Holy Ground Explorations

06/18/2026

KFIR - Sharon and I are in Israel until the end of the month - Our Bible Readings will continue but there may be a time difference.

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by DAN STOLEBARGER

PSALM 9
Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.

20 Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

DAN - Just arrived in Israel and still trying to get my arms around the new MOU and understanding its impact here in the LAND. This psalm is full of emotion and speaks to me of the human condition and the need to surrender to the God of the Universe who holds ALL THINGS in His hands. But with that being said emotions are feelings and feelings cannot be defined by right and wrong … they just are! It’s hard not to FEEL like Israel is being demonized and abandoned by the United States as well as many in the world. My prayer is that Israel turns to God like never before and does not look to man for their hope. And I pray that prayer for all of us as well!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by TROY ANDERSON

MATTHEW 25
40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’

TROY – Everything we do should be done as if unto the Lord. How would you treat the Lord if He showed up at your door? Treat everyone that way. How hard would you work if you were working for the Lord? Then work like that every day. Speak knowing that the Lord is listening and live knowing that you live with and for the Lord.

JUDGES 18
24 And he said, “You have taken my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away; what more do I have? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”

TROY – Many of the prophets spoke about the silliness and futility of gods made by man and man worshipping the gods they made. We want to create gods we can control or put God into a box that we can understand but what kind of god would that be? Many times when we pray we speak as though we were at a wishing well or rubbing a magic lamp. We worship a God that knows the beginning from the end, a God that created the universe and all that is in it, trust that He knows best always and His understanding is beyond ours.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 22 / PSALM 6 / JUDGES 15

MATTHEW 23 / PSALM 7 / JUDGES 16

MATTHEW 24 / PSALM 8 / JUDGES 17

MATTHEW 25 / PSALM 9 / JUDGES 18

MATTHEW 26 / PSALM 10 / JUDGES 19

06/17/2026

KFIR - Sharon and I are in Israel until the end of the month - Our Bible Readings will continue but there may be a time difference.

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by JOHN YOUNG

PSALM 8
[v.9] - LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

JOHN – I often struggle with words in prayer. To be able to put into words the depth of such divine things as thankfulness and reverence is just something that is hard for me to feel like I do it well. When you first come to Christ and cross the line of faith, it’s impossible to describe the depth of God’s love and the overwhelming plethora of feelings you get. Can’t be done with human words. When you gaze at the heavens above, it’s impossible to describe God’s Creation to the measure it really is. Can’t be done. Here, I feel the same way about the Name of Jesus. It is beyond majestic…it’s beyond any words!

Side Note: a very talented musician named Aaron Shust has a song named “Majestic (Psalm 8)” that you may enjoy. The Itunes link is below (in case you don’t already have it!)

https://music.apple.com/us/album/majestic-psalm-8/1794763429?i=1794763430

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by ERIC & TRICIA GEERDES

MATTHEW 24
3-6 “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

TRICIA - Here in Matthew 24, the disciples ask the question that we all want to know…When is Jesus coming back? Jesus reveals many signs to watch for in this chapter, but the bottom line is in verse 36, “But of that day and hour no one knows.” For me, personally, it is of utmost importance to heed Jesus’s warning to not be deceived. We must be vigilant as to what we listen to and to exercise discernment. I pray that knowing Jesus will be returning at any moment should affect the way I live, and help me to live with a “kingdom minded” worldview, and not a “what makes Tricia happy in the moment” worldview.

14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

ERIC - Jesus is giving us a clear statement about His second coming delivered with real authority. The Good News of Christ will be preached in all the world to all peoples. Simple! We are so blessed to have His Word—instead of social media—to give us insight into God’s Love and Plan for us! So, maybe we could spend less time following people’s posts on X, Telegram and the like, and more time is His Word?

JUDGES 17
5-6 ’The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.’

ERIC - This Israelite named Micah was on his own path without a foundation of faith in God. Despite there being no king, he still had access to Scripture and the time-honoured instructions of his people. But he was increasingly content with a fake replacement he set up for himself. Was anyone calling him out for that? Nope. Not a good place to be… making it up as he goes, and nobody around to speak truth.

TRICIA - Here, this man Micah probably thought he was doing a good thing, making a household shrine in order to remind him of God. Our God, however, forbids us from worshipping any idols in place of Him. I don’t have a shrine in my house, but I need to guard my heart against anything else I might put before the Lord in my life! Lord, please help me to not do what is right in my sinful eyes, but help me to live in obedience to you.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 22 / PSALM 6 / JUDGES 15

MATTHEW 23 / PSALM 7 / JUDGES 16

MATTHEW 24 / PSALM 8 / JUDGES 17

MATTHEW 25 / PSALM 9 / JUDGES 18

MATTHEW 26 / PSALM 10 / JUDGES 19

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - SESSION 3

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S3-ch-315-5-21.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/Cqtd1hD7crk

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of June 11, 2026

PDF Linkhttps://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-11.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/2BFUVen_v0Q

DOWN BY THE RIVER

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/t3JE6dOq_2g

06/15/2026

KFIR - Sharon and I are in Israel until the end of the month - Our Bible Readings will continue but there may be a time difference.

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by TOD HORNBY

PSALM 7
1 I come to you for protection, O Lord my God.
Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!
2 If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion,
tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

TOD - I had breakfast this morning with a friend whose family is being dragged through the mud over unsubstantiated, meritless accusations. As I listened to him recount the ways that they have been treated by the system, I couldn't help but think about Psalms like this, where David lays out his complaint to the Lord. The sad thing is that my friend has spent most of his adult life in law enforcement, and is now experiencing the abuse of the system that he fights to uphold. He has the attitude expressed by David in the next part of the Psalm:

3 O Lord my God, if I have done wrong
or am guilty of injustice,
4 if I have betrayed a friend
or plundered my enemy without cause,
5 then let my enemies capture me.
Let them trample me into the ground
and drag my honor in the dust.

TOD - I pray for God's justice in my friend's family's situation.

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by ANDREW SUEDKAMP

MATTHEW 23
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others.

ANDREW - This is something we all need to be cautious of – who is it we want to please? It is nice to be recognized or appreciated by our peers, but if we belong to Him, our desire should be to be pleasing to Him.

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

ANDREW - I pray that my intentions are His; I pray that I may be loving and leading to His Truth. Not to be able to say “Look what I’ve done,” but rather to say “Look what Jesus allowed me to participate in.”

27-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

ANDREW - God knows our hearts! We can fool others, we can try to fool ourselves, but God knows us…and still loves us!

JUDGES 16

17 And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”

ANDREW - Samson was a poor Nazirite – he basically did everything that was forbidden to a Nazirite – he was near dead people, he drank, he disregarded the vows that he was expected to uphold. The story of Samson is a story of pride and how pride makes ruins of people’s lives. Although God still used Samson, he could have been so much greater, but pride was his downfall – he wanted things his way and ended up paying the price.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 22 / PSALM 6 / JUDGES 15

MATTHEW 23 / PSALM 7 / JUDGES 16

MATTHEW 24 / PSALM 8 / JUDGES 17

MATTHEW 25 / PSALM 9 / JUDGES 18

MATTHEW 26 / PSALM 10 / JUDGES 19

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - SESSION 3

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S3-ch-315-5-21.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/Cqtd1hD7crk

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of June 11, 2026

PDF Linkhttps://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-11.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/2BFUVen_v0Q

DOWN BY THE RIVER

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/t3JE6dOq_2g

06/15/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by DAN STOLEBARGER

PSALM 6
2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

3 My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long?

6 I am weary with my groaning;
All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.

DAN - Ever been here? If so, be sure to reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by - you will find He is not to busy to hear your heart’s cry - He is passing by this moment your needs to supply - so my friend … just reach out!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by DAN STOLEBARGER

MATTHEW 22
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

DAN - ahhh - the Shema! The GREATEST of ALL Commandments!!! Lord, help us all to LOVE you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength!

JUDGES 15
9 Now the Philistines went up, encamped in Judah, and deployed themselves against Lehi. 10 And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?”

So they answered, “We have come up to [a]arrest Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.”

11 Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?”

And he said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.”

12 But they said to him, “We have come down to arrest you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.”

Then Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not kill me yourselves.”

13 So they spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will tie you securely and deliver you into their hand; but we will surely not kill you.” And they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

DAN - CRAZY STORY … However this is a strangely common phenomenon. Often, when someone stands up to evil, people are angrier at the one who stood up to the evil than they are angry at the evil itself.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 22 / PSALM 6 / JUDGES 15

MATTHEW 23 / PSALM 7 / JUDGES 16

MATTHEW 24 / PSALM 8 / JUDGES 17

MATTHEW 25 / PSALM 9 / JUDGES 18

MATTHEW 26 / PSALM 10 / JUDGES 19

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - SESSION 3

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S3-ch-315-5-21.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/Cqtd1hD7crk

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of June 11, 2026

PDF Linkhttps://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-11.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/2BFUVen_v0Q

DOWN BY THE RIVER

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/t3JE6dOq_2g

06/11/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by CARLYN WOLIN

PSALM 5
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

CARLYN - We are nothing without the Lord. We all have done evil, and yet, it is through the abundance of God’s steadfast love that we can enter His kingdom one day. It is because of His kindness and mercy that we have the greatest hope. Praise be to Him!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by MEGAN HARVEY

MATTHEW 21
21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

MEGAN - Faith is not merely positive thinking, but is surrender to God's will. It is trusting God completely. 1 John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." When our prayers are in accord with His desires, we can approach His throne of grace with confidence!

But what about the prayers in which we do not receive what we ask for? Does that mean there was not enough faith? Just a few chapters after Jesus' teaching on faith and prayer in Matthew 21, He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane: "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). The Father does not let the cup pass. Yet no one would suggest that Jesus lacked faith. Instead, Jesus demonstrates what faithful prayer looks like. He honestly brings His desire before the Father, while simultaneously submitting Himself to the Father's perfect wisdom and sovereign will. Christ shows us that faith is not demanding our preferred outcome from God; it is trusting Him enough to surrender the outcome to Him.

JUDGES 14
5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

MEGAN - How spectacular and mighty is the Spirit of the Lord?! Just as the Spirit rushed upon Samson and gave him supernatural strength to overcome a roaring lion with his bare hands, the Spirit equips believers today with the power, courage, and grace needed to fulfill God's purposes!

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 22 / PSALM 6 / JUDGES 15

MATTHEW 23 / PSALM 7 / JUDGES 16

MATTHEW 24 / PSALM 8 / JUDGES 17

MATTHEW 25 / PSALM 9 / JUDGES 18

MATTHEW 26 / PSALM 10 / JUDGES 19

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - SESSION 3

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S3-ch-315-5-21.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/Cqtd1hD7crk

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of June 11, 2026

PDF Linkhttps://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-11.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/2BFUVen_v0Q

DOWN BY THE RIVER

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/t3JE6dOq_2g

06/11/2026

THIS WEEKS ARTICLES

News Bites
Questions
IDF Preparing
True Peace
More Truth
Trump’ Secret Mission
Vance Criticizes Bibi
Blood Libel
Numbers 23:9

PDF Link:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-11.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/2BFUVen_v0Q

THIS WEEKS ARTICLESNews BitesQuestionsIDF PreparingTrue Peace...

06/10/2026

OFBS - THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (Session 3: Chapter 3:15 - 5:21)

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S3-ch-315-5-21.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/Cqtd1hD7crk

Here are the notes from Session 3PDF NOTES: https://holygroundexpl...

06/10/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by DAN STOLEBARGER

PSALM 4
3 But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.

7 You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

DAN - Here we read a worthy prescription for contentment, favor, joy and shalom. Take the time to read over this psalm and if you want the above attributes then put these words into action. Take your meds today!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by TROY ANDERSON

MATTHEW 20
11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the scorching heat.’

TROY – I hate to admit it but I can be guilty of this type of grumbling yet I quickly forget all the times I was the recipient of generosity. We need to strive to be content and full of joy, appreciating all that we have and are given rather than comparing what we feel is our worth against what we perceive is the worth of others.

26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant,

TROY – Focusing on being a servant is the best way, I believe, to contentment and joy.

JUDGES 13
24 So the woman gave birth to a son, and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him when he was in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

TROY – The story of Samson resembles the story of Israel and of us all. Samson was blessed by God more than most yet he turned his back on God and rejected Him and His ways to serve his own desires. We often think that if God made Himself more obvious to us or to people that we would all have more faith and obedience in Him but that is not the case.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 17 / PSALM 1 / JUDGES 10

MATTHEW 18 / PSALM 2 / JUDGES 11

MATTHEW 19 / PSALM 3 / JUDGES 12

MATTHEW 20 / PSALM 4 / JUDGES 13

MATTHEW 21 / PSALM 5 / JUDGES 14

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - SESSION 3

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S3-ch-315-5-21.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/Cqtd1hD7crk

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of June 4, 2026

PDF Link:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-4.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/ZlBGBl1SFDk

DOWN BY THE RIVER

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/t3JE6dOq_2g

06/09/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by JOHN YOUNG

PSALM 3
[v.5] - I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

JOHN – As a teacher, it becomes great joy when a student says or does something that really gives you pause and causes that special moment of unexpected amazement. Our middle school Bible class begins with prayer requests & petitions each school-day (it’s fascinating to hear what kids chose to pray for). I then ask if anyone is feeling led to lead us in prayer? Several years back, a young student raised her hand. After calling on Arianna, she began to pray for us. It was genuine and thoughtful…but it was one phrase she lifted that gave me that smiling pause. She simply said, “…and thank you Lord Jesus for another day not promised.” This passage reminds me of her prayer that day. The phrase has never left me.

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by ERIC & TRICIA GEERDES

MATTHEW 19
13-15 'Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.'

TRICIA - I love that Jesus welcomes little children! It is wonderful to watch the faith of my grandchildren…pure, unquestioning and uninhibited. They’ll sing about Jesus in the grocery store, raise their hands in worship and pray with such conviction. Lord I pray that their faith may continue to grow and the world will not quench their faith!

JUDGES 12
2-3 'And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?’

ERIC - Jephthah and his people (Gileadites) were under threat of invasion by the people of Ammon--who were not Israelites. God used Jephthah and his worthless band of fugitives (along with the rest of the Gileadites) to utterly defeat Ammon. When word spread to the men of Ephraim, jealousy, envy, and contempt filled their hearts toward their fellow Israelites. But the Lord ended the in-fighting quickly, and 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed by the Gileadites. This tells me God will at times bring incredible and powerful victory to one group of ‘worthless” followers who give Him the glory in order to root out and destroy the envy, and contempt in another group that claim to follow God.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 17 / PSALM 1 / JUDGES 10

MATTHEW 18 / PSALM 2 / JUDGES 11

MATTHEW 19 / PSALM 3 / JUDGES 12

MATTHEW 20 / PSALM 4 / JUDGES 13

MATTHEW 21 / PSALM 5 / JUDGES 14

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - SESSION 2

https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S2-ch-157-4.pdf

https://youtu.be/7358bTAVAOQ

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of June 4, 2026

PDF Link:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-4.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/ZlBGBl1SFDk

DOWN BY THE RIVER

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/t3JE6dOq_2g

06/08/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by TOD HORNBY

PSALM 2
1 Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

TOD - The Psalmist could be reading today's media. I guess some things never change. Solomon expressed it well in Ecclesiastes 1:

9 That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by ANDREW SUEDKAMP

MATTHEW 18
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

ANDREW - Children don’t know much; they don’t have many answers to complex questions; they don’t know all the theological things that many of us wrestle with and seek. They also have a unique ability to believe that God is limitless and supremely powerful. While it is good to dive deep into God’s Word and while it is commendable to seek wisdom and knowledge, it is not those attributes that save. Rather, it is simply trusting and believing that what God says is true – that Jesus died for our sins. He did the work on our behalf. There are many times I need to humble myself and be like a child – I don’t have all the answers, but I don’t need all the answers. I need Jesus. After placing my trust in Him, my desire is to grow closer and learn more about Him, but the bottom line is that it is Jesus and His sacrifice that are of supreme importance, not my ability (or inability) to do or learn anything else.

14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

ANDREW - I need to remember this verse when I judge the worthiness or ugliness of people I encounter. Who am I to judge whether or not someone may be willing to hear God’s truth? The people who despise us and hate what we stand for – they are people whom God does not want to see perish. It has been on my heart the last many days that I need to be praying for the people who I may encounter tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or anytime in the future. Equally, I need to pray that God prepares my heart and mind to be intentional with the people whose paths I cross. Rather than be reactive and wait until I am in the midst of an encounter, I need to be proactive and pray now for the encounters that may happen then. The world needs God’s truths and He has commissioned us to be an active part in spreading His Gospel out of love, not compulsion.

JUDGES 11
30-31 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”

ANDREW - In verse 29 we see that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, so there was no need for this vow. Now Jephthah may not have been aware that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him (not sure if parts of his body glowed or if he felt different), but we need to be very careful when we bargain with the Lord. God can’t be manipulated into any situation where we entice Him to act in exchange for some sacrifice on our part. A better prayer may have been for Jephthah to seek God’s council and ask for confirmation of God’s will. King David, while imperfect, would often spend time in prayer seeking God’s council and seeking intimacy with Him. I can’t recall David ever trying to barter with God like Jephthah did. I know I’ve been in a place several times in my life where I’ve been like Jephthah – promising God I’ll change my ways or sacrifice something if He just helps me with this one little thing I need or want. Our God loves us and it seems that He is more pleased if we would offer Him our faithfulness along with a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. I think of Psalm 51: For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

MATTHEW 17 / PSALM 1 / JUDGES 10

MATTHEW 18 / PSALM 2 / JUDGES 11

MATTHEW 19 / PSALM 3 / JUDGES 12

MATTHEW 20 / PSALM 4 / JUDGES 13

MATTHEW 21 / PSALM 5 / JUDGES 14

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - SESSION 2

https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OFBS-LUKE-S2-ch-157-4.pdf

https://youtu.be/7358bTAVAOQ

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of June 4, 2026

PDF Link:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MEU-JUNE-4.pdf

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/ZlBGBl1SFDk

DOWN BY THE RIVER

YOUTUBE Link: https://youtu.be/t3JE6dOq_2g