Friend, what you desire will determine your destiny!

1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 

Paul gives a piercing warning: “That we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” The word lust here is not merely outward sin -- it is inward craving. Israel had left Egypt physically, but Egypt had not fully left them internally. Their feet were moving toward promise, but their desires were pulling backward toward bondage.

They were walking with God -- under the cloud, eating manna, drinking from the Rock -- yet their hearts longed for what once enslaved them. They remembered the flavor of Egypt more fondly than the freedom of God. Their memory romanticized slavery and minimized deliverance. The issue was not location; it was longing.

This is the subtle danger Paul exposes. A person can walk with God externally while internally desiring what God delivered them from. You can sing about freedom and still crave the chains. You can follow the cloud and still fantasize about Egypt. The wilderness revealed that what you crave will eventually direct you.

Desire is not neutral -- it is directional.

Israel did not fall in a single dramatic moment. They eroded through longing. Complaints began with cravings. Rebellion began with memory. Their hearts rehearsed what God had judged. And over time, what they desired shaped where they died.

This is a message for a revival generation. Revival cannot coexist with hidden cravings for compromise. God can bring us out of Egypt in a moment, but if Egypt remains attractive in our hearts, we will stall in the wilderness. The Spirit may be moving forward, but if our appetites are turned backward, revival will stall.

God is not only asking where we are walking -- He is asking what we are wanting.

Craving the world while claiming promise is spiritual contradiction. Freedom requires a shift in appetite. The manna of heaven must become sweeter than the memory of Egypt.

Friend, this is the hour to examine your desires. Revival will not be carried by those who secretly long for what God has already judged. The Spirit is moving toward promise -- but only those whose hearts are aligned with heaven will advance. Ask the Lord to purify your cravings, to remove the taste for Egypt, and to awaken hunger for His presence. What you desire will shape your destiny. Let your longing be for God alone, and you will not stumble in the wilderness -- you will enter into all the promises God has prepared for you.

Shabbat Shalom -- have a great weekend resting in Him! We'll see you bright and early on Monday morning!

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, learn from God's guardrails!

1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 

Paul makes something unmistakably clear: “Now these things became our examples.” The wilderness was not recorded as ancient history for curiosity -- it was preserved as instruction for survival. God did not document Israel’s failures to embarrass them, but to protect us. Their story is not just information -- it is God’s merciful intervention, given so we do not repeat their mistakes.

History in Scripture is never passive. It is prophetic. The wilderness generation walked through real events, but those events were written down so future generations could see what unbelief produces, what fear costs, and what compromise prevents. God is merciful enough to let us learn from someone else’s mistakes -- if we are humble enough to pay attention.

This reveals a sobering principle: you will either learn through warning or through consequence. Israel had every sign, every miracle, every provision -- yet they repeated the same mistakes because they refused to internalize the lessons. What God intended as correction, they treated as an inconvenience.

Paul was speaking to a Corinthian church alive with gifts, revelation, and spiritual experience -- and through them, he is speaking to our generation. His message is clear: do not repeat this. The message is simple: having spiritual blessings doesn’t make us immune to spiritual failure. If we ignore the warnings in Scripture, we may end up facing the same consequences.

This is especially urgent for a revival generation. When God moves powerfully, the temptation is to assume momentum equals maturity. But Scripture stands as a flashing signal: do not romanticize the past -- learn from it. God teaches through triumph, but He also teaches through failure. To refuse the lesson is to repeat the loss.

Friend, the wilderness examples are God's warning to us. They are His guardrails -- divine caution signs placed on the road so you can enter into all of God's promises. God has already spoken, and the question is whether we will truly listen. He wrote these warnings in love so we would not have to pay the same price. Revival will not be carried by those who admire the lessons from a distance, but by those who humble themselves and let those lessons shape and transform them.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, don't stop short of your destiny!

1 Corinthians 10:5  But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 

Hebrews 2:14-15  Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15  and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Paul delivers a sobering conclusion to Israel’s wilderness journey: "Their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." This is not written to condemn a former generation, but to awaken a present one. These were a redeemed people who had seen God’s power firsthand -- delivered from Egypt, sustained in the wilderness, and brought to the edge of promise -- yet they never entered into all that God had promised them.

The core issue was not distance or provision, but faith repeatedly overtaken by fear. At every stage of the journey, they faced tests -- and again and again, the fear of death prevailed. No water meant death by thirst, no food meant death by hunger, the Egyptian army meant death by the sword, and giants in the land meant defeat and death. In every crisis, fear spoke louder than faith. Though Egypt was behind them, fear of loss and death still shaped their perspective, making slavery seem safer than trusting God!

Scripture tells us that fear -- especially the fear of death -- can hold people in bondage for a lifetime (Hebrews 2:15). Israel’s wilderness was not only geographical; it was internal. They trusted God enough to escape slavery, but not enough to trust Him with their future. Fear enlarged the obstacles and narrowed their view of God, making His promises feel dangerous rather than desirable. Thus the wilderness became a graveyard because fear was allowed to speak louder than God’s promises.

This reveals a critical truth for every generation seeking revival: faith must outgrow fear for all His promises to be entered into. Miracles can bring people out, but only faith carries people in. Revival is not sustained by memory of what God has done, but by confidence in who He is when you are put to the test.

Friend, this is the hour to choose faith over fear. Yeshua (Jesus) has already broken the power of fear, and revival belongs to those who believe beyond what they see. God is calling us to step forward, not in confidence in ourselves, but in confidence in Him. Revival will not be carried by those who retreat at the sound of fear, but by those who trust God fully when promise is within reach. If faith rises and fear fails, our story will not end in the wilderness, but rather, we will move into everything God has prepared for us.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, when God provides, but revival still falters!

1 Corinthians 10:5  But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Paul delivers one of the most sobering lines in the entire passage: "But with most of them God was not well pleased." This statement follows a list of extraordinary spiritual privileges -- deliverance, guidance, provision, and supernatural supply. They had repeatedly experienced God’s power, yet His pleasure was not guaranteed. Grace was abundant, but approval was not automatic.

This challenges a dangerous assumption often held by redeemed people: that salvation ends evaluation. Israel was saved out of Egypt, but they were still examined in the wilderness. God did not withdraw His presence, but neither did He suspend His standards. Relationship does not eliminate responsibility; it heightens it. The closer a people walk with God, the more their lives are weighed by truth.

The wilderness revealed that God can be actively providing while still being displeased. Manna fell. Water flowed. The cloud remained. Yet hearts drifted. This exposes a crucial distinction for every generation seeking revival -- provision is not the same as approval. God’s faithfulness may continue even when His pleasure is withheld.

This is not a contradiction; it is a covenant. Grace opens the door, but obedience determines how far one walks through it. God’s displeasure was not rooted in a lack of power, but in a lack of trust, gratitude, and surrender.

For a revival generation, this truth is essential. God’s presence may remain while His pleasure is grieved. Atmosphere can be strong while alignment is weak. Yet a revival that lacks accountability cannot be sustained. The God who saves is also the God who examines.

Friend, this is the hour to seek not only God’s power, but His pleasure. Revival will not be carried by those who presume God's grace, but by those who walk in reverent obedience. Salvation brings us into a relationship with Him, but faithfulness keeps us aligned with His heart. If we allow God to search us, correct us, and form us, we will not merely experience His provision -- we will walk in what truly pleases Him and advance into the fullness of His promises.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, drink from the Rock who follows you!

1 Corinthians 10:4  and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 

Paul reveals a profound mystery when he says the people "all drank the same spiritual drink." Their source was not the terrain, not the wells they found along the way, and not their own effort. "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them -- and that Rock was Christ." Long before Bethlehem, long before the Cross, the Yeshua (Jesus) was present, sustaining a people who often failed to recognize Him.

In the wilderness, the Rock was struck -- and water flowed. God commanded it. Life came from the blow. The people were sustained not by their obedience, but by God’s mercy. Yet later, when the people cried out again, Moses struck the rock a second time -- this time without instruction. Water still flowed, but the act carried a cost. Though provision was released, Moses was barred from entering the Promised Land.

This moment exposes a sobering truth: God’s faithfulness can still supply what our disobedience does not deserve -- but that does not mean disobedience is without consequence. The Rock did not fail the people, but the approach to the Rock mattered. What God allowed in mercy, He still judged in principle. The Rock was meant to be struck once. The second time, it was to be spoken to.

Paul makes it clear -- the Rock was Yeshua. Struck once for salvation. Once for redemption. Once for life. To strike Him again is to misunderstand the nature of grace. Even when provision flows, mishandling holy things has a cost.

Yet here is the wonder: the Rock followed them. Yeshua is not stationary. He did not abandon them when they complained. He did not leave when they rebelled. He stayed near, present, available -- continually offering life. Their survival was not proof of their maturity, but proof of His faithfulness.

Many drink from Yeshua’s provision without reverence for Yeshua Himself. We receive grace, power, refreshment -- but forget that intimacy requires obedience, and receiving all His promises requires honor.

Friend, this is the hour to recognize the Rock who has followed us all along. Yeshua has faithfully supplied and refreshed us, but He is not to be approached casually. Revival will be carried not just by those who drink from the Rock, but by those who honor Him. Yeshua was struck once for our salvation; now He is to be trusted, obeyed, and spoken to in faith. When we approach Yeshua rightly -- no longer presuming His grace but responding to Him in holy reverence -- He will not merely sustain us in the wilderness; but He will carry us fully into every promise He has prepared.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, receive your daily bread from heaven!

1 Corinthians 10:3  all ate the same spiritual food, 

Paul tells us that “they all ate the same spiritual food.” The provision was equal. Heaven did not vary the supply. Yet the outcomes were different. This reveals a sobering truth: God’s provision is perfect, but our posture determines the fruit it produces. Equal access does not guarantee equal transformation.

In the Exodus, that spiritual food was manna -- and its very name carries a message. In Hebrew, manna means “What is it?” Each morning, Israel stepped outside their tents and asked a question before they received provision. God intentionally fed them with something unfamiliar, something that could not be defined, controlled, or mastered. He trained them to live by daily trust, not certainty.

Manna was designed to create dependence. It could not be hoarded without consequence. Yesterday’s manna would rot if relied upon today. God was teaching His people to come to Him daily -- not to live on stored experiences, past revelations, or yesterday’s faith. This is why Yeshua (Jesus) later taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” That prayer is not merely about physical sustenance; it is a cry for daily spiritual nourishment from the Father, received fresh each day from the Bread of Life.

But manna also exposed the heart. Some received it with wonder -- “What is it?” Others received it with complaint -- “Is this all?” The same provision revealed gratitude in some and dissatisfaction in others. What was meant to sustain them became the very thing that exposed their impatience, entitlement, and unbelief. The issue was never the manna -- it was how they responded to it.

This lesson is critical for a revival generation. God may release abundant truth, presence, and revelation, but daily dependence determines whether it produces life or frustration. Those unwilling to come to God daily will try to live by familiarity rather than faith. Yet manna was intentionally mysterious -- forcing Israel to trust God again every morning. Revival is sustained by humility, not familiarity.

The wilderness teaches us that God feeds those who keep asking, “What is it, Lord?”—those who approach Him daily with hunger, expectation, and surrender. What sustains us will also reveal us. And how we receive daily bread will determine whether we grow strong or wander weak.

Friend, this is the hour to return to daily dependence. The Lord is calling us back to Himself -- not to answers alone, but to relationship. He is still feeding His people with heavenly bread that invites wonder and requires trust. Revival will not be carried by those living on yesterday’s bread, but by those who rise each day asking, “Lord, what is it You are giving me today?” If we learn to receive daily nourishment with humility and hunger, we will be strengthened to carry revival -- and equipped to gather the harvest.

Shabbat shalom -- have a great weekend resting in Him -- we'll see you first thing on Monday!

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, learn the lesssons of the cloud and the sea!

1 Corinthians 10:2  all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 

After seeing God’s presence in the cloud and His power in the sea, Paul now brings us to the meaning of those experiences. He says Israel was baptized in both. That word is intentional. Baptism is never merely symbolic -- it speaks of identification, burial, and emergence into a new life. God was not only delivering a people; He was initiating a process meant to permanently change who they were.

Being baptized in the cloud and in the sea means God was working both around them and within them at the same time. The cloud surrounded them with God’s nearness and direction, while passing through the sea marked a decisive break with the old life. Together, these were not separate moments but one divine act: God bringing a people out and remaking them into something new.

Baptism always involves death before resurrection. The sea closed behind Israel, declaring that what once enslaved them no longer had the right to follow. Egypt’s power was broken, its authority ended. Yet the wilderness revealed a deeper struggle -- while Egypt could no longer pursue them, its mindset often still shaped them. Fear, complaint, and unbelief surfaced because the old life had been escaped, but not fully buried.

This is the tension Paul wants us to understand. A people can pass through baptismal waters and still resist inward transformation. They can experience salvation without fully walking in resurrection life. Baptism was meant to mark not only a change in position, but a change in nature. God’s intention was never partial freedom -- it was complete renewal.

This remains true for every generation longing for revival. We celebrate deliverance, but revival requires resurrection. We rejoice in what God brings us out of, but hesitate when He calls us to leave old patterns behind. Yet baptism declares that the old life no longer defines us. What was buried is not meant to be revisited. What died is not meant to be resurrected.

The Exodus teaches us that God never intended His people to live between deliverance and promise. Baptism was meant to move them into new life -- formed, transformed, and ready to inherit. Promise is entered by those willing to let God finish the work He began, allowing the old to stay buried and the new to rise.

Friend, this is the hour to live what baptism declared. God is not calling us to remember deliverance -- He is calling us to walk in resurrection life. Revival will not be sustained by those who only celebrate freedom from the past, but by those who have been transformed for the future. If we allow God to complete the work baptism began, we will rise as a renewed people—no longer shaped by what we escaped, but prepared to carry revival and usher in the harvest.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, through the sea, toward transformation!

1 Corinthians 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea.

Exodus 14:13-16  And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14  The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 15  And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16  But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Israel’s passage through the Red Sea was a moment of undeniable deliverance and salvation. Chains were broken, enemies were defeated, and a nation walked out of captivity in a single night. Egypt was decisively behind them. Yet Paul’s warning makes clear that while their location changed, their nature often did not. They were free from Pharaoh’s grip, but Egypt still had a grip on their thinking, desires, and reactions.

Going through the sea was meant to be more than an escape route -- it was meant to be a point of transformation.  While deliverance removed oppression, transformation was meant to remove the Egyptian mindset from within. While crossing the sea ended slavery, it did not end complaints, fear, or unbelief. Salvation brought them out in a moment, but sanctification was designed to remake them entirely.

This distinction is critical for any people longing for revival. Revival does not rest on deliverance alone; it requires transformation. God can break chains in a moment, but unless hearts change, patterns will return. Freedom opens the door, but without transformation, people will wander outside the threshold of promise. A redeemed people can still live with a slave mindset.

Friend, this is the hour when deliverance must continue into transformation. God is not merely breaking chains -- He is remaking people. Revival will not be sustained by those who leave bondage yet refuse to let old patterns die. If we allow God to transform what deliverance has uncovered, we will not drift back into captivity -- and we will advance fully into the promises of God, ready to be used by Him to usher in the harvest.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, move in revival!

1 Corinthians 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 

Exodus 13:21-22  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. 

The children of Israel lived beneath one of the most visible manifestations of God’s presence ever revealed. The cloud was constant -- covering them by day, becoming fire by night. It marked God’s nearness, His protection, and His leadership. It told them when to move, when to stop, and where to go. Yet Paul makes a sobering point: being under the cloud did not keep them from rebellion. The presence of God was undeniable, but obedience remained selective.

The cloud was not given as an atmosphere to enjoy, but as an authority to obey.  It did not exist to inspire awe alone; it existed to direct movement. Revival always comes with direction. When the cloud moved, they were expected to move. When it rested, they were to remain. The failure of the wilderness generation was not a lack of visitation, but a refusal to follow God’s leading beyond comfort. They wanted the covering of His presence without the cost of submission.

This is the danger every revival generation must face. It is possible to experience the manifest presence of God and still resist His rule. A people can shout, weep, and worship under the cloud while quietly refusing to align their lives with its direction. Presence reveals God’s nearness -- but obedience reveals whether revival will be sustained or squandered.

Revival is not proven by atmosphere alone; it is proven by alignment. We may celebrate what God is doing while ignoring what He is correcting. But the cloud was never given to be admired -- it was given to be followed. When God’s presence becomes familiar but His leadership becomes optional, movement stops and wandering begins.

Friend, this is not the hour to camp around the presence of God -- it is the hour to move with Him. Revival is advancing, and only a yielded people will advance with it. The cloud still leads, still corrects, still demands obedience. God is calling us beyond moments of visitation into lives of submission. His presence is not poured out for excitement alone, but for transformation. If we follow the cloud without hesitation, we will not wander -- we will carry revival forward.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, don't just be informed, be transformed!

1 Corinthians 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 

I am beginning a new series centered on the Exodus -- not to revisit ancient history, but to learn the lessons that determine whether a redeemed people actually enter the promises of God or spend their lives wandering just short of them. This journey starts where Paul starts: with a warning, not a celebration. He says, “I do not want you to be unaware.” Ignorance was not Israel’s problem. They were immersed in evidence of God’s power. They saw the cloud. They crossed the sea. They experienced deliverance firsthand. Yet experience did not produce maturity, and proximity to God did not produce obedience.

The Exodus exposes a sobering truth: a people can witness miracles and still resist transformation. Spiritual encounters -- even historic ones -- do not automatically shape character. God’s power can be present while hearts remain unchanged. Paul makes it clear that revelation carries weight. Once the truth is revealed, neutrality is no longer an option. Light does not merely illuminate -- it judges what refuses to align.

This passage is not preserved for admiration but for warning. The generation that came out of Egypt was not lacking signs; they were lacking surrender. They were not lost in darkness — they were standing in light .... and still choosing unbelief. And Paul says plainly: these things were written for us. The closer a people are to promise, the more dangerous complacency becomes.

This is the beginning of a sober journey. The Exodus confronts every generation with the same question: Will we allow revelation to shape us, or will we simply carry memories of what God once did? The wilderness is filled with people who were redeemed but never transformed. History shows us that deliverance without discipleship leads to delay, and familiarity with God without reverence leads to loss.

Friend, Heaven is not calling us to watch revival from a distance, but to become vessels fully yielded to God. The Lord is not asking us to recount past encounters—He is calling us into present obedience. The light released in this season is meant to transform, not merely inform, and it demands realignment. What God reveals must be obeyed, and what He exposes must be surrendered. This warning is not condemnation but mercy ahead of harvest. The fields are ready, the move of God is near, and the time to respond is now.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, you have authority in His name!

Philippians 2:9-11  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  11  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 14:13-14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

The Name of Yeshua (Jesus) is not a phrase we repeat -- it is a legal reality established by Heaven. Scripture declares that God "highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name." That exaltation was not poetic; it was judicial. The name of Yeshua carries authority because it represents finished obedience, proven victory, and delegated rule. Every knee bows not because the Name is loud, but because it is supreme.

Many attempt to use the Name as a formula, but Heaven does not respond to repetition -- it responds to alignment. The Name of Yeshua is not magic; it is authority exercised by those who stand in agreement with His lordship. When spoken without submission, it becomes noise. When spoken in faith and obedience, it carries the weight of the Kingdom.

To speak the Name rightly is to speak from union, not desperation. It is to declare what Heaven has already decided. Demons recognize the Name not because of pronunciation, but because of who stands behind it. Authority flows when the speaker yields to the One whose Name is spoken.

Heaven backs the Name when it is spoken from faith, obedience, and alignment. The Name carries authority because Yeshua earned it -- and He authorizes His body to use it.

Friend, speak the Name of Yeshua (Jesus) with reverence and confidence. Do not treat it as a formula to fix problems, but as a declaration of Heaven’s rule. When you stand aligned with Yeshua and speak His Name, Heaven responds, darkness yields, and order is restored. Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess, and every realm will recognize what Heaven has already declared: Yeshua HaMashiach is Lord -- and His authority is released through those who stand in His Name.

Shabbat Shalom -- have a great weekend and we'll see you first thing on Monday!

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, do not tolerate what God has already conquered!

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 

Fear is not a personality trait, a weakness, or a harmless emotion—it is a trespasser. Scripture is clear: “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” If fear was not given by God, it does not belong. It enters uninvited, attempts to settle illegally, and speaks as though it has authority -- but it does not. Fear’s power lies only in permission, and authority exists to evict what does not belong.

Intimidation is fear’s language. It does not need reality to speak -- it thrives on suggestion, pressure, and threat. But intimidation loses its voice where authority is exercised. God did not replace fear with nothing; He replaced it with power, love, and a sound mind. Power confronts. Love stabilizes. A sound mind refuses distortion. These are not emotional states -- they are governing realities.

Boldness is not volume or aggression. Boldness is Heaven’s atmosphere resting on a yielded life. When you stand in alignment with God, fear cannot remain. Darkness does not argue when authority enters -- it leaves. You do not manage fear; you remove it. You do not coexist with intimidation; you confront it.

Fear does not need to be analyzed -- it needs to be addressed. Authority does not negotiate with trespassers -- it removes them. Where the Spirit of the Lord governs, fear has no jurisdiction, no legal standing, and no voice. The moment authority is exercised, intimidation loses access, confusion gives way to clarity, and peace is restored as Heaven’s order reasserts itself.

Friend, stand in the authority of the Spirit and drive fear out of every place it attempted to claim. Let divine power assert itself, let perfected love establish dominion, and let a sound mind rule without compromise. Move forward victorious -- unthreatened, unmoved, and unafraid. Boldness is not summoned by effort; it is the atmosphere of Heaven surrounding those who know they stand in triumph. Where you stand in Yeshua (Jesus), fear has no choice but to retreat.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, you have authority in spiritual warfare!

Ephesians 6:10–18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 

Spiritual warfare is often misunderstood because it is approached from the wrong posture. Scripture does not call us to strive, chase, or exhaust ourselves in battle -- it commands us to stand. “Having done all, to stand.” Authority is not frantic movement; it is immovable alignment. The believer who knows where they stand does not need to prove anything to darkness.

The armor of God is not issued so we can attack wildly -- it is given so our identity remains protected. Truth guards the mind. Righteousness guards the heart. Peace stabilizes the ground beneath our feet. Faith extinguishes fiery lies. Salvation anchors our hope. The Word becomes our offensive declaration. Armor does not create authority -- it preserves it. When identity is guarded, authority flows without resistance.

Here is the revelation: authority advances purpose. We do not put on armor to survive -- we wear it to enforce Heaven’s order. Resistance is not aggression; it is agreement with God’s rule. When the enemy presses, we do not panic -- we stand. When lies come, we answer with truth. When fear threatens, we lift faith. When chaos rises, peace advances.

We do not enforce chaos through warfare -- we enforce peace.

The enemy’s goal is not to overpower you—it is to move you.
If he can shift your stance, he can disrupt your authority.

But when you stand in Yeshua (Jesus), unmoved and aligned, resistance becomes victory. Warfare ends where authority refuses to retreat. You do not fight for ground -- you stand on ground already secured.

Friend, take your stand. Do not strive. Do not chase shadows. Guard your identity and advance God’s purpose. Let truth silence lies, let faith extinguish fear, and let peace push back darkness. Stand firm in the authority of Christ and resist until peace prevails -- for when you stand in Heaven’s order, hell must yield.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, you have authority because of the cross!

Colossians 2:13-15  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,  14  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  15  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

The Cross was not quiet, symbolic, or hidden -- it was public, violent to darkness, and final. Scripture declares that Yeshua (Jesus) “disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” The Cross was not a peace treaty with hell; it was a stripping of authority. Accusation lost its voice. Fear lost its grip. Every claim of dominion was exposed, shamed, and overthrown in full view of heaven and earth.

Here is the revelation many overlook: the enemy was not merely defeated—he was disarmed. His weapons were taken. His legal standing was cancelled. His power was reduced to noise, bluff, and intimidation. The Cross became Heaven’s courtroom, and the verdict was rendered once and for all. Victory was not hidden in the spiritual realm -- it was announced before the seen and unseen worlds.

While we do confront a real enemy, we do not contend for victory -- we enforce it. The battle was settled at the Cross; the outcome is not in question. This is why we do not strive as though darkness still holds authority. We stand in Christ and remind the enemy that he has already been judged and defeated.

Authority through the Cross is not aggression -- it is agreement with a finished verdict. We stand where Yeshua stood, speak what Yeshua declared, and apply what Yeshua accomplished. Darkness resists only where believers forget that the decision has already been made.

The Cross removed every accusation against you and exposed every lie against God. What once condemned you now condemns the enemy. What once bound you now proclaims that Yeshua reigns. When you stand in the authority of the Cross, you are not hoping for victory—you are standing in public triumph.

Friend, take your place beneath the Cross and lift your eyes. The battle has been decided, the enemy disarmed, and the triumph declared. Do not strive against what Heaven has already judged. Stand firm, speak boldly, and remind darkness of the Cross. Enforce what has been finished. The Cross still speaks, still reigns, and still disarms—and its authority is released through those who stand in agreement with it.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, destroying the works of the devil!

1 John 3:8  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 

Scripture does not soften the language, and neither should we. “The reason the Son of God was made manifest was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil has done.” Yeshua (Jesus) did not come to manage darkness, coexist with it, or negotiate terms -- He came to dismantle it. The cross was not a conversation; it was a verdict. What hell had built over generations was exposed, disarmed, and rendered powerless by the obedience of the Son.

Here is the weight of this truth: what Yeshua destroyed, He did not intend to babysit. He destroyed it so it could be enforced. Authority is not theoretical theology; it is applied victory. The enemy’s works persist only where believers hesitate to stand in what Christ has already finished. Darkness traffics in bluff and intimidation, but it has no legal ground where the Son has been manifested, and His work believed.

Yeshua dismantled the enemy’s operations -- sin’s dominion, fear’s grip, death’s claim -- and then entrusted His body to enforce the outcome. We do not fight to achieve what He accomplished; we stand to apply it. This is why authority flows from identity: when you know who you are in Yeshua, you stop negotiating with what He has already judged.

The devil’s power is not absolute -- it is permission-based. Yeshua stripped the permission; authority ends the pretense. When believers walk in alignment, deception dissolves, chains loosen, and strongholds fall -- not by striving, but by standing.

You are not sent to debate the enemy’s intentions.
You are sent to enforce Heaven’s decision.

Friend, do not tolerate what Yeshua destroyed. Stand in the authority of the finished work and apply the victory of the cross. Where darkness whispers, speak truth. Where fear resists, enforce peace. Where sin once ruled, declare freedom. Authority is not aggression -- it is obedience in action. Walk forward and let the works of the devil unravel wherever you stand, for what Yeshua has dismantled, you are authorized to enforce.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, from prison chains to Paul's pulpit!

Acts 16:25-31  But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. 27  And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28  But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." 29  Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30  And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31  So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." 

Paul's chains were never meant to silence him -- they were positioned to amplify the gospel. What looked like restriction in the natural became authority in the Spirit. Locked doors did not limit Heaven’s voice; they focused it. In the depths of a jail cell, bruised and bound, Paul and Silas did not negotiate with despair -- they worshiped. And when praise rose, authority answered. The earth shook, doors flew open, and chains fell --not because Paul demanded escape, but because Heaven responded to alignment.

Here is the deeper revelation: Paul did not leave.

Everything in the natural screamed, “Run.” The open doors, the loosened chains, the sudden freedom -- yet Paul listened to the Spirit and stayed. Authority is not proven by opportunity; it is proven by obedience. His restraint became someone else’s salvation. The jailer’s life, his household, and a city were transformed because Paul refused to move ahead of God.

And from those same confines -- cells, house arrests, guarded rooms -- Paul’s prison became a pulpit that spanned centuries. Epistles written in jail speak across nations and generations. Chains did not cancel his calling; they concentrated it. Restriction did not reduce Heaven’s authority; it broadcast it. What men tried to confine, God used to proclaim.

Authority speaks loudest under pressure.
When Heaven authorizes a voice, no prison can mute it.

Open doors are not always permission to leave; sometimes they are invitations to stay and speak. True authority listens before it moves. It discerns God’s timing even when freedom is available. The gospel advanced not because Paul escaped suffering, but because he submitted every moment to the Spirit.

Friend, do not confuse chains with silence. What restrains you in the natural cannot restrain Heaven’s authority. When pressure mounts, let worship rise. When doors open suddenly, listen for the Spirit’s command. Your confinement may be God’s platform; your delay, someone else’s deliverance. Stand where God has placed you, speak what Heaven has authorized, and watch restriction become proclamation -- for what God empowers cannot be imprisoned.

Shabbat Shalom -- have a great weekend in the Lord -- we'll see you refreshed and renewed on Monday!

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, when obstacles become pathways!

Exodus 14:12-15  Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." 13  And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14  The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 15  And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 

Israel stood trapped -- Pharaoh behind them, the sea before them, nowhere to turn. The Red Sea was not a minor inconvenience; it was an impossible obstruction. Yet God did not remove the obstacle before moving the people—He moved through it. Authority does not always eliminate what stands in your way; it opens what blocks you. When Moses lifted his staff in obedience, the waters did not disappear—they parted. The same sea meant to stop Israel became the pathway of escape, and what threatened their future became the corridor of deliverance.

This is the way of the Kingdom.

Fear says, “You’re boxed in.”
Faith responds, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”

God does not ask His people to outrun impossibility; He asks them to step forward under His command. The obstacle became a highway not because Israel was strong, but because Heaven ruled the moment. Authority does not deny reality—it reorders it. Walls of water stood on either side as testimony that when God opens a way, even chaos must hold its place.

And when the people crossed, the sea did not remain open for Pharaoh. What became a highway for obedience became judgment for pursuit. Authority opens the way for the redeemed and closes it to the enemy. What stands against God’s purpose cannot follow where He leads.

The Red Sea did not move until Moses moved in obedience.
The path did not appear until authority was exercised.

What looks like the end may be the very place God intends to reveal His rule. The obstacle you face is not always meant to be removed—it may be meant to be transformed. What stands in your way can become the way forward when Heaven’s command is obeyed.

Friend, sometimes we ask God to remove what He intends to open. Not every obstacle is meant to disappear—some are appointed to part. Stand in the authority He has given you and move at His word. At His command, the sea before you can open, the ground beneath you can hold, and the enemy behind you can be silenced. What once blocked your progress can become a witness that the Lord makes a way where there is no way. Do not turn back and do not go around—step forward, for sometimes your deliverance is not around the obstacle; it is through it.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, from Giolath's sword to David's weapon!

1 Samuel 17:45-47  Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47  Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands." 

1 Samuel 21:9  So the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."

David stood before Goliath and declared judgment before he ever held a weapon. He said, "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you." Yet there was one glaring detail -- David had no sword. What he spoke did not match what he held. But David was not prophesying from resources; he was speaking from authority.

Authority does not wait for tools.
Authority speaks from Heaven’s verdict.

David didn’t defeat Goliath with Goliath’s sword -- but he finished him with it. The very weapon designed to kill David became the instrument used to silence the giant. What the enemy trusted became the proof of his defeat. David never went looking for a sword; obedience created the moment where authority supplied it.

This is not a coincidence.
This is Kingdom order.

The enemy often brings the tool of his own destruction into the battle. He overplays his hand. He assumes intimidation equals victory. But when faith stands unmoved, what was meant to destroy becomes what testifies that God rules.

Later, when David is fleeing and in need, he asks for a weapon -- and the priest answers, “There is none like the sword of Goliath.” The sword once lifted in defiance now rests in David’s possession. What was once a threat had become a memorial of authority.

Friend, do not wait until you see the weapon before you speak the victory -- authority speaks before provision appears. David declared Goliath’s defeat while standing empty-handed, because he was not moved by what he lacked but by who had sent him. The sword meant to kill him became the instrument that silenced the giant and later the testimony he carried, proving that what rises against God’s anointed will ultimately serve God’s purpose. What the enemy trusts, God will transfer. What once threatened you will submit, and what once intimidated you will become evidence that the battle belongs to the Lord. Stand in obedience, speak from Heaven’s verdict, and watch God place in your hand what He has already judged.

George & Baht Rivka (Melbourne, Florida)

Friend, taking hold of what God has judged!

Exodus 4:2-4 So the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."  3  And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.  4  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail" (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 

Following yesterday's revelation that authority flows from settled identity, the Spirit brings us to a decisive truth: authority is revealed when what once intimidated you is brought under obedience.

God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” It was a staff -- ordinary and familiar -- until obedience exposed what fear had hidden. When the staff became a serpent, Moses fled. Yet God did not remove the threat; He issued a command that redefined dominion: “Pick it up.” When Moses obeyed, the serpent submitted and returned to a staff -- no longer an object of fear, but an instrument of rule.

This is not spectacle.
This is pattern.

What you fear will rule you.
What you confront in obedience will submit to you.

God did not say, “Avoid the serpent."
He said, “Take hold.”

Yeshua (Jesus) restored this mandate when He declared, “I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions.” Darkness does not retreat because it is reasoned with -- it retreats when it is placed under authority. The enemy may posture, hiss, and intimidate, but his power was stripped at the cross. What remains is permission-based -- and authority ends permission.

Notice this: the serpent did not disappear -- it submitted. Authority does not always remove opposition instantly; it forces alignment. What once caused fear becomes proof. What once threatened becomes testimony. The place of intimidation becomes the tool of deliverance.

You do not overcome serpents by avoiding them.
You overcome them by standing in delegated authority.

Yeshua did not save you to hide. He saved you to rule under His finished work. The serpent has no dominion where the Son has been revealed. What Yeshua destroyed, you are authorized to enforce.

Friend, walk in your authority. Do not shrink back from what Yeshua has already judged. Stand where Heaven has placed you and force serpents to submit—not with noise, not with fear, but with settled authority. You are not negotiating with darkness; you are enforcing a verdict already rendered at the cross. The serpent may move, posture, and hiss, but it does not rule. You do. Step forward in obedience, take hold without hesitation, and watch intimidation lose its voice. What once threatened you must now align. What once resisted you must now yield. Walk in your authority, enforce what is finished, and let every serpent know: the Son has ruled, and His dominion is enforced through you.

George & Baht Rivka (Southern Florida)

Friend, authority begins with identity!

Luke 10:19-20 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

As we move forward from the ground we have already taken -- beginning in November with the revelation of our identity in the Messiah, and then pressing into the responsibility that identity demands -- we now arrive at what cannot be avoided, delayed, or denied: authority. This is not a new subject. It is the inevitable consequence of truth rightly received. Identity laid the foundation. Responsibility brought alignment. Authority is the release. What God establishes within a believer, He always intends to express through that believer.

He never forms sons merely for containment.
He forms them for representation.

Identity answers the cry of the heart: “Who am I in Christ?”
Authority answers the mandate of Heaven: “What have I authorized you to enforce?”

Yeshua (Jesus) never entrusted authority to outsiders, observers, or the uncertain. He entrusted it to those who were secure in belonging. Authority does not flow to those seeking power -- it flows to those who know they are His.

When Yeshua declared, “I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19), He was not igniting ambition -- He was confirming sonship. This authority was not something to be achieved, activated by volume, or proven through effort. It was a reality to be received and walked in. Authority flows effortlessly where identity is settled. Where identity wavers, authority falters. Where identity is anchored, authority stands unquestioned.

Sonship always comes before dominion.

Many believers struggle -- not because authority is absent -- but because they are striving for what Yeshua has already finished. Authority is never produced by exertion; it is released through agreement. You do not fight to obtain authority -- you stand in the authority already given. You do not pursue victory -- you enforce it.

Yeshua sent the disciples out with authority, not after long years of mastery, but after revelation. And when they returned rejoicing that demons submitted to them, Yeshua immediately re-centered them -- not on power, but on identity: "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Authority is powerful, but it is safest when anchored in belonging. Power without identity produces pride. Authority rooted in sonship produces freedom.

Friend, this is the posture of the Kingdom: secure sons and daughters -- unmoved by intimidation, unthreatened by opposition, unhurried by pressure -- standing exactly where Yeshua has placed them. True authority is never loud, never frantic, never striving to prove itself. It does not negotiate with darkness or ask permission from what God has already judged. Authority rests, speaks, and advances from settled identity. The moment identity is anchored in the Yeshua, authority is released to stand, to rule, and to enforce what Heaven has already declared.

George & Baht Rivka (Southern Florida)

Friend, sent and read everywhere: a spirit-filled life that carries revival!

Acts 1:8  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

A living epistle is never meant to remain private -- it is meant to be sent. God writes His message on our lives by the Spirit so that it may be carried into every place He sends us. Revival was never designed to be confined to gatherings or buildings; it is meant to travel through people. We are witnesses not only by proclamation, but by presence. Wherever we go, our lives are being read, and the Spirit is making His appeal through us.

Yeshua (Jesus) promised power when the Holy Spirit comes, not so believers could remain hidden, but so they could be unleashed. The Spirit empowers us not only to live transformed lives, but to live visible, Spirit-filled ones. Our obedience carries authority. Our faith carries testimony. Our endurance carries hope. When the Spirit fills a life, that life becomes a moving altar—carrying the fire of God into ordinary spaces where hearts are ready to awaken.

Revival moves at the speed of obedience. God places His people strategically --- into workplaces, homes, cities, and nations -- so that His message can reach those He loves through lives He has set ablaze. A Spirit-filled believer does not need a platform; they carry one. Their presence provokes hunger, their faith stirs conviction, and their love makes room for encounter. Revival is read in everyday faithfulness long before it is celebrated publicly.

The final expression of identity is availability. When we say yes to God’s timing, placement, and assignment, our lives become open letters -- read in moments we never anticipated, by people we never planned to reach. A life fully yielded to the Spirit becomes a vessel through which revival flows.

Friend, go where the Spirit sends you and stand where He positions you. Carry the fire of God into every place you step. Live openly, faithfully, and courageously. Let your life be read without apology. You are written by the Spirit, filled with power, and sent for revival. Walk forward as a living epistle -- seen, read, and known -- until Yeshua is revealed everywhere you go and hearts awaken to the living God.

Shabbat Shalom ... have a great weekend ... and we'll see you first thing on Monday! Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Southern Florida)

Friend, the signature of Messiah -- love that awakens revival!

John 13:34–35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Every letter bears a signature, and the signature of a living epistle is love. Yeshua (Jesus) declared that the world would recognize His disciples not by power, knowledge, precision, or even miracles -- but by love. This was not a poetic suggestion; it was a prophetic declaration. Love is the unmistakable mark of authenticity, and it is the primary way Yeshua reveals Himself through His people.

This love is not sentimental or shallow. It is patient when misunderstood, enduring when wounded, sacrificial when costly, and courageous when it would be easier to withdraw. It loves without applause, forgives without leverage, and stays when walking away would feel justified. This kind of love cannot be manufactured -- it is the life of Yeshua expressed through surrendered hearts.

Love is also the doorway to revival. Before awakening ever fills cities, it must first fill hearts. The world is not waiting for louder voices or sharper arguments -- it is waiting to see love made visible. When the people of God walk in genuine, Christlike love, resistance weakens, hearts soften, and spiritual hunger awakens. Love disarms hostility, restores trust, and creates space for truth to be received. Revival begins when love becomes undeniable.

A life marked by love reflects the very nature of God and makes Yeshua recognizable -- not distant or abstract, but near and tangible. When love governs our actions, the gospel becomes believable. When love leads the way, heaven touches earth quietly but powerfully. This is how the early Church turned the world upside down -- not by force, but by love that could not be ignored.

Friend, let love become the signature written across your life. Love deeply where it costs you. Love boldly where fear once ruled. Love beyond comfort until the heart of Yeshua is unmistakably revealed through you. Let this love ignite revival -- first within you, then through you. May your love disarm resistance, heal wounds, awaken hunger, and open hearts to God. This is how the world will know Him. This is how revival begins. Be known by love.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Southern Florida)

Friend, read by the world: character that bears witness!

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

A living epistle is not read in quiet moments alone—it is read in daily life. The world encounters Yeshua (Jesus) not first through preaching, but through people. Yeshua said that our light is meant to shine before others so they may see our good works and glorify the Father. Character is the language the world understands.

Consistency gives credibility. When love remains under pressure, when forgiveness flows in offense, when truth is spoken without bitterness, Yeshua is revealed. A living epistle does not require explanation -- it demonstrates reality. The gospel gains weight when it is carried by a life that reflects its power.

The new creation does not curate holiness; they live it. Their faith shows up in ordinary spaces -- homes, workplaces, conversations, and conflicts. What others read in us should sound like good news. A transformed life becomes undeniable evidence that Yeshua is alive.

Friend, let your life preach where your words cannot. Walk in integrity, love without condition, and stand firm in truth. May your consistency silence doubt and your character magnify Yeshua. Shine without striving. Live without compromise. Let your life be read clearly, and let the world encounter God through you.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Southern Florida)

Friend, written upon the heart!

2 Corinthians 3:3  clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 

Ezekiel 36:26-27  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 

Before a life can be read by others, it must first be written upon by God. Paul tells us that we are letters of Yeshua (Jesus), written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. A living epistle begins in the hidden places, where the Spirit forms character long before actions are visible.

The inner life matters because whatever is written on the heart eventually flows into the world. When the Spirit writes truth within us, our responses change. Our desires align. Our reactions soften. Integrity grows where compromise once lived. The new creation is not shaped from the outside in, but from the inside out. God’s handwriting appears first in our thoughts, motives, and affections.

A heart formed by the Spirit becomes a safe place for God’s presence to dwell. It is not hurried, defensive, or divided. It is attentive, teachable, and yielded. This inner work is often unseen, but it is never insignificant. The clearest epistles are written slowly, deeply, and faithfully.

Friend, yield your inner life to the Spirit of the living God. Let Him write truth where lies once lived, peace where fear once ruled, and holiness where compromise once lingered. Do not rush the work of God within you. What He writes in secret will be read openly. Let your heart become His parchment, and your life His message.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Southern Florida)

Friend, you are His living epistle!

2 Corinthians 3:2–3 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3  clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 

The ultimate response to identity in Yeshua (Jesus) is not merely belief -- it is embodiment. Identity reaches its highest expression when the life of Yeshua becomes visible through us. Paul declares that believers are living letters, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, known and read by all. The gospel was never meant to remain only on pages; it was meant to be written on lives.

A life that reveals Yeshua does not rely solely on words. It speaks through character, through consistency, through love that endures and truth that remains steady. The world may debate theology, but it cannot deny a transformed life. When identity is fully embraced and faithfully practiced, Yeshua becomes recognizable in the way we walk, speak, forgive, serve, and love.

This is the culmination of the new creation journey. Identity leads to surrender. Surrender produces transformation. Transformation shapes character. Over time, the Spirit writes His story upon our hearts so clearly that others encounter God not first through sermons, but through our presence. We become living evidence that Yeshua is alive and at work.

To be a living epistle is to live with awareness that every moment matters. Our faith is no longer private -- it is visible. Our obedience is no longer hidden -- it bears witness. We carry the aroma of Messiah into ordinary spaces, and heaven touches earth through lives yielded to Him. This is not perfection; it is faithfulness. Not performance, but presence.

A life that reveals Yeshua brings the journey full circle. We no longer ask only who we are -- we live as who we are. Identity becomes testimony. Faith becomes visible. The new creation steps fully into its calling: to make the unseen God known through a life surrendered to His Spirit.

Friend, yield yourself fully to the work of the Spirit. Let your life be written upon by God until Yeshua is unmistakably revealed through you. May your words carry truth, your actions carry love, and your presence carry His peace. Walk in such a way that heaven is made visible on earth through your obedience. You are a living epistle—seen, read, and known by all. Go now and live what you believe. Let Yeshua be revealed through you.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Southern Florida)