On our way back from celebrating our six-year covenant anniversary retreat in the mountains, my wife and I found ourselves deeply reflecting on what the Lord did in us and through us during that time. We intentionally stepped away from the noise of life, ministry demands, and daily responsibilities, and in that place of separation, the Lord met us in supernatural and deeply personal ways, confirming direction, healing places in our hearts, and strengthening our covenant. During that time, we laughed together, we wept together, we prayed together, we worshiped together, we sat in the Word together, we rested together, and simply learned each other again in fresh ways. When you are raising four children and carrying the weight and assignment of ministry, extended time alone as husband and wife is rare, but we were reminded that covenant must be continually cultivated, not assumed. Marriage is not sustained by proximity — it is sustained by intentional pursuit, sacrifice, and time set apart before the Lord. Every married couple, in every season, should prayerfully make space to step away and invest in their covenant, because a strong marriage is not only a blessing to the home, but it is a foundation for legacy, ministry, and generational impact. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NKJV) “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Family this just blew my mind catch this by the SPIRIT. !! Dependence Lost: The True Nature of the Fall Let’s return to the beginning and listen carefully to what God actually said. What God Spoke Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV) “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” Notice the heart of God here. The command begins with permission (“you may freely eat”) before it gives a boundary. God was not withholding goodness—He was protecting life. Humanity was designed to live in dependence, not restriction. Adam and Eve already walked with God. They already knew good, because good is not just a concept—it is God’s nature. To know good, they only needed to remain close to Him. ⸻ When God’s Word Was Altered When the serpent approached, Eve responded with something subtle—but critical. Genesis 3:3 (NKJV) “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” God never said, “Do not touch.” That was added. This shows us something important: when relationship weakens, people often add rules to feel safer. But adding to God’s word does not strengthen obedience—it weakens trust. Once the word is altered, it becomes easier for deception to enter. ⸻ The Serpent’s Real Strategy The serpent then reveals his true aim. Genesis 3:5 (NKJV) “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” This was not about becoming evil. It was about becoming independent. The enemy’s temptation was essentially this: “You don’t need to rely on God anymore. You can judge reality for yourself.” That is the core of the fall. ⸻ What Was Really Lost Adam and Eve were already made in God’s image. They were already like Him in the way they were designed to be—reflecting His nature while remaining dependent on His presence.

1 Thessalonians 4:17–18 “…And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Paul doesn’t say “we will visit the Lord” or “we will be with Him for a season.” He says: “We shall always be with the Lord.” 🔹Greek Insight: “Always” is pantote (πάντοτε) — at all times, forever, without interruption. Eternal communion with Christ. Notice Paul does not describe a location, crowns, mansions, or rewards. Heaven is defined by Person. The Lord. The greatest promise of eternity is unceasing intimacy. If we will always be with the Lord, then today matters. We should live now as someone who knows how the story ends!

Hebrews 6:11–12 (NKJV) “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:11–12 calls us to remain diligent until the end, not becoming sluggish, but imitating those who inherit God’s promises through faith and patience. The Greek word for diligence, spoudé, means serious, intentional effort. It describes a heart posture that presses in—never casual, never passive. True diligence leans forward toward God with hunger and expectancy. In contrast, the word nōthros (sluggish) means unresponsive. It’s not unbelief—it’s losing spiritual alertness. People still show up, but they stop pressing in. This happens most often in waiting seasons. Waiting is not neutral; it either sharpens faith or dulls it. As brother Pierre shared on Tuesday during discipleship, when he stopped striving for outcomes and focused fully on seeking God, the Lord added everything else. That’s diligence in waiting. Abraham is our example. Hebrews 6:15 says that after patiently enduring, he obtained the promise. He didn’t grow dull in the wait—he stayed faithful. Waiting is not punishment—it’s preparation. It tests our faith, not God’s faithfulness. So seek the Lord with intention, trust His timing, and let Him handle the promises.

When you really look at Exodus 32, the Israelites didn’t build the golden calf because they stopped believing in God—they built it because waiting on Him became too uncomfortable, too quiet, and too uncertain. Moses had been on the mountain for a long time, and the people said, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses… we do not know what has become of him” (Exodus 32:1, NKJV), which exposes the deeper issue: God felt distant, so they wanted something tangible, something they could see, touch, and point to, because faith in the unseen always gets tested in the waiting. But what makes this moment even heavier is not just that they built an idol—it’s how they built it. Aaron told them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me” (Exodus 32:2, NKJV), and the people willingly gave the gold, which Scripture says he “fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf” (Exodus 32:4, NKJV). That gold wasn’t random—it was the very gold God had given them when He delivered them from Egypt. Check this out: “Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.” Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭NKJV‬. This was the same gold God later instructed Moses to use for holy purposes, including the Ark of the Covenant, saying, “They shall make an ark of acacia wood… and you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out” (Exodus 25:10–11, NKJV), so it could be the place where His presence would dwell among them. Same gold. Same provision. Same blessing—but the wrong execution. Two altars were possible with the same resources: one that would host the glory of God, and another that would replace Him. And that’s the part that hits home, because the golden calf wasn’t built out of rebellion first—it was built out of impatience, fear, and the need to feel in control. They even said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD” (Exodus 32:5, NKJV), proving they still used God’s name, but they were worshiping Him in a way He never asked for.