Author: Danyelle Wolfe Read

Danyelle Wolfe Read is a New York City emigre, with roots in Oklahoma and Texas, residing in the US sunbelt. A proponent of bi-vocational pastoring in the tradition of Paul and many others, she has been a ministry leader and speaker, and does not ascribe to a strict differentiation between persons in ministry versus the secular arena. She herself has worked with hundreds, if not thousands, of people from a faith-perspective. Danyelle's writing career began with songwriting as well as newspaper reporting. In her personal life, Danyelle enjoys the outdoors and rural areas, dark skies, trails and birding. A committed tither, she finds a way to plug into the church she attends.

Maximum Swoop

In the spirit-realm as in the natural, there are laws by which energies operate. Gravity, velocity, thrust and lift will operate with reliable intensity given the same conditions. Faith, belief and unbelief, love, joy, peace, and speech are some of the principles which will work effectively when put to use, as well. The desired outcome is almost always some form of seeing the fruition of the will of God, a realization of the unseen becoming the seen, either individually or corporately.

One principle which covers several dynamics, including saturation and single-mindedness, is what I call the law of Maximum Swoop. Picture a pinwheel – why does the slightest breeze make it move? Its blades are shaped first to catch the greatest amount of wind per square centimeter, and second to channel it directionally for maximum power. Thirdly, the blades are made of the lightest material possible that will still hold a shape. The end result is an efficient toy to respond to a child’s breathe with ease.

There is a spiritual equivalent to this, if we liken ourselves to a pinwheel. The energy of the wind is like that of the Holy Spirit. Jesus even likened the Holy Spirit to the wind, a powerful force which cannot be seen, only felt by how it affects us. We have to keep our blades fully open to receive it, starting with making up your mind that the Bible is the definitive, trustworthy, accurate Word of the living God. Once we understand this, we would be foolish not to base our lives on it. From this strong foundation, we can use our heavenly prayer language, read the Word of God, and fellowship are ways to expand your ability to receive. To see maximum power of the flow, we must eliminate distractions. Our hearts stay tuned to the *KOG channel through the ears and eyes.

To increase our responsiveness, we have to stay featherlight in terms of the weight of our lives in the natural. Not that we cannot enjoy things, possessions, relationships, this is not about asceticism. We are meant to be abundant in all good and healthy material blessings. Rather, the weight of our possessions is determined by our focus. If we are first and foremost seeking the Kingdom of God, all those things are always being added. The burden is light. We need not fear lack or want. On the other hand, if we start to seek things for the sake of things, or relationships for the sake of relationships, it becomes a heavy toil.

The world doesn’t value maximum swoop. It thinks it’s strange that you don’t chase after goods and physical pleasures, making the pursuit of them a primary objective. Relationship, in the word’s eyes, is defined by sharing this pursuit. As you age, the world reasons that the pursuit is then directed toward creating a legacy for one’s children. When we become a new creature, our definition of pleasure changes! We find far more pleasure in lasting, eternal value like God’s will. Maximum swoop will maximize your harvest of joy, as well at the fruit of your life’s work. It doesn’t eliminate having fun, being responsible with money or enjoying earthly pleasure. In fact, it incorporates these in a healthy way, that brings no sorrows.

The world thinks it’s crazy to ignore or make of lesser importance earthly pleasures and treasures in favor of seeking to save the lost, of spiritual encounters, growth in God’s Word, and relationships based on things having lasting, eternal value. To me, it’s crazy not to. Who is really crazy here: The one who invests in eternity, or the one who squanders their time on temporal things?

*KOG=Kingdom of God

Small-Batch Smoked Mayonnaise

This amazingly simple mayonnaise is good for you for several reasons. One is healthy oil. Most oils are either GMO or hydrogenated. Others are known to be inflammatory to humans (even if organic and cold-pressed). Unhealthy oil can contribute to diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart failure, and arthritis.

So what are the good oils? The ones you can count on to be helpful and not harmful are olive, coconut, and avocado. Make sure you cook with the latter two, as olive oil becomes hydrogenated at higher temps.

Finding storebought mayonnaise made exclusively of the “good” oils is getting easier. However, doing it yourself at home will ensure the ingredients are fresh and of the best quality. You will taste the difference. Supremely easy to make, your slow-food mayo will taste better and probably cost significantly less than store-bought specialty mayonnaises.

It takes about 10 minutes to assemble the ingredients for and create this healthy mayonnaise. For a more standard mayonnaise, leave out the smoke flavor and cut the garlic. Add some of your own spices. I often use rosemary from my herb garden. Making your mayo in a small batch, a cup or so at a time, will help you gain confidence in seasoning it.

I’ve often heard and read that getting homemade mayo to thicken is a problem. While weather conditions affect how well mayonnaise will congeal, I’ve found an extra egg will solve the problem. If you want to limit your intake of eggs, you can start out using one – then if it stays liquid after blending, just add the second egg.

Keep in mind, this slow-food mayonnaise does not contain preservatives or additives, nor is the oil hydrogenated to keep it fresh on a shelf. The 8 oz. batch in this recipe and pictured above stays fresh in my fridge up to 2 weeks. The question is, will it even last that long once you and your family taste it?

First, assemble the following:

Ingredients:

8 oz avocado oil
1 capful apple cider vinegar
1/2 t salt – or to taste
1 t garlic powder – or to taste
1/2 capful Wright’s Liquid Smoke, any flavor
1-2 large eggs

Pour the oil into mixing bowl, or a wide-mouthed glass container such as pictured above. Add all the other ingredients. Mix with your favorite high speed mixer, or insert an immersion handheld blender and blend on high speed. In 30-60 seconds, your mayonnaise will go from a clear oil to creamy white. It should also thicken to the consistency of pudding. Target any lingering pools of oil until all is whipped.

Now your easy-peasy, mega-healthy mayonnaise is ready to use or refrigerate.

Once you taste this mayonnaise, you may never use store-bought regularly again. I use it on meats, fish, vegetables, even mixed into a broth for soup.

Many variations are possible with this. So experiment with some of your favorite spices, add sweetener for a dressing for fruits, some horseradish for a great accompaniment to red meat, or add turmeric for a mock Hollandaise sauce.

Be creative, have fun, and bon appetit!

Slow food is the antithesis of fast-food. It is prepared in small batches, with carefully chosen ingredients, by one or two cooks. Fast food is, by necessity, prepared on an assembly line, usually using heavily processed foods and pre-made mixtures which have been frozen, denatured and injected with preservatives (there are a few exceptions). Because of these differences, including its freshness, slow food is generally healthier than fast-food. Though usually enjoyed in the intimacy of one’s home, it may be adapted to larger gatherings. Its preparation will always take more time than processed food with pre-formulated mixes, resulting in superior flavor and health benefits.

The Author and Finisher

Years ago, when I was struggling against self-sabotaging fears about the worth of my writing and my ability to finish a novel, I labored in prayer. I wasn’t interested in marketing in the sense of gaining the most sales possible. If that were my sole aim, I’d have chosen different content. I wanted to be sure that God was really calling me to this endeavor. Writing is big in my family, my father was a writer and editor, then a publicist, who made his living with words. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t merely doing something that came naturally.

Sounds pretty pretentious to think one can hear from God on specific matters, I suppose, especially on the bland, secularized diet most religious institutions feed people. There may be homey stories that make us feel good about ourselves, perhaps teaching on morality and ethics, the ten commandments and maybe the two that Jesus gave on loving God and each other. But God’s will is better understood as a relationship demanding total surrender which transforms the heart, which in turn leads us to turn toward goodness, and delivers us from deeds of the dark. In His Presence we rejoice in His grace, we walk by faith, giving secondary consideration to what we see, feel, and hear. We develop our spiritual sixth sense.

Psalm 19 gives wonderful insight into hearing from God. “Day to day utters speech, and night to night reveals knowledge,” it states, further explaining that the voice of God which is always ready to reveal more to us is speaking in a universal language: “There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.”

Further, God is capable of tailoring His utterance to each heart. God has a specific will for each of us, a plan which can be discerned, a path which has many turns and twists but in which we have His imminent guidance. Check out John 16:13, Jer 29:11, Jn 10:27; the many examples of Paul in the book of Acts including Acts 18:9-11. “Oh, that’s just for Paul, Peter and John, and Jeremiath was a prophet, they were all special.” Yes, they were, but the word of God is clear that we, too can have the same closeness with God, albeit unique missions.

“And let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” (NKJV)

This is one of the verses which I have prayerfully adapted to my writing. Appropriating Jesus as the Author and the Finisher of my books, I write what He’s shown me to write. Every part of the process is subject to Him, to the best of my ability (it’s always going to be through me as the imperfect filter and the lens). It’s my job as an author to keep consulting with Him, and in this He is ever faithful. I know I will always have a ways to go in hearing accurately and fully, but at least I’ve left!

I wonder what scriptures Paul was leaning on as he ministered with Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus? What did he mutter to himself as he was making a tent? Surely his letters are full of the utterances of God for the new covenant. We know what the verses were that were flowing through David, as they are documented in the Psalms, Chronicles, Kings, and by Solomon in Proverbs.

My verse is not a formula, some mantra I began to say before and after every writing session. It is a meditation of the heart. As I meditated on its truth while writing, God spoke to me through it. He showed me how to write, led me to resources I could learn from, gave counsel on how to budget my time, advised on character, plot and dialogue. God is an awesome writer. Just look at the bible!

This is not meant to imply that my books have the validity of scripture. No one may add or take away from the canon that makes up the law and the prophets, or the writings of the new testament which emerged from them after the life and finished work of Jesus the Christ.

Gathering it firmly in my mind the truth that Jesus is the author and finisher of my novels has helped me to rest in His guiding hand over my writing sessions. I want only to communicate how this has allowed me to co-create with joy, in a rich flow of His Spirit. As revisions mounted in number, I had to place my faith all the more on the great Finisher that the story would one day be done. And eventually, with each piece of fiction, there has come a time when I knew that it was ready.

The DayWolfe Imprint

“What’s in a name?” asked Juliet, pondering sadly how her beloved Romeo’s family name was so at odds with her own. I can relate to this dilemma. Born under the name Wolfe became a source of mixed feelings as I got older.

Wolfe – my maiden name – created several controversies for me growing up. But, if given the choice of a pet between other wild animals, such as the lion or the bear (David’s foes), I’d choose the wolf. Loyal mates and marvelous parents, wolves are characterized by the personality of their pack. Numerous studies of wolves have been completed at Yellowstone National Park, as part of conservation efforts to preserve them. These have revealed that only rogue wolves kill for the sake of killing. Nor are they ravenous when the ecosystem supports their feeding. Known for skilled team effort in hunting, the eat as a team, too, sharing the spoil with all the pack, not just those who hunted but also those who watched the den and the cubs. Their social structure is complex, elegant and defined. An alpha wolf will take a mate, who usually becomes the beta wolf, but if the alpha dies, the beta will often take over as alpha. This is only one example of the many complex, sensible structures of wolf society that makes them both loving and strong. When it comes to their families, wolves are very self-sacrificing, and both father or mother wolf are known to fast rather than let their cubs go hungry. Wolves have been known to adopt abandoned baby animals of other species, nurse them and raise them. Lone wolves are in fact very rare and will usually be absorbed by a pack eventually. Like people, wolves would rather not be alone. Meanwhile, let’s not forget that some dog breeds are descended from wolves, and we all know dogs are cool, right?

And yet, the bible has little if anything good to say about the wolf, or the dog, for that matter. It’s not like wolves are singled out for slander – snakes get a very bad rap as well. Lions are often characterized as ravenous, cruel and heartless. I think most of us know that these references are meant to be symbolic. One giveaway of this is the way that lions have another identity, being a symbol of holy boldness and even of the Lord Himself, the Lion of Judah!

Hollywood hasn’t done much better by the wolf. From werewolves to the series, Raised by Wolves, there just hasn’t been much good said about them. Though I did like the werewolves in Twilight. They were different, just as the vampires are in that series. But that’s another article. I have to say the giant wolves that come and pick people up for a ride to Great Wolf Lodge make quite a wonderful commercial, as well. But I’m not holding out great hopes for an improvement of the wolf’s image.

I suppose it could have been worse. I could have been named Rattler or Viper. Nothing is more identified with the satan than a snake. And yet, I have had friends with pet snakes, and while I personally wouldn’t want one, I appreciate that they are one of God’s creatures. It’s not their fault that this was the form the devil decided to take, and to a degree Jesus redeemed them when he told us to be wise as serpents.

The most important issue with my name growing up, however, was that it is Jewish. I never dreamed this would be an issue. I grew up around my Christian relatives more than my Jewish ones; so I was surprised when anti-semitism reared its ugly head toward and around me. Writing in the 1920s, Agatha Christie wrote of one of her characters who turned out to be the hero of the story, yet who had a definitively Jewish last name, that he was of “unfortunate ancestry”. I’m almost ashamed to disclose this but I think it really needs to be said that as a female, being a “Wolfe” was sometimes misconstrued by hopeful teenage boys. It was not always fun to be a wolfe on the playground. I mean, give me a break! What a bunch of heathens. And can I add that it was even a problem in bible school. But that was long ago, before the awakening to our Judaic roots among Christian circles.

So how to own the name Wolfe as a Christian? While my last name is now Read, I refuse to leave the name Wolfe behind. Like many Jews under Hitler’s regime, I refuse to bow to unclean prejudice and hide my identity. I am a Wolfe. In fact it’s precious to me, because it’s really a beautiful name when I think of all it symbolizes. It’s the name my friends used when they dubbed me “Wolfie”. And it’s the name my father bore, the man I have loved more than almost any other in this world.

Enter the imprint DayWolfe. In case you are not familiar with it, the reference “day” comes from I Thess 5 which says that we are not children of the darkness or the night, but of the day, the light. A Day Wolfe speaks of one who has been redeemed, it speaks of a God-given identity in Christ. And it speaks of my Judaism. It carries the connotations of loyalty and fealty, kindness and compassion, teamwork and passion demonstrated by wolves toward their fellow wolves, with few exceptions. All qualities of the Holy Spirit, by the way. And in a way, it is a constant reminder to choose to walk and to write in the Holy Spirit’s light which indwells me. In Christ, I am indeed a Day Wolfe. Nice to meet you.

The DayWolfe logo was created by Danyelle Wolfe Read and has been and is protected by copyright since 2019.

College: Should you go?

During the Renaissance, after the invention of the Gutenberg Press made the bible available to all, the world’s vortices of intellectual pursuit converged with the aim of developing the human mind. Institutions like Oxford and Harvard sprung up. Their mission statements clearly set forth an understanding of soul and spirit under the guidance of an Almighty Creator through the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. A quick read of their original mission statements reveals this. It wasn’t long though before they began to deviate in the name of honest inquiry (yea hath God said?). Soon – as God counts time – the door opened to the possibility that there was no God and too soon that became accepted fact. Atheism, agnosticism, and spiritual principles of the kosmos mixed with truth and weeds of doubt and unbelief were planted and have sprouted into the society we have today. And it’s only escalating.

So is this stew of bonafide information, secular indoctrination, and myths based on debunked theories worth the soaring cost for a B.A. today? Many of you have been asking this question. I’d like to propose a different, much less expensive route, yet one which puts you indisputably in the same intellectual “league” as any college grad. Here in a nutshell is one potential godly “curriculum” to launch anyone into the next level of fulfilling the will of God for their life and to being able to hold their own among the world’s intelligentsia, without the high price tag. I would add that this is a basic structure, one which may be refined and added to according to personal desire and – above all – God’s leading.

Part One: Spiritual Development.

The best development of the human mind is to be able to read and understand the bible within its context and with spiritual insight. A steady diet of putting the bible into practice develops the mind in the context of an infinite, eternal purpose; it establishes the soul in this truth: that the mind is a servant, a useful tool of the spirit. This leads to a balanced mind, a “sound mind”, which encompasses both mental and emotional stability, good judgement, and accurate critical thinking. There will be humility instead of hubris, assertiveness, not grandiosity, honor rather than self-promotion, responsive and flexible leadership over insecure croneyism, Isaac instead of Ishmael. Could we possibly see our youth receive an education which launches them into the world with joy and peace, certitude and victory, with mental acuity, yet without depression, suicidality, doubt, substance abuse, loneliness and fear. How refreshing would that be?

But I have confidence in better things for you, beloved!

Where to get grounded in God’s Word is up to you. A good bible school can be one way. Some churches are like bible schools and will provide a great grounding as well.

Part Two: Academics.

This can be taken in a secular or Christian institution. Use discernment here, and be sure that the person can handle the secular environment, if that is what is chosen.

First, embark upon the study of an ancient languages: Latin or Greek. I recommend traditional academic study, apart from or in conjunction with biblical studies at first. Two to three years of ancient Latin or Greek will develop the ability to think logically, expose the learner to ancient cultures and other ways of thinking. It will ultimately bring a deeper perspective on the modern world. As a side note, Hebrew is another option here, but I don’t recommend it for a first choice because it is almost impossible to study ancient Hebrew without studying Torah and in this case, gaining a secular perspective, yet at an objective distance, is part of the process.

You might ask, Is language study really worth my time, given that there are wonderful translation apps now? For at least one language, it is worth your time. After that, you will possess enough knowledge to exegete with an app. Take tenses, for example. A tense is the time-frame of the verb’s action. In English, the verb “save” has three possible time frames, past, present and future. Within these, four modulations are possible, simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous. In Greek, there are either 6 or 7 tenses, depending on who is teaching it, with at least 6 modulations, plus a number of “moods” which color their meaning as well. So you might say Greek has two to three times the options for verb meanings than English. This is one of the reasons it is said that reading the bible in English versus Greek is like going from black and white to technicolor. Knowing Greek will let you understand beyond what the English translation states. Even an understanding of Latin, which is less complex than Greek, will help you understand better what the Greek and the Hebrew of the bible are saying, using an app.

Today it is possible to take college level language courses without enrolling in a degree program. I am sure there are other ways to learn an ancient language, as well. To be clear, you are not aiming to become a Latin scholar or fluent in ancient Greek. A basic foundation will be enough: two years is enough, and you won’t be doing it full time.

Along with this, a useful and profitable academic course will be history, particularly ancient history. Through the study of history you will delve into the philosophical world views and sociopolitical environments of various historical eras, with insight into how these panned out. The saying, ‘those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it,’ has some truth to it.

So we’ve got secular academic and biblical studies. (If math or science is your thing, don’t worry, I haven’t left it out, I’ll address it below.)

Part Three: Learn a trade.

Vocational expertise builds a good life and a stable society. To learn a practical skill or applied science is to have the ability to make a nice living, perhaps to live off the grid, start your own business, provide a service. These basic skills and stability are something many Ph.D.’s are lacking. There is also great benefit to your community and to your nation, for a nation which produces its own goods and has trades and skilled labor is a prosperous one. Often you will wind up hiring others. In other cases, you will work closely and successfully with other people. Under the blessing of God, your income will go up and up, as will your giving. You will become a pillar in your community and your community will grow stronger. There was a reason the Babylonians took the skilled laborers back home with them when they conquered a city.

It bears mentioning that many trades involve academic study in math and the sciences. Again, go the most direct route to getting these . A course or certification for a license can be enough. As you grow, and aim for excellence, you may add more.

One other element of a college education which I’d like to address is that of instilling respect for learning itself. College will teach you how to use a library for research, so you can actually learn to teach yourself many other subjects throughout life. Originally, there were no degrees higher than a bachelors. A basic foundation was expected to impart the ability to teach oneself any other given subject. This wisdom is available at many libraries where the reference librarian and others can introduce you to various databases and rooms housing special collections. Perhaps your high school offered this, as well.

There are times when a B.A., masters or doctorate are essential to doing a job you know you are called to do. However, it would be worth investigating the field you are interested in to see if you can do pretty much the same thing with less costly and less time-consuming credentials. Exorbitant costs for less value are causing many to think rationally yet outside the box when it comes to setting up a life. New certificates and majors are springing up which serve this purpose.

PS, one other component does not have anything to do with launching into a career but everything to do with living fully, that of having a hobby. From music to painting, to sewing to gardening to tinkering in the garage, a hobby will enrich your life. Do not however, get lost down the rabbit trail that confuses your hobby with your profession. Hobbies are fun, something we are passionate about. However, passion alone is not enough to support you. Opportunity is a door opened by God through which you can bring your passion and apply it. The main thing is to be led by God as you choose what to do with your life, and where.

“I know the plans I have for you, Declares the Lord.” Jer 29:11

Seasons

The creation of seasons in nature reveals God’s pattern for all of life. “To EVERYTHING there is a season… .” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Each of the great covenants handed to us by the Creator has been a season. And each of us goes through many seasons from birth to passing into eternity.

The world will define personal seasons according to its carnal way of looking at things. A person over 55 is termed a senior, those in their 80s, “elderly”. A person in their 20s may be deemed immature or “not ready”. If you’re not careful, you’ll buy into all this. In truth, an old eagle can fly stronger and higher than a young one. Caleb was ready and able to take his mountain in his 80s. David defeated Goliath as a teenager who couldn’t fit into a warrior’s armor. A widowed Ruth left country and family to follow the God of her mother-in-law and wound up with a new husband, giving birth to a child who would become Jesus’ great grandparent. What do these have in common? They had heard from God and had the faith to carry out His directives. By doing so, they each entered their next God-ordained season.

Before I go on, I must add that if you are in a season of overcoming ill health, there are spiritual laws that promote health which are clearly outlined in the Bible, corroborated by many such as Kenneth Copeland and Dodie Osteen, Andrew Wommack (who is a youngster compared to those two), and many many many others of lower profile (to us, though not to God). Investigate these ministries and you’ll find the testimonies of living people who are enjoying the good, abundant and healthy life Jesus paid dearly to purchase for us, against many attempts to rob them of it.

But I digress.

What I’m really led to write about today are these seasons which extend from birth to our passing into glory. Now, even if you die young and broke, God is going to welcome you who trust in Jesus with open arms and dry every tear. But there is victory in living supernaturally that the world has no idea is possible and hopefully this will inspire a few people to stop settling for less. More to the point is that we respect that we are all going through different seasons, and that we do our best to honor each other where we are at. The important thing is to be asking God, and always checking in, with regard to His will for your life’s seasons.

From a divine perspective, there are seasons in a human’s life never understood or thought about by those who are not spiritual. The seasons of slaying dragons, moving mountains, going through a wilderness, seasons of learning how to wield the sword of the Spirit and how to walk by faith, of sowing and reaping, receiving and resting. In fact, there are too many to mention. No one person will live every possible season available to the human spirit, however, we are all meant to live a few, for we are going from glory to glory in this life.

For everyone, there will be change. Billy Graham, one of the greatest preachers who ever lived, had a season of retirement before he died. There are numerous people now in the ministry who had seasons of preparation and regrouping before they answered the call to ministry. And there are those who begin in one ministry and segue to another. Young worship leaders often move into preaching or teaching, for instance. Moses had to leave a pharaoh’s palace to get a fix on who he wasn’t so that God could help him understand who he was. That had to be an interesting transition, to say the least. In the same way that autumn begins to be felt at the end of summer, or spring overtakes winter, we might notice these shifts for ourselves. If you keep your ear to the ground, as they say, you will hear from the Father how to navigate the new terrain.

Our Lord Himself would do nothing without hearing from God about it (Jn 8:38, Jn 12:49, etc) and then He instructed us to abide in Him (Jn 15) so we could do the same. If it was important that Jesus listen to God, how much more so that we do? A study of the book of Acts will show how Paul consulted the Lord personally over his itineraries, even going against a prophetic warning (Acts 21) after he’d gotten the clarity he sought. (I’ve heard it preached that this was Paul being pigheaded, an example of an error in judgement. They base this on Paul’s escape from Jerusalem many years earlier and on the fact that Paul was repeatedly thrown out of synagogues in many cities. Actually, persecution is not proof of disobedience but obedience, as confirmed by our Lord and many scriptures. In fact, would we not see Paul’s message to synagogues as his way of following the pattern Jesus Himself set forth, proclaiming the gospel “to the Jew first.” There is also the fact that every time he preached at a synagogue, “some believed” despite his being kicked out, and of these, a few became fellow messianic Jews who accompanied Paul on his journeys. Paul refers to how much their support meant to him, mentioning them separately from the Gentiles on his ministry team. Unfortunately, I don’t have space here to reference the multitudinous other scriptures which directly and in principle confirm that Paul was almost surely being guided by the Holy Spirit in this visit to Jerusalem late in his ministry. As one more piece of the puzzle, before I move on, consider the prophetic warnings themselves, which never said, “Thus saith the Lord, Don’t Go!”, they simply said there would be bonds awaiting him. There’s a huge difference! But, let’s be honest, while the important points of our faith are well defined in the Bible, exegesis of this particular point will always amount to speculation by sanctified imagination. Nothing fully states Paul’s motives or God’s will concerning this visit by Paul. All we can say is “probably” to an interpretation of the event. Given the evidence of scripture as partly outlined above, it’s more likely that Paul’s determination to continue on his way to Jerusalem was probably not hubris disguised as nobility, but rather grounded in the leading of the Lord Himself.) To wit in regard to the current discussion, the scriptures show us with many other examples and teachings beyond any doubt that following God’s leading is vital, that we are each responsible to gain direction from Him, and that sometimes it will fly in the face of what others, even other spiritual people, might think or advise. If so, it’s not necessary or even advisable to argue. Stay in love, but stay the course God has called you to.

Your spiritual connection with God is inviolate. No one can tell you what God is telling you to do. There is much to learn and practice when hearing from God for guidance and direction. This becomes clearer when one starts living one’s life by it, rather than a one-off. Anyone can catch a worm if they dig enough ground up! Like any other gift, practice strengthens and refines it. Prophetic words of wisdom and knowledge given to you should resonate with what you have received from God. Similarly, your spirit, now indwelt by God’s Spirit, will not contradict the Word which is found in the Bible. We are all of a piece with Jesus!

Seasons are real, and as long as they are God-given, they will bring great blessing, understanding, peace and provision.

“Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

“She offers you long life [and length of days] in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying [peace].

“Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.”

Prov 3:13-18 NLT

Holiness and the Prophetic In The New Covenant

The concept of holiness is actually a cluster of meanings. Its primary concept is “the other”, or “otherness”. This is meant to lead us to understand the Creator’s glory and nature cannot be humanly manufactured or earned. The fundamental understanding of holiness is that His ways are not our ways! Yet in knowing Him, we also know that He IS love, He brings peace, He is surrounded by glory, and so forth. In the idea of holiness, therefore, we also have all of who He is that we can appropriate as His children. Receive it and be holy yourself! If you do, you’ll find yourself walking in His ways. If you seek His face and His ways, you will hear from Him. This function of communicating with us is accomplished by His Holy Spirit.

As we are “filled” with the Holy Spirit, which is to say allowing Him to take the reins of our lives to the degree that we experience His infilling, we will be able to hear from Him. This last function of His Holy Spirit will grow in us. There is no replacement for time in many areas of our growth including this one. Hearing from God may come very early in our walk, but it takes time to understand His ways and know when and where and how to apply them.

Seasoned spirit-filled Christians usually make this process look seamlessly easy. We are at rest in Him so we tend not to stress. Those less seasoned may bring more drama to the process. That’s ok, because it’s still new to them. We who have walked in the Spirit for many years will walk with greater and greater ease, but with no less awe and thankfulness.

It never gets old to see the Holy Spirit work miraculously, even when it is one’s daily and hourly experience. So don’t be deceived by the seeming ease of a saint of God. Don’t confuse the natural for the supernatural. The supernatural is still operating right out in the open for you to see in their lives when you have eyes to see it. And the eyes to see it are developed and brought into focus by functioning in it oneself. This is what is meant by the scripture “the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets.” Yet reading the stories about the prophets, Elisha for example, will reveal how it takes time to grow and develop. Elisha became the head of the school of the prophets of his day, and when it was time for Elijah to depart, his more advanced disciples knew of it. But they still hadn’t gotten the whole story the way Elisha had. Thus Elisha instructed them to be still and watch (get behind me).

Insight and revelation are sometimes learned during dire circumstances when all that is natural fails us. This is one of the reasons why you will hear preachers who do not know better preach that we “need” adversity. However, it’s also possible to focus on God’s will even when times are good, to learn all that is needed this way. And in fact, the seasoned lover of God and believer in Christ will normally always do so, no longer being deceived by natural circumstances but rather flowing with the Holy Spirit. (The Holy Spirit doesn’t lead us into the valley, we walk there all by our little old selves.)

Walking by the Spirit, God repeatedly promises He will make all natural things work together for our good and that we will prosper and be in health. Yet there is a balance because to flow with the Holy Spirit requires putting God’s Will ahead of our own. So our focus must remain on His will despite all the wonderful “things” (love, joy, peace in ourselves and in our relationships, provision, health and healing) being added to us. This beautiful interchange is best described by the relationship of marriage, with each partner putting the other first (The song of solomon is one expression of this). Except in this case your “partner” is God. I’d say that’s a little bit unequal, wouldn’t you? And yet He calls us His beloved and His bride, making us righteous, giving us all the benefits of being His which Jesus has. (the book of Ephesians talks a lot about this.)

So don’t be deceived just because a believer’s life looks great and because they have all their needs met abundantly and seem to do this effortlessly, don’t conclude that it is because they have a great education or are smart, or some other natural thing. In fact, those who rely on such natural things will experience only a form of success but not the success of God, they will experience a success that brings many troubles and worries.

The good success of God brings the kiss of favor: joy and blessing, family and community and peace, protection, all in supernatural ways with revelation and understanding but it all may look very simple. Unless you ask, you may never realize what’s been moving that person, causing them to make the decisions they have made. Yet as those who are living in it know, this supernatural state of blessing has come because they have diligently applied themselves to learning His ways, have consistently put God’s will first and His kingdom, have been using their faith and letting the grace of God do the work, are listening to Him and to Him only, moving with Him and with Him only, have not grabbed at the many earthly blessings and favor being poured on them daily nor on the temptation to copy the zeal or callings of others, but have instead continued to take hold of God’s will, God’s leading and God’s righteousness in Christ as primary.

This is how we can continue to walk in love, even in the midst of God’s constant outpouring of spiritual and material blessing. It’s is the new covenant way of living in His holiness and in the prophetic. No drama. Just truth!! It keeps a person humble. So that, depending on their calling, you may never notice them. And if you do, you may never understand what is making them tick unless you ask.

Glimpses of Jesus bar-David Part Two

This post is part of the l’Chaim! series on topics related to the Jewishness of the Messiah Jesus and how this can further our understanding and the living under the power of Holy Spirit in this generation.

As a Jew, Jesus was capable of acting in the role of rabbi. He knew every law and tradition, and could have certainly risen to the rank of chief priest, had this been His mission. However, the mission of Jesus went far beyond that of being a Jew, for Jesus bar-David was also Yeshua bar-Yahweh, or more appropriately, Yeshua bar-Elohim, the Son of God as well as the Son of Man. I believe this is why the Savior’s own Judaism in His earthly life has easily been overlooked, because He Himself explodes out of it. No culture can contain Him!

And yet, the Creator chose a people on earth to represent Him. Their mission was to be a light to the nations. So when He came to die for us, He came as a Jew, fulfilling all that His Father had intended in setting a people apart. As many Jews today will readily agree, Jews have never existed to hoard the goodness or the revelation of God, but to share it. In Jesus, our loving God has provided a new covenant, one which when received and lived frees anyone and everyone from the curses originating in the Fall in Genesis 3. This is the Blessing! The Blessing as promised to Abraham and to his seed through Isaac, the children who come through Faith.

There are many examples of how Jesus points to this mission to the entire world in His earthly ministry: His encounters with the non-Jews as written in the gospels are probably only a few of many more times when He offered them the same blessings He gave to His fellow Israelites. A centurion (one of the Roman oppressors, no less), a Samaritan, and a woman with enough faith to plead with Him on His own terms, “even the dogs get to eat the crumbs beneath the table,” she said. There are probably many others, those who in those days were known as God-fearers, people who believed in the God of the Jews, who read and revered their scriptures.

Returning to the prophetic decree declared over Simon Peter, if we look at this with a different lens, understanding that Jesus is not only bar-David but also bar-Elohim, the son of the Creator, we understand the astounding truth Jesus is proclaiming.

“‘And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” MT 16:16-17

Here is a truth whoever believes on the Name of Jesus can stand on! It is not only for Jews but for everyone who accepts the grace offered in Jesus as the One Who represented us all on the cross! He makes us the Church, Jew and Gentile, male and female, barbarian, uneducated, ignorant, educated and civilized, all, all, all, all, all of us who believe, we have the promise that the gates of hell will give way, and are even flimsy, compared to the might that is within us.

My friend, I understand if churches have let you down. But churches are not the Kingdom of God, they are human organizations and they have flaws. You are the Church when you believe on Jesus in a way that produces evidence and substance. You have that power to tread on serpents and see the gates of hell cave as you advance upon them.

Still, if one can put a thousand to flight, two can vanquish 10,000! Our Lord’s purpose was to build you up as part of a body. Get to a fellowship where you can experience this Church blessing if at all possible. That is to say, find a Spirit-Filled, Bible-believing church which stands in the supernatural, the anointing and the blessing you can count on.

I find myself groping for a way to get across the full import of this promise which Jesus verbally proclaimed (and I SAY to you) to Simon Peter. How many know that when Jesus says something it’s scripture? This 40-second clip from a powerful sermon by Evangelist Rev. Daniel Kolenda conveys the immensity of the truth of what Peter received and which we inherit! I encourage you to study this topic out for yourselves. Tell me if it doesn’t make you hungry to learn from our Lord how to put this into practice in your own sphere of influence.

Receive everything that is yours, dear friend and family, as you pursue the One who is always pursuing you.

Glimpses of Jesus bar-David Part One

My Jewish father used to bring us kids to Brooklyn to visit his mother. Grandma Wolfe-Cole stood at 4’11. Having escaped Hitler’s armies by emigrating to NYC, she kept a kosher household. As soon as we crossed the threshold of her modest Flatbush apartment, she would place her hands on we children’s heads and mutter in Hebrew and Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew and German often spoke by immigrant Jews in New York. My father stopped to allow this, just as anyone else in the house fell silent, honoring, observing and agreeing. “What did she say, Daddy?” I asked and in response to my query, he would translate the beautiful prayers my grandmother had declared, ordaining blessings and peace. The effect on me was a profound sense of Adonai’s Presence.

Interestingly, speaking blessings over the children is very much alive in today’s Jewish households. A Jew may or may not choose to extend their faith in other ways, but blessing the children is one tradition seen everywhere, from orthodox to non-practicing.

Another cultural attribute is to encourage PDAs. Jews hug, men hug men and they also hug women, everybody hugs everybody. They express their feelings. Jewish men are not afraid to cry. There is good evidence that this makes people stronger and healthier, as long as it is kept positive.

Another thing which is often practiced among Jews, including my Dad, is to catch someone being good. When there may be a need to correct, it is done in a way that is not shaming.

Jesus often displays these hallmarks of Jewish culture. He was kind yet no wimp, He could express affection. He understood the ramifications of His authority, not for oppression but for service. He was a teacher par excellence, a counselor to all. His Jewishness clothed Him like a coat of many colors and sometimes we can catch a glimpse of it in the nuances of the written gospels. Here’s one example from Matthew, also a Jew:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon bar-Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:13-17

As many will know, “bar” is Aramaic for son. “Blessed are you, Simon bar-Jonah,” there is such warmth and brotherly, even fatherly, affection conveyed in this phrase. Imagine a tutor or an elder calling you by your full name and calling you blessed at the same time. This is Jesus gushing, it goes way beyond approval, it’s love and pride mixed together, it’s joy because here, Jesus is “catching” Simon Peter being good. He’s ecstatic to see the fruition of what He knew was in Peter. The Savior then prophesies over him, bestowing upon him almost inconceivable honor and one of the most powerful calls anyone has ever received.

I’m not saying that Jesus was only a warm and fuzzy Jewish guy. He did a lot of rebuking and correcting, name calling and even whipped a few people at least a couple of times. He hated sickness and spiritual blindness, but lowest on His list were those who took advantage of others through religious belief. Highest were those who showed the qualities of recognizing God’s righteousness and love, faith in Him, and living out their radical faith. Actually, this is one of a few times I know of that Jesus ever gushed. The others were when He praised the woman who had given her last two mites in the offering, when the woman touched Him and was healed, and when the centurion (a non-Jew mind you) told Him not to take the time to come to his house but rather that if He simply said the word, his servant would be healed. Much as here with Peter, Jesus “marveled” at this man’s faith. (Mt 8:13). The recorded memoirs of the apostles tell us that He took greatest delight in people believing God was God. It wasn’t just that Peter’s answer was correct but that his heart was open to hearing from God, as radical as what he heard might be, which made Jesus so so happy.

Jesus was not a humanist. Every action of His short time on earth was pinned upon the axis of delivering and teaching supernatural faith which pulls us out of our self-absorption. Unlike Maslow, He didn’t put self actualization at the epitome of human achievement. He honored laying one’s life down for the revealed will of God.

That’s a very very different emphasis. He said only by Me can you find access to heaven, to God, to eternal life. And while the by product would often be many earthly joys, those should not be, and in fact cannot be, the focus for us to fully live as salt and light.

What if the Son of God had put His own “happiness” first. Would anything have stopped Him from achieving earthly fame and fortune? If He had decided to use His immense talents, gifts and power to become a general and take over the known world, He could have. His riches and His harem could have far exceeded those of Solomon. Jesus told us clearly, My kingdom is not of this world. The King of love and peace also knew what it would cost to achieve it, that His very own purpose was to come as a sacrifice, an atonement, a substitionary vessel for wrath, and as victor. Every generation of believers since Him have the overarching purpose of living out this victory, and showing the way to others. It is a cardboard facade to reduce the purpose of life to nothing more than self actualization or achievement for it’s own sake.

We are here to serve God according to how we are called. In Christ our lives are hid. This is only possible when we connect with God through the Holy Spirit after our full surrender to His salvation offered by grace and mercy. It’s only possible when we seek Him about one’s individual purpose and to hear from Him about every action, every decision, and oh thank you Jesus that it is possible! That He answers all such prayers. Wait, and though you wait, you will receive an answer in due time. Jesus honored this level of faith above all others.

This post would not be complete without an overview which the Judaic perspective would offer. Observe carefully the Body of Christ today. They are all in different stages of progress. Some are mature, these are the ones with generations of blessings that have fallen upon their descendants. They have given much, and they are reaping a hundred -fold. Spiritually blind critics may see only how much they have, not understanding how much they have given and are still giving.

Others among the fellowship are just beginning, others are at 30- and 60-fold. Jews understood this well. We too must realize that in surrendering to Jesus, there will be a return in this life, and glory in the next. There absolutely will be. I should really insert a few scriptures here. 3 John 2- “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Mark 19: 29-31 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Here we see Jesus talking about the subject of prosperity. He gives two caveats: one is that there will be persecution for living out the gospel. The other is that there will be those who seem to be prominent on this earth (even among believers) who are not so in heaven. This is making the same point that I am making, that even in having wealth as part of the blessing of God, the person’s heart stance toward their wealth, how they continue to serve God while having it, is what is weighed by God.

What we do with the 30 to 100-fold return will be dependent on our ministry and calling. Some may be led to stay on the mission field until they die, and possibly reinvest every cent into it, so they may even appear to be poor. Yet they are not. They are the ones who know how to call in the funds and resources, who have developed a deep and abiding relationship with the Father who gives beyond measure. George Mueller comes to mind here. Others who have families and wish to enjoy nice houses, and lands and cars, jewelry and gorgeous dresses, and TV ministries with only the best makeup and hair, and whatever, they are free to do so. But for many many of these people, that was not what what they were after in the first place. This is what just happens when we really live for and hear from God! (Now of course, some have gotten side tracked, but let us pray for them, God is able to get them back on track.)

Those stuck in poverty may actually have a hindrance in their souls to receiving what God is trying to get to them. This is a subject for another time and there is much in the Bible about it. Only the truly spiritual can discern the motives of the heart. Alternatively, there are people who have been poor all their lives who are coming out of this cycle by God’s grace and by faith, who are so focused on their material success that they have lost the ability to see how others who are also being blessed, maybe much more than they, are serving God with their blessings in a different way. They are bragging on their blessings because they are bragging on God! And yet, the spiritual sensitivity just is not there. These are like the nouveau riche of Christendom. They are harmless. Let them enjoy their newfound blessings. But stay the course yourself! Seek to fellowship with those who remain humble, and who share. Be one of them. Don’t be afraid to wear your expensive jacket or dress, but neither shirk from taking someone out to the grocery store or the mall and buying them a few outfits either. Give a car away if you are at that level. Yet keep it on the down low, or people will seek you out simply because of this. If necessary, give anonymously. Above all, let them see Jesus.

Angel News Headlines: Rome crumbles, Hitler loses, Woke Culture fizzles, Christ’s Followers Set the World on Fire with Love as Economies Rebound. Liberty and Justice Comes to All Nations.

The news of John the Baptist’s death hit Jesus hard, yet He ministered to the crowd of those seeking healing, rather than insist on being alone to pray. Jesus kept ministering under the jurisdiction of an insane government. This, dear friends, is how I’ve come to understand my response to be in the face of the insane corruption of the owners of various social media websites.

As I prayed for help and guidance, the Father has brought various scriptures to my remembrance. Jesus paying taxes and Paul’s insistence that we honor and pray for governmental leaders. Paul’s preaching in the Parthenon, which is exactly like posting on Facebook or Instagram or YouTube, his teachings on eating meat sacrificed to pagan gods. The gist is we don’t shrink back in the face of evil, instead we move forward in love and take back the territory. We overcome evil with good. Light shines in the darkness and darkness vanishes. Sometimes it’s not without a fight, but we always win. God’s response to Judas was to commission a Paul. We have the promise that the gates of hell won’t stand before us. Cancel culture, voter fraud, stealing rights and undermining the Constitution and the rule of law, these are all satanic gates, attempts at setting up corruption to an inappropriate place of power. History is very clear, Rome crumbled as Constantinople rose to power, installing Christianity as its official religion. In more recent times, Israel won the 6-day war supernaturally, in the very same way Israel won many other wars in the OT supernaturally. Hitler’s march through Europe seemed to evince him as invincible. And yet, the allies did not give up, despite tragic and terrible losses, and he was defeated. God Is Greater. With all of this, there is a cautionary note to count the cost. Sometimes it’s high, sometimes it’s life itself. One day, there will be an ultimate clash between the kingdoms of light and darkness when Christ will return; things will get very dark before then. Could this be the prequel? It’s certainly a foreshadowing. But we are never to stop hoping, believing, holding fast to what is good and true. Believers have brought the world back from the brink a number of times. For the sake of all my friends, especially the young ones with young families, I very much hope that’s what will happen in our times, in America and throughout the world. However, that really isn’t our priority. It’s more a fruit that comes from living the vine life.

Here’s how I’m handling Facebook and all the other minions right now. I’m using FB on a minimal basis under a new, minimalist account, in order to be able to communicate with current events of groups I am involved with in person. I’m staying off Twitter because I value my time. I don’t watch mainstream news, I sometimes watch Newsmax, but the Epoch Times and their sister organization NTD as well as OAN are by far the most factual and least editorializing of the conservative news outlets. RightSideBroadcasting has created its own infrastructure, and is another good outlet which we’ll need if YouTube totally flakes. Instagram and Pinterest are not worth my time either but again, take them over with the good news if they are yours. (I’m posting on the venues which I list below, including some personal things.) YouTube remains very helpful though I try to go directly to the site when it too hosts the video. In that vein, God.TV has some very worthwhile programming. I’ve closed Amazon Prime permanently but continue to host my books on Amazon. In other words, it’s impossible not to be tainted by the surrounding culture. So move in on it, make it the vehicle for proclaiming the gospel, ANNEX and TAKE OVER.

Here is the promised list of alt venues, where I have an account and where you are welcome to join me. They are sometimes good sources of actual, factual news and information, as well as direct posts by some great patriots.

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/danyellewolferead If we’re friends, hit Add Friend or simply hit Follow. This is also a good place through which to contact me. The contact page may be accessed through the link above.

Telegram – name: Holistic One username HolisticOne

Gab and Rumble – AuthorDanyelle

Parler – @DayWolfe

If you have any trouble finding me on these, reach out to me via Goodreads and I’ll help. Also, I would appreciate your mentioning your own finds in the comments below.

In the end, the only question that matters is, Do I love the men and women who are destroying truth, justice, the rule of law and our freedoms right now? What does it matter what I feel when God does? God loves them, and by His Spirit, I can too. Does God condone what you’ve done? No, but Jesus has paid the price for it, just as for my sins, and none of us is any blacker or dirtier than another before we come to Christ. Sanctimonious? Not really, when you consider the Bible says all our attempts at righteousness are filthy rags. If I am loving you through anything other than gratitude for my redemption in Christ, it’s just dirt in God’s eyes.

Civil justice would be served if many of them spent the rest of their lives in prison. Without condoning them, God loves them. And therefore, so do I.