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Many are called but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14 The Good Shepherd While western shepherds herd their flocks of sheep with sheepdogs, eastern shepherds use the distinct sound and simple call of their voice. In Jesus’ days, sheep were very attuned to the voice of their shepherd. This gave multiple flocks the ability to mix in a pen overnight and separate in the morning. When different flocks commingled, occasionally a sheep from one flock might get mixed up or wander away (for a little while), but never indefinitely. Eventually, the lost and wandering sheep would hear its shepherd’s voice and come back into the flock. Or the shepherd would go out to find his lost sheep and bring it home safely. This is what Jesus does for His children. For once we like sheep had all gone astray (Isaiah 53:6) and were lost. But Jesus called us, and we responded. We heard His voice, not by our own human intellect or merit, but by His grace. It's a gift to be able to recognize Jesus' voice and follow Him. We have been given the gifts of repentance and faith so that we may turn from our sins and trust in the Good Shepherd for eternal life. Will Not & Cannot The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:3-5). In this figure of speech, Jesus explains why so many will not respond to the gospel call. It's because they are not part of His flock. Therefore, they cannot respond. Furthermore, they cannot respond because they will not respond. In John Chapter 8, Jesus says to the religious, self-righteous Pharisees, 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me...47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” Truth is Foreign to Many Simply put, the Pharisees don't believe Jesus because they don’t belong to Him. The truth sounds foreign to them because their nature is to believe lies. Even though they profess God to be their Father, in reality, they belong to another father. They belong to Satan, the Father of Lies. In this world, there are only two kingdoms, two families, and two roads. There’s the Kingdom of Light with the children of light traveling on the narrow road, and there’s the Kingdom of Darkness with the children of wrath traveling down the broad road. There is no middle road, no grey area, and truth has always been in the minority. (See Matthew 7:13-14 below) Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters (Matthew 12:30). Those who will not respond to the gospel call are spiritually blind but proudly think they can see. (See John 9:39). They are both self-deceived by their own pride and doubly blinded by the deceptive world system, devised by Satan. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). Both their unwillingness and inability to respond prove their hardness of heart (John 12:40). God's Sovereignty & Our Responsibility Furthermore, only God can give sight to the blind and soften hearts through the saving knowledge of Jesus. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). God is sovereign, yet we aren’t robots! We have our human responsibility to open our Bibles and obey God’s commanded will. The more we read God's word, the more we will know His will. And we know that His will begins with obeying the command to repent and believe on His Son Jesus. God’s divine sovereignty and our human responsibility are two truths that run parallel to heaven. They cannot be intellectually harmonized on this side of eternity. They both are true! Many Are Called Jesus says, Many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). In this verse, the call is extended to all who hear the saving gospel message. Many hear it. Few respond. Those who respond are the "chosen," or God's elect, which He chose before the foundation of the world and predestined for adoption to be His children (Ephesians 1:4-5). Matthew 22:14 expresses the balance between human responsibility and divine sovereignty. The "called," who reject the gospel invitation, do so willingly. Therefore, there is zero injustice in God for their exclusion from the Kingdom. The "chosen" enter God's kingdom only because of the grace of God in choosing them and drawing them to eternal life. We Don't Want Fair, We Want Mercy Whenever we say that God isn't fair in electing some and not others, we don't want fair. Fair would be sending us all to hell. What we want is mercy. Scripture says, God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. (Romans 9:18). It's a sobering truth, and one that I have wrestled a lot with. But in the end, it's what the Bible says, and it's just the way the chips fall (in His perfect justice, for His purposes, and all for His glory). But praise the Lord, we serve a merciful God! We can go to a loving God and beg Him to open the eyes of the blind to the light of Jesus. We serve a merciful God who hears every prayer and tear we cry. What a comfort that is! Prayer is part of God's sovereign plan in saving His people. That's so beautiful to me. With all that being said, if you truly follow Jesus, you won the Lottery of all lotteries, my friend. You have the Peace that surpasses all understanding. You possess the Joy of all joys. Your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. AMEN. His Sheep Hear His Voice Those who belong to Jesus hear His voice. They recognize His voice and obey His call, by His grace. As believers, while we are attuned to Jesus’ voice, we will at the same time run away from the voice of a stranger. False teaching to a believer sounds like sour notes on a piano because our ears are attuned to biblical truth, by the Holy Spirit. The only way to detect and reject lies is to know and love the Truth, by being in the word and praying daily in heartfelt devotion. True sheep may fall into false teaching for a season, but eventually, the Holy Spirit will always guide a lost sheep out of counterfeit Christianity and away from false gospels and new-age jesuses, and back to the biblical Jesus; back to the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep on the cross and rose again, that by grace through faith in Jesus, we may have eternal life! “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; Isaiah 40:11

Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. John 20:19-20 The Ultimate Peace Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). Jesus’ first greeting to the disciples after His resurrection complemented His final words on the cross when He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus’ finished work of redemption through His death and resurrection accomplishes peace with God for all who repent and believe in Him. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Through our faith, believers are eternally joined to Jesus and gifted the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). We are forever preserved by His grace and not by our own human willpower. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand (John 10:27-28). To know that we are saved through faith alone and not by works; to know that we are eternally secured by God's grace, to know that we can never lose our salvation, is the ultimate peace. (Want to read about the necessary components of saving faith? Check out my blog, "Three Elements of True Saving Faith") As Christians, we have the peace that surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). The peace that Jesus brings to humanity produces a supernatural comfort in the hearts of all who trust in Him. Believers can be going through unsteady trials and tribulations on the outside but still carry a steady peace on the inside. Peace with God gives us the ability to still experience joy during life's many trials. All other joy outside of Christ is fleeting and dependent upon externals. The joy that believers have is internally rooted in Jesus who never changes, despite our ever-changing circumstances and feelings. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). It is a joy the world cannot rob us of because it comes from a peace the world cannot give us (John 14:27). To have peace with God, to be forgiven by God, to be loved by God and gifted eternal life, is the ultimate peace. Peace With God Brings Humility The greatest reality of peace is knowing that although we deserve hell and God’s eternal wrath, we have been saved from His wrath and gifted eternal life, by grace through faith in Jesus. To really grasp that stunning reality ought to greatly humble us. Humility is at the heart of the Christian faith. Humility is where love and all other virtues begin. As believers, peace with God enables us to deal with others with more humility, patience, and gentleness. Ultimately, peace with God cultivates love in our hearts. It gives us the ability to love by action and truth and not just by words or speech (1 John 3:18). Peace with God gives us the ability to forgive others of their comparably small offenses, knowing we have been forgiven by God of our countless and great offenses toward Him. Peace with God humbles us where we can truly love Him and others. The Ultimate Joy Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:9-11 To know we are safe and secure in Jesus and headed for eternal glory to live and reign with Him forever, is the ultimate peace and the ultimate joy! Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for the peace You give me through faith in Jesus. It’s a peace that transcends all human intellect and produces a tranquil heart in me, even when things get difficult and life is uncertain. Help me to walk on Your path of life, delight in You, and find the fullness of joy in Your presence. Help me to practice the things that I have learned and received and heard and seen in You, so that the God of peace will be with me (Philippians 4:9). All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “The God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Rom. 15:33). I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” John 20:23 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 Dear Heavenly Father, Hallelujah! He is risen! All glory belongs to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I praise You for loving me and choosing me before the foundation of the world. I praise You for being so merciful to me that You provided a way for me to live forever in Your Son, Jesus. Hallelujah! He is risen indeed! "It is Finished" There's nothing we could ever do to earn salvation. It's what Jesus has already done. Jesus defeated death once and for all and paid our debt in full when He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). “Death is swallowed up in victory.”“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:50-57). We are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Romans 8:37). If our faith stops at the cross and the grave, it misses the blessing of the fullest revealing of our Savior. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, but the entirety of His work in redemption doesn't stop at the cross, for He is risen! He is the Living Christ who intercedes for us in heaven and walks with us here on earth as our Closest Friend and Companion. We serve a living Christ! That's why we never want to have a cross that shows Jesus still hanging on it. No! Get Jesus off that cross! For He is risen! He is risen indeed! Redemption! The very crux of Jesus' resurrection is that He gives us a whole new nature in Him. By His mercy and through His death, we are saved from our sins and eternal damnation. By His grace and through His resurrection, we are raised with Him and granted eternal life. We were dead in our trespasses and sins in which we once walked (Ephesians 2:1), but by the riches of God's grace, we are totally forgiven and redeemed through His blood. By grace through faith, we are made alive with Him and are new creations in Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:17). In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:7-10). In Christ, we have been given the blessings of all blessings - eternal life. Not only that, but Scripture says we are also given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). Not only does God bless us by His grace, but He lavishes us with it, giving us all wisdom and insight and making known to us the mystery of His will through His Son, Jesus. Jesus was the very first to be raised, but He will certainly not be the last! All who repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation will share in the glorious resurrection of life too. knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence (2 Corinthians 4:14). And this is our amazing hope, which is at the very heart of the Christian faith! Jesus swallowed up death once and for all, in three days rose again, and by grace through faith, we are eternally secure in Him! No one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:28). We are the children of the Most-High God who loved us and chose us before the foundation of the world! All who believe in Jesus are headed for eternal glory to live and reign with Him forever! Faith in Jesus is a Gift We are saved by grace alone through faith alone, and eternal life is a gift. Salvation in Christ does not come by our own intelligence to choose eternal life, nor by our own personal merit, strength, or sheer willpower. No. We were all born in sin. We were all dead in our trespasses and sins before God intervened in our hearts, opened our blind eyes, and gave us the grace to respond with childlike faith. A blind man can't make himself see. A dead man can't make himself come alive. Only God can give sight to the blind and breathe life into a dead soul. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6). The God who shone the light out of darkness is the same God who has shone the light of the knowledge of Jesus into our hearts. Our repentance and faith in Jesus is a gift. Salvation is a gift. It just blows me away that I won the "powerball lottery" in Jesus. The lottery of all lotteries is being chosen and loved by God. Nothing can hold a candle to that stunning reality. And there's nothing in me that has earned His love or deserves His love, but it's all a gift by His grace, which He chose to lavish upon me through His Son, Jesus. Jesus Christ is the Treasure of all treasures. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! The risen King lives and reigns forever, and I am blessed in Him beyond measure. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the LORD. Psalm 118:26 "Give Salvation Now" 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him (John 12:12-16). This shows Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. It's one of the very few events in Jesus’ life and ministry that is recorded in all four Gospels. (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-38). By fulfilling the OT Scriptures and riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (His humble means of transportation), Jesus officially presents Himself to the nation as the Messiah and Son of God, the One who comes in the name of the LORD. The palms still grow in Jerusalem today. From about two centuries earlier, the waving of palm branches had become a national symbol of the ultimate hope that a Messiah would come and be the perfect and ultimate sacrifice who would set all the captives free. The term Hosanna is a transliteration of a Hebrew word that means “give salvation now.” Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for sending Your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins and rise again so that I may have eternal life, by grace through faith in Him. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the LORD (Psalm 118:26). He comes to seek and save that which is lost He comes to buy us with His precious blood, the ultimate price, the highest cost He comes to show us mercy and set the captives free He comes to give us grace and liberty He comes to love His enemies and die for mankind He comes to show compassion and give sight to the blind He comes to soften hearts, open eyes, and make us free He comes to take away the sins of all who turn and believe Jesus is my Blessed Hope, my Supreme Treasure I am eternally grateful, for I deserve nothing good, yet He blesses me beyond measure! By grace through faith in Him, I am secure forever! Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior! To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity (2 Peter 3:18). In Jesus' name I pray, amen! 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21). Salvation is found in no one else, and there is no name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6 Dear Lord, You are my Shepherd, my Protector, my Provider. You watch over me. You take good care of me. May I be like a sheep; meek and obedient to Your call and Your voice. I shall not want. In Jesus, I have everything. What more could I want? For You supply all that I need. When I still have any unfulfilled desire in my heart, may I trust You that it’s either not good for me or not the right timing. You make me lie down in green pastures and give me rest. You lead me beside still waters and give me refreshment from Your living waters. You give me the support, comfort, and daily bread I need. You provide me with food that feeds my body. You provide me with food that feeds my soul. Your word of life helps me grow strong in wisdom and discernment and gives me peace and contentment. I have peace with God through faith in Jesus. (Romans 5:1). Amen! Because I feed on Your goodness, help me to follow Your path of righteousness. As Your sheep, I am prone to wander, but You give me the gift of repentance. When I stray, You are faithful to restore my soul, gently gather me back into Your flock, and set me back onto Your path. You lead me by Your word, providence, and Spirit according to the purpose of Your will, to the praise of Your glorious grace, for Your name’s sake. Death is the king of all terrors (Job 18:14). But not to me, because I belong to Jesus, who gathers me into His arms and carries me close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11). What can separate me from the love of God? Not even death (Romans 8:35). Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, though I walk where death lurks all around me, it is merely a shadow to a sheep. I will fear no evil. A shadow of even the deadliest snake or weapon can’t hurt me, not even in the slightest. I have nothing to fear when I belong to You, Jesus. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28). My soul is eternally secure in You, and I will never taste death. As I walk through the valley, I should never fear, for You will guide and help me. You will uphold me with Your righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Your rod is Your word that gently corrects me when I make a wrong turn, and Your staff is Your Spirit that gently guides me through the valley. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. A sheep has enemies, for I wouldn’t be like my Lord if I didn’t. If I was without enemies, I might fear that I am a friend of the world and an enemy of God (James 4:4). Having enemies, being hated by the world (John 15:18-19), and experiencing suffering and persecution for the sake of Jesus are evidence that I belong to You. (See Matthew 5:10-11, Philippians 1:29). As my enemies see me eat at my table with my head anointed with oil and my cup overflowing, may it point them not to me but to the One who prepared it all for me. Lord, I ask that You soften their hearts to hear the gospel and receive it with joy so they too may become one of the fold and be saved, by Your grace. Lord, may You have mercy on them as You did on me, and gift them with repentance and faith to believe in Jesus. My cup overflows. Your divine power provides me everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). You give me all things that are needed for the body and the soul, both now and to the day of eternity. Not only that, but You provide all these things in abundance. It can't even all stay in the wonderful cup you gave me! Lord, I know I always have enough because You tell me that Your grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). Surely Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; not only on the hard and dreary days but also on the light and joyful days. Your goodness supplies every need of mine, and Your mercy blots out every sin of mine. I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:35-36). As my faith is strengthened in God’s promises and my joy increases in the reality of my heavenly home with Jesus, I am strengthened in Christ as I keep my eyes on Him, the Author and Perfecter of my faith, the Good Shepherd, my Protector, my Provider, my Lord and Savior. All glory belongs to Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. The Lord Is My Shepherd A Psalm of David. 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, Philippians 2:14-16 Salt & Light “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 What a tremendous privilege it is to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world! What a great responsibility we have as Christians to proclaim the way of salvation in Christ and to live a life that brings honor to His Name. Effective Witnesses If we want to truly be a light in this world and be an effective witness to the power of Jesus, we must live a life that is submitted to Christ, in loving obedience to the word of God. It's so important for witnessing to others that our speech, actions, and personal lives are upright and in line with God’s truth on a consistent basis. Although we will stumble and fall at times, it's the Holy Spirit at work within us who sanctifies us in the Word, helps us practice righteousness, gifts us with wisdom and discernment, guides us into all truth and away from error, and helps us live out our lives for the glory of God. We don't rely on our own human strength, but we rely on God's grace to help us walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him. The place that we're going to have the most impact in our witnessing is the environment in which we live and work in the most. This is where others see how we talk, behave, and live on a daily or weekly basis. If people see us in our environment as being consistently proud, resistant, divisive, gossipy, lazy, impatient, unkind, selfish, or lacking self-control, how can we expect them to suddenly listen to us when we start talking about Jesus? How can we expect them to suddenly trust us when we start preaching about repentance and faith in Christ for eternal life? We would only look like hypocrites if our actions consistently didn’t line up with our words. Living a blameless life is not about keeping up appearances and images in a legalistic way, nor does it have anything to do with pride and being "better" than anyone else. It's about glorifying God and the fact that people’s eternal destinations are hanging in the balance in a watching world. It's about testifying to the truth that is in Jesus. The Greatest Responsibility As believers, we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world for others. We are commanded to be witnesses of Christ and bear His name with honor. Being a Christian is the greatest responsibility, day in and day out. It's also a daily battle against sin and the flesh, the satanic world system and its ungodly influences, and the devil's temptations. Being a follower of Jesus is a responsibility far beyond just ourselves, our families, and our jobs. It’s our responsibility to God as children of light and workers in His kingdom. Believing in Jesus is a daily walk and a lifelong commitment, but once we are saved by His grace, we are always saved and kept secure in Christ forever. We could never lose our salvation. And I am sure of this that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). It is His grace, the power of the Holy Spirit within us that enables us to walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him, giving evidence that we belong to Him. Talk the Talk & Walk the Walk It’s living a pure life that paves the way to giving a powerful testimony of Christ. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people (1 Peter 2:15). By living an upright life, this not only protects us from the schemes and snares of the devil but instantly silences the voices of the critics surrounding us, waiting to see us all fall. The truth in Jesus shines brighter through us when we preach it and live it, not just preach it. We don't just talk the talk and profess with our mouths empty words without any actions. Rather, we walk the walk because we trust Jesus in our hearts. because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). True saving faith in Christ is both a public confession with an inward conviction that manifests itself as obedience to God's word. What you say and how you behave should match your status in Christ. Your confession and walk reflect your eternal position. As we talk the talk and walk the walk, we must remember that Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), and he is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). That means as Christians, we have a serious target on our back in the spiritual realm at all times. This life is not a battle for territory but a battle for the Truth. And as Christians, we are the people of the Truth. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Therefore, we are always under much more scrutiny and examination than the rest of the world. Satan takes every crafty opportunity to try and make us sin so that we fall in front of a watching world. Just like he did in the garden with Eve, Satan tries to tempt us to doubt the clarity and authority of God's word. He tries to get us to doubt the sufficiency of Christ for our lives, and he subtly tempts us to think we need something more, something extra outside of Christ. He tries to tempt us to doubt the goodness of God and even the way of salvation in Christ. Satan is subtle and crafty with his lies and half truths, but he is predictable and boring. Satan is constantly shooting fiery darts at Christians in order that our testimonies of the gospel might be diminished. He comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Take up the whole armor of God, Christian! (See Ephesians 6:10-20) A Blameless Life Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, (Philippians 2:14-16) I think we all would love to live a blameless life, where no one could call us out on any sinful habits, serious faults, or hypocritical behavior that would put us to shame. All believers would love to show that blameless life to the watching world as we bear the name of Christ and stand in the truth of God’s Word with integrity, zeal, and love. What makes Satan angry is when believers live humble and righteous lives, joyfully. When I say we ought to live a blameless life, I am not talking about being a perfectionist, being sinless, or anything in regard to being legalistic. As believers, we know that we are sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. Knowing this glorious truth is what humbles us and helps us live blameless lives filled with joy and gratitude for Jesus, rejoicing in who He is and what He did for us. I am talking about living an honest, God-glorifying life full of integrity and obedience to God's word where we can humbly say, "Yes, of course I mess up, and yes, I am a sinner. But I turn from my ways, and I turn to Jesus. I trust in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. I trust who Jesus is as the Son of God, and I trust that He accomplished it all for me on the cross. He is the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He did what I could never do for myself. He lived a sinless life and was perfectly obedient to His Father. He suffered and died on the cross for my sins, took the full punishment that I deserved, and rose again, that by grace through faith in Him, I may have eternal life. He imputed to me His perfect righteousness so that when God looks at me, He sees me without blemish. I stand blameless before God because of Jesus. Jesus is my foundation, my hope, my strength, and my refuge. I am a wretched sinner saved by grace, and only in Him am I perfect and blameless. It's the Holy Spirit who helps me walk on the narrow path, even if I fall at times. He always helps me get back on His righteous path for His name’s sake. It is not I but the grace of God that is with me.” Faith Comes by Hearing This is the kind of life I think we all want as believers. This is the kind of life that lays a strong foundation for our testimonies to be received and the gospel to be believed so that others too can come to true saving faith and rest in Jesus. Sharing our testimonies and the gospel is not some marketing exercise, nor was the Truth ever received by man's own cleverness of speech or human wisdom. Ultimately, it’s the power of God through His word that brings people to faith. Our job is not to save anybody. God is the One who does the saving. Our job is to proclaim the gospel in love and rely on the Holy Spirit to work through God's word in that person's heart. So faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of God (Romans 10:17). For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Let’s boldly share the gospel in love with the unique personalities God has gifted us with, and let's live out our lives worthy of the gospel, as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins and take the full punishment that we deserve all upon Himself. What tremendous love that is! I praise You that Christ’s perfect righteousness has been imputed to us who believe in Him, by Your grace. What a gift! Help us with this awesome responsibility that you have blessed us with. Help us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world so that we can help others come to find peace, joy, hope, and eternal life in Jesus Christ. All glory belongs to Jesus! In His name, I pray, amen. Love, Jenna Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Matthew 5:11 That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Philippians 2:15 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 1 Corinthians 1:26

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love Rejoices with the Truth "Truth and Love are wings that cannot be separated, for Truth without Love is not able to fly, so too, Love without Truth is unable to soar up, for their yoke is one of harmony." - Ephraim the Syrian Jesus told us to come to Him just as we are. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). However, Jesus didn’t tell us to come to Him just as we are so that we could stay that way. Jesus didn't come to affirm us in our sins and accept us just the way we are. He came to save us from our sins, call us to repentance and faith, and transform our hearts to live a life that is glorifying to God. That’s what a true friend does, and that’s what true love is. Love does not delight at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). True love points us away from sin and death and points us to Christ and eternal life. The Truth may be offensive to many who still believe the lies of this world and love their sin, but when told in love, the Truth is the most loving thing there is. The Truth is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). What is True Love? Biblical love is not empty sentimentalism but is deeply secured in the truths of Scripture and governed by it. Love is not just a fuzzy feeling or a mere abstraction, but it’s an action. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). So, this is what Scripture says about true love: Because I love you, I am patient with you. I am kind to you. Because I love you, I am not envious of the good things that happen to you. I am not jealous of your happiness, your talents, or your achievements. Because I love you, I don't show off or brag about my own talents, achievements, or promotions around you. Because I love you, I am not arrogant with what I have, what I know, what I can do, or who I am, for I know every good thing I have is a gift from above. Nothing good originates from me but only by the grace of God. Because I love you, I do not act in an unattractive way around you when I don't get my way. I don't act in an unbecoming way around you when you say something wrong that may offend me. Because I love you, I am never provoked. Because I love you, I never insist on my own way. I only try to seek your good, never my own. And when I don't get my way, I am not angry, irritated, or resentful toward you. That's because I love you. Because I love you, I've never held on to any record of wrongs. I never bring them up to remind you of your shortcomings and failures. The moment you do something wrong to me, I forgive it and also forget it. That's because I love you. Because I love you, I never delight in sin, lies, or wrongdoing, but I always rejoice in the truth. Because I love you, I gently point out your sins, not out of my own pride or so that it may benefit me. But I point out your sins from a place of humility and gentleness, that it may help you, guide you, and protect you. Because I love you, I bear all things. I bear all your shortcomings, annoyances, quirks, faults, and failures. Because I love you, I also believe all things. I give you the benefit of the doubt. When you say you're going to do something, or when you say you're going to change for the better, I believe you. I don't doubt you. When you say you're sorry, I believe you. I don't challenge you. I don't say that you've already said that a hundred times. I support you and trust you in what you say, even if you've said the same thing over a hundred times. Because I love you, I endure all things. I endure whatever you might bring up or throw at me. I endure all things because my love never fails. My love never ends for all eternity. My love just keeps going and going and going... Love is Not Blind Biblical love is devoted to the truth in everything. Love is not blind but perceptive, and it carefully discerns between truth from error, right from wrong, right from almost right. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (Philippians 1:9). Discernment is having moral perception and insight. Discernment is having the ability to apply the knowledge of the truth to all sorts of situations in life. It is having wisdom through knowing Jesus Christ, the highest, truest, purest form of wisdom that exists. True love is discerning, and we can only be truly discerning and know what is excellent in the eyes of God when we know Jesus Christ. Knowing Jesus is not just an intellectual assent that He is the Son of God or that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again. For even demons believe that. Knowing Jesus is trusting in Him solely for salvation and walking in loving obedience to His word, by His grace through childlike faith. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments (1 John 2:23). The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is insight (Proverbs 9:10). Insight here means discernment. Love is Discerning Without knowing Jesus, the Truth incarnate, we have no true spiritual discernment. Jesus is our rock and foundation in which we stand on when we discern what is pleasing in God’s eyes and what isn’t. How we come to truly know and trust Jesus is through the Word by the Holy Spirit. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, our minds become renewed by God's truth. When we know God's truth is when we are able to discern God’s will for our lives. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2). This kind of transformation happens as the Holy Spirit changes our thinking through consistent study and meditation of Scripture. A renewed mind is a mind that is saturated with the Word of God and regulated by it. What is good, acceptable, and perfect means the kind of holy living that God approves of for His children in His kingdom. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good (Romans 12:9). Many think that if we love, we shouldn't hate anything, but that's just sentimentality. Scripture makes it clear that "love does not rejoice at wrongdoing." We can’t sincerely love the pure things of God that are good, right, and true while also loving and giving approval to all that contradicts those things. We must never love or be entertained by the things for which Christ died. God hates sin, and if we love God, we ought to hate sin too. When we are born again, God puts His Spirit in us, and that's when we begin loving righteousness and hating the sin we once loved before our conversion. By God's grace, this miraculous heart change naturally manifests itself outwards into transformed lives and loving obedience to God's word, in which we walk in a manner that is worthy of the gospel and pleasing to God. Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for loving me with an eternal love. You showed Your love for me when You sent Your beloved Son Jesus to die for sinners like me (Romans 5:8). Jesus took the full punishment for my sins on the cross and rose again that I may have eternal life, by grace through faith. I did nothing to earn Your love or Your favor, and I contribute nothing to my salvation. I am saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, all because You loved me and chose me before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Eternal life is a free gift, not because of who I am or anything that I can do, but it’s because of who God is. God is love. And we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Lord, I just find it so amazing that You love each and every one of Your children as if there were only one of us. Lord, I ask You for wisdom and discernment. Help draw me to Your Word more and more, for that is where I come to know Jesus more and more. Help me to know Your truth that I may discern Your will and walk in love, joyfully sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with others. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This I pray in Jesus' name, amen. With love, Jenna so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19). For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17). For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8). And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20 “Someone once told me, 'God doesn’t hate, God is love!' No, my friend, God is love, therefore God must hate. If I love life, then I must hate death. If I love babies, then I must hate abortion. If I love Jews, then I must hate the Holocaust. If I love African Americans, then I must hate slavery. If you truly do love that which is right, that which is perfect, that which is good, there is also an animosity, an enmity, against all that, that contradicts that standard. God loves all that is right, all that is true, all that is good, all that is virtuous, but Scripture after Scripture after Scripture tells us that His hatred is manifest against wickedness.” - Paul Washer

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Dear Lord, I praise You for Your written word. The written word points me to the living Word, Jesus Christ, who is the Truth Incarnate. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Scripture is More Precious Than Gold How blessed am I to have such abundant access to God’s Word; to live in the United States where Bibles are still allowed and Scripture is right at my fingertips. God's wisdom is only a click away. The Bible is banned in 52 countries. People get killed for concealing a Bible for their own personal use. Obviously, the Word of God is that precious that people will risk their lives to keep His Word in their possession (See below for the list of countries where the Bible is banned). If the Bible is just a dead pile of letters like most of this world believes, why would it be illegal or threatening to anyone to own a book of fairy tales? Obviously, we know that Satan is behind banning the Word of God since he hates the Truth. Ever since the garden, Satan's main goal has been to distort the Word of God - to ultimately keep souls from finding eternal life in Christ. The distortion of the Truth is the greatest evil that exists. “Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word” - A.W. Tozer. Scripture holds all the answers for not only this life but for obtaining eternal life, and so naturally, Satan does anything to stop people from having those answers. Since Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), it comes at no surprise that the Bible is banned in so many places across the world. And one day, probably not too far away, it's going to be illegal to own a Bible in the United States as well. But for now, I am going to learn and memorize as much as I can from the very Words of God Himself. For His Word is life itself. What could be better than freely holding the invaluable Word of God right in the palms of my hands? For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and all that you desire cannot compare with her (Proverbs 8:11). How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver (Proverbs 16:16). Scripture is infinitely more precious than all the gold in the world. It's the only roadmap to eternal life. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105). Scripture is Revelation All Scripture is God’s revelation to mankind. That means, it reveals. And what God reveals, He wants us to know. All Scripture is inspired by God; all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). The apostle Peter says holy men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Scripture was authored by God and written by men who were internally led by His Spirit. So, whether we choose to read it or not, the Bible is God speaking to us. The Bible is God communicating to us who He is. The Bible is the story of God, and by His grace we are a part of it. The Bible is God telling us His promises, as well as clearly stating His warnings. God is talking directly to us, you guys, and we will do well to listen to Him. Since Scripture is the Word of God, and God is the Word (John 1:1), we must give Scripture the due honor and respect that we also give to God. Not only does the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have immense glory, but Scripture, the very Words of God Himself, carries such glory as well. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Scripture is What God Meant it to Say God doesn’t need to be defended as being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and since God is the Word, Scripture doesn’t need to be defended either. "The Word of God is like a lion. You don't have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself"- Charles Spurgeon. Scripture has its own power and glory. When I open the Word of God, it reveals itself to be true all on its own, and I am to approach the Word of God responsibly, trusting wholeheartedly in its authority, clarity, and sufficiency for my life. God commands me to not only seek to understand Scripture, but interpret it responsibly (meaning accurately), so that I may rightly receive God’s true, intended meaning for my life. If I don’t seek to understand the true meaning, I simply will not have God’s revelation for my life. Scripture is not what I think it means to me personally. Scripture is what God meant it to say. There may be 1000 different applications to any given verse, but there is only one true meaning that God gives it, and I am commanded to know it and obey it for my life. I am not to be the interpreter of God’s intended meaning in Scripture, but I am to be the humble, obedient, and joyful receiver of it. So how do I get to the true revelation of Scripture? Well, I must get to the meaning of it. This requires an accurate interpretation on my part. Thankfully, I am not alone when interpreting Scripture. I have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide me and teach me all things, including how to rightly interpret and apply Scripture to my life. Scripture calls us to interpret Scripture in the plain, normal sense of language, just as I would interpret the natural meaning of any kind of book or document. Normal, natural literal interpretation is the only way to interpret it responsibly and to stop the reckless abuse of Scripture. As soon as anyone stops interpreting Scripture in the normal, natural literal sense that it demands for, it becomes a fair game for anyone to interpret the Bible in a wild and reckless manner. “Ignorance of Scripture is the most dangerous self-inflicted wound” - Dale Partridge Scripture is Not a Riddle or a Puzzle See, the thing is, God cares that we get His Word right. I mean, that’s why He wrote it; to communicate to us so that we are able to understand what He’s saying. Otherwise, what would be the point if He wrote something that wasn’t meant to be clearly understood and obeyed? If the Bible is confusing then that would mean the character of God is confusing, and we know that isn’t true. For Scripture makes it clear that God is not a god of confusion or disorder, but a God of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). See, if the Bible doesn’t mean what God meant for it to say, and everybody has a different view or interpretation of it, then nobody has the authority to say what is actually true. In other words, if the Bible doesn’t mean what it says it means in the normal, natural literal sense, then any and every personal interpretation is just as bad as the next. God didn’t write His Word for it to be cryptic, a riddle, or a puzzle for us to be confused over. God wrote His Word to be plain and obvious for those who have spiritual ears to hear; for those who desire to truly trust Him and obey what He says. Scripture is Abundantly Clear to Only Those Who Desire To Obey As a Christian, I am responsible to rightly divide the Word of Truth. To rightly divide it means to “cut it straight” so that I can understand His Word clearly and be well-equipped for what He would have me do, say, or think in any situation in my life. Otherwise, I ought to be ashamed to not handle His Word responsibly. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). I am never to take away from Scripture or diminish it, nor dare I ever add to it, for if I do, God says He will add to me the plagues described in His Word, which would be terrifying. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book (Revelation 22:18). I trust that when God warns me about something, He means exactly what He's warning me of. See, God is not a hidden god of mystery, and the knowledge of God and the interpretation of Scripture is not a mystical experience, an inner knowing, or a vision of the divine. The real God of the universe makes Himself clearly known in Scripture to those who desire to know Him, and His commandments are loud and abundantly clear to those who desire to obey Him. Blessed are those who truly listen to His Words and prove their faith to be real through their actions - through their loving obedience to His Word. Cursed are those who walk in darkness, in their own pride and ignorance through their lack of knowledge and desire to know God and His will for their lives. The will of God is found in the Word of God. And it's the one who does the will of God who is saved. Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). Scripture is the Mind of Christ "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). The mind of Christ is the Bible. And if I want to know what God thinks about anything, it’s no mystery to me, but it's right there in Scripture for me. Not only that, the Lord has given me the internal teacher, the Holy Spirit, to help me to interpret God’s Word responsibly and truly understand His revelation for my life so that I may do the will of God and prove my faith to be authentic. I cannot trust and love Jesus Christ and not trust and love His Word too, for Jesus is the Word incarnate. I hold in my hands the Bible, the mind of Christ. And I have living in me, the Spirit of Christ. I praise You Lord, for choosing me and saving me through sending Your Son Jesus to die for my sins. Before really seeing the light of the gospel, I was a nominal Christian, a lukewarm Christian, a hypocrite who called myself a Christian - when I didn't even know what it meant to truly follow Jesus Christ and be saved. Lord, thank you from the bottom of my heart for opening my blind eyes to the light of the gospel before it was too late for me. Thank you for saving me from hell and giving me life in Christ. When I deserve hell, You've given me heaven in Christ Jesus, all by Your grace. What. A. Gift. And I praise You for graciously giving me Your Word to learn about who You are and what Your will is for my life so that I may do it and prove my faith to be real - and bring You glory. Truly repent of your sins, believe in the gospel, and you will be saved. My prayer is that you come to the full knowledge of God and truly see the magnificence and transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is your final answer. The day of salvation is today, and none of us know how much time we have left on the clock. Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6). All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name I pray amen. Love, Jenna No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3 "If we want to do the will of the Father, we need to study the Word of the Father." – RC Sproul "You can't love Jesus and not love His Word." RC Sproul Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17) 52 countries where the Bible is banned: 1. Afghanistan 2. Iran 3. Kazakhstan 4. Kyrgyzstan 5. Maldives 6. Mauritania 7. North Korea 8. Saudi Arabia 9. Somalia 10. Tajikistan 11. Turkmenistan 12. Uzbekistan 13. Yemen 14. Algeria 15. Bhutan 16. Brunei 17. China 18. Cuba 19. Djibouti 20. Eritrea 21. Kuwait 22. Laos 23. Libya 24. Malaysia 25. Morocco 26. Oman 27. Sudan 28. Tunisia 29. Bahrain 30. Bangladesh 31. Central African Republic 32. Columbia 33. Egypt 34. Ethiopia 35. India 36. Iraq 37. Jordan 38. Kenya 39. Lebanon 40. Mali 41. Myanmar (Burma) 42. Nepal 43. Niger 44. Nigeria 45. Pakistan 46. Philippines (Mindanao) 47. Sri Lanka 48. Syria 49. Tanzania 50. Turkey 51. United Arab Emirates 52. Vietnam

The pride of your heart has deceived you, Obadiah 1:3 Dear Lord Jesus, I praise You for Your goodness! You lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). You lead me in Your wisdom. You reveal the way I should go through Your Word, which I am so blessed to have in my possession. Lord Jesus, You are the Word, and the Scriptures are my precious guide in this life and the wisdom that leads to salvation in You, by grace through faith. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105). Jesus, when I keep my eyes on You, that means I'm keeping my eyes on Your Word. Lord, help me to fill my mind with Your Truth every single day so there is no room for Satan’s lies to creep in and rule over me. Finally, humble me, Lord. Humble me by reminding me who You are, what You did for me, and how immeasurably blessed I am to be in Christ. Lord, allow that humility and gratitude to spill over into every aspect of my life and permeate every relationship and encounter I have. Faith Proven by Obedience I know that my faith isn’t proven through mere words and verbal professions, but it's naturally proven through my actions and obedience to Your Word. It’s because I trust who You are, Jesus. I trust the finished work of Your life, death, and resurrection. I trust Your goodness and promises for my life, and I trust that Your commands will only lead me to joy, peace, and rest in my soul. True joy comes only from recognizing what Christ has done for me, and unlike my ever-changing circumstances and feelings, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, my joy in Jesus is a constant joy. If as a child of God I lose the joy in my heart, I don’t need to look at my fluctuating circumstances, but I need to closely examine my relationship with Jesus and my obedience to His Word. Am I submitting to Him in trust, or am I submitting to my own pride? Am I doing His will, or am I doing my own will? Self-Love or Deny Yourself? Lord, I confess that at times I stumble off Your path, and I take my own path because of my own pride. At times, I choose my own ways and fall for Satan's lies, and my faith fails in the moment of temptation because of my own pride. Like all sins, pride is a lie from hell that most of the world is self-deceived by, and it can still creep in and tempt believers to fall prey to it too. We live in a time where culture constantly bombards us with campaigns of self-love, self-care, self-sufficiency, and self-exaltation. We even see churches that promote the lie of self-love, which couldn’t be further from biblical truth. The world elevates, glorifies, and places supreme focus on self, but Jesus says, "Deny yourself." And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27). That includes denying myself whenever I feel deserving or entitled, knowing that I'm really not entitled to anything in this world, let alone eternal life. I must deny myself and put away my selfishness and pride because I believe in Jesus. As His child, I am to rejoice humbly over what He did for an unworthy sinner like me and to remind myself every day of the gospel. Jesus has allowed me to live forever by His grace. There is no greater gift! If anything is going to humble and soften me in times when I'm not getting my way or people are treating me unfairly, it is reminding myself of the free gift of eternal life that is mine in Christ; a tremendous gift that I do not deserve! Don't Believe the Lie of Pride It is pride that railroads us off His path of righteousness, slithering into our lives to steal, kill and destroy and manifesting into all sorts of sins. One sin always leads to another. Sin does not operate alone but in groups. If we surrender to one sin, expect more to come. If we give in to our pride, expect any of the seven deadly sins to occur. The lie about pride is that we believe it’s going to help us win something, protect us from losing something, getting hurt, or being seen as weak, cowardly, or stupid. In actuality, all pride does is put up a stone wall, as it pushes people away, brings division and destruction to our lives and relationships, and erodes away at our joy and peace. Pride also fools us into believing the lie that we are worthy or entitled to whatever it is that we selfishly think we deserve, whether that be recognition, praise, respect, rewards, or even eternal life. In reality, our own pride destroys everything and everyone in its ugly path. Pride is the destroyer of all marriages, families, and relationships, and it’s the supreme killer of love, joy, and peace in the heart of any Christian. Pride is the foundation of all emptiness, worries, unrest, and sorrows. It is pride that causes all other types of sins to emerge in their ugly ways and rips us apart from the truth in Jesus and the ones we love the most. Not only that, pride is incredibly blinding. We often don’t know when we are being proud, especially when we are on the verge of an argument and in the moment of pride welling up in our hearts. Pride is ultimately what keeps billions of people from seeing the light of the gospel. That’s how much of a lie the sin of pride is because pride is deception at its finest. And at its deepest, most powerful, most deceiving level, pride blinds people from Jesus and the free gift of eternal life itself. Don't be self-deceived by pride and so trust in yourself. Trust in Jesus. The Light Shines in the Darkness A child of God will never be content or at peace while also feeling proud and entitled. As Christians, we sometimes allow pride to overtake us in weak moments, but we never allow pride to take over our lives or wreak havoc in our relationships. In reality, there really is no such thing as a "proud Christian." Pride and an unworthy sinner saved by grace do not even belong in the same sentence. A child of God will never truly be able to fully rest in the assurance of salvation if they continue to give in to pride and allow it to seep into their life. The sin of pride is serious and something we must cry out to God for, confess, and truly repent of. This may not be the Christian's favorite prayer, but it's wise for us to pray for God to reveal our own pride and where we are most prone to it. We need God to shine the light on our sins for them to be exposed so that we can properly deal with them and understand their root cause - which is always pride. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overpowered it (John 1:5), But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light (Ephesians 5:13-14). We are then able to forsake those sins that are exposed by the light because we see them clearly for what they are. They are no longer hiding in darkness but exposed by the truth in Jesus. It's the truth that sets us free from sin. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). The only thing that can fight lies and win, is the Truth. It's not enough that we know the Truth. We must love and live the Truth too, which is an everyday decision that we make by God's grace. Security Vs. Assurance of Salvation The security of a believer's salvation is different than the believer's assurance of salvation. The security of salvation for a believer is fixed for eternity and never falters, and a believer can never lose his or her salvation. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand (John 10:27-28). The security of a believer's salvation is totally and utterly dependent on Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross and resurrection. However, the assurance of a believer's salvation is a feeling that depends on our speech, actions, behavior, responses, and how we live the Christian life. If we allow pride to well up time and time again and manifest into anger, bitterness, jealousy, fits of rage, dissensions, or factions, we will never feel a solid assurance of salvation. Jesus wants us to enjoy our lives and live in abundance. That means an abundance of peace and joy knowing and feeling we are eternally secure in Him! That's the greatest joy and the ultimate peace! That's a sad Christian life to live every day wondering if we're truly saved or not. Unfortunately, some believers go through the whole Christian life like that, and it's because they are simply lacking knowledge and with further understanding and clarity of Scripture comes power and peace. Or they are lacking a good Bible-believing church, a good pastor, and good Christian fellowship, which are all extremely vital to our spiritual growth in Jesus. Open your Bible, dear Christian, and allow the Scriptures to renew Your mind and grow You spiritually. When we read God's Word, it literally renews our minds and literally transforms us. That is not just a symbolic way I am speaking. It is a literal transformation and a literal heart transplant when we are born again and when we pour ourselves into God's Truth on a daily basis. God's Word is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12). In other words, God's Word is incredibly powerful with the ability to literally transform you from the inside out. The only way anyone can be transformed is by believing in the gospel and by filling our minds with the Truth of God's Word on a daily basis. The Word of God is the answer to all our life's problems and difficulties, namely sin. Wondering if we're saved or not, is not how Jesus wants us to live the Christian life. He wants us to feel confidence in Him by living the Christian life to the fullest with total assurance! That means taking up the whole armor of God every day to protect us from the lies and pride, which includes the belt of truthfulness, the breastplate of righteousness, and shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the Helmut of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. We must wear that armor every day, prepared to fight the good fight of faith every single day. The Christian life is a daily battle and one we can win because we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. The Power of the Holy Spirit The thing is, as children of God, do we not know that we have the power within us?! We are not fighting sin on our own strength. We are no longer in bondage to sin! We have the gift of the Holy Spirit! We are set free from sin in trusting in Jesus as our Savior, and we are no longer under Law but under grace. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace (Romans 6:14). God’s grace is not given to us just so we can live however we please. God’s grace is given to those who trust in Jesus so that we have the power to choose that which is good, right, and true. God’s grace is given to us so that we may turn from our own pride and turn to Him. The Holy Spirit will not condemn us but convict us and make us turn from our sin. We must never forget that we have the power of the Holy Spirit as children of God! Of course, we are far from perfect, and yes we will mess up. However, He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4). Don't forget that vital truth, Christian! Let that truth comfort you and empower you! Righteousness Produces Peace Contrary to pride, it is humility, meekness, and righteousness that produces peace in our souls and assurance of our salvation where we can bask in that glory of knowing our souls are eternally secure in Christ. And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17) Humility comes from knowing that we are undeserving of eternal life and that we all deserve hell. But by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, He has granted us eternal life! Simply amazing! True humility and meekness come by truly understanding the profoundness of that truth that is ours in Christ. While pride is the root of all sin, humility is the foundation of all virtues. Humility is at the heart of trusting in Jesus from which all other virtues flow, abound, and grow us in grace. Lord, I pray that You may give me the grace to walk on Your path humbly, with gratitude for all that I have and all that I don’t have; for all that I lack in myself but all that I possess in You. How could I ever be selfishly angry in any situation with anyone when I have been gifted the tremendous free gift of eternal life by God’s grace? Please help magnify that astounding truth deeper into my heart as I grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus through reading His Word daily. Help sharpen my eternal perspective on life so that I may see that this present suffering cannot compare to the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). I did not choose Him. But He chose me (John 15:16). That is the truth that should crush out my own pride, humble me beyond belief, and bring me to a height of joy that I cannot put into words. Help me always to take Your path, Lord because that's the only right path to take. And I know where to find Your path for me. It's found in Your Word. Knowing the will of God for my life begins by opening my Bible. Help me to open my Bible more every day and renew my mind and continue to transform me as I fill my mind with the truth in Jesus. Lord, as I delight myself in You, give me the desires of my heart! Your desires for me are the desires I desire to have! Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18 All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, I pray Amen. Love, Jenna “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. Proverbs 29:23 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 Both gentleness and meekness are born of power, not weakness. Jerry Bridges Gentleness is an active trait, describing the manner in which we should treat others. Meekness is a passive trait, describing the proper Christian response when others mistreat us. Jerry Bridges The man who is meek is not even sensitive about himself. He is not always watching himself and his own interests. He is not always on the defensive… To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, because we see there is nothing worth defending… The man who is truly meek never pities himself, he is never sorry for himself. He never talks to himself and says, “You are having a hard time, how unkind these people are not to understand you.” - Martin Lloyd-Jones Remember that if you are a child of God, you will never be happy in sin. Charles Spurgeon “For we are not saved by believing in our own salvation, nor by believing anything whatsoever about ourselves. We are saved by what we believe about the Son of God and His righteousness. The gospel believed saves; not the believing in our own faith.” - Horatius Bonar, “We are no more secure in Christ with a strong faith than with a small faith, so long as that small faith is true faith.” - Jared C Wilson “It is true that we need to make a one-time decision to follow Jesus. But a true one-time decision is followed by the everyday decision to follow Jesus.” - Mike McKinley,

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Luke 14:27-28 Dear Lord, I am immeasurably blessed to be Your child, and it is the greatest privilege on earth to be Your disciple. Everything else in this world pales in comparison to You, Jesus. You are my supreme treasure. Jesus plus nothing equals everything. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8). Come to Me Some of my favorite words that Jesus spoke were, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). As a believer, I no longer swim in sin nor enjoy the sins I once did in my unregenerate state, but I battle it. The Christian life is a battle every day. The Christian life isn’t easy, but with the Holy Spirit living inside of me, I have the grace of God with me. With the Holy Spirit, I am not alone in fighting sin, and my repentance is proven to be genuine as I continue to experience real victory over sin, which is evidence of being born again. And that brings me so much peace and joy to have the assurance of my salvation in Christ. Battling sin isn't always a walk in the park, but compared to the heavy yoke and burden of pride and sin, His yoke of humility and righteousness is easy on my shoulders. His burden is light. Lord, I praise You for lifting off the heavy burden of sin from my weary shoulders when you saved me and for placing me on Your path of righteousness for Your Name's sake. I found rest for my soul in You. I am eternally grateful! True Discipleship What did Jesus mean when He said to count the cost if we want to be His disciple? In Luke 14, Jesus lays out the terms of true discipleship. 25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:25-33). When Jesus talks about hating our own family, He means that if or when we are faced with the painful choice of loyalty to family over loyalty to Jesus, we must always choose Jesus. Even if our family disowns us for being Christian, we must choose to follow Christ instead of forsaking Christ to be accepted by our family. That's what Jesus means when He says "hate" in this passage. Jesus’ command to “hate father and mother..” requires us to place our relationship with Jesus above our relationship with our parents, spouses, siblings, and other family members. Although eternal life is a free gift by God’s grace, and the gospel is as free as the air we breathe, we must turn from our own selfish wills and turn to Jesus. We must wholeheartedly repent and put our trust in Christ alone. We must transfer our trust from ourselves to the Savior. The phrase “counting the costs” means that we first must recognize and agree to the terms that are laid out before us when we come to faith in Christ. You Must Choose When we follow Jesus, we cannot also follow the ways of the world. We cannot choose Jesus and righteousness and also choose sin and worldliness. It doesn't work that way. It can't. The two are mutually exclusive and completely incompatible. Following the system of this world that is under the dominion of Satan and following Jesus Christ are diametrically opposed. That's why true Christians in this world look like aliens and are persecuted for righteousness' sake. It's because our citizenship is in heaven. We are just pilgrims passing through. Scripture says we are foreigners and strangers in a foreign land. Our real home is in heaven. We are mainly here on this earth to shine the light and share the gospel so that others can join us in God's eternal kingdom too. We are not here just to party our lives away, laugh our lives away, work or sleep our lives away, nor are we here to live in excess and constant pleasure, and we are not to join the world in its lavish, sensual, earthly ways. We are not walking with the big crowd on the easy road that leads to destruction. We are walking with the small crowd on the hard path that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). We are walking with Jesus intimately and in close fellowship with our brothers and sisters. Counting the Cost Along with repentance and forsaking our old lifestyle of sin, counting the cost of following Christ means we may have to end certain relationships, say goodbye to certain dreams, jobs, or material things, or we may even have to give up our very own lives for the sake of Jesus. There are a lot of things in this world that don't harmonize with truly following Jesus. Following the world's system of deception along with all its false religions, human philosophies, and ideologies couldn't be more opposed to following Jesus. The two are polar opposites, and there is no gray area. This world is also not a safe world, especially for those who are true Christians (namely in other parts of the world. However more severe persecution will be upon us in the United States quicker than we think. And that's where you'll see who is really for Christ and who just professes Christ with their mouths but in their hearts are still children of the devil). The thing is, since God is for us, true believers have nothing to fear. We have Jesus and eternal life in Him, and we trust in His plan and goodness for our lives. As believers we are simply here to shine the light, and there's a cost to shining that light. When we let that light shine for Jesus, many people are not going to like it, and at times, many will hate it. So, that's another cost. The deceptive world system and all who trust in that system are hostile against God and the Truth. And we are essentially people of the Truth, living in that broken system of lies, amongst the majority who believe those lies and even love them. As a Christian, you've got to know that you're doing something right if you're hated for Jesus' sake and for living a life of holiness in a world who loves sin and debauchery. People who live in darkness hate those who carry the light because the light is the Truth, and the Truth sheds light and exposes their evil deeds. The light we carry in us disturbs the darkness that resides in them. Persecution is evidence that you're convicted of the Truth and so convicted that you're not afraid to shine that light in a dark, hostile world. Persecution is evidence of being a true child of God. Among those who are perishing, children of God are the aroma of death to death. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life (2 Corinthians 2:14-17) If the World Hates You When believers live without fear in the face of persecution, it serves as a powerful form of evangelism. It further proves the conviction Christians have in Jesus, which should be taken as a warning for those who reject the light we shine as believers. The promise of eternal life in Christ can serve as great courage to us as believers. At the same time, the courage we have often reminds unbelievers of their uncertainty of their own eternal destiny. This in part explains why Christianity spreads so well under persecution. Only true believers claim Christ and suffer for His sake, and true saving faith that is lived out in love, is a powerful testimony to the watching world. When we follow Jesus and aim to live a holy life, it will be inevitable that a sinful people who love the darkness and trust in a corrupt world system will hate us. Jesus Himself told us to expect that. 18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you (John 15:18-19). The By-Products of Faith Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, there were big crowds that followed Him around everywhere. Everyone loved the free food, healings, and miracles that Jesus did. Many thought that Jesus was cool, and He was the talk of the town. Essentially, He was considered the latest fad for many. However, Jesus knew what was in their hearts. He knew that the majority of the crowds only wanted to receive the benefits of what He did, rather than receive Jesus Himself. Many loved His miracles and gifts but not the life He was calling them to – a life of submission and holiness, forsaking themselves and trusting in Him alone. Those who follow Jesus simply for the benefits and by-products of the faith, won’t be able to stick around when trials come. They have head knowledge of Him and they may like Jesus because of what He offers, but they don't have heart knowledge of Him because they don't truly trust Him. Many who have not counted the cost will soon turn away at the idea of having to sacrifice or suffer for Christ. There was a time during Jesus’ earthly ministry when there was no longer free food, and the once cheerful crowds became resentful because Jesus was no longer giving them what their unregenerate, carnal hearts desired. Rather, He was offering them the bread of life (Himself, the Truth incarnate), which people were simply not interested in. He was offering eternal life to anyone who would receive Him, yet most people rejected His offer. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35). People don't change just because times change. It's still the same today. Most people reject Jesus, and many are self-deceived who say they believe in Jesus but still believe the world's lies, follow the system of this world, and live in unrepentant sin, falsely believing they are secure in Christ. Can't Serve Two Masters "Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33) “Renouncing” means we may have to give up something physically, but more so, it means we may have to let go of something emotionally so that what we own no longer owns us. When we become a child of God, we cannot continue to belong to this world and be in bondage to sin, idols, or continue to serve ourselves or serve money. We must make a choice, for we cannot serve two masters. We can’t serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). Saved By Grace Through Faith We cannot earn salvation by works, good deeds, or a lifestyle change, for we are saved by grace through faith alone. However, when we wholeheartedly repent and put our trust in Jesus, good fruit and holy living become a natural by-product of true saving faith in Christ and evidence of being born again into His hope. When Jesus is in control of our lives, the results are pure living and evidence of growing in holiness. Although we will stumble at times, God’s grace keeps us from falling away because He has sealed us with His Spirit the instant we believed in Him. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance in heaven (Ephesians 1:14). And God always completes the work He begins. "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). By His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, God will sanctify us in His Truth. He will grow us in holiness by the Truth of His Word, which will manifest itself in obedience, love, humility, mercy, joy, purity, peace, and persecution from the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your Word is truth (John 17:17). If we really want to follow Christ, we must first count the cost of following Him. And if we really want to follow Christ, God will give us all the grace we need to live the Christian life and let the light shine for Jesus' sake. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). Lord, it is an incredible honor to be one of Your disciples, and it is my life’s mission to share the gospel and the joy of Jesus Christ with everyone! As believers, what a tremendous privilege that we are called to, by Jesus Himself! In fact, it is the highest privilege and calling in the entire universe – sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! In Jesus’ Name, I pray amen. Love, Jenna Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 1 John 2:19 Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,22 to put off your old self,[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4: 17-24