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Chapter Preview -- The Foundation: 30 Coffee Mug Verses: The Unfiltered Edition

The Foundation: 30 Coffee Mug Verses (The Unfiltered Edition)

Note: The book is on pre-order at 50% discount here.

Its official release date is end of March 2026.
This is a preview of one of the 30 "Coffee Cup Verses" in the book.

Psalm 115:3

"But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

The Assumption

The "Mug Version" of this scripture is often used as a selective endorsement for personal prosperity, as if God’s pleasure is primarily focused on the fulfilment of our earthly desires. We tend to view the "pleasure" of God through the lens of our own comfort, assuming that if He has the power to do whatever He pleases, then His pleasure must surely align with our plans for a painless life. This is the starting point of a milk-diet faith—an incomplete understanding that treats the divine will of God as a cosmic servant to human happiness rather than the absolute, unhindered liberty of the Creator.

The Historical Context

Psalm 115 was forged in a furnace of pagan mockery. The surrounding nations, steeped in gross idolatry, tauntingly asked the Israelites, "Where is now their God?" because the God of Israel had no physical statue, no temple of gold they could touch, and seemed to allow His people to endure seasons of silence and struggle. The heathens measured a god’s power by visible, immediate "results" and monuments. In the face of this ridicule, the Psalmist did not point to a statue or a political victory; he pointed to the heavens. He established a foundation that was not dependent on human sight or pagan approval, but on the invisible, irresistible liberty of Jehovah.

The Testimony

The flow of the KJB text here is an uncompromising strike against the idea that God is reactive. The verse begins with the word "But," creating a sharp divide between the futile idols of men and the living God. By stating that God is "in the heavens," the text is not merely describing a location, but a position of total judicial and creative authority. The phrase "he hath done" is a declaration of finished, sovereign intent. The word "whatsoever" leaves no corner of the universe outside His influence and dominion. It signifies that from the path of a storm to the rise of an empire, or the quietest moment of a believer's trial, nothing occurs by accident or by the permission of a secondary power. He is the prime mover of all things, and His "pleasure" is the final court of appeal.

The Verdict (Theology & Authority)

The carnal mind is often troubled by the thought of a God who does exactly as He pleases, fearing that such liberty might be arbitrary or unkind. Yet, this scripture is an invitation to the highest form of security. To recognise that God does whatsoever He pleases is to acknowledge that He is never frustrated, never surprised, and never coerced. He does not labour under the weight of external expectations, nor does He seek counsel from His creation to determine His next move.

His pleasure is not a whim; it is the outworking of a character that is perfectly holy, just, and good. When we struggle to understand why a trial is permitted or why a prayer seems unanswered, we are often trying to judge the "pleasure" of the King by the limited standards of the subject. But the KJB reminds us that His ways are higher than our ways. His unhindered liberty means that when He acts, He does so with a wisdom that considers eternity, not just the fleeting discomfort of the present hour. As we read in Ephesians 1:11, He "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will".

This is the bedrock of a mature faith: the realisation that God’s glory is the supreme goal of the universe. If He were restricted by our "permission" or our "logic," He would cease to be God. We find our greatest peace not when we finally get our way, but when we finally surrender to His. We are inspired to move higher because we realise that the One who holds our lives is not a God who is "trying" to help us, but a God who has already determined the end from the beginning for His own magnificent purposes. Respecting His freedom to act as He chooses means trusting that even in our darkest moments, whatever brings Him honour is what most perfectly reveals how good, just, and perfect He is.

Commission in Practice: (Faith in Action)

Consider the account of Robert Jermain Thomas, a young Welshman who arrived on the shores of Korea in September 1866. Thomas did not go to Korea with a "Mug Version" expectation of a safe or comfortable career. He went with the singular desire to bring the Word of God to a "Hermit Kingdom" that had executed every foreigner who dared to enter. His "pleasure" was to see the Bible in the hands of the Korean people, but the "pleasure"—the sovereign will—of God had a different, deeper design for his life.

As Thomas sailed up the Taedong River on the armed merchant ship General Sherman, the vessel was attacked by Korean shore batteries. The ship was set on fire and grounded. While the crew fought for their lives, Thomas stood on the deck, his arms full of Bibles. As the ship began to sink, he jumped into the water and swam to the shore, not to save his own life, but to distribute the Word. Upon reaching the mudflats, he was met by a soldier named Park Chun-gwon, who had orders to execute him.

Thomas fell to his knees, but not to beg for mercy. Instead, he held out his last Bible to his executioner, pleading with the man to take it and read. Park hesitated, then swung his sword, beheading the young missionary. To any observer that day on the riverbank, it appeared that the "will" of a pagan soldier had triumphed and that Thomas’s mission was a catastrophic failure.

However, God’s unhindered liberty was already at work behind the scenes. Park Chun-gwon took that Bible home. He couldn't bring himself to destroy it, and eventually, the words he read transformed his heart, leading him to become one of the first Christian leaders in that region. Even more remarkably, the pages of the Bibles Thomas had thrown into the river were fished out by locals and used as wallpaper for a small inn. Guests at the inn would lie in bed and read the Word of God off the walls. Within decades, that very spot became the site of the Great Pyongyang Revival.

Robert Jermain Thomas never saw a single convert. His life ended in what appeared to be a brutal interruption. Yet, his story brings us back to Psalm 115:3 with a crushing weight of truth. God did exactly what He pleased. He used the death of a willing servant to seed a nation. Thomas’s "ending" was not a tragedy; it was the precise means by which God chose to display His glory. When we stop demanding that God’s pleasure looks like our survival, we finally become useful in His hands.

The Logs

The Linguistic Root: The word "Pleased" (chaphets) conveys the image of a soul bending or inclining toward a specific delight. It suggests a focused, intentional desire that moves with purpose and joy toward its target.
The KJB Cross-Reference: Isaiah 46:10—"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." This commentary reinforces that God’s pleasure is tied to His omniscience; He does what He pleases because He alone knows how it all ends.
Historical Footnote: In the ancient Near East, kings often claimed they did as they pleased, but they were constantly thwarted by droughts, rebellions, or death. Psalm 115:3 contrasts this by showing that only the God of the Bible has the "heavens" as His throne, meaning His liberty is truly absolute and unthwartable.
Cultural Context: The Taedong River event in 1866 serves as a "Practical Insight" into the doctrine of Providence. It demonstrates that God's "pleasure" can encompass a momentary earthly loss to secure an eternal spiritual win, a concept entirely foreign to modern, self-centred theology.

THE UNFILTERED RECAP

Power Quotes

We find our greatest peace not when we finally get our way, but when we finally surrender to His.
When we stop demanding that God’s pleasure looks like our survival, we finally become useful in His hands.

The Contextual Key

PREROGATIVE: The exclusive and sovereign right of God to act according to His own will and for His own glory, independent of any external authority.

The Sovereign Mandate

I do not seek your counsel, nor do I require your permission to move within My creation. My pleasure is the law of the universe, and My will is the anchor of all reality. Be still and know that what I have decreed, I shall surely perform.

CLASSIFICATION DATA

Volume 1: The Foundation
Master Theme: The Sovereign Character
Keywords: Absolute, Liberty, Heavenly, Supreme
Day: 25

Why Believers Doubt: Assurance, Grace, and the Authority of Paul’s Doctrine

Doubt is one of the most common struggles among sincere believers, and it often appears precisely in those who genuinely trust Christ. When someone says, “I believe Him to be the Lord and Savior of my soul, yet I still doubt my salvation,” the issue is never the finished work of Christ—it is always the battle between the renewed spirit and the unrenewed mind. Under grace, salvation is not measured by feelings, sensations, or visible signs. Paul teaches that we are saved by believing the gospel of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:1-4), and he never ties assurance to emotional experiences or physical manifestations. Instead, he anchors it entirely in the objective truth of Christ’s finished work. Doubt does not mean a person is unsaved; it simply reveals that the flesh is still active (Gal 5:17) and the mind still needs renewal (Rom 12:2).

Many believers assume that the absence of dramatic transformation means nothing has happened. But Paul teaches that the moment we believe, God performs a spiritual operation that is invisible to the senses: we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13), justified by faith (Rom 5:1), forgiven of all trespasses (Col 2:13), and made complete in Christ (Col 2:10). None of these realities produce physical sensations. The transformation the Holy Spirit works in us is internal and progressive, not outward or instant. The flesh remains unchanged (Rom 7:18), which is why a believer may “feel the same” even though everything has changed spiritually. Growth comes through doctrine, not emotion; through renewing the mind (Rom 12:2), not through waiting for signs; through walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16), not through outward measures.

If Paul sinned in ignorance yet he found mercy, how are we without excuse today?

Paul’s testimony in 1 Timothy 1:13 begins with a seemingly unforgivable predicament. He openly confesses that before his salvation he was “a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” Under the kingdom program, blaspheming the Holy Spirit was an unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:31-32), which means that Paul could not have been redeemed in that dispensation. Yet God revealed a brand new program of grace, and Paul became the first convert under this administration. His salvation was not an exception to the rule but a demonstration of it—showing that even the worst offender could be utterly forgiven through the cross of Christ. In this way, Paul’s conversion sets the pattern for all who would follow, proving that ignorance and rebellion are fully covered by the riches of God’s grace.

It is important to see that Paul’s ignorance did not excuse his guilt. Romans 1:20 makes clear that man is “without excuse,” because creation and conscience testify to God’s reality. Ignorance may describe the condition of man, but it never removes accountability before God. Paul still needed mercy, and his salvation was entirely based on the sheer grace of God revealed in Christ. This is why he calls himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), not to glorify his past, but to magnify the mercy that reached him. His example teaches us that salvation is not earned by merit or diminished by ignorance, but rests solely on the finished work of Christ.

The Right Way to Learn Knowledge

In the Christian life, it’s easy to think that once we’ve learned a few truths or understood a few doctrines, we’ve arrived at spiritual maturity. But the Bible warns us against that kind of thinking. True growth is not just about knowing facts—it’s about how we carry that knowledge, how we treat others, and whether our understanding leads to humility or pride. One verse that speaks directly to this is 1 Corinthians 8:2, which says, “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.” This is not a harsh statement—it’s a loving correction from the apostle Paul, reminding us that knowledge without love and humility is incomplete.

The context of this verse is a discussion about eating meat that had been offered to idols. In Corinth, some believers knew that idols were nothing and that eating such meat was not sinful. They had the right doctrine, but they were using their liberty without thinking about how it affected weaker believers who didn’t yet understand these things. Paul begins the chapter by saying, “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” In other words, knowledge can make us proud, but love builds others up. Verse 2 follows this thought by showing that if someone thinks he knows something fully, he probably hasn’t yet learned how to handle that knowledge in the way God wants.

The lesson here is simple but important. God is not just interested in what we know—He cares about how we use that knowledge. If our understanding leads us to look down on others, or to act without care for their spiritual wellbeing, then we haven’t yet learned the truth properly. Paul is teaching that true knowledge must be joined with love, patience, and humility. In the dispensation of grace, we are called to walk in truth, but also to walk in charity. That means we must be careful not to let our liberty become a stumbling block for someone else. Even if we are right in doctrine, we can be wrong in attitude.

When Grace Is Not Enough

We speak often of grace. We sing of it, preach it, post it. But if we’re honest, many of us treat grace like a soft cushion—something to fall back on when we stumble, rather than a foundation to stand on and build from. We receive it, yes. But do we respect it? Do we respond?

Paul’s letters are not shy on this point. Grace is not just a theological comfort—it’s a spiritual responsibility. And if we mishandle it, we don’t lose salvation, but we do lose clarity, fruitfulness, and the joy of walking in step with the Spirit.

Let’s walk slowly through three ways Scripture warns us not to mishandle grace. Not to condemn, but to awaken.

1. Frustrating Grace: When We Try to Help God Out

There’s a quiet danger in trying to help grace along. We don’t mean to, of course. But somewhere between our zeal for holiness and our fear of falling short, we start adding scaffolding to the cross. A little law here, a little self-effort there. Before long, we’re measuring our spiritual health by how well we perform, not how deeply we trust. Paul saw this tendency and wrote plainly: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). That’s not just a doctrinal correction—it’s a relational one. When we try to earn what was freely given, we’re not just miscalculating; we’re dishonouring the very heart of the gospel. Grace doesn’t need our help. It needs our surrender.

From Carnal to Spiritual (Part 6): Liberty and Responsibility

We’ve come a long way in this series, and it’s worth pausing to take it in. Each part has been a step—not just in understanding, but in spiritual posture. We began by recognising the carnal mind for what it is: natural, unrenewed, and unable to receive the things of God. That was Part 1. Then we saw that renewal isn’t just about adding truth—it’s about forsaking what shaped us before. That was Part 2. In Part 3, we were reminded that growth is measured by movement, not by flawlessness. The spiritual mind is formed gradually, and every step matters. Then came Part 4, where we saw that doctrine isn’t dry—it’s the very substance that renews the mind. Truth rightly divided gives structure to our thinking. And in Part 5, we brought that renewal into daily life. Walking in the Spirit isn’t mystical—it’s practical. It’s how we respond, how we think, how we live.

Now we arrive at a quiet turning point. Not a new lesson, but a reminder. A moment to breathe and consider what all of this means—not just inwardly, but outwardly. Because the renewed mind doesn’t exist in isolation. It begins to shape how we carry ourselves, how we speak, how we serve. And that’s where liberty comes in—not as a concept to admire, but as a reality to steward.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). That verse doesn’t come with pressure—it comes with perspective. Liberty in Christ is a gift, but it’s also a trust. It frees us from the weight of law, yes—but it also frees us to walk with purpose. The spiritual mind doesn’t treat liberty as a personal escape. It sees it as an open door to serve, to build, to edify.

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Two): The Romans 14 Posture – Grace in the Grey

In Part One, we looked at the Bereans—those noble truth-seekers who searched the scriptures daily to test what they heard. They modelled doctrinal vigilance, spiritual hunger, and a deep commitment to clarity. But Romans 14 offers a different lens. Not contradictory, but complementary. Where the Bereans leaned into precision, Romans 14 leans into patience. Where Acts 17 highlights the pursuit of truth, Romans 14 highlights the protection of peace.

This chapter unfolds in two distinct halves—each with its own rhythm and focus.

Verses 1–12: The Vertical Posture – Conscience Before God

Here, Paul speaks to the individual believer’s relationship with the Lord. The topic isn’t doctrinal error—it’s personal conviction in disputable matters. Things like diet, holy days, dress, alcohol, and lifestyle choices. These are not gospel issues, but they do matter. Why? Because they touch the conscience.

"Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." (Romans 14:5)

This is not permission to drift into relativism. It’s a call to live with integrity before God. Each believer stands or falls to his own Master—not to tradition, peer pressure, or popular opinion. The risk here is judgement. We must not despise those who abstain, nor mock those who partake. The Lord is able to make both stand.

This vertical posture is deeply personal. It’s about honouring God in your choices, even when those choices differ from others. It’s about being persuaded—not pressured.

The Labour Born of Faith and Formed by Truth

In the life of a believer, there is no higher calling than to walk in love—a love that serves, sacrifices, and reflects the very heart of Christ. Yet this love is not self-generated. It is not the product of religious tradition, emotional devotion, or fleshly effort. True charity, the kind that pleases God, is born of a pure heart, shaped by a good conscience, and sustained by faith unfeigned. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5, KJV). This is the goal of all divine instruction: love that flows from within, not manufactured from without.

This love is not passive—it is active. It is the labour of love that Paul commends in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, a love that works, gives, and serves. But it is also a love that is formed, not forced. It is developed in the believer through the work of faith—the ongoing process of studying the Word of God, yielding to its truth, and allowing the Spirit to shape the inner man. As the Word is received with meekness and obeyed with sincerity, the character of Christ begins to take root. And from that root springs the fruit of charity—not as a duty, but as a delight.

This is the essence of Christian liberty. As Paul writes in Galatians, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13, KJV). Liberty in Christ is not freedom to indulge the flesh—it is freedom to walk in the Spirit. It is the freedom to serve, not because we are bound by law, but because we are bound by love. And this love is not superficial—it is the highest righteousness a man can attain. A free man, willingly serving others, bound only by the love of Christ formed within him.

Doctrine of the Mysteries #10

Debtors to the Spirit

Rom 8:12-14 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Our principal duty as believers, which is also the will of God for us, is to come to the knowledge of the truth, 1Tim 2:4. How do we come to the knowledge of the truth? We study the written Word of truth and learn how to rightly divide it, 2Tim 2:15. We allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly, Col 3:16. We allow it to renew our mind so that it makes us wise unto its doctrine, allowing it to reprove, correct, and instruct us.

Being led by the Spirit of God is not being led by some ethereal voice or premonitions, but rather, it is simply having a knowledge and understanding of the written Word within you. You walk by the Spirit (or walk by faith) when you obey the truth of God’s Word, applying it to your life circumstances and scenarios. Notice what Paul says here,

The simplicity that is in Christ

Gen.2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God gave Adam and Eve only one command to adhere to. Other than this one command, they could enjoy the garden and all of creation. When the serpent came along, it homed in on God’s one command and subtly twisted its truth to deceive them.

Similarly, in our dispensation of grace, God gave us only one instruction,

Act.16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Stop clinging to the law, and get filled with the Word

Rom 5:19-21 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin and death entered the world throughout Adam's disobedience. In addition to sin and death, in Rom.5:20, Paul says, “the law entered that the offense might abound”. What does this mean? Simply this, that God gave the law for no other purpose than to reveal the sin that was already in us. Once the law is revealed, it highlights all your wretchedness! That's what Paul said in Romans 7, “O wretched man that I am…”. God's law revealed who Paul was in the flesh, and it continues even in this day, to reveal who we are in the flesh. God gave the law to reveal the sin that exists within us because of Adam's disobedience.

Q-A: How to Live by the Liberty*
of Love and Personal Conviction
**(personal actions being directed by love or conviction)*

Do you really understand what it means to 'walk in the Spirit'? Is the concept of walking in the Spirit clear and meaningful, or is it vague and elusive? I'd like to write this short article to either confirm or clarify this topic for you. I trust it will bless you.

One can draw from many of Paul's passages to learn about spiritual living, but Romans.14 is one of my favourites, and the chapter that really opened my eyes to what it means to walk in the Spirit. Let's look at some focused verses [with my own added commentary] from this chapter to bring you to a simple, yet clear understanding.

Q-A: Are you waiting for God's will to be revealed?

Back in the day, I can recall praying and asking God to reveal His will to me; to reveal His will in my job, to show me the way to go in my Christian walk and in my ministry. I don't doubt that God led me and guided me in His own way, and I certainly do not doubt where I am today in my relationship with Him and my family, but I have also learned over time that the options in life and the decisions you face is ultimately your will and in your control. God is not going to tell you what job to choose, or if you must marry or not. He is not going to tell you to buy a house or in what stocks to invest. He is not going to reply to those fleeces you put out or use booming billboards to answer your prayers. This is YOUR life and the decisions you make are your own, and the direction you choose is yours to make. God entrusts you with the power to choose your path, but where your path ends up will be by how much of that power you choose to entrust back to God.

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