Wayne’s Blog | Lifestream

Igniting a Broader Conversation

Leave a Comment / Behind the Scenes / March 24, 2026

The launch of Just Love has gone remarkably well. We’ve been #1 on several Amazon lists, and we are excited to watch this conversation begin to take hold in the world. We are especially grateful to those of you who have recommended the book to your friends and family or posted a review at Amazon or on Goodreads. You can’t imagine how much that helps keep the book visible to people who are searching for something to read.

Yesterday, I received this wonderful email from someone who has worked for major Christian publishers. Here’s what she saw in the book:

What you and Tobie have done is not simply write a theological book. You have pulled on a single thread, one mistranslated word, buried quietly in our English Scriptures for centuries, and shown, with devastating clarity, how that single substitution of ‘righteousness’ for the Greek word for ‘justice’ quietly redirected the entire trajectory of Christian faith: away from transformative love, toward performance, piety, and religious management. That is not a minor linguistic correction; it is a diagnosis of why so many people who genuinely love God feel perpetually exhausted, perpetually falling short, and perpetually wondering why the Gospel they were promised hasn’t changed them the way they hoped.
This is a book for the exhausted churchgoer who quietly suspects something has been lost. For the pastor who preaches transformation but privately wrestles with why it isn’t happening in his congregation. For the academic theologian, watching younger generations abandon Christianity entirely. For the mainstream reader, spiritual but deeply disillusioned, who is hungry for a Christianity that makes sense.
Wayne, you spent over twenty years as a pastor watching people strive, perform, and exhaust themselves in pursuit of a Gospel that was supposed to set them free. You co-wrote The Shack, a book that sold over a million copies in thirteen months because it told people something true about a God who loves them. And now, with Just Love, you have gone even further, not just telling the story, but finding the root.

Needless to say, I was touched by her comments and so many others that some of you have sent to me. Our greater hope than selling books is to ignite a conversation about the Gospel that truly transforms lives as the light, life, and love of God fills us on the inside and transforms how we live in the world. If you know me, you know I rarely ask people to help our visibility grow by giving us likes, shares, reviews, and subscriptions.

But in this case, we want to generate a wider conversation for people who don’t follow my blog or podcast to know about this book. To do that, please consider posting a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. More importantly, share how this book touched you on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or in personal emails and texts to friends and family. Most of the books I have read were recommended by an enthusiastic friend who was touched by what he read.

Or, you can use some of these memes to let others know what this book has meant to you. Here are some we’ve developed: Simply select one, copy and paste it into a social media post or email, and link it to its page on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Just-Love-Mistranslated-Distorted-Gospel-ebook/dp/B0GQ2RR8SR).

For whatever you feel free to do, we will be grateful.

_________________________________________________________________

Just Love:
How One Mistranslated Word Distorted the Gospel
by Wayne Jacobsen and *Tobie van der Westhuizen
174 pages
Trailview Media
Available from Amazon, Tuesday, March 3
in Kindle ($10.99)
or in Paperback ($16.99)

Igniting a Broader Conversation Read More »

Writing Justice with the Pen of Love

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / March 19, 2026 / imputed righteousness, Just Love, justice v. righteousness, justice written on our hearts, Reformation

In regard to Just Love, I have friends of mine in both Germany and France who have written to me letting me know that their versions of Scripture already contain the word “justice” where our English versions use “righteousness.”

So, does this book hold any application for them?

If it were just about a linguistic change, the answer would be no. Tobie and I are aware that linguistically, this is an obvious problem in English. However, it is a more subtle problem in other languages. Since the Reformation, a distorted view of imputed righteousness has spread mostly through the English-speaking Protestant world, so that even non-English readers think of the concept of righteousness, even though their text already contains justice.

They just added the meaning of “uprightness” to their word for “justice”; thus, they have the same conceptual misunderstanding, even though they have retained the word for justice.

Here’s what Tobie wrote to someone who said the same problem exists in Afrikaans, where justice may be in their text, but still not in their hearts:

The unique meaning of the English word “righteousness” has crept into Protestant theology to such an extent that “justice” now has two meanings—a spiritual version that carries the definition of righteousness and a legal version that carries the definition of justice. So, the problem persists outside of English, but without the solution of replacing the word with an alternative that is uncontaminated and has always had a single meaning.
English readers of the Bible need a word-shift, the rest need a mind-shift.

Truth be told, we both need the mind-shift.

When you read Just Love, you will first notice the linguistic problem and how it distorted our view of the Gospel. But in the second part of the book, we show how Jesus writes his justice on our hearts with the pen of his love. By filling us with his love, light, and life, we won’t be able to live an ego-centric life in the world. Our awareness of others will rise to the awareness of ourselves, and we will not need to manipulate or exploit others to get what we desire from them. Instead, we will guard their hearts as much as we guard our own.

God’s desire was always to have just people on the earth, as he transforms us, so we become a fountain of his love to the people around us without even trying.

______________________

And if you want to hear Tobie and talk about the book, you can do so here:

The God Journey: Love-Lived Justice, Part 1
The God Journey: Love-Lived Justice,Part 2
With Insight Incorporated on YouTube

And, if you’ve already read Just Love, would you please consider writing a review of it at Amazon and/or Goodreads. I’m told the algorithms need that to help a book find its audience. I am grateful for those who already have

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Our Cancer Journey

Leave a Comment / Culture Watch / March 11, 2026 / blood cancer, International Myeloma Foundation, living with myeloma, multiple myeloma, prayers for healing

This month is Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month, which is the cancer I was diagnosed with seventeen months ago. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for research for all those battling this disease. I have six friends around the world who are currently dealing with it as well. On Saturday, March 21, which also happens to be my birthday, Sara and I, along with other family members and neighbors, will be participating in the International Myeloma Foundation’s Miracles for Myeloma 5K Run/Walk in Griffith Park in Los Angeles.

We’ve already raised almost $1500 in support of our walk, to help find a cure for the many people who live with this disease. Over 176,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, and sadly, it is two times more prevalent in people of African descent. It’s the second most common blood cancer. Bone marrow creates plasma cells that make antibodies, which play an important role in fighting off viruses and bacteria. Multiple myeloma (MM) causes the bone marrow to create dysfunctional antibodies and plasma cells. These myeloma cells are abnormal and divide uncontrollably, leading to the overproduction of dysfunctional antibodies and crowding out healthy blood cells. MM affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult. Most common sites include the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.

As of now, there is no cure for this disease, though 97 drugs/treatments have been approved by the FDA for dealing with it at various stages. Scientists, however, are hopeful that a cure may be around some future corner. I know many people hold suspicions of the medical community and “big pharma,” and while our health system is broken in so many ways, I am grateful for the amazing people who do research and treatment for all kinds of diseases, including this one.

My MM was discovered when it attacked a vertebra in my back. I had back surgery to insert a titanium cage where the vertebra had decomposed, and then had it fused in place. I began chemotherapy before I left the hospital. I’ve been fortunate since my myeloma is in deep remission now, and the side effects from the drugs I take are minimal—more annoying than debilitating. I know people who were diagnosed with MM and passed away within a few months. I know others who are still alive after two decades with the disease. So, it is unpredictable, but Sara and I are confident that I will be alive as long as Father wants me to draw breath in this world. Then, I will find myself face-to-face with him. So while that may create sorrow for people here, I can’t wait to find out what lies beyond my last breath here. How will God’s love and justice play out in the age to come? I’m excited to find out someday, but all in its time.

As of now, I have not had one day of fear living with this disease. It is certainly inconvenient, but so are a lot of things in life. Jesus has been inside of it with Sara and me since the beginning. Will he heal it someday? I don’t know; that would be great. I have talked with him about it, as have many others, but he hasn’t moved that way yet. I’m not among those who feel like God owes us all a healing in this life if we’ll just pray in the right way or believe enough. I believe in a God who heals, and I’ve seen him do it. It is rare and special when he does, and I can’t figure out any pattern behind it. So, I stay open to it, but it is not the driving force of my prayers. And I don’t pray for healing for myself with any greater fervency than I pray for my six friends who share it with me. We are all in God’s hands, and I’m content to be there. At my age, I may die of something else before the MM gets me anyway.

I am learning a lot by negotiating this disease and its treatment. I find it softens my heart and makes me more aware of him and others. If you want to share a journey with someone through a disease like this, don’t just pray for healing, as much as that is appreciated. You can also walk with them through the uncertainty and discomfort, with an eye to how Jesus is redeeming my heart in the midst of this chaos and pain. I notice not many people know how to hold a place of need with someone if God doesn’t fix it. That’s all they know to pray for, when there are so many ways to be inside pain with people, encouraging them as well as sharing in the wisdom that comes through such times. A better question to ask than “How are you doing?” may be, “How is Jesus showing up in this for you?” Presence and comfort are everything; you don’t need to fret over the right words to try to fix the unfixable.

And, please don’t pressure anyone to try alternative treatments or homeopathic remedies with testimonials of how they healed your cousin Jess. I know people mean well, but most people have those around them whom they trust to help seek the best treatment options. Chasing the mysterious cure through a special clinic or prayer technique is often expensive and exhausting.

If you were with me today, you wouldn’t see any visible signs that I’m dealing with cancer. I am outwardly as healthy as I was before back surgery. I work out, walk three miles a day, play golf weekly, and have resumed all of my normal activities. So, I don’t talk about my cancer much, nor do I want to. There is so much more going on in my life that I’m excited to share, as well as finding out more about whoever I am with. I am beginning to travel a bit again to spend time helping people explore what it means to “live loved.” I enjoy having conversations that matter with people who care and will go wherever Father sends me. In fact, Tobie and I are looking for some place in the eastern half of the U.S. to hold a weekend talking together about the themes of Just Love, and how people can yield to love’s desire to make them as aware of the needs of others as they are of their own. If you are willing to host such a gathering near you, please let me know.

We have so much to be thankful for as Sara and I walk through this season of our lives with Jesus at our side. Sara continues her recovery from trauma, and though we’re not talking publicly about it these days, she is continuing to do the courageous work to put this trauma and its effects behind her. We are pleased with her progress, even if the journey exhausts her some days.

Thank you for all the prayers, emails, and support that many of you have sent our way. We are grateful for every one of them.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength
and my defense; he has become my salvation. ”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 12:2

__________________

And don’t forget, if you’d like to discuss this book with me (and perhaps Tobie as well), even if you haven’t read it yet, I’m going to be in a Zoom Room this Sunday morning, March 15, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. You’re welcome to bring your questions and comments, even if you haven’t yet finished reading the book. If you want to join us, email me for a link.

Our Cancer Journey Read More »

The Foreword and Contents of Just Love

Leave a Comment / Behind the Scenes / March 9, 2026 / Just Love, justice v. righteousness, justice without law, living loved

Just Love: How One Mistranslated Word Distorted the Gospel debuted last week on Amazon to a very strong showing. Tobie and I are grateful to those who ordered the book and posted comments on the Amazon page to increase its visibility. Since we’re doing this on our own, “it takes a village” to help this book find its way into the world.

Just Love is not just an appeal to switch a word in our Bibles, but a guide to learning to live by God’s justice as the expression of our life in him. Jesus said that all of the law and the prophets would be fulfilled if we simply did “unto others as we’d have them do unto us.” Of course, we can’t do it in our own strength and wisdom; love has to shape us from the inside so that the love and life of the Father fill us and flow out of us. No longer needing to get others to fill that empty place in us, we will live more aware of others around us and see ways that we can be a blessing to them. That’s the heart of this book—transformed people demonstrating his kingdom in their everyday lives.

Both Tobie and I hope that this little book will spawn a wider conversation about being less focused on sin management and personal piety. Instead, we let love have its work in us and find ourselves living increasingly in God’s justness toward others around us. If you’d like to discuss this book with me, even if you haven’t read it yet, I’m going to be in a Zoom Room this Sunday morning, March 15, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. You’re welcome to bring your questions and comments, even if you haven’t yet finished reading the book. If you want to join us, email me for a link.

And to carry this conversation on further, Tobie and I are also brainstorming about the possibility of putting together a wider Just Love Conversation somewhere in the heartland of the U.S. on the weekend of July 10-12, when he will be visiting. We want to explore the themes of that book with others who are as captivated by them as we are, and would invite people to drive or fly in to join us. We are asking God to give us wisdom about a place where there are some local folks who can help us with arrangements. We will be looking for a hotel and a gathering place, or something similar. If you’re interested in attending or want to help us put it together where you live, please let me know so we can see what God might put together.

Here’s the Foreword from our book, written by Brad Cummings, my friend and former podcast partner:

FOREWORD
What you hold in your hands can literally change your entire life if you embrace it. When Wayne first shared with me what Tobie had presented to him, that one of the most common words and foundational concepts, “righteousness,” does not appear in the Bible, my immediate response was, “Not so!” Dozens of verses came to mind that would refute such a claim.
I recognize the modern-day challenges of translating the Scriptures and how language and word meanings can change. As such, it is rather impossible for translators not to introduce some measure of interpretative bias into the text. But this one was a doozy!
Admittedly, I was skeptical at first. But, when he explained how “righteousness” as we commonly define and understand it should have been more accurately translated as “justice”—it’s as if I had been given a whole new Bible and a much better lens through which to see God, his heart for us, and how we were meant to walk with Jesus in this life. It is not enough for us to make a confessional declaration and look forward to heaven someday.
The themes of justice and love could not be more central to the Bible and are meant to be lived out. What Tobie and Wayne have discovered and articulated is nothing short of amazing. It marries the truth of Scripture with the heart and purpose of God in a breathtaking, transformative, and resounding way.
After examining what they laid out, I was stunned. “This changes everything!” was all I could think. “Thank you” is such an inadequate response to the gift of what these men have given.
It is like discovering treasure buried in a field— so valuable that it is worth selling everything you have to lay hold of it. This is not a radical departure from what we’ve known, but rather a satisfying synthesis of it, just shifted. It offers a much-needed reframing of what matters most.
Just Love is an invitation into the kind of life you’ve dreamed of, unlocking the true power of the Gospel, transforming us from the inside out. If you are tired of the religious ritual and empty confessions, promising much but delivering little, this book will help diagnose “why do we have so many converts who profess and confess to be Christians, yet if we are honest, so few deeply transformed lives?”
Thankfully, they do not stop there. As they share their respective journeys into the joy of our salvation, they not only unpack what it means to be “saved,” but also offer practical, tangible insights into how God works. Freeing and untwisting us from our selfish selves, he can win us into a place of greater trust, where our faith becomes so much more than just a hoped-for confession or declaration, but authentic, alive, and others-centered.
By being rooted and grounded in His love, we’re better able to both freely receive and release the river of God’s life and love. Just Love marks the trailhead for entering the most satisfying and life-giving journey of seeing God’s life being manifest in you. Your salvation is about to get an upgrade. Enjoy!
—Brad Cummings, co-author, publisher, and movie producer of The Shack

CONTENTS

Foreword | page 1

Chapter 1
A Missing Piece | page 5

Chapter 2
A Convergence of Two Journeys | page 13

Chapter 3
A Different Conversation | page 29

Chapter 4
God’s Story of Justice | page 39

Chapter 5
Lost in Translation | page 53

Chapter 6
Why Jesus Saved You | page 67

Chapter 7
This Changes Everything | page 79

Chapter 8
Twisting and Untwisting | page 91

Chapter 9
Won into Love | page 105

Chapter 10
The Flow of Life | page 119

Chapter 11
Unraveling Injustice | page 129

Chapter 12
Let Justice Roll on Like a River | page 141

Epilogue:
Better Explored than Explained | page 157

The Foreword and Contents of Just Love Read More »

Finding Deep Friendships In the Rush of Life

Leave a Comment / Behind the Scenes / March 6, 2026

This has been a busy week around here. In response to the Injustice in Kenya, which I wrote about on Wednesday, we collected all we needed by Wednesday evening, and money has continued to come in. We are amazed at your overwhelming generosity and have sent the money on to rescue the orphans from this travesty of justice. Thank you so much. Sara and I are deeply grateful for how quickly people responded. The excess we will keep in our fund for relief in Kenya, as the needs there are always ongoing. Please know that everything given toward Kenaya will get there.

Also, this week I was on the Face-to-Face podcast with Melinda and Cathy. They called it Untangling Love: A Journey with Wayne Jacobsen. If you’re interested, you can watch it on YouTube here or get the audio wherever you normally get your podcasts. They really drilled down into some of my thoughts about living in the liberty of love and how that transforms us.

Finally, I wanted to recommend a book to you. I often get emails about how to find community, which for me means compassionate and supportive in-depth friendship with others on a Jesus journey. It can be a challenge in this age, where technology can be as much a barrier to relationships as a tool to connect.

A long-time friend of mine has just published a book to help with that challenge. It is called Relationships On the Run: How to Grow Authentic Connections and Lasting Intimacy in a Hurried Culture, by Stephanie Bennett. This book is not about instant friendships in a hurried culture; it’s about how to make space for the deeper connections available beneath the fast-paced society we live in. With stories from Scripture and real life, Stephanie helps readers find inspiration for love and friendship that flourish rather than simply survive.

Stephanie is the real deal. With a doctorate from Regent University, she is the Professor of Communication and Media Ecology at Palm Beach Atlantic University. She is also the author of the Within the Walls trilogy, a series of books about relationships amid hostile technology. I enjoyed the books immensely and recommended them here years ago. More importantly, she and her husband Earl have embraced relational life in Jesus for multiple decades. I first met them decades ago in New Jersey and have watched them in different environments find deep and meaningful relationships that enrich others, as well as themselves.

She asked me to write the Foreword for her book on relationships, which I was honored to do. Here it is

Foreword
Relationships make us rich.
And of course, by that I mean the good ones. Relationships that set us at ease, allow us to explore our own journey alongside others, and reward authenticity and vulnerability are the true riches of our humanity. To share the struggles and challenges of living in the twenty-first century with mutual compassion and encouragement, and to celebrate joy, however we find it, with good friends, gives life deep meaning and fulfillment.
My greatest joys have all been inside close, meaningful relationships.
But to be honest, they have also been the source of my deepest anguish.
When relationships are good, they are incredibly good, but when they turn manipulative or destructive, especially with people you care about, they cause untold pain. And yet, I have found that the joy of the former easily outweighs the risk of the latter.
The trick is learning to manage our relationships wisely, cultivating those that nourish our spirit, limiting our expectations so we make room for human weakness, repairing those we can that have been damaged and, when necessary, creating boundaries for those fraught with insecurity, jealousy, dishonesty, or threatening behaviors.
Relationships used to be far less complicated in the last century when I grew up. We weren’t hounded by social media or encouraged to brand ourselves. Most people we met lived down the street from us or were visible in our community. Character was more important than image. We held a lot of beliefs and passions in common, and it was far easier to connect.
But the lines for healthy relationships have shifted in recent decades.
Living authentically and vulnerably has never been more terrifying, and the things that can suddenly take a relationship sideways are often unforeseen. Our society rewards achievement over friendships and amusement over community; consequently, healthy relationships aren’t always easy to find.
This is a masterful work that will help you find and cultivate the kind of relationships that will make your life rich and rewarding. I couldn’t recommend this book highly enough. There are few opportunities to help us discover how healthy relationships work and to avoid the pitfalls that cause harm. You now hold one of those in your hands.
Your guide on this journey is Stephanie Bennett, a researcher and college professor specializing in communication and media ecology. She has a deep understanding of the power of healthy relationships. This isn’t just her academic pursuit; this is her life. Stephanie has been my friend for nearly thirty years. And even though we live on opposite coasts, we have found occasion to cross paths somewhere in the world and explore our combined passion for a relationship with God that’s transforming and connections with people that offer a continual resource of wisdom and encouragement.
She can help you appreciate the power of relationships and find ways to explore them joyfully.
What I respect most about Stephanie is that her words and her life synch up as a beautiful and authentic symphony. That’s not true of every writer I know; many espouse things for others they don’t aspire to themselves. I have seen her commitment to loving relationships inside her own family as a wife and mother, but also well beyond it to a wide circle of friendships. And this isn’t just in good times; I’ve seen her deal with difficult relationships, and she always finds a way to enhance the lives of others around her. I’ve watched her navigate crisis and heartache and have been a benefactor of her love and graciousness in my own times of struggle.
That’s what I appreciate most about writers I enjoy. I don’t look for perfection; we all have our blind spots and weaknesses. People don’t have to be successful, humorous, or well-connected. I want them to be real—to enjoy what they enjoy, have the vulnerability to struggle where they struggle, and the curiosity to question what they need to question while respecting that same process in others.
For me, genuineness is even more important when someone puts thoughts to paper for others to consider. Words are empty if they aren’t backed by a life that reflects them. Rest assured that these words are backed up by a kind and conscientious heart.
So more than recommending her thoughts to you, let me commend the woman herself. She’s as genuine a person as I’m pleased to know. Her compass is locked on a purpose greater than herself and that informs her actions and her graciousness to others.
As she shares the things that she has learned, you can rest assured she speaks from a reservoir of wisdom she has gained through personal experience. Her wisdom is enlightening, her passion for Jesus contagious, her ethics exemplary, and her faith deep and abiding.
These are the words of a woman who means them. I trust they will enrich and inspire you as much as her life has touched mine.

Get this book. You won’t regret it.

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A Severe Injustice in Kenya

Leave a Comment / Kenya / March 4, 2026 / injustice, Kenya, orphanage

[Updates: As of 8 p.m. PDT, Wednesday, we have enough money promised to cover this need. If more money comes in we will hold it in our Kenya Fund for future needs, or refund it at the donor’s request.]

[As of 4:00 p.m. PDT, Wednesday afternoon, we have taken in almost $17,000. I’m blown away. Thank you. Only a few thousand to go!]

Due to an unfortunate error in judgment and a dishonest system of governance, our friends in Kenya are about to lose the Forkland School, which includes dormitories and education facilities for nearly 300 orphans, and the water enterprise that helps sustain the school, and gives water to the impoverished community around them.

Sadly, the man who sold them the property never had the title split for their parcel. He promised to do it, but before he did, he was stricken with cancer. He died a few days ago in the hospital, with an outstanding bill. His relatives used the property title to satisfy the hospital debt, so they could retrieve the body and bury their brother. Now, the hospital is demanding $40,000 from our friends to retrieve their deed, or they will auction the property in seven days. They have consulted a lawyer who said they have no recourse since the title was not in their name. They will get a clear title once the hospital debt is paid.

They are undone and at risk of losing everything invested in that property to care for these orphans. There are a lot of pirates in this story. Is it fair? No. Was it a huge mistake not to secure the title before developing the land? Yes. Has the family stolen the property with the hospital’s complicity? Yes, again. This makes my heart sick. It is the orphans who will pay for the mistakes others have made here. We just can’t lose all that we have built there.

We have been redirecting the Kenyan people to depend on Father for their provision and to no longer rely on Lifestream for support. This need, however, has taken them by surprise have not been able to find the resources to save this school, and once again are appealing for our help.

This one is difficult, since it is completely contrived through dishonesty and callousness by the people involved. Our people had demonstrated good faith, and the family has taken advantage of them. To lose this school is to lose the water enterprise and put 300 children out on the street. I don’t always like being reminded of my own words, but this quote from Just Love comes to mind:

Justice defends the powerless and calls out the injustice of the wealthy and powerful. While we can’t always change unfair systems that hurt people we love, we can use our generosity to make up for what injustice has cost others. In doing so, not only will our fullness grow, but God’s purpose in the earth will be fulfilled.

We need your help if we’re going to save the Forkland School. We need $40,000 by Friday to purchase the deed for Forkland School. I know we’ve come to you far too many times to save the school from a contaminated well, flooding that threatened the buildings, and now this. I’m so sorry, but they are desperate.

Here is their plea:

You helped drill a well in our compound in Bungoma, as our girls would travel 4 km to collect clean water. We are really humbled by the great love you and your friends have for our Kenyan family. You have helped us and trusted in North Pokot, the Rehabilitation Center, the water company, the grain enterprise, and the petrol station. Lastly, you repaired the Living Loved Care center and many other things, including the water bottling machine. We feel shame when we come to you again and again, but because what has happened to Forkland School is beyond our thinking.
We didn’t know that this could happen, but brothers and sisters and friends, we appeal to you again for the rescue of these children because it has become their homeland. We know that we have a mess, and could be accused of not being good stewards. I am in the Rehabilitation Center now, and we are joining with some children here in prayers for God intervention (pictured above). So we ask on behalf of this innocent family to help us to rescue this property for the benefit of the community and the children. May the Lord bless you so much to understand our challenge for this land.

I called a man this morning, who has shouldered the burden of the Kenyan people with me for nearly two decades. He said he would pick up half of the amount, hoping we could find the other half. If you have anything to help us here, please visit our Donation Page at Lifestream. Check the box for “Kenya Relief”. You can also Venmo contributions to “@LifestreamMinistries” or mail a check to Lifestream Ministries • 107 N. Reino Rd, PMB# 411 • Newbury Park, CA 91320-3710. Or, if you prefer, we can take your donation over the phone at (805) 990-8780.

As always, every dime you send will end up in Kenya. We do not take out any money for our administrative costs.

Thank you for your prayers and your generosity on their behalf.

With love,

Wayne

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What Others Are Saying about JUST LOVE

4 Comments / Behind the Scenes / March 3, 2026 / justice v, righteousness, tobie van der westhuizen, transformation, why Jesus saved you

Today, you can secure your copy of Just Love, available at Amazon. In a few weeks, we will have copies available through Lifestream so people can order bulk quantities at significantly reduced costs for those who want to share with friends or host a book study. Here’s my invitation:

If there isn’t a viewer in your email, you can click on this link.

We had a few advance readers take an advance look at Just Love, and here’s what they said about it:

The most significant book on theology I have read in the past 30 years. This book offers insights in why faith gets stuck in a perpetual cycle of not righteous enough or far too righteous. These issues in this slender volume have the deepest roots and the most profound consequences. A great read for anyone who hopes for a better tomorrow.
—Ron Vincent, retired high school teacher in California
Stunning! Absolutely life-changing! Not since Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Church or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the turn of the century has there been such an important rediscovery of truth. It’s amazing how one unfortunate mistranslation of an essential part of the Gospel can be so breath-takingly simple and yet so transformative. This changes everything!
—Brad Cummings, co-author, publisher, and movie producer of The Shack
I could barely make it past the first page before I was overcome with emotion. From the very beginning, the presence of Abba’s heart is unmistakable—woven into every word with tenderness, truth, and divine intention. This book didn’t just move me; I was undone in the most beautiful and transformative way. It reached places in my heart I didn’t even realize were waiting to be touched, leaving me both humbled and profoundly changed. This is not just a book you read—it’s an encounter you experience. I whole- heartedly give it a 15 out of 10.
—Daron Maughon, musician in Nashville
A phenomenal read—justice written on our hearts! Perhaps the most important book written for our time. The reality of justice found within properly understood love resets Scripture to its original intent, revealing the purpose and trajectory of love, justice, and the Kingdom of God.
—Mike Rea, title agent in Florida
Just Love beautifully expresses the transforming power of love, a love so personal and metamorphic that it brings actualized justice and “expresses the kingdom of God” in this messy world. When I read that God “is the most endearing presence in the universe and the ultimate source of our provision,” I wanted that truth to sink so deeply in my mind and soul that I would never forget it.
—Tracy Levinson, former atheist and author of Unashamed-Candid Conversations about Dating, Love, Nakedness, and Faith
A most helpful, readable, wonderful book, providing a refreshing look at what it means to be a Christ-follower in this age of religious overdrive. You thought you knew it, but in Just Love, Wayne and Tobie offer eye-opening insight into the layers of God’s justice and love. No more faith in our religious performance, traditions, or personal piety. We can come with arms wide open to a God who has loved us from the start and place our faith in His just, life-giving hands.
—Dr. Stephanie Bennett, communication professor and author of Within the Walls, and Relationships on the Run
Just Love is at times a scholarly lexicography, and at others a thought-provoking personal journey of two men. Many paragraphs beckoned long pondering. Love within us is Christ’s call to us. Blessed are we to be loved and love. Thank you, Wayne and Tobie, for further reasons to let God lead our ways.
—Marty Beert, former school district superintendent
I’ve no doubt Just Love is God’s call today to the Body of Christ. The Reformation was a response to radical shifts in politics, tech-nology, and access to information when the Body of Christ had moved away from the heart of the Gospel. Just Love brings the same invitation to us in similar circumstances. It both confronts those who have abused power and need to be humbled, and it lifts up those who have labored under oppression. This is an invitation back to our roots—to the love we need to receive from God, and then how that love flows through us to the world.
—Tom Stephen, pastor, Monte Vista Presbyterian
In He Loves Me, you helped to define love. In Just Love, you redefine the justness of Father, and how the fullness of his love lets us share his passion for justice. I am soaking up this book. It is thrilling to read, but it’s messing with me. I cannot get past the statement, “Established by a ruler-king yet to come, his kingdom would not be predicated on the justice of a written law but the justness of love!”
—Jack S., retired pastor in South Carolina
Concise, easy to read, and soaked in love, Just Love is a significant work with a transformative message. By replacing ‘righteousness’ with ‘justice’ in our English translations, Scripture becomes so much more accurate, understandable and life-giving. Why all this is true is the reason you will want to read this book. Wayne and Tobie brilliantly attest that becoming morally perfect is not the goal of the Christian life, but rather it is about embracing God’s love—and when you do that you naturally become a vessel of God’s love and justice in the world.
—Sean Kennedy, author of Church Uncorked: Leadership That Releases Our Potential
Just Love is as timely and potent as anything I could imagine. Its resounding message of personal righteousness vs. justice for all our neighbors is akin to an asteroid hitting the planet. I’m not sure there’s been a more important spiritual discovery during my time on this earth. Prepare to be challenged and hopefully, changed. This is the book that each and every Christian needs to read and ponder. And it might very well be what your heart and spirit have been longing for your entire life.
—Bob Prater, co-author of A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation
This little book is so good; it’s an invitation to a lifelong exploration in the best and most transformative way—to encounter the love of God and to be changed from the inside out. Living within this love, I am becoming a woman who is willing to be in the mess of life, not having to fix everything, but to have the courage to let him meet me, hold me, and change me even through heartache. And living this way, God will invite others through us into this sacred way.
—Dana Andreychen, poet and mother
This is far more than an explanation of how “righteousness” in the New Testament is actually “justice.” It is a call to live justly, to move from the idea that we can be “righteous in God’s eyes” and still hate our enemies. It charges us to love as we are loved, to be just because He is just. Treating others as you would like to be treated is Jesus’ definition of justice. It reflects Father’s unconditional love for us. Justice is a call to action. Righteousness is the state of being that results from being just. Justice comes first.
—Phil Hinton, vascular surgeon
If you only read one book this year, make it this one! This book uncovers and clarifies a truth your soul needs! Just Love is a key that unlocked areas of my spiritual journey and practical living while simultaneously giving me a new way to hear God throughout the Bible. Buy a few copies; you’re going to want to give some away so others will understand what you’ll soon be unable to stop talking about!
—Samantha Schmeltzer, mother and entrepreneur
Love is the living fountain within us, and justice is its overflow. Humanity needs to wake up to this. To live in Just Love is a high calling, offering each reader the quiet, supernatural work that opens a human heart. Approach these pages the way Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers, “that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened… that you may know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.” This little book is best received with deep humility, seeking revelation and surrender to the love of a Father who is love. In that posture, something lasting can happen, not inspiration that fades, but transformation that settles into bone and breath. —Dr Stephan Vosloo, occupational medical practitioner

We are printing copies now and will offer bulk discounts on Lifestream when they arrive, hopefully by the end of the month. We do not have an audio version of this book available now, but we will be putting one together in the next couple of months.

*Tobie, Wayne’s coauthor, is a former pastor and holds a PhD in Higher Education. In addition to his work overseeing a private school in Bloemfontein, SA, he writes at JusticeofGod.com and answers questions on the Bible and spiritual matters at quora.com/profile/Tobie-28.

Hear Wayne, Tobie, and Kyle discuss their new book on the most recent edition of The God Journey.

What Others Are Saying about JUST LOVE Read More »

Just Love – Chapter 1

1 Comment / Lifestream News / March 1, 2026 / Gospel, Just Love, righteousness v. justice, tobie van der westhuizen, Wayne Jacobsen

All my life, I have sought an authentic Gospel that does everything Jesus promised. It would rescue those perishing in the darkness of this age and invite even the simplest people into an intimate engagement with his Father that would lead them to life—here in this age and the age to come. Connecting with him would unravel the darkness that twists our world into pain and bondage and lead his people into the ever-increasing joy of knowing him and the freedom of being transformed by his love.

Seventeen months ago, I got an email from a stranger in South Africa that told me there was a significant flaw in our English translations of the Bible. Tobie van der Westhuizen had discovered that the Greek word translated as ‘righteousness’ for the past 500 years is actually the word for justice. Early translators had chosen a word in English that had no equivalent in Greek or Hebrew, and using it had led to a distortion of the Gospel Jesus would have preached, and Paul would have explained. Admittedly, I was skeptical at first, but the more I explored his research, I realized that he was on to something. That led to hours of conversations and eventually an idea for this book called Just Love: How One Mistranslated Word Distorted the Gospel.

We are excited to release this book on Tuesday for others to explore this with us. It may seem like a subtle shift at first, but he implications are profound. I haven’t been as excited about a book I’ve helped to write since The Shack. And honestly, this completes the message of He Loves Me, which I’ve often said is the most significant book I’ll ever write—until now! This is how God’s love not only flows to us, but through us to change the world we inhabit. I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally see this book in print.

In advance of that release, here is Chapter 1 of what I hope will help us see the power of a Living Gospel, which was not just meant to save us from hell, but also to transform us by the power of Christ to change the way we live and love in this age.

_____________________________

page15image65280512 Chapter 1

A MISSING PIECE

Buckle up—we are about to take you on a journey that has profoundly shifted our understanding of Scripture and, even more importantly, the trajectory of our spiritual lives. It just might for you, too.

What if you discovered that a mistranslated word in Scripture distorted its meaning for us today? And what if that one word was so significant that getting it right might alter not only the course of your life, but of Christianity itself?

We want to suggest to you that while the Reformation was a crucial step forward in freeing followers of Jesus from performance-based religion, the way it’s often misunderstood today may unintentionally obscure the best part of salvation—Jesus’s desire to transform us from within so we reflect his kingdom in this present age.

We reached these conclusions by very different routes. I (Wayne) arrived here relationally. More than thirty years ago, I encountered the Father’s love in a way that rewrote my spiritual story, especially after growing up in more legalistic environments. Tobie’s path was fueled by a hunger for authentic faith, guided by linguistic and theological insights that I had never considered.

When our lives intersected in late 2024, everything clicked. What Tobie shared explained how love had already been teaching me to live. Now I had Scriptural terminology for it. By resolving a mistranslation of a single English word in Scripture, I could finally see the map of the spiritual territory I’d wandered through for decades. The rich conversations that followed launched this collaboration—and ultimately this book.

If what we propose is true, it unifies Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, weaves salvation and the kingdom of God together, and clarifies what Jesus intended for our transformation. It doesn’t replace the Gospel I learned earlier—it completes it. Others throughout history have tried to call God’s people back to this simple, transformative reality, but the noise of cultural religion has often drowned out their voices.

So, we write in hopes that you’ll consider these things. Search the Scriptures to see if they hold up. If they do, you too can step into a fuller, more vibrant experience of the Gospel today.

When Something Doesn’t Add Up

Have you ever been in a situation where nothing seemed to make sense, only to learn later that it was because you didn’t have all the information?

I recently went through something similar in my marriage. Unbeknownst to either of us, my wife, Sara, had been sexually assaulted by family members between the ages of four and eight. Un- able to process her pain at such a young age—and having no one safe to confide in—her mind buried those memories deep within her. But in her fifties and sixties, a deep pain began to push its way to the surface. Erupting like a volcano, it manifested as complex PTSD and a deep self-loathing that pushed her toward suicidal thoughts. Unable to contain or explain her anguish to anyone, she hid it behind kindness and caretaking, fawning over everyone—including me—so no one would discover what a horrible person she thought herself to be.

During that time, our conversations made little sense to me. I sometimes thought she was being evasive, but my attempts to understand her only led to frustration for both of us. Caught in the torment of a trauma she did not remember, Sara said whatever she thought I needed to hear just to survive the moment. Eventually, the debilitating pain drove her to seek counseling, and she was told she must have been traumatized. Because she had no memories of her childhood abuse, the counselor wrongly concluded that she must be married to an abusive husband. She encouraged Sara to leave me, which she did while I was away on a twelve-day trip to the East Coast.

Imagine my shock when I got home to a letter sitting on the kitchen counter, saying that our marriage had been painful for her, and that she either had to take her life or leave me. Thankfully, she chose the latter, but the shock of her leaving devastated me. This wasn’t the woman I had been married to for forty-seven years. As far as I knew, our life had been wonderful, with minimal conflict. What was I missing?

It took five weeks and a change in counselors for us to find our way back to each other. That’s when Sara discovered that I had not been the source of her pain. The real “monster” came from a deep-seated trauma inflicted by her extended family decades earlier. I’ve since walked beside her as those memories have surfaced and as Jesus heals her heart and rewires her mind.

Discovering her childhood trauma was the missing piece we both needed. Once that came to light, we understood not only the pain she endured and why she coped with life the way she did, but also how even my most innocent actions could trigger her trauma. That insight is what we needed to walk into the future with increasing healing. Today, I get to stand by Sara as her husband, encourager, and confidant as she continues her courageous journey toward wholeness.

Over the past year, I’ve had a similar revelation in my theological journey. I have come across a missing piece in my understanding of salvation and the kingdom of God. Like discovering Sara’s trauma, this new insight illuminated not only my past and the struggles I’ve had with some aspects of Christianity, but it also gave me a renewed vision for what salvation was truly meant to be.

For years, I’ve wrestled with a troubling question: How could Christianity produce so many converts and so few deeply transformed lives? Too often, salvation is seen merely as a ticket to heaven, rather than the beginning of a new kind of life here. As a young pastor, I was discouraged by how many believers seemed to seek only the minimal commitment necessary to “stay saved.”

For two thousand years, we have been more preoccupied with fighting sin—and often each other—than learning to love our neighbors. Yet, Jesus said that the world would recognize us by our love. (John 13:34–35) Sadly, that’s not the testimony most people see. Dallas Willard described our approach to discipleship as the “Gospel of Sin Management”—a message that drives people to try harder, only to feel more shame when they fail. But that’s not the Gospel Jesus brought. It’s simply another form of the old performance-based religion he came to free us from.

What I’ve come to realize is this: There’s a vast difference between practicing a religion called Christianity and actually living in the life of Jesus. Somewhere along the way, I had missed a crucial piece of the Gospel.

_____________________________

*Tobie is a former pastor and holds a PhD in Higher Education. In addition to his work overseeing a private school in Bloemfontein, SA, he writes at JusticeofGod.com and answers questions on the Bible and spiritual matters at quora.com/profile/Tobie-28.

Hear Wayne, Tobie, and Kyle discuss their new book on the most recent edition of The God Journey.

Just Love – Chapter 1 Read More »

The Sequel to He Loves Me

Leave a Comment / Encouragement / February 17, 2026 / He Loves Me, Just Love, tobie van der westhuizen, Wayne Jacobsen

Love is not a commodity you can possess; it is a river of life, flowing from the Father in which he invites you to dwell.

It’s not just a doctrine to comfort the intellect, but a way of engaging God’s presence as you go about your day. Resting in his affection makes it easier for us to entertain his presence, and living in that flow of life will change you over time. Love will not only define how he engages you, but also how you treat others—all others, not just those who think as you do.

Those who seek to contain love in themselves will find that it will wither away like day-old manna. That’s why it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone—not because he needed a wife, per se—but because the love God poured into him needed a recipient to flow out to. God’s love is easy to preach or write about since nothing is truer in all the world than that God is love and that he deeply loves those he created. What I find troubling is that so many people who teach and write about love in the vertical sense are some of the worst practitioners when it comes to sharing that love with others. They treat others, even their own staff, with anger and impatience. They constantly push past other people to be noticed or to build a following. They can even ignore others being abused around them, because they only love certain types of people.

As you live in the love of the Father, you will notice that it cannot be apportioned out to people you like best. Love is love, and you can’t truly live in it without it changing you to be as aware of others as you are yourself. You don’t have to try to love; it becomes part of your being.

That’s why I’m so excited that this new book is finally finished. Just Love wasn’t even in my heart fifteen months ago. But through an intriguing email, I began a relationship with Tobie van der Westhuizen from South Africa, and out of that growing friendship, the idea for this book was born. His research into a mistaken translation in the Greek captured my heart because this was what love had been teaching me throughout the three previous decades. Now, I have biblical language to make sense of it and a better understanding of what Jesus accomplished to share his love with the world through people made just by their growing trust in him.

I’ve often said that He Loves Me is the most significant book I’ll ever write. If people only read one book of mine, that’s the one I would choose for them. It represents the most poignant shift in my spiritual journey—from trying to appease God so he would love me, to discovering that he already did. I didn’t have to wake up every day trying to be loved by God, but instead woke up as his beloved. That journey for me began over thirty years ago, and it continues to bear fruit in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I started. I want everyone to go on that journey.

However, in the last few years, when I would say it was the most significant book I’ll ever right, I’d feel a nudge inside saying, “So far.” I’d chuckle and dismiss it because I couldn’t think of anything on my radar screen of future writing that would come close. Now, I wonder where those words came from. Advanced readers of Just Love tell me that this is the most important book they’ve ever read, and I don’t disagree. While He Loves Me deals with our vertical connection to the Father through the Son, Just Love couldn’t be a more appropriate sequel. It is about how love flows through us to fulfill all that Jesus hoped for in demonstrating the glory of his kingdom amid the chaos of this age.

It is about God’s hope fulfilled in his justice, not by people performing better for him, but as the inevitable byproduct of people delighting in his love. How has Christendom missed this for so long? Because of an unfortunate mistranslation of a single word in the Scriptures took our focus off of God’s justice revealed in the world, and instead preoccupied us with sin management and personal piety. I can’t wait for you to read this book, not only how it will change your reading of Scripture to be more true to what the authors intended, but also because we outline this amazing process where love works out God’s life in us. This makes the connection between the Old Covenant law, salvation, transformation, and kingdom.

It has been an absolute delight to work with Tobie to coauthor this book, and I am excited to introduce you to him in this book and in future podcasts. I wholeheartedly embrace what he wrote in our dedication:

Whoever reads this book will soon realize it could not have been written by either of us alone. It is the shared witness of two lives who followed Christ on different continents for nearly a century between them. It reminds us that true community reaches beyond the limits of one mind or one lifetime. In these pages, two worlds merge—the world of reflection and the world of lived experience—and that meeting is no accident.

The publication date is March 3. In a few days, you’ll be able to pre-order the book on Amazon.com and have it delivered as soon as it drops. I’ll be sharing some of that content here in future blog posts, as well as the comments some of our advance readers made about this book.

Just Love completes beautifully what He Loves Me started over twenty-five years ago. I’m so glad this has come about, and can’t wait to hear what you think or take on some of your questions as you process this significant shift in our understanding of the work of salvation.

As Brad said in his endorsement above, the content of this book could really change everything.

_________

And a couple of announcements before I go.

We are updating our mailing list and have found a significant number that did not check “marketing permissions” when they signed up on our list. Yes, I know it’s crazy, but it’s a MailChimp issue. Even though you are signing up for a subscription to my blog or to The God Journey, you also need to check that box as their permission to send email on my behalf. I promise it wasn’t about including you in a lot of marketing emails. So, if you are not getting the email notices you signed up for, that may be why. Please go to your MailChimp account and update your preferences. (If you received this blog update in your email inbox, you’re all set.)

Also, I wanted to remind you that I’ll be in Bradenton, Florida, this weekend. If you’re nearby, you can join me. Check my travel listing for details. On Saturday, I’ll be hosting a six-hour conversation focused on It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the end of the Age. It will be broadcast via Zoom from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you’d like to join in, you can use the Zoom Link here.

The Sequel to He Loves Me Read More »

The Cries of the Abused

7 Comments / Culture Watch / February 10, 2026

I hear them today, deep in my spirit. It began in a time of prayer with some friends yesterday. I heard thousands of voices, crying out to God, “How long, O Lord?” It was a cry of anguish from those who have been abused, deceived, and exploited by the powerful, the deceitful, and the abusers.

It tears at my heart. I’ve had occasion these last four years to sit with many people in such pain, who, through no fault of their own, have been taken advantage of for someone else’s gain or temporary amusement.

And I’m not just talking about the world. Have you heard the revelations in the last few weeks of the years of silence from Bethel’s leadership when the sheep were being deceived and abused? Did they learn nothing from the exposures at IHOP in Kansas City? I’m not surprised anymore at the lengths people will go to defraud or abuse the sheep, or what others will do to cover it up in the name of loyalty. Dozens of so-called prophetic and apostolic “leaders” knew of the prophetic fraud and the sexual abuse and said nothing. They apologize now, with excuses as to why they didn’t protect the sheep, but those who held it in silence are as guilty as the one doing the deeds.

If you can follow Jesus even for a dozen years and not find this behavior unthinkable, then you really have to question who you’ve been following. John couldn’t have written it more clearly: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” If you can stay silent when people are being exploited and abused, you have no idea who God is. Those who know God well love the broken well.

And if you’re still supporting ministries like this, you are part of the abuse as well. It seems the entire prophetic movement has covered up for those who are not God’s voices at all. The money, sense of power, and notoriety were too tempting to feel, in their own being, the damage being done to others. So while they claim great discernment on behalf of the nation and the world, they completely miss what God wants to do right around them.

Make no mistake, in these situations, God aligns his heart with the wounded. Truth be told, he always has. When Jesus went to the cross, it was not in anger at those who did evil, but in love for those being crushed by it. I am convinced that the injustice he wants me to hold is on behalf of the victims, not anger at the perpetrators. When I live in the anguish of those who have suffered at the hands of the powerful, whether they be in Ukraine, Gaza, Kenya, former 2x2s, or Bethel, I am closer to Father’s heart than all my rantings about false ministries.

And while most can only see the problem where sexual sin is involved, that is not their greater error. The greater sin of the prophetic movement has been that it has taken people’s innate desire to know God and profited from it. They wanted to tell others what God was thinking and for them to believe it, unquestioningly, as they basked in the adulation of the crowd, fighting for visibility and its related income. They made people dependent on themselves, rather than teaching them to find their fullness in Jesus and no other. The idols in God’s house today are human, who wittingly or unwittingly set themselves up as Christ substitutes. They manipulate people’s fears for political power and market share when they should have been calming their fears with the love of Jesus.

Does Jesus love those who perpetuate the false prophecies, opulent lifestyles, and sexual abuse of his children? He does, deeply, and offers them a path of redemption as well. And we will know they are responding to him when they cease their destructive ways, own their failures, and think first of protecting the sheep instead of their reputations.

Today, Jesus is standing with those who have been defrauded, deceived, and victimized by wolves pretending to be sheep. If you want to be near him, enter into the pain of those who have been hurt, not the ones doing the hurting. That’s where I want to stand, offering a caring heart and a listening ear as they sort through the damage done to them and seek connection with the God who can heal their hearts.

Will you join me? There, we will find his compassion and wisdom to bind up the broken-hearted and set the oppressed free, because that lies at the heart of his Gospel.

The Cries of the Abused Read More »