Cave of Pan    Picture courtesy of holylandphotos.org 

​              “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’” (Matthew 16:13 NIV).

        Why did Jesus choose Caesarea Philippi as the place where He asked His disciples this question? It was a place Jews would avoid. 

           It sat at the base of Mount Hermon. This is the mountain where, according to Jewish tradition and 1 Enoch, the ‘sons of God’ (angels) descended, as told in Genesis 6, mated with the daughters of humans, and corrupted humanity, resulting in the Nephilim (giants) and violence on the earth. It was the original spot for the ‘Days of Noah.’

            At the foot of Mount Hermon was a huge cave with a bottomless spring. The pagans named it the Gates of Hades. The cave was believed to be an entrance to the underworld, where spirits entered and exited. It was the place of ritual sex, child sacrifice, and the worship of Pan, the goat god.
            No observant Jew went there – ever.

          It was at this place Jesus asked His question. He didn’t ask it in Jerusalem, or at the synagogue, but at hell’s front porch.

      “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:16 NIV). And Jesus replied, “...on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it’” (Matthew 16:18 NIV).

       Many Bible translations say the gates of Hades will not ‘prevail’ against it. Some Bible scholars suggest the best translation of ‘prevail’ in this passage would be ‘withstand’. The Greek word is katischusousin – from kata (against) + ischus (strength, force, power).

        In other words, the gates of Hades are not strong enough to withstand, hold back, or resist the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and His church. Hell is on the defense. Jesus is initiating the offense.

      At the very place where Satan launched his most devastating attempt to corrupt the DNA of humanity, the very place the nations believed was connected to the underworld, Jesus is saying, “Your time’s up. I have come to take it all back - to reclaim the nations, undo the angels' rebellion, and reverse the corruption on the earth.

      Jesus was sounding the war cry. Not long after, demons were panicking, religious leaders were plotting to kill him, and Rome was reacting.

        And the final checkmate? The cross and the resurrection.

      Today, the modern church often hides from the darkness. Jesus taught His disciples to invade it. “Put on your combat boots. Suit up and advance. The enemy can’t stop you.”

     When God’s people walk in His truth, authority, Spirit, and mission, hell can’t keep its territory. That’s because Jesus has broken its door off its hinges!

Inspiration for this post was taken from "Yael's Letters", December 19, 2025

“Even if the fig tree does not bloom
and the vines have no grapes,
even if the olive tree fails to produce
and the fields yield no food,
even if the sheep pen is empty
and the stalls have no cattle –
even then,
I will be happy with the Lord.
I will truly find joy in God, who saves me.
The Lord Almighty is my strength.” Habakkuk 3:17-19 GWT

“Rejoice at all times” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 BSB)

            If anyone had a reason to not find joy in God, it was Habakkuk. He knew a devastating invasion of his country by the Babylonians was imminent, which would result in social collapse, violence, and destruction.

            He was troubled by the why of the invasion. Why would a righteous God allow wickedness to prevail and use a more evil nation to judge a slightly less evil one? When he heard the full revelation of what the Babylonians would do to his people, he wrote, “...my insides churned. My lips quivered...Decay crept into my bones; I stood there shaking” (Habakkuk 3:16 VOICE).

        Despite all this, Habakkuk made a decision to turn from doubt to worship and chose to rejoice in God’s strength and salvation, even if all his earthly security vanished. He would rejoice not in the harvest, or in answered prayer, but in God Himself.

            And that, I think, is the key. We rejoice in God because of who He is – the faithful God, the God who keeps His promises, the God who cannot lie. The God who leads us through the dark valley, who has promised never to abandon us in the middle, but to take us through to the other side.
            To rejoice in the darkness is to trust the One who holds the universe together by the word of His power. “He (the Son) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power...” (Hebrews 1:3 ESV).

            Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV) says, “...he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” In other words, God enables us to navigate life’s most perilous and confusing circumstances without falling.
​
            Will you trust Him in the difficult times? And better still, will you rejoice as you go through them?

 
        When the Israelites camped in the wilderness, the entire nation was physically arranged around the Tabernacle, where the very Presence of Yahweh dwelt. The Tabernacle stood in the middle of the camp (Numbers 2:2). Everything revolved around it – Israel’s worship, leadership, identity,  even its calendar. The Israelites were not a community “escaped from Egypt”, but a people organized around the divine Presence.

            As modern believers, this thought can make us uncomfortable. We want Yahweh added to our lives, but not centred in them. We want Him somewhere in the camp, preferably nearby for emergencies, but not enthroned, with everything rearranged around Him.

            Israel had no option. The cloud hovered over the Tabernacle by day, and the fire by night (Exodus 40:38). Each day they had a visible reminder they belonged to Yahweh, whether they liked it or not.

       Today, our hearts constantly drift toward self-centred kingdoms – career, comfort, relationships, family, politics, entertainment, sports, money, influence. Anything and everything but Him. Are we treating Yahweh as a motivational accessory who exists to support our life goals?

            But the Torah presents Him as a consuming fire at the very centre of existence itself. Every movement of the Israelites depended on His Presence. “When the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out...but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out” (Numbers 9:17-23).

        Imagine what it was like to live like that. No independent agenda. No self-direction. No manifest destiny. When the cloud moved, you moved. When it stayed, you stayed.

            In Egypt, the Israelites obeyed externally. In the wilderness, they were being taught they were not their own. The Presence of God determined their direction.

            And something fascinating. Some scholars and artists have noted that the different sizes of the tribal populations potentially create a cross-like formation with the Tabernacle at the centre. The is the Torah pointed toward Messiah, long before Bethlehem or Golgotha.

        The same Presence enthroned in the wilderness later takes on flesh and tabernacled among humanity. “And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory...” (John 1:14 AMPC).

         The lesson in the wilderness was that life did not revolve around man, but around Yahweh. That is why idolatry is so destructive. It replaces the rightful Centre. The golden calf, Ba’al worship, the gods of Egypt, our modern culture, all tell us to build our gods around them.

         Today, many of us want salvation from Egypt, but not a life completely reorganized around Him. But the Tabernacle was the centre of the nation. And the closer you moved to the centre, the greater the holiness required.

           The outer tribes surrounded the camp, but the Levites surrounded the Tabernacle and served closest to the sanctuary itself (Numbers 1:53). As you moved toward the centre, holiness intensified. Why was that? In Scripture, nearness to God is never treated casually.
 
          The camp around the Tabernacle was a prophetic picture of what humanity was supposed to be – a people who dwell around Yahweh.

Look at Eden – Yahweh dwelling with humanity
The Tabernacle and Temple – Yahweh dwelling among Israel and enthroned among His people
Messiah – Yahweh dwelling in flesh
Believers – Yahweh dwelling in His people through His Spirit
New Jerusalem – “The dwelling place of Yahweh is with man “ (Revelation 21:3).

          The wilderness camp was not random organization, but prophetic architecture. It was a holy civilization arranged around His divine Presence in the midst of a chaotic world.

            In light of all this, perhaps the most important question of all is, if someone mapped our lives like the camp of Israel, what would they find at the centre?
 
Inspiration for this article was taken from Yael’s Letters, written by an anonymous Christian woman who uses “Yael” as a pseudonym. She describes herself as a “whole Bible believer”. Her mission is to share her love for Jesus and point readers toward Scriptural truth.

          The Hebrew word halak means to walk, to go, to move, to proceed, to live out a course of life. “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say...]” (Colossians 2:6 AMP).

            Scripture describes our relationship with God as a walk.
            Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:24)
            Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9)
            “Walk before Me, and be blameless, God told Abraham (Genesis 17:1)
            God commanded Israel to walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 10:12)
            David requested he be taught the way so he could speak in truth (Psalm 86:11)
            The prophet Micah said God requires us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8)
            The Apostle John wrote, “Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked (1 John 2:6).

            If we pay attention to Scripture, it tells us love walks, faith walks, covenant walks, obedience walks, and discipleship walks. The direction of our feet tells us what kingdom we belong to.
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            This is why halak is so important. It is a manner of life and direction, and not just movement. If we believe God, we walk with Him; if we love Him, we keep His commandments; if we are His, we walk in His ways.
           
         In the Old Testament, God said to Israel, “So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NRSV).
Fear Him
Love Him
Serve Him
Walk in His ways
Keep His commandments

         In the New Testament, Jesus told us twenty-one times and in twelve different conversations, to follow Him. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 NLT). 

          The New Testament uses the same walking language as the Old Testament.
“Walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16)
“Walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2)
“Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8)
“Walk in a manner worthy of God (Colossians 1:10)
“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments (2 John 1:6)

         Halak is connected to the Jewish concept of halakhah, which means “the walk” or “the way one walks out obedience”. We all have a walk, but what is our walk based on? Is it based on:
Scripture?
Tradition?
Culture?
Our trauma?
Our pastor?
Our favourite influencer?
Our flesh?

         The disciples of Jesus left their nets, their tables, their old lives, and physically walked after Him. We learn the ways of the Rabbi, not from a distance, but up close. God is forming people who do not strut religiously, but walk faithfully.

Religious strutting performs for crowds
Covenant walking stays faithful when no one claps
Religious strutting loves titles. Covenant walking keeps on the narrow path
Religious strutting asks, “How much do I have to do?”
Covenant walking asks God to teach us His ways

         Halak does not mean you do not limp.
Peter walked with Jesus, but still got rebuked
Thomas fought with doubt
James and John wanted fire from heaven like prophets with anger issues
Jacob wrestled with God and limped afterwards, but he went away changed
These did not walk perfectly, but they kept walking with the One who did

         From the Scriptures we learn:
Babylon has a way
Rome has a way
The nations have a way
The flesh has a way

         But Jesus is THE WAY, and as the redeemed of the Lord, we are called to walk in His Way.

        I recently read someone’s thoughts about a little child learning to walk with a loving father. The child’s tiny feet stand on top of much bigger ones. Small hands are wrapped inside strong ones.
The child does not yet know the way – does not understand balance, direction, timing. The child trusts the one holding him/her.

Halak – is not:
Cold religion
Fearful performance
A race to earn love

But – Halak is:
Walking with God
Sometimes clumsy
Sometimes slow
Sometimes crying and sometimes laughing
Sometimes falling so badly you don’t know if you’ll ever get up
But the Father’s hands never let go

         A child learning to walk is not rejected for stumbling. The Father expects the process, and has promised to always be there.

Walking with Him is not:
Religious strutting
Public performance
Collecting trophies while our feet are planted in pride

Halak is:
My feet on His
My hands in His
Learning His steps
Trusting His direction, even when it doesn’t make sense to me

         Matthew 11: 28 – 30 MSG says, “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

       Halak is following our Father’s unforced rhythms of grace and walking with Him all the way home.


Inspiration for this article was taken from Yael’s Letters. As far as can be discerned, Yael's Letters" is a Facebook/online persona managed by a woman writing under a pseudonym. She describes herself as a Christian and writes to share her love for Jesus, desiring all glory to go to YHWH.

 
        Have you ever noticed that today, many things are voice activated? Examples include voice search, speech-to-text, voice command to smart home devices, such as Amazon Alexa, voice biometrics for security, in-car speech recognition, and MD note-taking, to name a few.

         In the beginning, God brought order out of chaos with His words. “God spoke: ‘Light!’ And light appeared” (Genesis 1:3 MSG). Sun, moon, stars, vegetation, animals, birds, creatures of the sea – everything was created by the word of God.

       “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those that love it shall eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21 JUB). In Matthew 4, after Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights, Satan told Him that if He was the Son of God, He should turn the stones into bread. In reply, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, “...man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (NIV).

        “You will also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways” (Job 22:28 AMP). When we get up each morning, what are we declaring and decreeing? Are we speaking life or death, lifting up or tearing down, speaking curses or blessings?

       Today, there is an app for everything. But before apps, there was and is the Word of God. There’s a promise in God’s Word for every situation we face in life. If we need healing, Isaiah 53:4-5 tells us, “Surely he has borne our sicknesses and suffered our pain...But he was wounded for our rebellions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes healing was provided for us” (JUB). This passage is just one of numerous healing Scriptures. Dig them out, believe them, and speak them over your life.

       Struggling with finances? “...my God will fill every need of yours according to his glorious wealth, in union with the Messiah Yeshua” (Philippians 4:19 CJB). The apostle Paul tells us if we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly, but if we sow generously, we will reap generously. Then he writes, “Since God loves you, he is able to give you more than you need. You will always have every good thing that you need for yourselves. And you will have enough to do many good things to help other people” (2 Corinthians 9:8 EASY).

        “Glorify God with all your wealth, honoring him with your firstfruits, with every increase that comes to you. Then every dimension of your life will overflow with blessings from an uncontainable source of inner joy!” (Proverbs 3:9-10 TPT).

        We are to speak to any obstacle in the way of God’s plan for our lives. “...Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘go jump in the lake’ – no shuffling or hemming and hawing – and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything” (Mark 11:22-24 MSG).

      And lastly, as we speak God’s words into the situations we face in life, let’s not forget His promise in Isaiah 55:11: “It is the same when I give my word to people. It will not return to me without any result. No! My word does what I want it to do. What I promise to do will certainly happen” (EASY). BELIEVE God’s Word. ACT on it. LIVE it!

            Sometime after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus walked into the Temple to cleanse it. He did not enter quietly. He not only disrupted the buying and selling, He disrupted how the people approached God and how they maintained their right standing with Him.

            The Temple had become a place of exchange. For a temporary sense of peace, those who came paid something, received something, offered something. The Temple had developed into a marketplace, not just in reality, but in the minds of the people. Because of that, they related to God through exchange, rather than through relationship.

            Jesus didn’t come to make the system better. He came to finish it. He was telling the people God couldn’t be approached through negotiation. Every sacrifice offered in the Temple pointed to something greater that had not yet been completed. Think about the significance of the event. The One standing there amidst the overturned tables was the fulfillment of everything the system  pointed to.

            Jesus knew the cross was days away, and that His shed blood would accomplish what no sacrifice in the Temple ever could. “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God...” (Hebrews 10:11-12 NIV).

            Jesus demonstrated He would become the new Temple, and turn His followers into carriers of the presence of God. “Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own...” (1 Corinthians 6:19 AMPC).

            Right in front of the people, Jesus confronted the system they trusted in to provide access to God. He made them uncomfortable. But he wanted them to see the reality that what could not produce life or secure access was about to be replaced by the true life that only He could bring. He’d already told them,  “...I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6 AMP).

            Jesus walked through the week before Resurrection Sunday with intentionality because He saw the cross clearly before Him. He was moving toward what He was coming to complete. “...(Jesus) saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 NOG).

            Although He unsettled the people by removing the familiar, He was not removing their hope, but taking away what never could fulfill it. He walked toward the cross with certainty, knowing all it would accomplish. That is why our salvation is based on completion. It is not dependent on what we maintain, but on what Jesus finished.

            As believers in Jesus, our salvation is not fragile. It is secured with His precious Blood and finished work on the cross.

        Although I have written about the power of our words before, I feel an unction from the Holy Spirit to speak about the subject again. In Job 22:28 (MEV) we read, “You will also declare a matter, and it will be established unto you; and the light will shine upon your ways.” What are we declaring?
           
      In Genesis 1, we see the first recorded demonstration of powerful words when God said, “’Light!’ And light appeared” (Genesis 1:3 MSG). Throughout the account of creation, “God said” is repeated numerous times. Creation responded to God’s Word.

       Of Jesus, the Scriptures say, “God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together” (Hebrews 1:3 CEV). Think about that. Without the sustaining Word of God, the universe would disband.

      What about our words? Our “words are so powerful that they will kill or give life, and the talkative person will reap the consequences” (Proverbs 18:21 TPT). Our words produce fruit for either life or death.

      What about the words we hear? The words we hear shape our thinking and influence the direction we take in life. If we hear from childhood we are useless and will never accomplish anything, that will likely be the result. On the other hand, if we are told God loves us, has a wonderful plan for our lives, and will empower us in all our endeavours, our lives will be influenced to flow in a positive direction.
         
​        Our words are like seeds. What are we sowing with our tongues - gossip, slander, hate-filled words, which bring death, or hopeful, pure, and love-filled words, which bring life? “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18).

        Let’s fill our mouths with the Word of God. “And my tongue shall talk of your righteousness, rightness, and justice, and of [my reasons for] Your praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28 AMPC). “May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous” (Psalm 119:172).

       Today, dear Lord Jesus, help each one of us to choose words which release life to those around us, strengthen their faith, and reflect the image of the God who created us. In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.

        I recently read an article stating that we as Christians are often tempted to put ourselves in a box, a box of comfort, compromise, and cultural acceptance. The statement made me think of the three young Hebrew men in Daniel 3 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon, they were placed in the most advanced and influential city of their time.

            The three men had been taught to serve the one true God. In the midst of Babylon’s wealth and cultural power, they determined not to defile themselves with the world’s offerings. God shaped their values, not culture.

         We read in Daniel 3 that King Nebuchadnezzar erected a massive statue. He ordered all people to bow down and worship the image, or be thrown into a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down. Their allegiance was to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

            What is interesting is that at the time of this occurrence, these young men had been living in Babylon for three to five years. They were not slaves. They served the king and lived privileged lives, enjoying favour, comfort, and respect.

            Yet when push came to shove, they refused to bow down to any god but the one true God. They did not conform to the culture. They upheld their values, no matter the cost.

            And there was a cost. You know the story. They were thrown into the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual. But before this happened, Nebuchadnezzar gave them an opportunity to change their minds and obey his command.

            What was their answer to renege on their beliefs? “...O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you, If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18 NLT, bolding mine).

            If you were in the place of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, what would you have done? What would I have done? I’ve asked myself that question a number of times. Would I say, “it’s only a statue?” “We know idols mean nothing?” “Everyone else is doing it?” “I’ll just bow down a little bit with my body, but in my head, I’ll be standing?”
            Have we, as believers, allowed the culture to shape our values instead of standing strong so our values affect the culture? Has that which was once sacred, rooted in the Kingdom of God, become relative? Have things which were once honoured become optional and the holy profane?

            Isaiah gave a warning regarding this. “It is bad for those who call what is sinful good, and good sinful, who say dark is light and light is dark, who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter!”
(Isaiah 5:20 NLV).

            Today, more than ever, we need the holy courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to stand against the tsunami of our progressively wicked culture. May we allow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to restructure our values so they align with His.
 
Inspiration for this article was provided by Pastor Bill of Faithworks Centre, North Wiltshire, PEI

 
            God’s Word is the story of allegiance to God versus rebellion against Him.

        “But if you don't want to worship the Lord, then choose here and now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you're living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you'll worship their gods. I won't. My family and I are going to worship and obey the Lord!” Joshua 24:15 (CEV).

        “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1 NLT).

        “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” Genesis 3:6 (NIV).

             God’s Word is the story of kingdom versus kingdom.

        “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it did, my disciples would have fought for me. They would have fought so that the Jewish leaders could not take hold of me. No, my kingdom belongs to another place’” (John 18:36 EASY).

           “But when I force out demons by the power of God's Spirit, it proves that God's
kingdom has already come to you” (Matthew 12:28 CEV).

            God’s Word is the story of seed versus seed.
Then the Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, you are cursed
    more than all animals, domestic and wild.
You will crawl on your belly,
    groveling in the dust as long as you live.
 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 (NLT)
 
        "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16 NKJV).

          God’s Word is the story of authority challenged and authority restored.

        “How dare the nations plan a rebellion. Their foolish plots are futile! Look at how the power brokers of the world rise up to hold their summit as the rulers scheme and confer together against YAHWEH and his Anointed King, saying: ‘Let’s come together and break away from the Creator. Once and for all let’s cast off these controlling chains of God and of his Christ!’” (Psalm 2:1-3 TPT).

      “...Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!...then I saw heaven opened, and suddenly a white horse appeared. The name of the one riding it was Faithful and True, and with pure righteousness he judges and rides to battle...He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title is called the Word of God” (Revelation 19:6,11,13 TPT).

        Paul did not mince words about the reality of spiritual warfare.

       “For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil” (Ephesians 6:12 Phillips).

        What are we to do? Armour-up!

      “Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times...” (Ephesians 6:13 Phillips).

       Yes, we are presently in a battle. And as we wait for the Lord’s return, we need to follow Peter’s advice. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith...” (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV).

       But always remember – as believers in Jesus, we’re on the winning side.
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      “Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything! (Romans 8:37 TPT).

 
        To the church in Pergamum, the Apostle John wrote, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:17).

       There are two words in Greek for “new”. One is “neos”, which means new in time, recent, young. The other is “kainos”, which means new in nature, new in kind, recreated, reclassified. The Book of Revelation uses kainos many times – new heavens, new earth, new Jerusalem, new song, new name.

          Kainos is not an improved version of the old, or an upgrade, or replacement. In Christ, we are not our old selves patched up; we are completely remade. “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation ( a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold,  the fresh and new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMPC).

       What does the white stone mean? First century ears would have thought of three things – courtroom, temple, and covenant. In ancient courts, a white stone meant acquittal, not guilty, fully cleared, the case is closed.

        A black stone meant condemnation.

     If we are in Christ, Heaven has declared us “not guilty” and righteous. “He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]” (2 Corinthians 5:21 AMP).

       In Christ, we are pardoned and renamed.

   White stones were also used as admission tokens to feasts, assemblies, to sacred spaces. Entrance to sacred spaces gives access to hidden manna, to priestly food, to temple provision, and covenant access.

     We are not just spared from judgment, but are invited inside to the feast, the sanctuary, and into His glorious Presence. “For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah)” (2 Corinthians 4:6 AMPC).

     And the new name on the white stone? In Scripture, secret names belong to marriage and kingship. “No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You’ll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration” (Isaiah 62:4 MSG).

       God is Jehovah Shalom (the Lord is our Peace), Jehovah Sitkanu (The Lord our Righteousness), and Jehovah Rah (The Lord our Shepherd). These are only a few of His many majestic names.

      New names refer to identity, function, authority, and calling. Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter.

      The promise of the new name is given to the one who conquers, not to the passive, disengaged, spiritually sedentary. What does it mean to conquer? It means to be faithful under pressure, to obey when compromise is easier, to be a faithful witness, even to our own detriment.

     We receive the new name, not because we are impressive, but because we are faithful. In this topsy-turvy, chaotic world, may we as believers in Yeshua be “strong in the Lord [be empowered through (our) union with Him]; draw (our) strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]” (Ephesians 6:10 AMPC), and go forth in victory.