We belong to a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, and even when “the nations rage,” we hold fast to the peace and strength of the Lord Almighty.

In a world that says you are what you earn, what you produce, or what you post, the gospel says: you are loved, forgiven, and made new—before you lift a finger.

All the best this world has to offer—fame, money, status—is skubalon compared to knowing Jesus. This is Gospel joy, all that he has done, is doing now, and will yet do that we might know him.

Life in Christ is eternally secure, but it is never temporally safe. It is not comfortable, predictable, or easy. It is costly. Bonhoeffer was right when he wrote, "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." Yet this cost is joyfully embraced by those who see Christ as more precious than anything this world offers.

Somehow, in the modern imagination, holiness has been painted gray. Joyless. Grim. Almost repulsive. As if following Jesus means surrendering everything bright and beautiful for something tight-lipped and rule-bound.

Friedrich Nietzsche, a fierce critic of Christianity, took this perception even further. He accused the faith of being hostile to joy itself—promoting cruelty, self-hatred, and a general rejection of freedom, senses, and happiness. “Hatred of joy in general,” he called it.

But is that what holiness really is?

If heaven is the most joyful place in existence—and also the holiest—then surely the problem isn’t with holiness. It’s with how we understand it.

We’re living in a world where pride isn’t just tolerated—it’s rewarded. Where the highest goal is to be seen, heard, praised. But the Gospel pushes against this tidal wave of self-worship with something radically different: humility.

If you feel like your joy is fragile, based on circumstances or outcomes, maybe it’s time to rediscover the joy Paul found…Joy isn’t found in getting what we want. It’s found in giving ourselves for what matters most.

Have you ever heard of Simon of Peraea? Judas bar Hezekiah? Simon bar Kochba They claimed to be the Messiah, just as Jesus did. The Romans killed them too. Here’s the difference: They stayed dead.

That’s why you haven’t heard of them. But Jesus?

This is not the King we’re used to.

We’re not a monarchy-minded culture. We don’t know what to do with a ruler who doesn’t ask for our vote. We prefer leaders we can fire when we’re disappointed. But the Kingdom of God isn’t a democracy. Jesus never said, “Seek first the democracy of God.”

On that mountain, something remarkable happens. Jesus is transfigured. His face shines like the sun. His clothes are blazing white. This isn’t metaphor—it’s manifestation. The unfiltered glory of God, shining through the humanity of Jesus.

The Word of God is not bound. It wasn’t bound in Rome, and it isn’t bound today.

It’s moving in Boca Raton. In Miami. In São Paulo and Jo-burg and Mumbai. In quiet hospital rooms, crowded schools, worn-out churches, and busy homes. In people like Luke—doctors, storytellers, servants. In people like you.

You may feel small or tired. But if God said you’re going to Rome—you’re going to Rome. The promise is stronger than the storm or the serpent’s bite. The Gospel is not waiting for perfect conditions. It’s alive now.

Unhindered.

Life rarely goes according to our plans. We map out our future, set our goals, and expect smooth sailing—until the storm hits. One moment, we’re on course; the next, we’re battered by crises beyond our control. The Apostle Paul knew this well. His journey to Rome was filled with false accusations, imprisonment, shipwreck, and even a serpent bite. Yet, through it all, he was exactly where God wanted him to be.

It's been said, that God answers prayer in three ways: "Yes," "No," and “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Sometimes, His “No” is not a rejection but a redirection. Instead of Asia, Paul was called through a vision to Macedonia—a place that had never heard the gospel. The first convert in Europe would not be a king or a governor but a businesswoman seeking truth.

The Holy Spirit has come to unite us to Jesus and transform us to be like Jesus so that we might do the deeds of Jesus.

The past few days have been difficult, and once again, Americans find themselves profoundly and understandably divided and distressed over what we've witnessed. How should we respond with wisdom and hope?

From the beginning, Christianity spread through ordinary people who carried an extraordinary message.

One cannot separate one's actions towards those broken by want and violence from one's faith any more than one can separate the heart from the body and expect to live. It is impossible.

We are growing in grace when the logs in our eyes loom larger in our concern than the specks in the eyes of others.

What is courage? It’s the capacity to speak up, stand up, and never give up in the face of insurmountable obstacles and fear.