Learning to Rest Where Peace and Healing Are Found by Pastor Joseph Cortes “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” This is Jehovah-Shalom—the Lord my Peace. And I have to be honest, because peace is something I know about, but not always something I consistently live in. There is always something happening—external pressures, internal thoughts, distractions pulling my attention in every direction. And if I’m not careful, those things begin to dominate my focus. But this verse reminds me that peace is not something I create—it’s something He leads me into. Notice that it says He makes me lie down. Sometimes I wouldn’t choose stillness on my own. Sometimes I keep pushing, keep striving, keep worrying. But He brings me to a place where I can rest, where the noise quiets, where I can remember again who He is. And then it says, “He restoreth my soul.” That’s Jehovah-Rophe—the Lord my Healer. And this hits deeper, because restoration starts on the inside. If my mind is consumed with fear, with everything going wrong, with everything I cannot control, then I lose that peace. But when I come back to Him—when I remember that He is my Shepherd and my Provider—He begins to restore what has been shaken. He brings my thoughts back into alignment. He heals what has been worn down. He renews what feels exhausted. This is not just about physical healing—it’s about the inner man, the place where everything begins. Then comes direction—“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” That’s Jehovah-Tsidkenu—the Lord my Righteousness. And this is where I have to remind myself again—it’s not about my effort. It’s not about trying harder or doing more. It’s about following Him. Keeping my eyes on Jesus. Not on the chaos around me, not on the fear that tries to creep in, but on Him. Because when I follow Him, He leads me into what is right. He aligns me with the Father, not because of what I’ve earned, but because of who He is. And the more I stay focused on Him, the less power everything else has over me.

Slowing Down Enough to Truly See by Pastor Joseph Cortes When I open my Bible to Psalm 23, I have to intentionally slow myself down, because this is one of those passages that is so familiar it can easily become something I skim instead of something I truly absorb. Six verses—it doesn’t take long to read—but what I’ve come to realize is that it takes time to understand. There is more here than what sits on the surface. There is a remez—a hint beneath the words—that reveals something deeper about God’s nature, His character, and His promises toward me. And the more I sit with it, the more I begin to see that every line is pointing back to who He is for me, not just in theory, but in my everyday life. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Right there, before anything else, I am introduced to Jehovah-Raah—the Lord my Shepherd. And I have to stop and ask myself, do I really understand what that means? A shepherd doesn’t just stand at a distance. A shepherd is involved. He feeds the flock, he watches over them, he protects them, he guards them, and when one goes astray, he goes after it. That means I am not left alone to figure things out. Even when I wander, even when I lose my way, He doesn’t abandon me—He pursues me. That alone should settle something deep inside of me. It means I am cared for in ways I don’t always see, and protected in ways I don’t always recognize. And then it continues—“I shall not want.” That’s where Jehovah-Jireh comes in—the Lord my Provider. And this is where I have to shift my thinking, because provision is not just about what I can see right now. It’s about what God has already prepared ahead of me. He is not reacting to my needs; He is already ahead of them. He knows what I will face before I ever get there, and He has already made provision for it—spiritually, physically, emotionally. When I truly take that in, it changes the way I approach uncertainty. I don’t have to live in fear of what’s coming next, because my Shepherd is also my Provider, and He is already there before I arrive. That realization alone can carry me, but the psalm continues to unfold even more of who He is.

by Michelle Lubin Terris Facebook Can anyone help me find a place in the Qur’an where the Prophet tells followers to love people of other religions? I have found dozens of verses that tell believers to fight against non-believers & about 500 that speak of their place in Hell... Key Facts About the Qur’an and Violence “Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them.” (3:28) “Muslims must not take the infidels as friends.” (3:85) “Any religion other than Islam is not acceptable.” (5:33) “Maim and crucify the infidels if they criticize Islam. (8:12) “Terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Koran.” (8:60) “Muslims must muster all weapons to terrorize the infidels.” (8:65) “When opportunity arises kill the infidels wherever you find them.” (9:30) “The Jews and Christians are perverts, fight them.” (9:123) “Fight until religion is for Allah alone.” (8:39) “Strike off their heads and fingertips.” (8:12) “Kill the idolaters wherever you find them.” (9:5) “Fight the People of the Book [Jews & Christians] until they pay the tax and feel subdued.” (9:29) “Fight until religion is for Allah alone.” (8:39) “Allah loves those who fight in His cause.” (61:4) “Believers are stern against disbelievers, merciful among themselves.” (48:29) Other Commands and Warnings Non-Muslims are called “enemies” (4:101). Muslims who refuse to fight are called “hypocrites” and threatened with Hell (9:38-39). Those who kill or are killed in jihad are promised Paradise (9:111). Punishments include execution, crucifixion, or amputation (5:33). Terrorizing enemies is encouraged (8:60)

The claim that the Israel of today is not the Israel spoken of by the prophets falls apart when the texts are allowed to say what they actually say. The prophets did not merely predict that Jews would survive somewhere in the world as a religious community. They said Israel and Judah would be brought back to the land given to their fathers. They said the waste places would be rebuilt, the desolate land would be tilled again, ruined cities would be inhabited, and Jerusalem would live again in history. That is not vague spiritual language. That is land, cities, fields, agriculture, return, and possession. Jeremiah 30:3 says God will bring again the captivity of Israel and Judah and cause them to return to the land He gave to their fathers. Jeremiah 16:15 says He will bring them back from all the lands where they had been driven. Jeremiah 32:44 says men would once again buy fields in the land of Benjamin, around Jerusalem, in Judah, in the mountains, in the valley, and in the south. Ezekiel 36 says the desolate land would be tilled again and the ruined places rebuilt. Amos 9 says they would build the waste cities, inhabit them, plant vineyards, and be planted upon their land. These are not abstract promises. They are territorial promises. And that is exactly why the modern return matters. Beginning in the late 1800s, Jews began purchasing land again in their ancestral homeland. Then, on May 14, 1948, Israel was reborn as a modern state. If someone wants to talk about 1949, that was Israel’s admission to the United Nations. The state itself was reestablished in 1948. Isaiah 66:8 asks, “Shall a nation be born at once?” Few passages feel more historically charged in light of modern Israel. The nation was proclaimed in a day. That does not mean every detail of modern diplomacy is explained by one verse. It means Scripture already prepared the category for a sudden national emergence in Zion. And Israel was not reborn into peace. It was born under fire. The surrounding armies attacked immediately. The state was met not with acceptance, but with invasion. That is why Numbers 23:9 still carries such force: “the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” Israel has remained uniquely contested, uniquely scrutinized, and uniquely treated as something other than a normal nation among nations.

Instead of attacking President Trump, how about we all stop letting emotional bias determine our response? When you see something Trump does that alarms you, pray for him. In fact, pray for all of our leaders. Pray for Pelosi, AOC, Schumer, and every politician you despise. Instead of being a nation that cries and whines, let us take action by praying. Let’s be honest: Trump does not see himself as a savior or healer. What is shocking is how easily that image rattled some people and stirred up a rush to accuse him of blasphemy. Many of the same people using that word do not even understand what blasphemy means, and sadly, most Bible teachers do not teach it correctly. Whatever faults President Trump has, and he certainly has them, he has also done a great deal to advance causes important to many Christians and people of faith. He appointed three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade. He supported religious liberty efforts, affirmed America’s Judeo-Christian heritage, moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, expanded conscience protections for faith-based Americans, and publicly gave space and recognition to Christian expression in the public square. The list goes on. Have you praised God for any of that? Or are we so eager to point out how “unlike Christ” he is that we miss the good altogether? Imagine how much more ordered this nation would be if we examined and corrected ourselves as harshly as we examine and condemn the President. God, have mercy on us. Grace for the USA. Amen. A whole lot of people need to rethink the self-righteous spirit they have shown, and I do not exclude myself. We do not have to agree with everything Trump does. I know I do not. But believers in Christ should be praying for him, especially when we disagree.