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Many do not know what this really means. 💔

'TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, ONE MUST BE BORN AGAIN TO SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

🙏🏻♥️➕🧎🏻‍♀️🕊️

Jesus 🕊️

Absolute Surrender 🙏🏻➕🧎🏻‍♀️🕊️✨🐑

There is a hunger inside you that cannot be named, a thirst that nothing in this world can satisfy. You try to fill it with busyness, with fleeting comforts, with the approval of others...but it only grows, more insistent, more urgent. It is a hunger for God. Not for ideas about Him, not for rituals, not for quiet moments of convenience...but for His very presence. You long to drink deeply of Him, to taste His goodness, to see that He is true, that He is faithful, that He is everything your heart has been searching for.

In the quiet of your soul, you reach. You pull Him closer, desperate to feel Him. You hold on, not out of fear, but out of longing: wanting Him to sink into your life so fully that nothing can separate you. Every heartbeat is a step closer, every breath a silent prayer of pursuit: I am pursuing You. I am pursuing You. I am pursuing You today.

And yet, vulnerability trembles within you. The question rises, soft and trembling: Do You want me? Do You desire me as I desire You? It is the heart of intimacy: the raw, honest cry of someone who loves without reservation, who hopes without certainty, who lays everything down and waits. And even in that question, there is a sacred truth: before you reached for Him, He had already reached for you. Before your longing stirred, He was calling your name, delighting in you, drawing you toward Himself.

This pursuit is not about perfection. It is not about earning His affection. It is about aligning your soul with His, letting your desire meet His, letting His love transform your hunger into satisfaction. Every pull, every whisper, every yearning is an invitation to deeper intimacy. He is calling you into a love so full, so consuming, that to know Him is to know yourself fully, and to be fully known is to be finally home.

So pursue Him relentlessly. Let your soul be brave enough to reach. Let your hands pull Him closer. Let your heart ask the questions that tremble on your lips. And in the sacred silence that follows, hear Him answer: not with words, but with a presence, a nearness, a love that has always been yours: I have always wants you ❤️‍🔥

✝︎

Loving a drug addict is like hugging a cactus.

by Angie Warren

It hurts, and you hate it, then it blooms and the beauty of it shakes you. You don't see the needles because the flower is so lovely, and, inevitably, you embrace it again.

I have loved an addict or two or three for the majority of my life. I've watched bodies waste away, change, crumble. I've seen eyes dark and sad, I've listened to the gritty sounds of detox, felt the tears of regret, hot and liquid that fall from their eyes.

I have screamed - cried tears of anger and pain, the begging, gut-wrenching pleading of my heart, the cactus loving addict hugger. I've hated them with a ferocity that can only be known to someone who loves an addict. With my hatred-love came the sinking, undeniable realization, that beneath the addict, is a person.

An actual, warm-blooded, living and breathing, person. Beneath the addict is someone's child, husband, mother. Beneath the addict is a person with hopes and dreams, someone who is simply bound by an illness that too often feels so powerful, they can't overcome it.

Beneath both the needle scars and the invisible ones, lies someone who was once a small child. That person was a pastor's kid, a governor's wife. That cactus was a minister themselves. Addiction sees no race, gender, or background. It cares not about one's press page or list of achievements or Golden Globes. No, it sees only a person with a willingness to try.

In the midst of watching the addicts I love continue to choose their drug over me, in the throws of grief and pain, I would raise my hands to the heavens and cry out, "Why, why, why?". Why won't they change, why can't they see, how do I fix them?

And in doing so I came to the finality of the situation: I too was an addict, for I had fallen victim to the desire to try and save them. It consumed me, the lies and manipulation, the wondering, and second-guessing. I became a slave to their addiction, and in doing so, found myself dark and gritty. Aching deep inside, for answers, for help, for recovery. For one more chance, for one more try. As it turns out, there’s a bit of cactus in us all.

You see, it took a long time, many years, to finally emerge from the place of salvation-giver. It isn't up to me. I'm not the fixer of lives, I don't heal addiction, I can't, it's not in my power. What is in my power? To love. To water the cactus. To remember and open my eyes to see what and who lives beneath the cloak of addiction.

Often times the wounds they leave us with in the wake of their choices are gaping, oozing. They hurt, with the pain of something that's ripped open time and time again. The cactus deceives us with her flowers of red and magenta, and we hug again.

I believe that is the beauty in it, the flora. I believe if we can find it in ourselves to see the bloom, it's quite possible that more addicts find their way. Too many are lost, too many are gone. Addiction claims the lives of our mothers and brothers and friends and children, each, and every, day.

I am no stranger to it. I am however, someone who once hated the cactus, every stage of it, but now, it has become something I choose to see as beautiful. I see the cactus plant with potential, with life.

If loving an addict is like hugging a cactus, I'll bleed until the end of time.

This movement isn t just a theological shift It s a spiritual counterfeit

“Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder—no end to the prey!”

Nahum 3:1 ➕

The prophet Nahum’s words thundered against Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire.

In the 7th century B.C., Nineveh was a city of immense power, luxury, and cruelty. It was infamous for its brutality, deceit, and idolatry. By calling it a “bloody city,” Nahum highlighted not only its violence in warfare but its moral corruption. Its leaders plundered nations, enslaved peoples, and boasted in their oppressive power.

Nahum was announcing God’s coming judgment upon a city that seemed untouchable by human standards—but not by the Lord of hosts.

For the original hearers, especially Judah, this was a declaration of hope. The nation that had terrorized them would not stand forever; Yahweh Himself would avenge His people. Nahum’s prophecy affirmed that God’s justice is not partial—He does not turn a blind eye to wickedness, even when it comes from the greatest of world powers.

For modern readers, in light of the full canon, Nahum 3:1 serves as a sobering reminder that all earthly powers intoxicated with violence, lies, and greed will one day fall under the weight of divine judgment.

Revelation 18 echoes Nahum’s themes as John describes the fall of “Babylon the great,” a symbol of worldly rebellion against God. Just as Nineveh was judged, so too will every nation and people who persist in rejecting the Lord.

Yet for those in Christ, the bloody city points us to the bloody cross. Christ bore the judgment we deserved so that we might not fall under God’s eternal “woe.” Modern readers must see in Nahum a call to flee from the corruption of the world and run to the only refuge: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, who alone delivers from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

🙏🏻🕊️➕🐑🪶

hiswordsarekisses

“Saul hated David. Not because David did anything wrong - but because David carried what Saul lost. Jealousy couldn't stop David. Spears couldn't stop David. Because when God anoints you — no one can undo it. Sometimes the attacks have nothing to do with you and everything to do with what you carry. Stay humble. Stay anointed. God is your defender.”

(@thisqueenba)

“For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life…” 2ndCorinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭~ Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” 2ndTimothy‬ ‭3‬:‭12

🙏🏻➕🕊️🪶

The Next Exodus

I know many in the body of Christ notices this as well. The stirring happening in the church right now. It’s not loud. It’s not on stage. It’s not trending. But it’s real. It’s quiet, almost like a whisper, but it’s unmistakable. I believe with everything in me, that what we are witnessing is the beginning of a new exodus. Not from faith, not from Christ, but from the structures that were never truly His in the first place. Something happened at the end of COVID. As doors reopened and programs relaunched, a question began to rise in the hearts of so many faithful believers who had attended Sunday after Sunday, served, tithed, gave their lives to the “church” as they knew it. The question wasn’t rebellious or angry, it was honest: “What are we doing?” Not in cynicism. Not in bitterness. But in clarity. In hunger. In a longing for something more than theater lights and movies-based sermon series. And here’s what I believe the Lord is showing us: This is not a falling away. It’s a calling out.

When the pandemic closed the doors of many churches, it also exposed how fragile our structures had become. For centuries, the church has largely functioned within a Constantinian framework. One that began not with the apostles, but with an emperor. The early church, the one that turned the world upside down, had no buildings, no budgets, and no branding. But it had power. It had presence. It had people who knew their God. But post-Constantine, Christianity became a religion of hierarchy, not community. From basilicas to boards, from pulpits to platforms, the ekklesia (called-out ones), slowly became a weekly event centered around a few gifted individuals, while the rest sat in rows, mostly inactivated, unequipped, and unchallenged. And yet, the Word says: “And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11–12) That’s the blueprint. Not attendance but equipping. Not passive listening, but active participation. Not hierarchy, but team. That’s what Jesus modeled. That’s what the apostles walked in.

What we’re seeing now is a growing number of believers who are stepping out of traditional buildings, not because they’ve abandoned the faith, but because they’re being drawn into something deeper. They’re meeting in homes. They’re gathering in parks. They’re breaking bread in coffee shops, restaurants and garages. They’re opening Bibles, praying for one another, and walking in the Spirit. And it looks a lot like Acts. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer... Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house...” (Acts 2:42, 46) The early church gathered publicly and from house to house. It was never either/or. It was both/and, until we institutionalized it into either/or again. The remnant is not retreating. It’s reforming and the Spirit is inviting us to return to the simplicity and power of the original model. Not to imitate it like a museum piece, but to walk in its DNA.

Make no mistake, this is not about bashing the bride. This is about preparing her. I love the Church. Deeply. I’ve given my life to serve her. But love tells the truth and truthfully, many of our models are broken. Not because we’re bad people, but because we built what He never asked for and now, just as He did in the wilderness, I believe God is calling His people again: “Come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. (2 Corinthians 6:17a,) This isn’t about going rogue or leaving community. It’s about rediscovering real community. It's about rediscovering His church, not the one man built for Him, but the one He is building Himself. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church [ekklesia]; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18) He said My church. Not your version. Not my version. Not Rome’s version. Not the Western polished version. His.

This isn’t the end of the church. It’s the rediscovery of her identity. The systems are shaking, but the Spirit is speaking and those who have ears to hear are rising, not to leave Jesus’ bride, but to finally become her.

David Stacey Santiago 🙏🏻🪶➕🕊️

Let’s be the Ekklesia 🙏🏻🕊️➕

Rethinking What We've Called "Church Growth"

For too long, we have equated numerical increase with spiritual success. The more seats we fill, the more services we run, the more campuses we open, the more followers we gather online, the more we assume we are advancing the Kingdom of God. But the uncomfortable truth is this: “What we’ve called church growth may just be organizational swelling.”

And swelling, by definition, is not a sign of health. It’s often a symptom of inflammation, infection, or imbalance. It may appear as growth to the untrained eye, but beneath the surface, something is off. And unless we’re willing to confront it, the Body will continue limping rather than advancing.

The reality is, church growth in its current state, is a great illusion. We’ve built ministries that draw crowds, but not necessarily disciples. We’ve packed out auditoriums, but left hearts untouched. We’ve become content with attendance, but neglected transformation. In many cases, we have been measuring the wrong things and calling it, growth, kingdom building, the blessing of God. This is not to say that all large churches are shallow or that small churches are more faithful. It’s not about size, it’s about substance. Because swelling can happen fast, but true growth is slow, steady, and rooted. Swelling is often caused by something foreign to the body. Growth, on the other hand, is internal, organic, and intentional.

True Biblical growth involves maturity. Throughout the New Testament, growth is always tied to maturity, not mere multiplication. “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15. The early church didn’t grow because it had perfect branding or trendy services. It grew because the people were transformed. They walked in power, in holiness, in sacrifice, in generosity, and in community. They were not consumers of a weekly event, but consecrated citizens of a Kingdom. Contrast that with today, where some ministries are known more for their "personalities" than their doctrine, more for their "merchandise" than their mission. We have become managers of religious systems, instead of stewards of eternal truth. “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are dead.” Revelation 3:1. The church in Sardis had a reputation. It had structure. It had motion. But it lacked life. The Spirit called them what they were: dead. That should shake us!

Today, the church has become a well-oiled machine built on the backs of the those craving visibility, acceptance, identity, from those on top of the man-made hierarchal pyramid system. We’ve created churches that function more like corporations than like spiritual families. We praise growth charts and demographic targeting, but rarely ask: Are we growing in Christlikeness? Are we walking in the Spirit? Are we training people to deny themselves and take up their cross? The Apostle Paul warned of this form of religious activity when he said: “...holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.” 2 Timothy 3:5. A form, but no power. Programs, but no presence. Crowds, but no cross.

Saints, we must stop mistaking movement for momentum and crowds for conviction. It’s time to reform how we measure success in ministry. Are lives being transformed by the Word of God? Is holiness increasing in the people? Are leaders walking in humility, integrity, and servanthood? Is the church living like a Kingdom family or just attending religious events? Is there real accountability, repentance, and Spirit-led discipleship happening regularly? If not, it doesn’t matter how fast the organization grows, it’s not Kingdom expansion. It’s just religious inflation.

Beloved, this is not an attack on the Bride of Christ. It’s a call to return to what Jesus actually built, His ekklesia, His governing, activated, Spirit-filled body. The kind of body that the gates of hell cannot prevail against. The kind of people who don’t just go to a building, but are the ekklesia that Jesus established and the apostles built. We don’t need bigger sanctuaries. We need deeper sanctification. We don’t need to swell. We need to grow and that begins when we stop chasing the applause of men and start prioritizing the approval of God.

Family, the honest truth is, Jesus didn’t die so we could fill buildings. He died to raise up a people. A holy people. A peculiar people. A Kingdom people. A royal priesthood. Living stones. A remnant who live for His glory, not their platform. Who multiply disciples, not fans. Who build people, not just programs. The time for reform is now. If we don’t confront the swelling, it will burst. But if we return to the simplicity and power of the Gospel, true growth will come. The kind that lasts through fire, persecution, and time.

Let’s stop playing church. Let’s be the ekklesia.

David Stacey Santiago 🪶🕊️➕

What if eldership isn’t a role to fill but a life to recognize? What if the most overlooked leadership resource in your church isn’t the nex

With sadness for the victims of spiritual and sexual abuse by church leaders and anger towards the abusers and those who defend them, I write this! When a spiritual leader falls, it is tragic. It should grieve us. But what’s worse, what is truly wicked, is when big named Christian leaders, celebrity pastors, church members and platformed voices rush to defend the abuser and silence the abused. Let me be very clear, that is demonic!

Let’s stop acting like this is a crisis of people who are church hurt, it’s not. This is a leadership crisis. It’s a systemic sin problem in leadership. It’s the platformed voices, celebrity Christian leaders, pastors, authors, speakers with book deals, podcast followings, and blue check marks, who use their reach not to shield the wounded, but to shield their friends. Their brand. Their institutions. They don’t protect the hurting; they protect their circle. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). That’s exactly what’s happening. Leaders who should be calling for repentance are calling for silence. Victims who are crying out for justice are met with PR statements and vague apologies that center the abuser, not the truth. Some of the biggest names in Christianity have made it clear: their loyalty lies with power, not with righteousness.

They frame it as “grace” or “restoration,” but beloved, let’s not be fooled, grace without repentance is not grace. Restoration without confession is not biblical. What we’re watching is not reconciliation. It’s reputation management. “You shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in” (Matthew 23:13). Jesus had no tolerance for spiritual leaders who used their position to harm and then hide behind their role. He rebuked them, publicly, and warned that it would be better for someone to have a millstone hung around their neck than to cause one of His little ones to stumble (Luke 17:2). That is how seriously He takes the abuse of the vulnerable.

So why don’t we?

The issue isn’t the Church itself, it’s the leaders at the top who’ve sold out truth for connections, exchanged holiness for popularity, and replaced accountability with applause. The platform has become more prized than the presence of God. Image is protected more fiercely than integrity. And the ones who are hurting? They’re ignored and dismissed, until they threaten the narrative.

To the leaders defending the abuser: you are not protecting the gospel. You are corrupting it. To those who have been silenced, overlooked, or blamed for speaking up, God hears you. “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9). “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). What men overlook, God will confront. What is hidden in darkness, He will expose. “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest” (Luke 8:17).

This is not about cancel culture, being divisive, accuser of the brethren, etc. This is about truth. This is about the fear of the Lord, which seems to be missing in many high places. Let justice flow freely, without obstruction or delay. Let truth rise above fame, above connections, above influence. And let every person who dares to lead God's people remember this, you will stand before Him and give an account. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). This is not a light calling, it is a fearful one.

There is still mercy. But not for the wolves while the sheep are bleeding. Real mercy never comes at the expense of justice. And real leadership looks like sacrifice, not self-preservation.

🙏🏻💔🕊️➕🪶

voiceforjesus

We all have a bag.

We all pack differently.

Some of us are traveling light.

Some of us are secret hoarders who've never parted with a memory in our lives. I think we are all called to figure out how to carry our bag to the best of our ability, how to unpack it, and how to face the mess. I think part of growing up is learning how to sit down the floor with all your things and figuring out what to take with you and what to leave behind.

Only love makes the baggage light…

🖊Hannah Brencher 🪶

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