Ten Commandments?

Eunjin Chang • September 23, 2026

Ten Utterances?

Both Catholic and Christian Reformed traditions have taught the Ten Commandments throughout the ages as God's laws. However, if we were to ask the Israelites who came out of Egypt and settled down in Canaan what the words were in the book of Exodus 34 and Deuteronomy 5, we would be shocked to discover that they are not called the Ten Commandments but the Ten Utterances or Words (Aseret he-Dvarim) of God, and even the numbering of the items is not the same as they are known to Catholics and Reformed Christians.

So what does this difference mean for modern Christians? If you look closely, examine the differences, and follow the Jewish understanding of the Ten Utterances, you will discover the richness of Jesus' teachings and actions while he was on earth, and what he accomplished.

In ancient and modern Judaism, a commandment is called a mitzvah (plural: mitzvot). Moses gave the Israelites the Torah, which contains 613 distinctive mitzvot. When Jewish rabbis categorize the 613 laws into the text of the Aseret HaDibrot (”Ten Utterances” or “Ten Statements” or “Ten Declarations), they find 13 to 15 distinct commandments packed into those ten spoken paragraphs. From the Jewish perspective, calling the text the “Ten Commandments” is inaccurate, as the commandments are not ten but rather 13 to 15.

The first utterance is a statement of fact for the Israelites, not a command from God. When God said to the Israelites, “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage,” in Exodus 20:2, the Ten Utterances begin. While Jewish tradition kept this as the first utterance, Catholics and Protestants begin their Ten Commandments not with the first utterance, but with the Second Commandment.

When we look at the Ten Utterances in the context of the Old and New Testaments and reflect on what Jesus taught while he was on earth, we can find a parallel theme between the Israelites and modern Christians in terms of laws, commandments, and redemption.

We will look more closely at these issues, as Jesus told the multitude that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. What the multitudes understood when Jesus said this is a big deal, and only a Jewish mind can understand what Jesus was trying to do. This also explains what Jesus taught the Samaritans and why they believed in Jesus: the Samaritans knew the Torah but could not worship in Jerusalem, so they worshipped on Mount Gerizim.

Chronological Perspective

Exodus 34 recounts Moses' encounter with God at Mount Sinai. At the same time, Deuteronomy 5 recounts events after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, when Moses gives the Israelites instructions for living in the land God is giving them. The earliest biblical text has no verse numbers, which led different faith traditions to group and count the ten utterances in entirely different ways. The two stone tablets Moses prepared, with the Ten Utterances written on them, carried deep philosophical meaning for the Israelites.

In the Jewish tradition, the Ten Utterances were divided equally between the two stone tablets. It was not a random split but a deliberate parallel between the two stone tablets. The first tablet governs the relationship between the Israelites and God, while the second tablet governs the relationship among the Israelites.

We can now look at the Ten Utterances from a covenantal perspective revealed through the work of the Holy Spirit after Jesus fulfilled all of God's covenants through His death and resurrection. To do so, we must borrow the historical and cultural lens of the Israelites of the Old Testament and the Jews of the New Testament and beyond to understand its implications for our modern world properly.

The First and Sixth Utterances

We must closely examine why God states in Exodus 20:2, “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” This is the same reason in Joshua 4, where God tells Joshua to take 12 stones from the river and place them next to the Jordan River as a reminder to future generations that God stopped the Jordan River so the Israelites could cross on dry land.

God wanted the Israelites to know that he brought them out of Egypt through the ten plagues. Egypt represents the bondage of slavery and shame of the Israelites. The Israelites had no power to free themselves but to obey their Egyptian masters. This parallels sin and death, as our masters before Jesus freed us through his sacrifice.

The relationship between God and the Israelites was established from God freeing the Israelites out of the grips of the Egyptians. God wanted to continue the covenant that He had established with Abraham with the Israelites. God wanted to give the Israelites the promised land, which they were to conquer. God brought the Israelites into the wilderness to remove the shame and bondages of slavery and to make them into a new nation, unbonded to anything but a covenant relationship with God.

God wanted the Israelites to know who they are in relation to God and to the world. God called them to be priests over the nations, mending the broken relationship between the Gentiles and God. (Exodus 19:5-6) They were to be the bridge and offering for the Gentiles of the world, but the Israelites misunderstood the intent of God in calling them. They thought they were specially chosen, which they were, but they just enjoyed their privilege as the chosen nation and forgot about their duties as the priests for the Gentiles.

Because they rejected their duty as the priests for the Gentiles, they forgot the spirit of the Torah and made it into a heavy burden instead of a loving instruction of God. They separated themselves from the Gentiles while placing a heavy burden on the Jews and made themselves a separate class of people to rule over Jews.

God telling the Israelites and their descendants who brought them out of Egypt reminds them of who they belong to and what their purpose is. They are the bride of God, and through their relationship with God, the Israelites were to bring the Gentiles into the court of God to have a relationship with them. The Israelites failed to keep the law because they did not understand its spirit or essence, which was born out of love. (Matt 22:37-38)

In Luke 10:25-37, a lawyer asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life, and Jesus asked, “What does the law say?” and he answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Then the lawyer asked further, saying, " Who is my neighbor?"

The lawyer said this to limit the scope of his neighbor, as he was familiar with the laws and traditions of the elders. He wanted to justify himself before Jesus and the men around him, claiming he had eternal life because he kept loving the Lord with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind. He felt he needed to justify loving his neighbor by his own standards.

However, Jesus presents a completely different viewpoint of who his neighbor is. To the lawyer, his neighbors are upper-class people who kept the law and lived a respected religious lifestyle. They were the priests and Levites, who proclaimed that they were chosen by God even among the Jews. The thought of a compassionate Samaritan had never even crossed his mind; and it was so defiling that he thought it better to die than to be saved by a Samaritan.

The priest and the Levite left the robbed person to die on the road, while the Samaritan saved the person at his own expense. While the priest and the Levite looked on, went to the other side of the road, and continued their journey, the Samaritan had compassion on the man and saved him. Jesus asked the lawyer, "Who was a neighbor to the man who fell among the thieves?" Then the lawyer knew in his heart that it was not status, but compassion in the heart, and showed it by saving the man; that was neighbor. Jesus told the lawyer to do what the Samaritan had done to others; that is what love your neighbor means.

The priest and the Levite were going to Jerusalem to perform their priestly and levetical duties. Under the law, if they came in contact with defiled things, they could not perform their duties. From the Jew’s perspective, this story directly contradicts their traditional understanding of the law and its applications. The Jews have no dealings with Samaritans, but when the Jew fell to the robbers and was near death, the only one who helped the Jew was the Samaritan. Jesus deliberately showed the Samaritan as the one who helped the robbed, because the Samaritan had compassion. Jesus was trying to illustrate that compassion is what the law stated to say "neighbor " means.

Jesus showed compassion to the lost and the sinners that the traditional religious leaders put down and cast out from the inner circle. The inner circle of the Jews wondered whether Jesus was the Messiah or another prophet, since he performed many miracles. They were not interested in bringing outsiders into their inner circle, as they considered them sinners and themselves clean. Jesus was trying to show that compassion is like love. God is love and compassion, and those who follow God must possess these qualities and act likewise.

When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, it was because of His covenant with Abraham and, at the same time, it was His compassion towards the Israelites under Egyptian rule. God wanted the Israelites to show compassion to the Gentiles, as God has shown the Israelites compassion and love. But the Israelites thought that they could earn God’s compassion through keeping the law, but not knowing the spirit or the essence of the law, creating a heavy burden that they themselves cannot keep, nor can others.

The Israelites ought to love one another, and even the Gentiles, as all of mankind bears the image of God. Jesus was pointing out that even Gentiles have compassion because they bear the image of God, and that a person's status does not matter; whoever has compassion and acts on it is exercising God’s image in them.

The first utterance on the first tablet stated, “I am YHWH your God.” When compared to the sixth utterance, “Do not murder,” the parallel theme underlying the two utterances is the same; Murdering a human being destroys the person who was made in the image of God, which in turn means you are not only murdering a person, but the image of God, which is an attack on the Creator. Murder and killing are separate things, as murder requires a premeditated state of mind to end one’s life, while killing can be done in self-defense.

The first and sixth utterances both point to the Creator God, who has a vested interest in God's personhood and in the person who bears God's image. This point is further illustrated in Matthew 19 when Jesus expanded the understanding of murder from physical killing of a person to a heart issue.

The Jewish understanding of murder under the Ten Utterances is to avoid capital punishment, a physical consequence of death when you murder someone without a just cause. But Jesus expands the understanding of murder from a physical act to a thought: to hate or be angry with someone, which are not expressed outwardly, and a person can hide it by being a hypocrite. Jesus addressed the heart issue because the law cannot prosecute someone for thinking about a crime.

Jesus did not want to expand the definition of the law; he wanted to clarify it. People weighed the violation of the law differently, as they saw fit. They did not understand the spirit of the law or why such laws existed. So, they defined the laws as they saw fit according to their understanding at the time.

Compassion is at the heart of the issue, and God wanted the Israelites to know that it was God’s compassion for the Israelites that distinguished them as the priestly nation before the Gentiles. It was not enough to avoid acting on an angry heart's desires; they had to have compassion on the person because of who they were created in the image of. Jesus’ explanation of the good Samaritan was not only to expand on the definition of who your neighbor is but to have compassion on anyone who needs help, not only those who are privileged around you but even sinners.

In Matt 5:43-44, Jesus expands on loving your neighbor by telling you to love and bless your enemies, do good to them, and pray for them, ultimately loving them and expanding the definition of the neighbor from people whom we love, naturally, to those who we consider enemies. This is because God gives the sun and the rain equally, even to those whom they considered sinners, and we ought to have the same heart as the Father: compassion.

Jesus came to give us a compassionate heart. Through his stripes we are healed, and our hearts have changed from uncompassionate to compassionate, reflecting the heart of God, who has compassion for all the lost souls of the earth.

The Second and Seventh Utterances

The second utterance is “have no other gods before Me.” This is in contrast to the seventh utterance, “do not commit adultery.” Infidelity in marriage mirrors spiritual infidelity. Worshipping false gods is a form of spiritual adultery against God. Throughout the ages, Israelites committed adultery against God by worshipping false gods of the land. The Book of Hosea shows how God felt when the Israelites pursued foreign gods and idols to satisfy their spiritual lusts.

Having other gods and idols is as if the bridegroom's bride commits sexual immoral sins against the groom with others. The marriage bed is exclusive to the bride and the groom, but by committing sexual fornication, the bride is defiled, and the groom is transgressed. God knew the Israelites going into the land of Canaan would be tempted to have other gods and idols. God wanted to write His laws and precepts on the hearts of all His people, but it was before Jesus’ time.

Before Jesus, no mediator could restore mankind's sinful heart to its original design before the fall of Adam. Isaiah 53:5 stated that “but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Our hearts have not only transgressed but are full of iniquities and beyond repair. Jesus came to the world not only to restore and repair the transgressions and iniquities, but to heal us with his stripes so that we may have peace with God through his chastisement.

Jesus called his church the bride, and himself the groom. How can a defiled bride be restored whole for the groom? The offense must be satisfied with an equal level of punishment, and that offense of spiritual adultery is as if having other gods and idols to fornicate with them. The groom must resolve the offense 100%; otherwise, he cannot take the bride who offended him. God the Father is offended at the bride’s adultery and cannot allow His only begotten Son to be the groom to the adulterous bride. The bride must satisfy the groom and the Father of the groom to remedy the offense.

The bride's heart is beyond repair, as we see in the book of Hosea. The defiled bride of Christ continues to commit adultery with other gods and idols. This is her nature as a descendant of fallen Adam. The most intriguing aspect is that God the Father desires to restore the image of God in fallen mankind, to the point of sacrificing His only Son to satisfy His wrath, which was postponed, or procrastinated, for His pleasure. Isaiah 53:10 states: “yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”

What are our gods and idols? We tend to think that the gods and idols are the ancient gods and their artifacts of the Canaanites. In modern times, we do not bow down to idols or gods. The issue that Jesus came to resolve is not of the flesh but of the heart. Paying the price for actions or transgressions is not sufficient, as the heart of mankind is defiled beyond repair. It keeps finding new ways to offend and transgress against God. If the heart issue is not remedied by replacing it with a new heart, mankind has no hope of mending their parted ways with God.

Anything that we desire within our fallen, depraved heart is a god and an idol. It violates the Second Utterance: our hearts have gone astray after foreign things. Isaiah 53:6 states, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Our iniquities are natural inclinations of a fallen, depraved heart. Hence, the Father has laid on Jesus the iniquities, the internal fallen, depraved heart issue, of us all.

Our fallen, depraved heart continues to make gods and idols. This is because our heart worships sin, and sin has dominion over us from the inside out. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” We deceive ourselves into thinking we have no sin because it is hard to see our true self from our own viewpoint. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in Matt 7:3-5 that we only see others’ sins as greater than ours, and we judge others when we should judge ourselves first.

When the Jews brought a woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11) and wanted to trap Jesus, Jesus did not respond to them but wrote on the ground. This event is significant, as the Torah commanded a person committing such an offense to be stoned to death. Jews had no authority to carry out capital punishment, as it was reserved to the Roman authorities. If Jesus said, "Let her be," he would be breaking the law of Moses (Torah). They were trying to trap Jesus between the Torah, as Jesus was expanding on the understanding of Torah to the people, but at the same time the Jews were under the Roman authority. The Jews were not only trying to trap Jesus under the two schisms, but they were testing Jesus as to whether he would use his power to overthrow the Roman authority, as their understanding of the Messiah was to free them from such occupation.

As the Jews began to demand Jesus for answers, Jesus kept silent but wrote on the ground with his fingers. The Bible does not tell us what Jesus wrote on the ground. However, we can conjecture that Jesus was writing the Torah on the ground that carries capital punishment as its offense, which everyone there had committed but was not caught by others.

After Jesus wrote on the ground, the crowd saw the writings, which cut through their hearts. Jesus said to them, “Those without sin can cast stones at her.” And he bent down and continued to write. One by one, from the oldest to the youngest, they left the scene, and only Jesus and the woman remained standing. Then, Jesus tells her that he does not condemn her and tells her not to sin anymore. This was the underlying spirit of the second and the seventh utterances from the Ten Utterances.

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By Eunjin Chang • August 3, 2025

For a Christian to be healthy, we must sleep or rest in Jesus. Just like sleep is essential to the health of our physical body, sleep or rest in Jesus is essential to our spiritual walk with Jesus. When Jesus came to the world, he came to do the works of the Father, and he completed them on the cross, when he said, It is finished. The very reliance of the blood of Jesus that he shed for us on the cross gives us the rest that our spirit needs. To sleep or rest in Jesus means to cease all our agendas. Many Christians fall into a trap that once you become a Christian, you must do so many things and not do so many things. Being a disciple becomes a matter of checking off a list of dos and don’ts. However, this is far from rest that Jesus gave us when he said, It is finished, on the cross. The rest comes to us when we die in Jesus. When we follow Jesus as a disciple, Jesus is inviting us to pick up our own cross, deny ourselves, and follow him. Where did Jesus end up? On the cross, and he died for the sins of the world. When apostle Paul stated that he had been crucified with Christ and he no longer lives, he was stating the mere nature of a disciple of Jesus. When Jesus invites us to die with him on the cross, it is not to destroy us or end us. Human nature is to struggle to survive and to have another breath. But to follow Jesus is to deny that very nature. How can it be done? It is impossible with human effort or will, as it is contrary to the very nature of humanity. When one becomes a disciple of Jesus, everyone has one or a few things that they cannot surrender to God. It may be finances, children, or even their own life. However, Jesus invites all of his disciples to give up that one thing that everyone has. Every Christian faces this question at some point in their walk with Jesus. They have eaten and drunk the flesh and blood of Jesus. They have tasted the goodness of the Lord and His mercies. They delight in worship and even give up many things for the Lord and His body. But that one thing, no matter how minor it seems, Jesus asks the question, “Can you give up that one thing for me?” Which is the question of death. The death of our old self. To Abraham, it was to offer Isaac on an altar. To Jacob, it was to deny his ability to cheat, steal, and lie. To the Apostles, it was to give up their life for the sake of the gospel. So many of our ancestors of faith have demonstrated giving up that one thing that matters the most to them for the sake of Jesus. Why would they do that? The most important question of all is, how were they able to do that for Jesus? The answer is simple: daily eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood; daily excrete out what the Holy Spirit is telling us; daily rest in Jesus. This daily trust and obedience provides us with a sense of security and guidance in our walk with Jesus. The death of oneself does not come from human effort nor willpower. It comes from trusting in Jesus even till death. It can only be done when one is deeply involved with Jesus and Jesus’ DNA becomes their DNA. Without questioning, they hear the voice of Jesus, respond, and lay down their lives and their most essential things for Jesus. It is a daily walk with Jesus and having a moment-by-moment relationship with Jesus. Jesus said My sheep hear my voice and follow me. It is interesting to note that when Jesus calls his sheep, it is among other sheep that are not of Jesus’. Jesus calls his sheep to take them through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus’ sheep hear his voice and follow initially. Then, when the sheep sees Jesus walking away from the green pasture and onto the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep begins to wonder if the voice it hears is Jesus’ or not. But as Jesus continues to call the sheep, the sheep respond by trusting in Jesus’ voice, recognizing it as their own. But as the sheep nears the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep gets close to Jesus, embracing his breath, scent, and sweat. Following him closely, as he fears he might be lost if he does not hear the voice of his true shepherd. Ultimately, the valley of the shadow of death separates the true sheep of Jesus from other sheep. Jesus calls all of his disciples to carry the cross, deny oneself, and follow Jesus daily. Which ultimately leads to death. Death is not to end our essence but to deliver us from ourselves, our old ways of living, and to redefine our DNA to become like Jesus; ultimately leading us to the resurrection of Jesus, as he has said, I am the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is not something that we find when the last day comes; the resurrection that Jesus gives us is the very nature of all of his disciples that must go through to become faithful followers of Jesus. Many modern Christians are what we might call 'zombie Christians'. This is not a metaphor, but a reality. When Jesus calls us to die with him, many reject this calling, believing it to be from Satan. They know deep down that it is the call of Jesus, but they prefer to be deceived in their hearts as it seems logical, reasonable, and satisfies their current values. However, when a Christian rejects the call of Jesus, the life of Jesus leaves that Christian, and that person becomes a 'zombie Christian'. A 'zombie Christian' is a person who knows about Jesus but does not follow Jesus because they have denied the call of Jesus to be his disciple. There are many 'zombie Christians'. Many become like Pharisees, and they are satisfied with knowing about the Scriptures, rather than obeying them. They begin to lose the joy, rest, and light of Jesus in their lives and begin to replace it with religious activities and the endless pursuit of knowledge about Christian life. When the Father speaks, He speaks once, and the Holy Spirit continuously reminds us to obey what the Father has said. However, once you become a zombie Christian, it is difficult to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, nor the voice of the Father. The Holy Spirit continuously prays to the Father with groaning that cannot be uttered because the Holy Spirit is in agony over the disobedient Christian. Just like the Prodigal Son, the Father waits for the son to return. An interesting observation can be made regarding the story of the Prodigal Son, that the father did not go after looking for the son, nor did the older brother. The reason the father did not go after the prodigal son was that the son made the choice, and the father respected the son's choice. But an interesting thing is that the older brother did not go after his brother, even though he could have. The older brother did not know the heart of the father, and when the prodigal son returned, the older son’s response reveals his true intentions. The Father waits for the zombie Christian to return. To return means to realize that their effort and ways of living caused much turmoil and must abide under the ruling of the Father. The Father gives another chance to zombie Christians. But when the second chance comes, the sacrifice that a zombie Christian makes seems greater than the first time. As that person has drifted away from the proper way of living and been replaced by religious activities that have no life. Every disciple of Jesus knows that one thing that Jesus asks us to give up. It is not to destroy us but to trust in the Lord. Just like when Peter asked Jesus to walk on water, Jesus is telling us to walk on water like Peter did. When we die in Jesus, it is the very spirit of Jesus that resurrects us. When we experience death and resurrection through Jesus, that is when we truly find the peace and rest that Jesus desires for us to have, not through religious activities, disciplines, and training. When we realize that our death does not lead to destruction, as the one inviting us to death is Jesus, who is life and resurrection, we trust in Jesus and follow through our death, and we wait on Jesus to resurrect us in his power and spirit. That is when we are truly free from the world and its bondages, and nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. We become one with Jesus as we suffer with him, and we glory with him. We can become truly victorious in all aspects of our lives, not with our power or abilities, but by what Jesus has done for us in himself. A true crown of glory awaits those who follow Jesus even to death.

Expelling Spiritual Waste

By Eunjin Chang • August 3, 2025

After eating the spiritual food and drink, which are the flesh and blood of Jesus, we must expel waste from our spiritual body. It may seem odd or even strange to talk about expelling after consuming Jesus’ flesh and blood, but just like our physical body, our spiritual bodies need expelling. When a Christian eats and drinks of the flesh and the blood of Jesus daily, they begin to grow deeper in a relationship with Jesus. Without even knowing, their dependence on Jesus grows tremendously, and it brings them many of the authorities that Jesus has. Their lives begin to change in ways that they have never imagined, and they begin to hear the voice of Jesus. Jesus said, My sheep know my voice and follow me. This becomes reality to those who consume Jesus’ flesh and blood daily. When you eat Jesus’ flesh and blood, the very nature of Jesus becomes ours. Just like when you eat a meal, you do not know where it gets placed in your body, but it goes through your digestive system, and it brings you energy where it is needed, and it is used to heal areas that need healing. The consumption of Jesus’ flesh and blood is essential to the growth and becoming like Jesus for his followers. Then, after consuming the flesh and blood of Jesus regularly, how does one go about expelling from the spiritual self the excrements that are created in our spiritual self? Also, what are the excrements that get created in our spiritual self? These are excellent questions, and they require some self-diagnosis. When we become a Christian, we begin to hunger for the word of God and desire to commune with other followers of Jesus. After consuming the flesh and the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to work within us to remove old values and ways of living. The Holy Spirit essentially changes our very nature, as if the DNA of Satan’s child is being replaced with the DNA of Jesus. As we begin to crave Jesus’ flesh and blood, the Holy Spirit begins to remove our old habits and ways of living. Many begin to discover that after becoming a Christian, their old friends, habits, and joys have changed, and they can no longer enjoy the things they once enjoyed. These are things that the Holy Spirit is doing. In the first few months of becoming a Christian, many testify that their views and desires began to change. However, after a while, they begin to face their fleshly desires and carnality, and they must make a choice. To compromise and live according to their fleshly desires and carnality or to deny themselves and follow Jesus. It earmarks the beginning phase of Christian discipleship, and sometimes, due to misguided motivations, they make the right choices. Because they want to be seen as good Christians to their Christian peers, they make choices that seem right. However, this does not deal with the essential issues, but instead covers them up. Excretion is a daily task, which is to deny oneself daily and pick up the cross. The power to deny and pick up the cross and follow Jesus is not done with our willpower or discipline. Instead, it comes from relying on Jesus’ blood shed for us as he denied himself and carried the cross up to Calvary. Daily, we deny ourselves, our flesh, and our desires before Jesus by believing in the blood of Jesus that he shed for us while carrying the cross. Jesus shed much blood, tears, and sweat while carrying the heavy wooden cross up to Calvary after being beaten and whipped mercilessly. He has carried the cross from the Jerusalem courtyard to Golgotha while bleeding from his broken body. In relying on Jesus’ blood shed for us on the road to Golgotha, we discover the true meaning of denying oneself, picking up the cross, and following the blood-stained footsteps of Jesus. As Jesus was carrying the heavy wooden cross, stained with his blood, tears, and sweat, his legs gave way, and he could not carry on. The Roman soldier began to whip him mercilessly and wanted Jesus to pick up the cross so that the soldier could get the execution over with. However, Jesus did not flinch or move an inch. He was waiting for one person, a new disciple of Jesus, to come and take upon the cross with him. That person was Simon from Libya. Simon was not related to Jesus at all; he was just a spectator waiting for the main event, the Passover meal in the evening. But when he was dragged into carrying the cross of Jesus by force by the Roman soldier, the things that were going through his mind were the very excrement that needed to be excreted out of Simon to be a follower of Jesus. As Simon came in contact with Jesus’ blood, sweat, and tears, he lost his right to participate in the Passover meal as he became unclean. He must have spent a fortune and used up his life savings to come to Jerusalem to eat the Passover meal, but by the force of the Roman soldiers, he lost his right to eat the Passover meal. He must have been furious and angry at the brute gentile Roman soldier for being so ignorant and forcing him to carry what seemed like a death sentence to Simon’s dreams and the climax of his journey to Jerusalem. Jesus wanted Simon not to eat the Passover meal that man prepares for religious activities, but to be part of the real Passover meal and to become a follower of Jesus, when Jesus’ blood, sweat, and tears were imprinted onto Simon as he carried the cross of Jesus, Simon, without knowing participated in the greatest act of servitude and discipleship towards Jesus. Many years later, we discover that Simon’s family assisted Apostle Paul in preaching the gospel during his journey. We do not know what happened to Simon after he threw down the cross upon Golgotha. Still, we can guess that by carrying the cross of Jesus by force, he missed the Passover meal prepared by religious people. Still, Simon truly participated in the authentic Passover meal prepared by the Lamb of God, Jesus himself. Oh, what a glorious moment for him when he learned that the very cross that he carried was the cross of our Lord Jesus! Modern Christians must deny themselves, carry the cross, and follow Jesus. But the very act is not done or possible with our own volition or will. We must rely on the blood of Jesus that he shed for us while carrying the cross up to Golgotha. Just like Simon, we must have the blood, sweat, and tears of Jesus imprinted onto our spirit, and by the imprint of Jesus’ blood, sweat, and tears, we carry the cross that is handed to us. This is how we excrete out the waste that our spiritual person makes after consuming Jesus’ flesh and blood. Many times throughout the day, we go to Jesus to eat of his flesh and drink of his blood. After consuming Jesus, the Holy Spirit stirs in our spirit and tells us what hinders our relationship with Jesus. It is natural for a Christian to know what hinders our relationship with Jesus, as our very spiritual DNA begins to change into Jesus’ DNA. It is imprinted in us. As Jesus always pleased the Father and obeyed His will perfectly, Jesus’ DNA that is imprinted in us begins to stir our hearts to know what is pleasing and what is not to the Father. By relying on the blood of Jesus that he shed for us while carrying the cross on the way to Golgotha, our spirit begins to shed our old values, desires, and other things that do not please the Father. When the Holy Spirit brings our attention to a matter, we must stop, listen, and follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf to the Father with groaning that cannot be uttered.

Spiritual Food and Drink

By Eunjin Chang • August 3, 2025

Our spiritual body eats the real food: the flesh of Jesus. Our food table is prepared by Jesus himself, with his broken flesh. When Jesus said, My body is true meat indeed, he literally meant it. We must eat of his flesh many times a day, just like how we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with snacks in between. Jesus’ flesh and blood cannot be replaced by sermons and teachings. Sermons and teachings are beneficial at times, but the true food and drink of our spirit, which are the flesh and blood of Jesus, cannot be replaced by it. Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1). John tells the reader that Jesus is the very Word of God, and that by becoming flesh, he came into this world to dwell among us. But not only dwell among us, but he became the very meat itself that every disciple of Jesus must consume. Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts, asking us to open it. When we open our hearts, he comes in and dines with us. What is the meat that he is dining on with us? It is his very flesh that he broke for us on the day that he carried the cross of Calvary. Then, how do we eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood? Catholics believe that when the priest prepares the Lord’s Supper, the bread becomes the real flesh of Jesus and the wine becomes the real blood of Jesus. Protestants believe that the bread and wine (or grape juice) do not become the real flesh and blood of Jesus, but represent the flesh and blood of Jesus. It seems both sides are missing the real point of the Lord’s Supper: to eat and drink of Jesus’ blood and flesh, which Jesus himself prepares. Whenever the early Christians gathered, they communed the Lord’s supper together. It was their way of life. The Lord’s supper was not only sacred, but it was where they got their daily meat and drink. They had not yet learned; they knew that no matter how poor or frail their meals were, when they presented them before the Lord in faith, the Lord prepared for them his flesh to eat and his blood to drink. When the Christians incorporated the Lord’s supper into their every meal and every gathering, they became powerful Christians. Although they did not have as much knowledge of Scripture as modern-day Christians, they practiced Jesus’ way of life because Jesus himself empowered them. Although some died because they abused the Lord’s supper, the power of Christianity came from the very essence of corporate gathering to share the bread and the wine incorporated into every worship and fellowship. Protestants revere the Lord’s supper, but they do not do it regularly, and this has weakened the authority given by the Lord Jesus. As our physical body needs to eat regularly, sometimes 3 times a day, we need to consume the flesh and blood of Jesus regularly. These days, it may be difficult to gather together to do the Lord’s supper every time. However, when a Christian in faith believes that the flesh and blood of Jesus are present in their daily meals and snacks, it powers their spiritual being.

The Flesh and Blood of Jesus

By Eunjin Chang • August 3, 2025

The Israelites ate manna and drank the water from the rock, but they still died in the wilderness. Jesus states that the manna did not come from Moses, but Jesus’ Father gave the manna to the Israelites to eat. The Jews missed the point of what the manna represented. It was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ flesh being torn apart for the transgressions. The water from the rock represented the blood of Jesus that flowed out of Jesus’ body. When a child is born, no one needs to teach the child to eat, expel waste, or sleep. These three things are natural for any human, young and old. Diseases and frailties in human beings occur when these three things that seem so normal are not done correctly. Even though we know that eating, expelling, and sleeping are the most fundamental physical needs of our body, many Christians forget that the same principle applies to the spiritual being as well. It's a matter of spiritual discipline and commitment. Our spiritual walk is the same. When we become believers in Jesus, we naturally begin to eat of the Word of God and delight in it. We learned what is Christian-like and what is not, and became accustomed to the church lifestyle. Just like when we mistreat our bodies by not eating properly in the correct quantity, not expelling waste regularly, and not sleeping enough, our physical health begins to deteriorate, and it may eventually lead to death. Similarly, neglecting our spiritual nourishment can lead to spiritual starvation and its consequences. Instead of eating spiritual food that is provided by Jesus, many Christians eat non-edible spiritual food, such as false teachings, worldly desires, and self-righteousness, and think that they are being well-fed. In John 6, Jesus repeatedly states that his flesh is the meat and his blood is the drink that every follower of Jesus must consume. However, many Christians fail to believe in Jesus’ words and even neglect, as you find out that near the end of John 6, everyone who followed Jesus because Jesus fed them bread and fish, left as they could not comprehend or obey Jesus’ teachings about eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. This metaphorical 'eating' and 'drinking' refers to internalizing and living by Jesus' teachings, not a literal consumption of his physical body and blood. The thought of eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking the blood of Jesus offended the crowds and even those who called themselves disciples. It was hard to say, as they left Jesus. But Jesus emphasizes that those who eat of Jesus’ flesh and drink Jesus’ blood, Jesus shall raise that person on the last day: the day of the Lord. Jesus explicitly states here that to eat and drink of Jesus’ flesh is the actual meat and Jesus’ blood is the true drink that everyone who wants to be raised on the last day. As our physical body needs food and drink many times a day, our spiritual self needs nourishment just as frequently. The food that we must eat frequently throughout the day is the flesh of Jesus, and the drink that we must drink frequently throughout the day is the blood of Jesus. However, most Christians failed to understand this simple concept and starved themselves, looking for food and drink in other places, other than Jesus. It is crucial to remember that our spiritual nourishment comes from Jesus' teachings, and we should not starve ourselves by seeking fulfillment in other places. Just like our physical body, our spiritual body needs to eat, expel, and sleep. Then, how does our spiritual body eat, expel, and sleep?

Sample Blood of Jesus Prayer

By Eunjin Chang • April 2, 2025

Jesus, I desire to seek the throne of God at this moment. I know I am not worthy, and none of my work or accomplishments have any bearing on my ability to access God the Father. At this time, I pray and plead that you would cover my heart, thoughts, body, soul, spirit, environment, surroundings, and circumstances with the blood that you shed for me on the cross. Holy Spirit, I desire to seek the throne of God at this moment. I am accessing God the Father through the blood of Jesus Christ, as he has said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Holy Spirit, who knows the deepest things of God and searches my heart. I plead you to grant me the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation so that when I pray to the Father, the meditations of my heart and the prayers will please God the Father. Father God, I come to You, not by my righteousness or merit. I come to You humbly on one hand with the blood and the torn flesh of Jesus and on the other, the Holy Spirit. I plead You to look at the blood and the torn flesh of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He is the reason in my life and the only way I come to You. Please accept my petitions and prayers as the Holy Spirit leads it. Father God, I remember and believe in Jesus' prayer at the Mount Gethsemane. He pleaded to Father God; I remember and believe in Jesus's prayer at Mount Gethsemane. He pleaded to You, "Not my will, but Your will be done," three times. I want to pray like Jesus and my sincere heart to be like Jesus. However, You know my heart. The shortcomings and all thereof. Therefore, I plead and ask, the blood of Jesus, which was shed for me at Mount Getsemene, that I, too, will pray the things of God, like Jesus. Father God, I remember and believe in the blood that Jesus has shed for me as he wore the crown of thorns. If I am under any curse, by my sin or other means, I plead and pray the blood of Jesus that he shed for me when he wore the crown of thorns on all curses and their effects. In the name of Jesus Christ, I command that all curses placed upon me be broken at this time by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Father God, I remember and believe in the blood that Jesus shed for me when he was whipped forty times by the Roman soldiers. Isaiah 53 states that Jesus became blue and bled internally and bled externally in extreme pain due to my inequities and transgression. The scripture states that I have been healed by the stripes that Jesus has received on my behalf. I pray and plead the blood of Jesus that he had shed for me when he was whipped upon my life’s iniquities, lacking, diseases, emotional and physical diseases, relational issues, and other issues due to my iniquities. I pray and plead that the blood of Jesus that he shed for me as he was whipped be upon all these things I prayed. In the name of Jesus Christ, I command all iniquities, diseases, and unwholesome things in my life to be restored whole at this time by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Father God, I remember Jesus carrying the cross up to the place where he was hung. He bled while carrying the cross. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow me, deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me.” I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, not by my might but by the blood he has shed for me while carrying the cross. I remember the places where he fell and picked up the cross as the Roman soldiers were whipping him, and people were shaming and physically harming him. The blood Jesus has shed for me while carrying the cross was for me so that I can become a disciple of Jesus. I remember when Simon carried the cross to the hill, you showed me that I, too, can carry my cross and follow you. Therefore, I plead and pray that the blood you have shed for me while carrying the cross is upon me, and by the power of the blood, I may be thoroughly equipped and encouraged to carry my cross and follow Jesus. I pray and plead that the blood of Jesus he shed for me as he carried the cross be upon my walk as a disciple of Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, I command all things hindering me from being a good and faithful disciple of Jesus be destroyed at this time by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Father God, I remember when he was nailed hand and feet upon the cross and suffered for six hours; he has shed his precious blood so that he can save me from sin and death. So that sin and death have no dominion over me. Father God, I pray and plead that the blood of Jesus Christ that he has shed for me on the cross be upon the past, present, and future of my life and completely submerged in it so that I, too, can live a life as "I've been crucified with Christ. Therefore, I no longer live, but Jesus Christ lives in me." I pray and plead the blood of Jesus and declare that my life is no longer but only in Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, I command my soul and body to submit to Jesus Christ's wishes and desires at this time by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Father God, I remember when Jesus gave up the ghost, the Roman soldier pierced his side, and his heart burst, and blood and water came out. Jesus did not reserve anything but gave all for me. I pray and plead that the blood and water that came out when the Roman soldier speared Jesus' side be upon me. I access Your throne in boldness and confidence by the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed from the piercing of the heart. I pray and plead that You look at the pierced heart and the blood and water that came out on behalf of me. Although unworthy, I come to Your throne boldly because of what Jesus has done for me, the blood he shed. Father God, teach me the most profound things that only the Son knew. Lead me to live in the most secret parts of God and let me live the way that makes my Lord Jesus joyful. In the name of Jesus Christ, I command all evil spirits, dominion, and powers that hindered me from accessing the deepest desires of God by degrading me and accusing me of being destroyed by the name of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ be upon all the areas and influences that these wicked forces have occupied and be wholly transformed into Jesus' likeness. Holy Spirit, as You have granted me the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, I ask You to reveal what I should pray and how I should engage in spiritual warfare. I humbly ask You to take me and reveal the things of God that have been hidden for eternity. I humbly ask You that I will be a suitable vessel to You and Your ministry. Holy Spirit, take over my heart, thoughts, body, soul, spirit, environment, surroundings, and circumstances as Jesus' blood has done. After these prayers, do not hurry, but wait for God and His instructions to come into your heart. It may take a long time, but stay patient and keep meditating on the six bloods of Jesus Christ. God will reveal Himself to You because of the promise that is in the blood of Jesus.

Active Application of the Blood of Jesus in the Spiritual Warfare

By Eunjin Chang • March 17, 2025

Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." This verse explicitly mentions knowledge rather than wisdom, which is an interesting observation. It emphasizes the specific knowledge God has given to His people, which meant not only for survival but for thriving. This living knowledge comes from Jesus's works on earth and is applied to us through faith, specifically through His blood. In any spiritual warfare, our weaponry consists of the name of Jesus and the works He has accomplished for us. Our only connection to God is through Jesus, as He stated, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." God desires us to invoke Jesus in the spiritual battlegrounds. Instead of merely asking God to fight for us, He wants us to exercise the power and authority that has been bestowed upon the saints through Jesus. Many saints are unaware of the power and authority that God has granted them. Each saint represents God on earth, like an ambassador. God has called us to be priestly kings. Saints who do not exercise the power and authority God grants are like police officers who do not exercise their authority to maintain order and law. A truck may be physically more powerful than a policeman; however, when a police officer tells the truck to stop, it complies. The truck stops not because the officer is physically more powerful but because the state has given the officer the authority to command it. Similarly, God has given us authority as saints under Jesus' leadership. Jesus is the head of the church, and all saints make up His body. He paid the price for saints to exercise their authority on earth. However, if a saint is ignorant of their authority, the enemy can take advantage of that ignorance.

Hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Jesus, Gal 2:2-3

By Eunjin Chang • March 17, 2025

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In the Book of Colossians, we come across a verse resembling a treasure map leading to precious resources. The scripture reveals that unique treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus. These treasures are not typical; God actively conceals them, and only those who earnestly seek Jesus will discover them. Jeremiah 33:3 states, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." The treasures of wisdom and knowledge found in Jesus are incredibly powerful in spiritual warfare. Since God actively hides them, they are not easily discovered by anyone. Access to these treasures is granted only to those who continuously seek Jesus and whom He allows to find them. It resembles a treasure hunt or a game of hide-and-seek, where the pursuit leads to a significant and mysterious reward. When we dedicate our daily lives to walking with Jesus, our relationship with Him becomes the key to uncovering these hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus provides a white stone inscribed with a name that no one knows except the person who receives it. This stone symbolizes the hidden treasure in Jesus and is personal to the recipient; no one else can understand its significance. This unique gift can significantly benefit the individual, especially during spiritual warfare. The hidden treasures discovered in Jesus will activate and create turmoil in the spiritual realm. These treasures embody the hidden knowledge of God, who brought the universe into existence from nothing. They represent the essence of creation itself. Those who reflect God's personality, character, and way of living will have access to these invaluable treasures regarding the creation account.

Ephesians 1:17

By Eunjin Chang • March 17, 2025

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him The Apostle Paul was nearing the end of his life when he wrote the epistle to the city of Ephesus. He had gone through numerous mission trips, faced life-and-death situations, and endured many near-death experiences in his efforts to spread the gospel. Whenever he thinks about the church in Ephesus, he gives thanks to God for their growth in Jesus. Paul felt a sense of pride in the church of Ephesus and encouraged them to continue fighting the good fight. Before discussing spiritual warfare, he expresses his personal greetings and mentions that he prays for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to be upon the church. The Spirit of Wisdom enables the saints to view their current situations and circumstances from God's perspective and values. The church of Ephesus struggled to understand many things. Paul desired for them to receive the Spirit of Wisdom to help them interpret their experiences and be patient as they endured difficult circumstances. When the saints see their situations through God's perspective, they can step back from actively engaging in the struggles and find comfort in God's sovereign reign, though they may not understand from their perspective. The Spirit of Revelation is God's insight into future events, presented with a current understanding of His values. God knows everything, including the future, and the Spirit of Revelation functions like a Spirit of Prophecy, revealing things that will happen in the future but are understood in the present. When the Spirit of Wisdom works in harmony with the Spirit of Revelation, both present and future events can be interpreted from God's perspective, allowing the saints to find comfort in His omnipresence and sovereignty. In other words, the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation is granted to the saints for the purpose of discernment. There are numerous approaches to solving issues and problems when engaging in various spiritual battles. Some solutions may achieve quick resolutions, while others may require more time and effort. With the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation manifesting in a saint involved in spiritual warfare, the Spirit of Wisdom can provide specific guidance on how to engage, including which spiritual weaponry to apply to each target. The Spirit of Revelation can reveal the most effective means to combine these strategies for defeating the enemy. A saint filled with the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation operates like a super radar, functioning at the highest frequency to cover nearly everything happening in the spiritual realm. Instead of solely focusing on the physical realm and its effects, the saint can discover the source of issues and can directly address those sources for quick relief. When encountering demons and evil spirits, each has specific characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. The Spirit of Wisdom can identify these traits in real-time and guide the saint in engaging in spiritual attacks using the power of Jesus' blood. Similarly, the Spirit of Revelation can assess the situation from a future perspective, enabling the necessary discernment to execute effective spiritual warfare. The enemy may employ different attack vectors and types when engaging in spiritual battles. These various spirits may sometimes be intertwined, and the Spirit of Wisdom will help identify each individual spirit by its unique characteristics. However, when the Spirit of Revelation shines light on the same situation, it can reveal that some spirits may not be the main controlling spirits, although present. If only these surface spirits are addressed, the immediate issues may seem resolved, but the deeper, underlying problems remain unaddressed. Therefore, the collaboration of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation leads to coherent and comprehensive solutions for the spiritual warfare at hand.