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)

Friend, a kingdom mindset: living beyond self!

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 

When identity is rooted in Yeshua (Jesus), our priorities begin to shift. The new creation no longer lives governed by survival, self-preservation, or personal ambition. Identity realigns vision. What once dominated our thoughts -- security, recognition, comfort -- begins to loosen its grip as eternity comes into view. A Kingdom mindset is the natural fruit of knowing who we are and whose we are.

Yeshua’s words in Matthew 6:33 cut through the noise of earthly striving: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” This is not a call to neglect responsibility, but to reorder affection. The Kingdom is not something we add to our lives -- it becomes the lens through which we see everything else. When eternity takes first place, the temporary finds its proper position.

Living beyond self means we no longer measure life by what we gain, but by what we steward. Time, resources, influence, and opportunity are no longer viewed as personal possessions but Kingdom trusts. Identity frees us from self-centered living and draws us into God-centered purpose. We begin to ask different questions—not “What benefits me?” but “What advances the Kingdom?”

A Kingdom mindset lifts our eyes above immediate circumstances. It trains the heart to value what lasts and to release what fades. Fear loses its authority when eternity governs our thinking. Anxiety diminishes when trust deepens. We discover that when God’s Kingdom becomes our priority, His provision becomes our promise.

This way of living is not driven by pressure, but by clarity. The new creation does not chase meaning -- they live from it. Anchored in eternal truth, they walk with peace in uncertainty and purpose in every season. Their lives quietly testify that there is more than what is seen, and that heaven’s values are worth living for.

Friend, lift your eyes beyond the temporary and fix your heart on what is eternal. Let the Kingdom of God realign your priorities and reorder your desires. Lay down self-centered ambition and take hold of heaven’s purpose. Seek first the Kingdom, and trust God with the rest. Let eternity shape your decisions, guide your steps, and anchor your soul. Rise and live beyond yourself -- your life was made for more, and the Kingdom is calling you forward.

Shabbat shalom ... Have a great weekend and we'll see you bright and early Monday morning!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Orlando, Florida)

Friend, suffering with purpose: trials that shape us!

James 1:2-4  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

One of the hardest truths of our walk as believers is this: suffering is not a detour from God’s purpose -- it is often the pathway through it. The new creation life does not exempt us from trials, but it does give us the resilience to endure them with hope. Our identity in Yeshua (Jesus) anchors us when circumstances shake us, reminding us that what we face does not define us and that nothing we endure is ever wasted in God’s hands.

James calls us to consider it joy when we encounter various trials, not because pain is pleasant, but because God is purposeful. Trials test our faith, and tested faith produces perseverance. Perseverance, in turn, matures us -- forming character that cannot be shaped any other way. What feels like pressure is often preparation. What feels like resistance is often refinement. God is not absent in the trial; He is actively at work within it.

There is no testimony without a test. Every story of God’s faithfulness is forged in moments where trust was required before understanding arrived. Trials expose what we believe, strip away false supports, and drive us deeper into dependence on God. They reveal whether our identity is rooted in circumstances or anchored in Yeshua. The new creation learns to endure not by denying pain, but by trusting God’s hand in the process.

Suffering with purpose reframes hardship. We no longer ask only to escape the trial; we ask to be formed through it. Hope rises not because the trial is short, but because God is faithful. Our identity in Yeshua gives us the strength to stand, the patience to wait, and the confidence to believe that what God has begun, He will bring to completion.

The believer shaped by trial emerges with depth, compassion, and unshakable faith. What once threatened to break us becomes the very thing God uses to build us. In the Kingdom, suffering is never the final word -- transformation is.

Friend, stand firm in the trial before you. Do not interpret hardship as abandonment or delay as denial. The same God who called you is shaping you, even now. Let endurance rise within you. Let hope anchor your soul. What you are walking through is producing something eternal. The test will give birth to a testimony, and the trial will yield maturity. Do not quit. Do not retreat. Trust the work of God unfolding in you. You are being strengthened, refined, and prepared -- stand, endure, and hope.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Orlando, Florida)

Friend, you are a carrier of Heaven's message!

2 Corinthians 5:17-20  So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18  And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19  whereas God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and putting the word of reconciliation in us. 20  Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as God exhorting through us, we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 

As a new creation, we are not only restored -- we are commissioned. Our identity in Yeshua (Jesus) does not stop with what He has done in us; it flows outward into what He desires to do through us. When we are reconciled to God, we are not left standing still -- we are entrusted with His message of reconciliation. Heaven does not simply rescue us from sin and brokenness; it sends us back into the world carrying grace, truth, and hope to others.

Paul declares that God has reconciled us to Himself through Yeshua and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. This is not reserved for a select few; it is the calling of every believer. As ambassadors, we do not speak on our own authority -- we speak on behalf of another. Our lives, our words, and our actions represent the Kingdom to a world that is estranged from God.

An ambassador lives with awareness. They know where they are from, who they represent, and what message they carry. In the same way, the new creation lives rooted in heaven while walking on earth. We do not argue people into reconciliation -- we embody it. We carry peace into conflict, hope into despair, and truth into confusion. Our presence becomes an invitation: “Be reconciled to God.”

This calling flows directly from identity. We do not serve as ambassadors to earn approval; we serve because we are already accepted. Secure identity produces a bold witness. Reconciled hearts produce reconciling lives. The believer who knows they belong to heaven is free to speak heaven’s message without fear or compromise.

To be an ambassador is to live intentionally, aware that every encounter carries eternal weight. God makes His appeal through us. Our obedience becomes His voice. Our love becomes His reach. When we step into this calling, heaven touches earth through ordinary lives yielded to an extraordinary purpose.

Friend, rise in the authority of your calling. You have been reconciled, and now you are sent. Carry heaven’s message with boldness and humility. Let your life speak reconciliation where division reigns, peace where chaos thrives, and hope where hearts are weary. Do not shrink back or remain silent -- God is making His appeal through you. Walk as an ambassador of the Kingdom, rooted in identity, filled with courage, and empowered by the Spirit. Go forth and release the message of reconciliation, for you carry heaven wherever you stand.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Orlando, Florida)

Friend, compassion and justice: reflecting the nature of our Messiah!

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does Jehovah require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God? 

The new creation life reshapes how we see people. Understanding our identity in Yeshua (Jesus) does not draw us inward; it turns our gaze outward with heaven’s perspective. When we know who we are, we begin to see others as God sees them -- not as problems to avoid, but as people to love, restore, and defend. Compassion and justice are not optional virtues; they are expressions of the very nature of Yeshua flowing through His people.

Micah declares that the Lord requires us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Justice without compassion becomes harsh, and compassion without justice becomes incomplete. In Yeshua, the two are perfectly joined. He touched the untouchable, defended the oppressed, confronted injustice, and extended mercy without compromising truth. To reflect His nature is to allow our hearts to be moved by what moves His.

Compassion begins with sight. It is the ability to see beyond behavior into brokenness, beyond sin into suffering, beyond offense into need. Justice follows compassion by refusing to ignore what destroys human dignity. The new creation does not turn away from pain; they carry the heart of God into it. They stand where others step back, speak where others remain silent, and act where others hesitate.

This posture flows from identity, not obligation. We do not pursue justice to prove righteousness; we walk in it because righteousness has been given to us. We do not show mercy to earn favor; we extend mercy because we have received it. When identity is secure, love becomes courageous, and justice becomes sacrificial. The believer becomes a living witness to the Kingdom where mercy triumphs and truth prevails.

To reflect the nature of Yeshua is to let heaven’s values take root in earthly relationships. It is to live with open eyes, soft hearts, and steady hands. Compassion fuels action, justice anchors it in truth, and humility keeps it aligned with God’s heart. This is the calling of the new creation—to reveal the character of God in a world longing to see Him.

Friend, let your heart be aligned with heaven’s vision. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see people as He sees them. Let compassion rise where indifference once lived, and let justice take root where silence once ruled. Carry mercy boldly, speak truth with love, and stand firm for what reflects the heart of Yeshua. Do not shrink back from broken places -- enter them with the authority of love. Walk humbly, love deeply, and act courageously. Rise and reflect the nature of Yeshua, for the world is waiting to encounter God through you.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Orlando, Florida)

Friend, you've been entrusted with spiritual gifts for Kingdom impact!

1 Corinthians 12:4-7  There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 

1 Corinthians 12:31  But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. 

Spiritual gifts are not optional extras in the Christian life -- they are divinely commanded pursuits.  Scripture does not tell us to passively wait for gifts to appear; it commands us to desire them earnestly. This desire does not arise from ambition or comparison, but from identity. When we understand who we are in Yeshua (Jesus), we begin to long for the tools necessary to carry His life into the world.

Paul teaches that there are different kinds of gifts, services, and workings, yet the same Spirit distributes them to each one individually as He wills. This means no believer is overlooked, and no gift is wasted. The Spirit intentionally places gifts within us, aligning them with our calling, purpose, and assignment. To desire spiritual gifts is not to seek status -- it is to seek usefulness in the hands of God.

God commands us to covet the gifts because they are how His power and compassion are released on the earth. Gifts are not for personal elevation; they are for Kingdom impact. They are expressions of God’s identity flowing through surrendered lives. When identity is secure, gifts are exercised freely, humbly, and boldly. When identity is weak, gifts are either suppressed through fear or misused through performance. But when identity is rooted in Yeshua, gifts become instruments of love, healing, wisdom, and truth.

Each spiritual gift is designed to impact the world for Him. They are given individually, but never intended to remain private. The Spirit entrusts gifts to believers so that heaven can touch broken places through ordinary people. Whether through words of wisdom, acts of mercy, prophetic encouragement, healing, or service, the gifts of the Spirit reveal the nearness of God and the reality of His Kingdom.

To desire spiritual gifts is to desire partnership with God’s mission. It is to say, “Lord, use my life to reveal Your heart.” The new creation does not shrink back from this calling -- they lean into it. They ask, they receive, and they steward what has been entrusted to them, knowing that obedience releases impact and faithfulness multiplies fruit.

Friend, stir your heart to desire what God has commanded you to desire. Awaken to the gifts the Spirit has placed within you, not for your glory, but for the salvation of the world. Lay aside fear, false humility, and hesitation, and step fully into your God-given assignment. Let heaven move through you with power, wisdom, and compassion. Your spiritual gifts are given to you so that God can impact the world through you. Rise now, yield boldly, and release what has been entrusted to you -- this is your calling, and this is your hour to serve in the power of the Spirit.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Orlando, Florida)

Friend, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit!

Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The life of the Spirit is revealed not by what we claim, but by what we produce. In the Kingdom of God, fruit is not the result of human effort -- it is the evidence of divine connection. Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit not as a list of tasks to perform, but as the natural outgrowth of a life abiding in God. Fruit does not strain to grow; it appears where life flows freely.

Many believers attempt to produce fruit through discipline alone, but fruit cannot be manufactured -- it must be cultivated. It grows in the soil of intimacy, watered by surrender, and sustained through abiding. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control emerge not because we try harder, but because we stay connected to the Spirit who produces them within us.

When we abide, transformation becomes organic. Reactions soften. Desires shift. Responses mature. What once required effort now flows with grace. The fruit of the Spirit is not proof of moral strength; it is proof of spiritual life. It reveals that the Spirit is at work beneath the surface, shaping the inner person long before the change becomes visible to others.

Cultivating fruit requires attention and care. We tend the soil of our hearts by removing weeds of offense, pride, and fear. We remain attentive to the Spirit’s leading, allowing Him to prune what no longer serves His purposes. Pruning may feel uncomfortable, but it creates space for greater fruitfulness. The Spirit’s work is never to harm us, but to increase the life of Yeshua (Jesus) within us.

The new creation does not rush growth -- they trust the process. Fruit ripens in season, not overnight. As we continue to abide, the evidence becomes undeniable. The fragrance of Messiah begins to surround our lives, and the character of heaven becomes visible on earth through us.

Friend, release the burden of striving and remain in the life of the Spirit. Stop trying to produce what only abiding can grow. Tend the soil of your heart and stay connected to the Vine. Let love rise naturally, let peace settle deeply, and let joy overflow freely. Allow the Spirit to prune, nourish, and shape you until the fruit of heaven is unmistakably evident in your life. Remain in Him, abide faithfully, and trust His work—the fruit will come without striving.

Have a great weekend as you celebrate the New Year in Him! Shabbat Shalom ... we'll see you first thing on Monday!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Orlando, Florida)