their own lack of control over the future. Research shows that happiness increases simply by shiftin

  2. MAR 8

    Out of the Precarious Zone | Mar. 08, 2026 | Pr Raph

    Out of the Precarious Zone A researcher led a session with about 50 people in the room. They "circled up" to go around and have each person say something about their relationship with money. Every single person was in a state of fear regarding money. An 80-year-old person had millions of dollars but was still terrified in the same way a 20-year-old would be. A young person who was already $20,000 in debt and felt the same terror. Why? Because even if you have a high-paying or "significant" job, most people live continuously in the precarious zone, with no savings and nowhere to go. This is not right for the children of God. It is time to take control of our financial lives. To declare we are children of God, and the only Lord of our lives is Jesus, not money. Matthew 6:24 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. It is time to come to rest on the absolute sufficiency of God’s grace. We live in a world that constantly pressures us to build our kingdoms here on earth, to trust in our bank accounts.  Money is a lord, a master, and it is trying to rule your life, but it does not have to be. God’s will for His children is financial freedom. Financial Freedom. I define "financial freedom” today as the transition from being a "slave" to the economy to becoming the kind of person who owns their emotions regarding money. Individually and as the lead pastor of our church, we are facing one of the hardest time on our finances. For weeks, very few of the brothers have been able to participate with their tithes, which has created a financial disruption in our church. However, as we are in this hardship now, the Lord wants His children to remain firm in His promises and in a state of constant peace. Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" The supply for the church's needs does not come from human effort or anxious people, but from the "limitless goodness" and the abundant overflow of God. Philippians 4:19 "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." The Father knows our needs before we ask and provides from His self-sufficient spring of life. But in a time of shortage, we must face the fact that some of us have developed bad habits that must be confronted. The waste slavery A few weeks ago, a brother asked me about financial advice. He received an offer to purchase an asset. As always, “It was a lifetime opportunity, that promotion would never come back again, and so forth.” What he said was not needed at the time. He did not have the money, only a pledge of someone else that would pay for that purchase. And that is what I call “waste slavary”  That's when we spend money we haven’t earned to buy things we don’t need, trapping ourselves in a cycle of working just to pay off those debts. Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The context here is the slavery of the law and the ceremonial codes. Christ’s finished work has completely and eternally liberated us from the fear of owing God something, that we are short of pleasing God because there is an “invoice open” between the Lord and us. But “ for freedom Christ has set us free.”  But this glorious freedom is meant to touch every area of our lives, including our finances. But we also need to be free from consumerism. Under that “slavery,” you are controlled by the economy rather than your God-given purpose. The economy and the "anxious process of more" to run your life. It is the "anxious process of more" dictating our lives. And that is also submitting to a heavy yoke once again. We are already complete and fully accepted in Christ; we do not need to find our identity or our comfort in an endless cycle of getting more. It is an illusion to think that acquiring more stuff would bring peace and status. Instead, it puts us in a pair of financial handcuffs. Many are perpetual servants to credit card companies, running endlessly on a treadmill of debt just to maintain a lifestyle they no longer have the time or energy to enjoy. A house with a clubhouse you don’t go to. A gym membership you don’t use. A boat you parked, paying storage fees with no use. An expensive bike that you don’t find time to ride. Today, you can be deeply satisfied by the love of our Heavenly Father so that you can step off the exhausting treadmill of “I need to buy more.”  We can stand firm in our freedom, live intentionally, rest in His grace, and use our resources generously for His eternal purpose. The righteous shall live by faith, and today I want to remind you about that. The Title deed (Hebrews 11:1) "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." ὑπόστασις –Hupóstasis — A title deed. A guarantee. The underlying substance. Faith is the spiritual title deed that guarantees our heavenly inheritance. That faith frees us from the love and fear of money. Many take the faith preaching to be about having more money to buy more stuff. However, true faith, as described in Hebrews chapter 11, frees us from attachment to and meaningless craving. The real value of money Money is, in a very real sense, a reflection of your life energy. It is the direct exchange of the limited time you spent earning it. When you exchange your precious days just to chase money to buy things you do not need, you are essentially trading your life for vapor. (Ecclesiastes 5:10) 'He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.’ In that sense, "financial independence" is the process of reclaiming that precious time and giving it to the right master of your life.  You must be able to actually answer the question of who you are outside of your job or your “stuff". True faith sets us free from possessions to identity. Hebrews 11:8-10 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. The Holy Spirit is making you grow in faith, so your heart can be free from attachment to this world. A faith that frees you from the love of things. Debt-free life It is time to stop buying more stuff—things we really don’t need to impress people who don’t even care. We are called to identify ourselves by what Christ has done and who we are according to the new covenant. We are God's people. Hebrews 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. We are so loved by our Heavenly Father that we can confidently leave behind the weary race of defining ourselves by what we own. In the next few months, as many of you are dealing with your taxes, aim to be debt-free.  It can take a month. 6 months. A year or two. But it all starts with one step. The first step to getting out of debt is to stop getting yourself more into debt. That means spend less. The only way to find out where you are spending, and probably wasting, what you can't, is to keep a record of your expenses. Use your debit cards to make it easy. Your bank keeps a record of all your expenses. Research shows that when people pay attention to the flow of money and "stuff" in their lives and become conscious of their spending, their consumption naturally drops by about 20% to 25%. Think like this: every cent is a unit of “my life.” That will force me to ask: "Is this purchase worth the hours of my life I spent to get it?"  This turns every financial transaction into a purposeful choice and reminds us of our true value.  The problem is that many people don't even remember what they spent money on. So, maybe it is only a matter of learning where you are spending. Many people, once they become aware of their spending, often react with surprise, saying, "Oh, I'm spending less, and wonder how that change happened.”  The reason why many don’t want to be aware of their spending is that we often use stuff as a shield to avoid deep "gut-level emotional feelings” as a psychological distraction or a substitute for addressing our actual human needs. Luke 8:14 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. Instead of dealing with the existential truth that life on this side of heaven is unpredictable and precarious, we tell ourselves, “While I can still buy that last gadget, life is good.”  Many use the pursuit of money to avoid facing the fear of their own lack of control over the future. But did you know that happiness increases simply by moving from "unconscious spending" to a state of awareness?  The key is simply to pay attention and ask yourself whether a purchase genuinely brings fulfillment. That is beyond happiness. Buy true happiness When the Holy Spirit opens your eyes, you will gladly cut up the credit cards. Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? So many of us confuse the worth of things with people

  3. MAR 2

    Implications of the New Covenant | Mar. 01 2026 | Pr Raph

    The Implications of the New Covenant Most pastors think that the book of Hebrews is not in touch with people’s reality in their practical lives. This could not be further from the truth. Hebrews 8: 10-12 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Honestly, much of the preaching and teachings often focus on self-help, leadership, management, and even food health. While informative, they rarely teach the true message of the New Testament.  Most people have heard little or nothing about the New Covenant; for many believers, it's just the name of a church, like 'New Covenant Church.' Now, we come to chapter eight of Hebrews. Here are the specific reflections regarding the content found in the provided teachings: Many pulpits today have been hijacked by psychology under the guise of spiritual help. While psychology has its place in universities and clinics, it is fundamentally incapable of solving the core human problem: death. \ A person does not need their personality adjusted or their self-esteem boosted; they need to be born again. Psychology cannot give life to the dead, but the Word of God can. Real transformation is not a psychological "re-wiring" done by man; it is a spiritual "upload" of God's desires directly into the heart by God Himself. Imagine a dog told to behave like a cat—meowing, jumping, eating. Self-help may try to teach it "cat-like" techniques. The dog might meow for hours, but eventually, its true nature surfaces because it remains a dog. Motivational speakers and coaches emphasize "keys" to success based on human willpower, discipline, and energy. This "performance-based" approach echoes the Old Covenant, placing man at the center with the message, "If you do your part, things will improve." The Gospel isn't about motivation but proclaiming what Christ has already accomplished. The New Covenant relies on God's "Better Promises" fulfilled in Christ, not on your motivation or resolutions. If you see someone drowning in the middle of the ocean, you don't throw them a book titled How to Swim in Five Easy Lessons.  That is what coaching and motivational preaching do—they give instructions to a person who is currently dying. Grace is the Savior diving in; coaching is just shouting from the dry land. Our message is not leadership principles, management, or self-help; it is the "present truth" of the New Covenant. Transformation is not cosmetic; it happens simply by beholding Christ through faith. (Hebrews 8:12) "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” This is the ultimate "clause" of our contract. While the world tells you to "manage" your mistakes, God says He has deleted the record of them forever. We all receive spam or junk mail—unwanted, often inappropriate messages filled with immoral or shameful content. Many believers imagine that God is constantly receiving "emails" about their failures, their past mistakes, and their secret struggles. They think the "Accuser" has God’s direct personal email address and is flooding His inbox with "junk mail" about them, making God angry or disappointed. But under the New Covenant, God has changed His contact information. Jesus is the ultimate, unhackable Divine Firewall. In the New Covenant, you don't communicate with God through your own "server" of performance. You are in Christ. This means: Legally speaking, the "junk mail" of your past has been permanently deleted.  Because Christ mediates every communication, when God looks at His inbox regarding you, every "message" is "signed" by Jesus. Every communication God receives about you now carries the "righteousness of Christ". You never have to wonder if your prayer "went to junk." You can have the same confidence that Jesus had when He stood before the tomb of Lazarus. (John 11:41–42) 'So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me."' Because you are a child in the New Covenant, you can now be sure of your prayers. A new World View (Hebrews 8:6) “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” Many pastors overlook the book of Hebrews, thinking it only discusses doctrines. However, the more I study Hebrews, the more I realize that my behavior, fears, and emotions are largely shaped by my belief system. In essence, changing your beliefs can fundamentally transform your life. Many live in a 'mixture,” believing in Jesus (New Covenant) but still connecting with God through the rules of the Old Covenant. Galatians 2:16 6 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. The law exposes and highlights the problem, the sickness, and the inability, but it cannot fix it. Religion reveals the sickness, but it cannot heal us. The World operates under the law Why does it seem hard to believe in relying on the reality of the new covenant? Because we all came from a world system, a world view based on meritocracy.  Every system in the world is ultimately like this. Now you come to Grace. In here, the system is upside down. It dares to say. Romans 4:5) 'nd to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.’ (Romans 5:20) 'Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,' The way of the world, the self-help, the religious mode, can diagnose that you have a trauma, a family problem, a hurt from the past, but it does not enable you to forgive. It simply says you have a problem. But it does not give us the power to overcome the problem. But the world has a nature problem, not a behaviour problem. Sinners will never become saints because of a demand for change. To display the Ten Commandments in public schools doesn't change the hearts of the students.  Did you know that there was a recent wave of state-level legislation to get the Ten Commandments into public classrooms? First, it made headlines when Louisiana passed a mandate in 2024, which then created a domino effect in several other states. A poser, of at least 11 by 14 inches, must be displayed in every single public classroom, from kindergartens to state-funded universities. I would rather have John 3:16 in every school classroom. I'm not saying that the law has no right use. Actually, without the law, it would be unbearable to live in this world. Paul explains that to Timothy. 1 Timothy 1:8-10 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, The law can enforce rules, impose restrictions, and set boundaries that help make our lives in this world manageable. However, ultimately, it does not alter the fundamental nature of things, nor does it transform a sinner into a saint. Currently, about 31 of the 54 African nations have penal codes that criminalize same-sex relationships. Penalties in these countries vary from fines and imprisonment to life imprisonment or, in some cases, the death penalty. Do you genuinely believe that a person struggling with sexual dysphoria, gender or identity crisis would suddenly say, "Now that the law forbids it, I won't be a homosexual'? No thief will become an honest man because of the law. It inhibits, but it does not change people’s hearts. Only the New Birth can change the behavioral code in the hearts of the sinner. That is actually the first clause of the New Covenant. new birth, a New heart. Hebrews 8:10 … I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  The only way is a new birth. We are of the opinion that the godly lost are approved. However, we have no expectation that those losses would transform people’s nature. The new birth is the solution. Before we were born-again believers, we were like caterpillars—bound to the earth, crawling in the dust, and spiritually blind. We bumped into every obstacle of sin, trying to follow the Law but only finding ourselves exhausted and trapped by our own nature. We were "dogs" trying to "meow," struggling to meet a standard we weren't designed for . But then, the Lord called us. Through the New Covenant, He initiated a divine, metabolic transformation from the inside out. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you have been turned into a beautiful butterfly. You have a new "flying lifestyle" in Christ Jesus. Now, you might notice other creatures that fly, like flies or mosquitoes. From a distance, they seem to be doing the same thing as you—they are in the air. But their natures are worlds apart. A fly is instinctively drawn to decay, carcasses, and stinking, rotting things. It thrives on what is dying.  You are drawn to the sweetness of the flowers. You were made

  4. FEB 22

    In the New | Feb 22, 2026 | Pr Raph

    In the New Covenant Hebrews 8: 10-12 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Let’s be honest with each other for a moment. Most of us live with a constant, low-grade fever of anxiety regarding our relationship with God. Many Christians have their spiritual life like a gym membership. We signed up with great intentions, but we haven't shown up in weeks, and every time we see the "gym" (the Bible or the Church), we just feel guilty. We feel like we are constantly failing a test we didn't study for. The problem with man-centered preaching is that it replaces the powerful news of what Christ has finished with a powerless moralistic "to-do" list for what you must finish, achieve, or improve. That turns the church into a classroom for self-improvement, a motivational and life-coach platform. But Jesus is way more than a Rabbi. Jesus is not a teacher giving you a "to-do" list. According to Hebrews, He is our legal representative in the highest court of the universe. We live from our identity, not for identity. Hebrews 8:11 (ESV) 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. Today, you are here to learn what you already are. To know that you are approved by grace. I talked to my son Pedro in Brazil recently. He was raised in the United States, but he is a young Brazilian man. He is there now to practice his Portuguese and immerse himself in the culture. But here is the beautiful thing: he isn’t going to school to pass a test so he can become Brazilian. He is already approved; his citizenship is a settled fact. He is simply there to discover who he already is. Like my son Pedro, we are often challenged to speak a "new language" under the Grace of the New Covenant. But this language isn't foreign; it is actually our original "mother tongue". We are learning the culture of Heaven, but this isn't a new culture we are trying to adopt—it is the original culture we truly belong to. We aren't "faking it" until we make it; Living in Grace can be challenging because we have to unlearn the "accent" of the Law, but it is also deeply fun. It is not a demanding weight; it is a return to the original purpose of our real citizenship. Now, does this mean we just go out and live however we want? Does grace make us lazy? Absolutely not. But the motivation changes. We don’t obey to get God’s love; we obey because we already have it. Old Covenant: "Obey, and then you will be accepted.” New Covenant: "You are accepted, therefore, you will find yourself wanting to obey." Your exhortation today isn't to "try harder.” It’s to believe deeper. To act out of faith. And when we fail, don't run from God in shame; run to your High Priest. The New Covenant made the Old obsolete. Hebrews 8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The law was a shadow of the reality found in Christ. The old system was divided into three categories. Some people think that Jesus fulfills only some portions of what is considered “the law.” But He brought it to an end by fulfilling it perfectly and completely. 1. The Ceremonial Law: These were the rituals, sacrifices, hygiene and purity, and priestly garments described in books like Leviticus. Because the priesthood has changed from the tribe of Levi to the order of Melchizedek, the entire ceremonial system has been changed and made obsolete. 2. The Judicial Law (Curses and Judgments): This was the system of penalties and "hereditary curses" for those who failed to keep the Law. God has sworn an oath that He will never be angry with you or rebuke you again on the basis of that covenant because He remembers your sins no more. We are disciplined but not for demotion, but for reward and inheritance. 3. The Moral Law (The Commandments): This refers to the 613 commandments, including the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), which defined righteousness.  This last one is what many preachers says it did not pass. The idea is that faith and grace are for "salvation," and the “moral laws” and our effort are for “sanctification.”  However, the good news is that Jesus lived a life of perfect, complete obedience to every requirement of the Law. In the New Covenant, God no longer demands righteousness from you based on your performance; instead, He imparts Christ's perfect righteousness to you as a gift, and by faith, you live it out. You don't work for righteousness; you live from the righteousness that has already been imparted to you. Grace is a Better System (Hebrews 8:6) “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” Many of us try to live in a “mixture." We believe in Jesus (New Covenant), but we still relate to God through the rules of the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was meant to be like a mirror—it could show you that your face was dirty, but it didn't have the power to wash you. It was "faulty" (v. 7), not because God made a mistake, but because it was never intended to make one righteous. Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. The New Covenant is better because it relies on God’s faithfulness. Imagine you’re trying to cross a massive, turbulent river. The Old Covenant is like God giving you a perfect set of instructions for swimming. The instructions are flawless, but they don’t help because you’re a terrible swimmer. The New Covenant is God putting you on a massive, unsinkable ocean liner. You aren't crossing because of your swimming skills; you're crossing because the ship is designed to get you there. Jesus is the “guarantor." μεσίτης (mecí-tes). He didn't just sign the New Covenant; He is the New Covenant. If Jesus stands, you stand. Coming to the End of Yourself We are notoriously bad at keeping our own word. Let’s be honest: how many of you even remember your New Year’s resolutions for 2026? We are simply bad at keeping our part of a bargain. God wasn't surprised by this. In fact, He gave the Old Testament Law specifically so we would reach the end of our own strength. Consider the "arrogance" of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai. Before God had even finished stating the standards of His Law, the people made a sweeping promise they had no power to keep. Exodus 19:8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD."  Before they had even heard the 613 commandments or the Ten Commandments, the people declared they were capable of fulfilling divine requirements. They were making a promise they fundamentally could not keep because they were unaware of their own inability and God's absolute holiness. (Exodus 24:3) 'Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do."' They were tragically unaware of how holy, clean, exalted, and righteous God truly is. They thought they could meet divine requirements with human effort. This is the same trap so many fall into today: we think we just need to "try harder," not realizing that our very nature is the problem. The Law doesn't cure the disease; it just reveals that you are terminally sick.  This is the "End of Self." Have you reached that point yet? Have you finally admitted that you cannot be "good enough" for an infinitely holy God? Grace only begins where your effort ends. Until you reach the end of yourself, you will never truly lean on the sufficiency of the New Covenant. Grace is The Finished and Ongoing Work We often think grace is for the start of the Christian life, and then "hard work" takes over to keep us there. That is a lie. Grace is what saves you, and grace is what keeps you.  Grace introduces you to a new dimension. The New Covenant. In the Old Covenant, the law was on stone tablets—external and cold. In the New Covenant, God does the work in us. This is sanctification. It isn't you trying really hard to be "holy"; it's the Holy Spirit applying the finished work of Christ to your heart, changing what you love so that you actually want what God wants. Think of it like a "heart transplant" rather than "heart surgery." God doesn't just patch up your old, rebellious desires; He gives you a new nature that beats in sync with His. The fundamental difference between the Old and New Covenants is the location of the Law. In the Old, it was on stone; in the New, it is "downloaded" into the heart. At the beginning of my adult life, I worked in a public school and helped with their Basic Computing course. The school had various old computers that it was suppose to be used in that course. The first thing you need to learn about computing language is that every computer requires an Operating System (OS) to function, but that OS is strictly limited by the machine’s hardware requirements. God did not simply give you a software update or a new "patch" for your old life. Until you are acomplete new machine, there is no way to walk and live out the new system. He knew that the Old Covenant was "faulty" because the old "hardware"—the fallen human heart—could not process the perfect requ

  5. FEB 15

    Beyond the Shadow | Pr Raph | Feb 15, 2026

    Beyond the shadow, into real Light.  Only when you fully embrace the new covenant and put God’s salvation back over your performance and merit will you have complete peace to live a godly life with joy. In the everlasting covenant, your security does not rest on how perfectly you behave, but on how long Jesus lives and reigns – which means your salvation is held steady by an unchanging High Priest, not by a fragile human track record. Hebrews 7:16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. Hebrews 7:18-19 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. God’s will for you is not constant anxiety, but settled rest—because your salvation is held up by a living High Priest, and King of Peace. Melchizedek.  Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. He is able to save to the uttermost The phrase "is able" is a present active indicative. That is a continuous, current power. This capacity to save is an active reality rooted in the indestructible life of Christ (Heb. 7.16) The term "uttermost" suggests that no part of the man’s salvation is left to chance or human effort; it is a total work. To save "to the uttermost" means that Christ’s work is exhaustive; it reaches into the depths of a man's past, covers his present, and secures eternity. We pray because Jesus prays perfectly for us. Think about it. How many of you ask for prayer for yourself, and you expect that your brother or sister’s prayer will help you go through life’s uncertainty? But Jesus continually intercedes for me so that I persevere to the end, and I will, because God always listens to Jesus’ prayer for me. The historical narrative of Ezekiel 22 depicts a landscape of total moral and social disintegration. Within this "bloody city," the God details a catalog of abominations—ranging from slanderous lies and sexual immorality to systemic injustice and murder. It is a dark scene in which every level of human leadership failed to preserve the land. However, the tragedy of the vacant breach in Ezekiel’s day serves as the perfect backdrop for the gospel of grace. When God sought a man to stand in the gap and found none, He was demonstrating the total insufficiency of the fallen man to mediate his own salvation or hold the hand of divine judgment through his own willpower. Ezekiel 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." It points directly to the Messiah’s ultimate intercessory power, Jesus Christ. Where the first Adam failed, the Last Adam succeeded. The darkness of Ezekiel 22 only serves to magnify the brightness of the grace that now covers the believer. Isaiah 59:16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. God provided for Himself the lamb. The righteous one prayed for us. While our "righteousness" is described as "filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), God’s own righteousness serves as the sufficient support.  His holiness requires that sin be dealt with, and His mercy and love require that His people be redeemed. That makes the cross the point of intersection of perfect justice and complete love. Psalm 85:10 "Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” The image that you must have of this sifting of wheat is in a threshing floor. The sifting process was a forceful separation of the valuable from the worthless. It involved intense agitation to break apart the plant and isolate the heavy, nutritious grain from the light, useless chaff. For Peter, this meant a period of testing designed to strip away everything superficial, leaving only a pure and resilient faith. The wind would blow away the useless straw and chaff.  Jesus did not pray that Peter would be spared from the test. But that his faith would not fail. Jesus wanted Peter to have a resilient Active Faith. Now the calling for intercessory prayer is a duty for all of us. As we approach the upcoming fast, I urge you to prepare your hearts for our 21-day prayer campaign.  While the Lord Jesus Christ provides a perfect and perpetual intercession that secures our standing. As overcomers, we must recognize that He has invited us to participate in His work through the ministry of prayer. It is time to pray The fact that He is the perfect High Priest does not render our prayers unnecessary; rather, it makes our prayers effective. We pray and fast to bring our wills into harmony with His and to exercise the spiritual authority bestowed upon the Church. Apostle Paul instructed Timothy like this: 1 Timothy 2:1–2 "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." Prayer is a privilegeand a duty for the man of God. By praying for our leaders, we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to build an environment where the gospel can be proclaimed without hindrance. Additionally, a specific posture and mindset are required: 1 Timothy 2:8 "I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling." The lifting of hands is a physical expression of a heart that is surrendered and a life that is set apart for His purposes. As we fast over these 21 days, we are disciplining the flesh. Romans 15:30 "I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf," 2 Corinthians 1:11 "You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." While the High Priest intercedes for our invisible needs, we intercede for the temporal and visible needs of our brothers, our leaders, and our nation. James 5:16b “… The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." Let us enter this campaign with the confidence that we are heard. We do not fast to move God but to move ourselves into a deeper sense of His power. Secured to enter the New Covenant The conclusion of Hebrews 7 is that a born-again believer does not lose his salvation due to his own inconsistency; he would only lose it if Christ ceased to live. Since Christ can never die again, the believer can never be lost. Rest in this truth. Stop centering your sin and start centering the Man at the right hand of God, who sympathizes with your weaknesses and intercedes for your perseverance. The first thing to consider is that the Old Testament is only a very long illustration of Christ's reality.  Hebrews 8:5 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” Imagine an architect who has designed a magnificent, hundred-story skyscraper. Before the first foundation is poured, he constructs a meticulously detailed scale model in his studio. This model is crafted according to a precise "pattern" that exists in the architect's mind and on his blueprints.  A man can look at the model and see the exact placement of the windows and the beauty of the facade. He can learn much about the building by studying the model. However, no man would ever attempt to move his family into the model. He would not try to find shelter or rest within its miniature rooms.  The model is merely a "copy and shadow.” The value of the model is found only in how accurately it reflects the "pattern" of the real building. The Lord Jesus Christ is the end of the law, having fulfilled every requirement to inaugurate a superior ministry as the Mediator of the New Covenant. While the law of the Lord is perfect, the Old Covenant system was found to be faulty because it depended upon the inconsistent obedience and willpower of man. Romans 3:20 "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." In contrast, the New Covenant is firmly established upon better promises and the indestructible life of the Son of God, ensuring that you, as a believer in Christ, can be secure.  Hebrews 8:6 "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises." What is a Covenant? A covenant is fundamentally distinct from a contract; whereas a contract contains a termination clause allowing for its dissolution, a covenant is an indissoluble bond that only death can conclude. The Old Covenant, though it contained the perfect law of God, was found to be faulty, so God established a superior New Covenant, enacted (made it law, the new norm, the new standard) on better promises. This is a formal legal term. It signifies that the New Covenant is not merely a divine preference; it is the established law of the New Testament. The better promises have been codified into a divine statute. Because these promises are enacted, the believer is secure in his standing. The grace he receives is not a violation of justice but the fulfillment of a new, superior legal standard—the new norm. In this new system, everythin

  6. FEB 8

    He is able to save | Feb 8, 2026 | Pr Raph

    Active Faith: He is able to save Today, we're gonna cover Hebrews chapter 7. You need to understand that Hebrews Chapter 7 is the continuation of the opening statement made in Hebrews 5:9-10 Hebrews 5:8-10 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Every believer should possess a firm and unwavering confidence in their salvation. Why is that such a cardinal foundation for your Christian life? If salvation depends even slightly on our own initiative or participation, there is always a risk that at any moment, if we fail in our own efforts, we might jeopardize our salvation. If we had an active participation in the process of our salvation, then the consequential thought is that a believer may also choose to renounce such a great gift. However, Hebrews explains that this is not possible because you cannot lose what you have not gained. Similarly, you cannot renounce what you have never requested or achieved. Yes, you heard me right—you did not find Jesus; He found you. Luke 19:10 (ESV) “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Romans 3:11 (ESV) “no one understands; no one seeks for God.” You did not choose Jesus; He chose us. (John 15:16 (ESV) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…”) Ephesians 1:4–5 (ESV) “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world…” We did not come to Him; we were brought to Him. John 6:44 (ESV) “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him… Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV) “even when we were dead… made us alive together with Christ…” Your confidence in your salvation influences every part of your life, especially your usefulness and ministry effectiveness. (Check again Heb. 6:9-12) Hebrews 6:9-12 9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. I understand that in a service like this, some may resemble "those" in Hebrews 6—people who are convinced of the truth but not truly converted to it. I cannot judge your faith, but I am confident in what Christ has done in me. You also need a personal, unwavering certainty of salvation—not based on emotions or knowledge, but on complete trust, surrendering your life to Christ and His ways. Accepting as true that by His priesthood, His perfect sacrifice and representation, you are completely and fully forgiven. May the Lord bring revelation to our hearts today. Hebrews 6:17-20 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. I want you to notice how much God wants to give us assurance. Your salvation is not secured by your promise to God; it is secured by God’s promise to Himself. John 10:28 (ESV) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. This is eternal life; it never ends.  I like the expression in Hebrews 7:16 Hebrews 7:16…but by the power of an indestructible life. When I was a kid, I went through a tropical storm that felt like the end of the world. The wind never stopped—constant, loud, relentless. Patio chairs scraped across the ground and bumped into things like they were alive. The trees bent and groaned, and every gust sounded like it was coming for us next. In my child’s mind, the storm wasn’t just outside the house—it was reaching for me. I honestly believed the wind could pick me up and carry me away. So I did the only thing that made sense to my little heart: I grabbed my father and held on as tight as I could. I remember thinking, If I can hold firm enough, I’ll be safe. If my grip doesn’t slip, I won’t be carried away. What I didn’t understand then is that my safety was never in my grip—it was in his strength. My father wasn’t panicking. He wasn’t even unsettled. In fact, he looked almost… peaceful. He had been waiting for that drop in temperature the storm would bring, and while I was trembling, he was calm. Then he did something I’ll never forget: he gently pulled me onto his lap, wrapped his arms around me, and just sat there—steady, unshaken—until my breathing slowed down. And with a quiet confidence, he said, “Son, you’re always safe with me.” The anchor of our soul isn’t how tightly we can hold onto Him—it’s the fact that He has taken hold of us in Christ, and His promise is unchangeable. Hebrews 13:5 … “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” That is what the apostles always intended to communicate to the believers.  You don’t need to be afraid of losing your salvation, as you are losing the grip of the “salvation rope” because you are not holding anything; you are being carried by God. 1 John 5:13 (ESV) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. We are sealed. Ephesians 1:13 (ESV) In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, The New Testament is overflowing with evidence that our salvation is secure, and Hebrews makes the reason unmistakable: your salvation is not held together by the strength of your promise to God, or by your flawless dedication, or by your ability to keep every commitment—you and I were never meant to be the foundation. For those who believe, salvation stands because God promised, and then God swore by Himself—and since it is impossible for God to lie, your confidence rests on His unchangeable character, not your shifting performance (That is how Hebrews 6 ends). In other words, the anchor of your soul is not what you vowed to God; it’s what God vowed to Himself in Christ. Unfortunately, many believers wrestle with fears about losing salvation— What if I commit suicide? What if I get divorced? What if I fall into the same sin so many times that God won’t forgive me anymore? But God already saw these fears and addressed them through the New Covenant by giving us an anchor. So instead of living tormented by “What if I don’t persevere?” the better question is, “What if God is faithful?”—because He is. 2 Timothy 2:13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. God has placed His Spirit within us, joined us to His Son, and He will not contradict His own covenant faithfulness. That’s why this security matters: without it, you live like a boat with no anchor—drifting with every fear, every failure, every emotional wave. The assurance doesn’t cause complacency; instead, it stabilizes you. You can’t truly rejoice in salvation if you believe God is constantly threatening to send you to hell. It’s like a wife who never feels secure in her husband’s love—she may stay in the house, but she won’t live in peace; Insecurity turns love into anxiety and the relationship into pressure. Some people assume that’s good: “If believers feel insecure, they’ll avoid sin.” But the gospel logic is the opposite—security produces holiness. Assurance doesn’t make you careless; it makes you steady, grateful, and free to grow. Hebrews 6:19-20 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Our High Priest changed everything. Hebrews 7:1-2 1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. Only after you experience the spiritual reality of God’s righteousness by faith can you enter the kingdom of peace. Jesus is the one who gives us God’s righteousness and God’s peace. He is our perfect representative. Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews emphasizes that the Aaronic Priesthood has ended.  Remember that the book often uses comparisons; for example, Jesus is superior to Abraham, the founding patriarch, and to the Levitical tribe, from which the priests descended. Tithe is a permission for blessings In Hebrews 7, we are taught the principle of the tithe. Understanding that Melchizedek is Jesus, the author states that Abraham granted God permission to bless him by surrendering. Tithe is a spiritual statement of honor, not a transaction to manipulate outcomes. Hebrews 7:4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! The tithe functioned as worship—Abraham was recognizing the superiority of God’s priesthood represented by Melchizedek, and Scripture adds, Hebrews 7:7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is ble

  7. FEB 1

    From Tasting to Trusting | Feb 1, 2026 | Pr Raph

    Active Faith: From Tasting to Trusting The book of Hebrews calls us to a new level of faith. Mature faith that introduces us into God’s promises and leads us to a godly life. Today, we will start a series we are calling Active Faith.  This series reaches its high point in Hebrews 11, but we will start in chapter 6 today. We will try to address the controversies related to this chapter, which is often taken as the ultimate statement of “losing one’s salvation,” when the context clearly aims to give assurance of eternal salvation and to persuade readers to a godly, fraternal, serving and generous life. God calls us to abandon self-righteousness and to trust completely in Christ’s completed work. Beyond mere intellectual understanding and emotional excitement, God desires real conversion and sincere trust in His word. Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Hebrews 6 says the Christian faith has basic starter truths. Like the concrete slab a house sits on. Christian life starts with a foundation, but can’t stay there. Here are the six truths in this chapter. Scholars understand them as three pairs. The first pair is Repentance from dead works and Faith in God. Repentance from dead works: It is very important to define repentance here. Repentance in Hebrews 6 is not a mood, an emotional state—it’s a change of mind (μετάνοια), a turning from one way of thinking to another. Sometimes that change comes with grief and remorse: you realize you’ve trusted yourself, your performance, your religion, your “good deeds,” and you feel the weight of how empty and exhausting that striving has been. So you grieve. You commit a wrongdoing and regret that, so you mourn your wrongs. But repentance can also come with joy—because the moment you finally see that you can’t buy what God only gives, it’s a relief, not a funeral.  It’s like a person who has been working overtime to pay off a debt, only to discover the debt was already paid in full; they might feel sorrow for the wasted years, but they also laugh with joy at the freedom. In Hebrews 6, the context shows that repentance here was turning away from trying to earn God’s acceptance through performance, religion cerimonies, or self-effort. We repent from dead works by changing our mind about trying to earn God’s approval through performance, religious effort, or “good deeds as payment,” and we put faith in God by resting in what Christ has already finished for us; The second truth is linked to the first one. Faith toward God Faith toward God is the other side of repentance from dead works: when you change your mind about earning, you must also choose what you will trust instead. Repentance says, “I’m done paying with performance,” and faith says, “I will rest in what God has provided—Jesus has already finished the work.” So faith isn’t just believing the Cross happened; it’s placing your full confidence in the Cross as enough for your acceptance, your forgiveness, and your future. It’s like a person who has been trying to climb to God on a ladder of good deeds, only to realize the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. Repentance is when you step off the ladder, and faith means you start walking on the solid ground of Christ. It is when you stop serving God to be loved and start serving because you are loved; you stop obeying out of fear and begin obeying out of trust. The second pair is Instructions about washings and laying on of hands. Instructions about washings (baptisms) Remember that this letter is written to a Jewish audience; therefore, "Instructions on washings” addresses the differences between many of the Jewish purification rituals and the once-for-all Christian baptism. Under the Law, “washings” included repeated purification rituals such as (1) priestly washing at the bronze basin before approaching God’s service (Exodus 30:17–21), (2) washing clothes and bathing after becoming ceremonially unclean through bodily discharges (Leviticus 15:5–13), and (3) purification using “water for impurity” after contact with a dead body (Numbers 19:17–19). Once you stop trusting dead works and start trusting God, the next most basic step is to accept that your old life has ended and a new identity has begun. You do that through baptism. Your baptism is the funeral of your old practices, the end of the old man, the closing of a chapter where you tried to define yourself by effort, cycles of sin, or attempts toward self-salvation. Baptism is when you are identified with Christ. Practically, this means when you’re tempted to return to old patterns—whether shame, striving, or religious performance—you remind your soul:  “That person died with Christ through the baptism; I’m not living that life again.” Active faith doesn’t just feel cleansed; it walks as someone cleansed—leaving the old behind and living from the new life God has given. Laying on of hands is the companion truth to the teaching on washings. Laying on of hands If continuous washings are compared to the once-and-for-all baptism, now the comparison is turned to the laying on of hands. In the Old Testament, when a worshiper laid hands on the sacrifice, it was a moment of imparting and transfer of sin and curses:  “This animal, that would be sacrificed, now represents me, with my sins and my curses.” Leviticus 1:4 — “He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” Now, in the New Covenant, laying on of hands is the way God wants His gifts, not sin or curses, to be transferred to one another. Laying on of hands is the way we bless one another.  Today, laying on of hands is used to transmit spiritual gifts, anointings, and impartation. The final pair is the Resurrection of the dead and the Eternal judgment. The resurrection of the dead In the Old Testament “law-and-temple” world, the resurrection of the dead was a real hope, but it sat mostly on the horizon. No certainty guaranteed. Youcan perceive that in some of the Psalms, such as Psalm 88. Psalms 88:1-3 O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. 2 Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! 3 For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. Psalms 88:10-12 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah 11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? In the New Covenant, the resurrection becomes clearer and closer because it is anchored to a historical fact: Jesus has already died and risen. So resurrection isn’t just a distant doctrine we agree with, it’s a secured promise we stand on. Under the old covenant, the believer looked forward, saying, “God can raise the dead”; under the new covenant, the believer looks to Christ and says, “God has raised Christ, therefore my future is guaranteed.” We don’t cling to rituals to feel safe—we rest in Christ’s finished work, and we live today with steady hope because resurrection life is not a wish, it’s a certainty established by the empty tomb. 1 Corinthians 15:53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When your body is weak, when a situation looks “dead,” when you grieve, don’t collapse into despair. Stand and say, “Because Jesus conquered death, my future is secure, and God can bring life where I see none.” In Christ, and even if the worst happens, death doesn’t win; God raises the dead and fulfills His promises. Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The final foundational truth concerns eternal judgment. That is paired with Resurrection of the Dead because both look ahead—your future is resurrection, not condemnation The Eternal judgment In the Old Testament Hebrew worldview, eternal judgment was understood through the covenant lens of God as the holy Judge who holds His people and the nations accountable, with a coming day when God would set everything right—rewarding the righteous and judging the wicked. Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. The New Testament sharpens this truth around Christ: judgment is still real and final, yet for those in Christ, it is no longer a terror of condemnation because Jesus has borne condemnation in our place. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Old Covenant highlighted God’s holiness over the sinners, while the New Covenant proclaims that whoever actively trusts in Jesus will face God’s holy judgment and be secure from condemnation. Romans 5:9 — “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Yet the one who rejects Christ remains under judgment because there is no other remedy. The danger Hebrews 6:3 And this we will do if God permits. The author of Hebrews mentioned only six essential truths and focused on the major danger facing Hebrew believers. The true danger is not that a believer did not profoundly understand all the implications of those truths and end up stumbling or missing the fullness of God’s promises and plans. The problem was that some listeners of the word, church goers, sympathetic to the faith, people who had been near the truth, were now rejecting Christ and going back to the sacrifice system of the Law. In our case, some church attenders, religious ones, have not yet completely given their li

  8. JAN 25

    Cycles of Multiplication | Jan. 27, 2026 | Pr Raph

    God is the Lord of time and seasons. He appoints rhythms that shape our lives—Sabbath, sabbatical years, and Jubilee—and He blesses those who read, hear, and keep His word (Revelation 1:3). Like Joseph, Daniel, and the sons of Issachar, the wise learn to discern God’s timings for preservation, provision, and purpose (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Daniel 2:20–21). When we number our days, we receive a wise heart to walk in step with His ordering, not our hurry. This message traces an eight-year cycle that often marks growth: Year 1 is learning—humility over hype. Year 2 is hard work—faithful labor when fruit is small. Year 3 is depth—character recognized and covenant formed. Year 4 is opportunity—doors open and first fruits appear. Year 5 is definition—clarity of identity and conviction. Year 6 is multiplication—God commands blessing sufficient for three years (Leviticus 25:21). Year 7 is enjoyment—holy rest in what God finished. Year 8 is new sowing—fresh obedience at a higher level, eating from the old harvest while planting the next (Leviticus 25:22). Set road markers; remember your “change-of-course” moments (Jeremiah 31:21). Refuse comparison and honor the Lord with your first and best. If you’re in a sixth-year moment, lift your faith—expect increase, open doors, and provision that carries you into seasons ahead. Same God. Same promise. New measure.

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The message of grace that empowers you to stand as an overcome beleiver.

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  • Creator
    VineSWFL.Church
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    252
  • Rating
    Clean
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    © VineSWFL.Church
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    vinecast