The Spiritual Exercises

Hades, is it hell? What is the Lake of Fire? Do unbelievers go to eternal torture? Do we really even know the answers based purely on Biblical text? I’ve been pushing back on our Greek, mythology-based notions of hell to take a look at the goodness and justice of our righteous Creator. It has challenged my own notions and I had a hell of a time (no pun intended) taking off my western filter to vie...

Continuing my series on Hell. What is really happening with the afterlife in the Bible? The more I learn, the more questions I have. We have some serious doctrinal issues with our interpretations of many verses in regard to this. Let’s talk about it. No fear, just information for you to take into your busy life and ponder. (might be a good distraction from the disastrous news cycle, right?) Blessi...

The afterlife is vague and for many, a very scary topic. However, in order to properly speak about our Lord and Savior and properly understand the justice and mercy of Hashem, we must first understand that Hell may not be as clear cut as we have been told. Ok, ok, I hear you southern baptists and uber-conservatives already clicking away and avoiding this content. Listen, I get it. We want justice!...

This is the first in a series I’m doing on this topic. My awakening about the unchanging nature of G-d and His unchangeable Laws has also awakened me to areas where I’ve made presumptions about Scripture. The very words on the page stand out to me now differently. Reading entire chapters and books at once, making sure I have context and the original recipient of the words in mind, looking at Hebre...

The pools at Bethesda and Siloam give us historical evidence of a few of the locations Yeshua healed. For long years non-believers claimed there was no evidence of these stories given in the gospel of John. But over the last 100 years much has been unearthed and discovered that confirms what John wrote. The story of healing at Bethesda is a beautiful reminder that waiting on the Lord can result in...

You know how every other mainstream church series is covering one of Paul’s letters and how glowingly Paul is always reviewed in comparison to other writers in Scripture and how confusing Paul gets when you read an entire letter of his in one sitting and…. well, you get it. This is the final in my series reading and reviewing chapter 12 of my book on Paul. I give some helpful rules I started to ob...

If you think G-d isn’t represented well in the He Gets Us commercial, I’d suggest you re-read Judges, and get that fresh reminder of how messed up humans can be and how G-d is merciful with us anyway. He always has been. He totally understands how human we are and yet, Christ died for us. Just some thoughts regarding the Christian responses to the Christian Super Bowl ads and the Asbury Revival. T...

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rachela.substack.com

Blessings, my friends! If you haven’t read my book, this will be a great start even though this chapter is the last one I wrote. Treat this like a podcast/audiobook series and I hope you get some inspiration and thought provoking questions and answers out of it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rachela.substac...

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rachela.substack.com

Church of Holy Sepulchre Franciscan Ritual around the Stone of Unction… Church of Holy Sepulchre… Church of the Nativity… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rachela.substack.com

Photo of the Stele now at the Louvre below… This series will not always be free but I have some new subscribers and I’d love to get you a preview of what this series looks like and will cover. So here you go! I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading The Spiritual Exercises. This post is public so feel free to share it. Love, Rachel This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with ot...

What a blessing to visit places where Solomon, David, Jonah and our Messiah and others walked and prayed and lived. This episode covers some of the rich history, Biblical significance and deep lessons of these locations. Pictures of the Western Wall and the city of Jaffa below. Don’t be too put off by my son’s facial expression. He is a teenager after all. My sister and her family were with us for...

My trip overseas humbled me. There are some people, some places, some experiences that clarify your life and this trip definitely did that for me. I was fascinated by the people in every place we visited. It was the people that reminded me of just how small we are, and just how extraordinary it is to be held by Adonai and loved by Him. I was inspired to come back and spend my days helping people,...

Let’s talk about waiting on the Lord, prayers and how they are answered and a change in perspective as we enter a new fiscal season. The Bible gives us many stories of patience for promises but are they missing some of the modern aspects of life we now grapple with? Let’s start the year off right, realigning our prayer lives and submitting what we never have before. There is no better way to recei...

Is Deuteronomy 22:28-29 talking about rape? How could G-d destroy so many peoples in the OT? Almost everyone in Judges is crazy evil, how can G-d approve of this? Are you ready for the questions that are waiting for you in any discussion with an atheist or non-believer? They will attempt to use Scripture against you. In 2023, let’s get started with some amazing answers that will lead you back into...

Happy Hanukkah! If you don’t know much about this holiday, not to worry. This is a great history lesson for you and your family and can inspire your walk with the Lord in this moment of moral and spiritual darkness. Learning is the best way to start. Blessings, Rachel This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rachela.s...

I found much good insight in this article on this issue - https://christianpublishinghouse.co/2021/04/28/homosexual-1946-was-there-a-mistranslation-that-shifted-culture/ I haven’t seen the film yet, but there is a claim out there that the term “homosexual” was added into 1 Corinthians in 1946. This has made waves in homosexual communities and is sparking conversations about what the Bible really h...

How do we know we have a G-d shaped hole? How does the Holy Spirit work in our lives? What is the evidence? Explore these and other mysteries with me today. There is so much to the work of the Holy Spirit but it is definitely working on the down low. Let’s see what we can discover! Love you, Rachel This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...

I’ve been bombarded with content this week that points directly to the spirits of evil at work in our culture. The spirits that ultimately end up coming after kids. Even friends have talked to me about the spiritual realm in their own families and homes, how they are starting to recognize spiritual evils that are more than just physiological issues. For so long we believed science could answer eve...

I feel like forgiveness is harder and harder to find. Real forgiveness, where one person lets go of their need to judge and seek judgment. One where relationships are restored and where people are freed. I’ve seen too many bitter people lead lives of hatred, stuck in a past trauma, unable to move past it. This bitterness poisons lives and seeps into ministries and relationships. A hallmark of a Be...

Is the physical realm good enough? Is it enough? Is it replaceable? Is Church online, alone, with no physical church body enough? What is the call of the Church when it comes to communal gathering? If we don’t know G-d’s Holidays, can we rightly answer that question? I don’t have all the answers, but I give you some thoughts to chew on as we move into more and more technological advancements acros...

I love this topic because it can change every moment of your day and turn the biggest challenges into the greatest successes. And it’s all because of how G-d created the universe and you. Happy Thanksgiving my friends. Thank you for reading The Spiritual Exercises. This post is public so feel free to share it. Rachel This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscriber...

The Biblical Prophecies that told us the YEAR that Israel would receive back its nation and land. Click Here Today is a very simple discussion on prophecies that should give us even more confidence in G-d’s work and the Bible. I also talk about belief. Are we lacking belief? Do we really Know that we know that we know Jesus? Have you really let Him have your heart? Without heart, there is no point...

Spiritual gurus abound and make tons of money coaching people into the life of their dreams. Why does this work? Is this practice aligning with G-d’s call on our lives? Does the Bible show us the quantum field? We don’t get to dig as deeply as I’d like to today, but I hope that this starts you on a journey with your mind and the Holy Spirit to understand that the Bible does tell us our minds creat...