Search

“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” (Psalm 23:4). Jesus is With Me In one of the most well-known texts in all of Scripture, we find great comfort from our Lord Jesus. “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” (Psalm 23:4). There's nothing to fear because Jesus is with me. Knowing Jesus is with me helps me walk through all kinds of valleys. Knowing Jesus is with me helps me overcome every danger, trouble, or misfortune along the way. Knowing Jesus is with me helps me understand there is nothing and no one to fear. Truly! And I know Jesus is always with me because Scripture says that Jesus dwells in my heart through faith (Eph 3:17). I carry Jesus in my heart only because Jesus is the One who holds me in the palm of His hand. He's the One who never lets me go (John 10:28). He’s the One who provides for me, protects me, and preserves me. I am His sheep. He is the True Shepherd of my soul. I hear His voice, and I follow Him. No one can snatch me out of His hand (John 10:28). Jesus is with me forever (Mat 28:20). I never have to rely on my own sheep-like strength for anything, but I can always rely on Jesus for everything since He is the True Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, and The Door of the Sheep. He gives me true rest in green pastures and true refreshment from His living waters (John 7:37-38). He provides me with daily bread for my earthly body and living bread from heaven for my eternal soul (John 6:51). He laid down His life for me so that I may live eternally. My Shepherd gives me everything I need, even His own life on the cross. What more could I want? (Psalm 23:1) Only a Shadow Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. This text doesn’t say that I walk through a valley of death by myself, but it says I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, with the Lord as my Shepherd. I don't walk alone, and although a shadow on my path may look scary, a shadow can't hurt me. Even a shadow of the deadliest weapon, poisonous snake, or ferocious wolf is still only a shadow. With every creeping shadow, I can just keep on walking by because I know Jesus is with me. When I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and follow the sound of His voice, every shadow will soon fade away. The light of Jesus overpowers all darkness and every shadow there is (John 1:5). As much as a shadow of death can't hurt me, neither can death itself. That’s because I believe in Jesus. I am eternally secure in Him. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth, and He is also my personal Savior. Jesus died for me. Jesus defeated death for me when He took my place and died on the cross for me, satisfying God's judgment and wrath against my sins. That’s why right before Jesus died, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus paid my debt in full; a debt so big it would take me longer than eternity to pay for it. It was an impossible debt I owed, but not for my Lord Jesus. He paid it all with His blood (Eph 1:7). Jesus Found Me Not only did Jesus take away all my sins on the cross, but three days later, Jesus rose again from the grave so that by grace through faith in Him, I may live forever. Jesus defeated death and accomplished salvation for me: A free gift by His grace. There’s nothing I did to earn my salvation, and there's nothing I can do to lose it either (John 10:28). Salvation is not by works or by merit. It wasn't like I was wise enough to choose Jesus and eternal life on my own, otherwise I’d really have something to boast about! Jesus even told me that I didn't choose Him, but He chose me and appointed me to bear fruit (John 15:16). And I believe Him. Therefore, the only One I can boast about is my Lord Jesus (1 Cor 1:26-31). I was the one who was lost, not Jesus. As His lost sheep, I didn't go out and find Him, but He went out and found me. And when He did, He gathered me into His arms and carried me close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11). He is the True Shepherd of my soul. In this short life, I may walk through small, medium, and even big valleys of grief, loneliness, sickness, accidents, injuries, uncertainties, failures, loss, and even disasters, but none of these should ever cause me to fear. I know Jesus is in control of everything, and Jesus is with me through them all, big and small. He even walked the deepest and darkest valley there ever was. Jesus walked that valley for me 2,000 years ago when He hung on a cross for me. He walked through the darkest valley of them all, all because He loved me. So truly, there is nothing to fear. Jesus is my Lord, my Savior, and my closest Friend. Jesus is the True Shepherd of my soul. I hear His voice, and I follow Him. Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for sending Your Son Jesus into the world to save me from my sins and gift me with eternal life. Thank You for my repentance and faith in Jesus, the True Shepherd. What a gift. Jesus is with me forever. I praise You for Your saving grace. All glory belongs to Jesus Christ, my Lord & Savior. I pray these things in Jesus's name. Amen. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. 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. John 10:2-4 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:7-9

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Matthew 28:5-6 This I Know Jesus loves me. Jesus died on the cross for me. Jesus rose again from the grave. By grace, I believe in Jesus. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is my Savior. With Jesus, there's nothing to fear. Jesus took away all my sins. Jesus saved me from judgment and hell. Jesus gifted me with eternal life. Jesus is my peace. Jesus is my greatest joy. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I love Jesus, only because Jesus first loved me. (1 John 4:19). Dear Heavenly Father, He is risen! Hallelujah! I praise You for loving me and choosing me before the foundation of the world to hear Jesus' voice, to believe in Jesus, to belong to Jesus, to follow Jesus, to learn from Jesus, to obey Jesus, to have peace in Jesus, to rejoice in Jesus, to praise Jesus, to be in awe of Jesus, and to give Jesus all the glory. He is risen indeed! I serve The Living Jesus Christ, and one day I will live and reign with Him forever in His glorious kingdom with all my brothers and sisters in Christ. The best is always yet to come because Jesus loves me. This I know because Jesus tells me so. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This I pray all in Jesus' name, amen. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 For consider your calling, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Wrath is cruel. Anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:4 Indifference or Hate On Tuesday of Holy Week, the scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees try to corner and entrap Jesus by challenging His teachings and attacking His credibility and character. To no surprise, they fail to find any fault in Him, and Jesus calls them out for being hypocrites (Read Matthew 21:23 - 23:39). In this post, we will talk about three main reasons why the Jewish leaders hated Jesus so much. What stirred up so much anger and hostility toward the One who came to die on the cross and save people from their sins? There are only three types of people in the world. There is the person who believes in Jesus. There is the person who is indifferent about Jesus. And there is the person who hates Jesus. We often find that many people are indifferent about Jesus. However, many are still fairly complimentary toward Him, even though they don’t believe in Him. People often say things like, “I don’t believe Jesus was the Messiah or the Son of God, but I believe He was a good person and a good teacher. He could’ve been a prophet.” We also find that many people react with hostility toward Jesus and the Gospel Truth. In Scripture, these people were called the scribes, Sadducees, and the Pharisees. They hated Jesus so much that they wanted to kill Him (John 5) and stone Him to death (John 8 & 10). Jesus teaches us that murder begins in the heart (Mat 5:21-22), and if uncontrolled, manifests into murderous actions. The Jewish leaders hated Jesus in their hearts, and their hatred was evident by their actions when they plotted to kill Jesus, ultimately crucifying Him on the cross. They had so much hate in their heart for Jesus that they committed the most evil, murderous act this world has ever known. Why did Jewish leaders hate Jesus so much? While there are likely many reasons, here are three main ones: They were jealous of Jesus. Wrath is cruel. Anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? (Proverbs 27:4). Nothing stirs up more hate in the human heart than jealousy. Jesus was popular. He did miracles. He attracted huge crowds who wanted to listen to His every word and care about His every move. Furthermore, while the Pharisees placed heavy burdens on their people and treated them with contempt, Jesus put His arm around tax collectors and ate meals with them. The people felt loved by Jesus while they felt judged by the Pharisees. The Pharisees witnessed multitudes of people flocking to see and listen to Jesus at every opportunity. They were jealous because of His popularity and of His power which was demonstrated through His miracles. They felt exposed by Jesus. Before Jesus’ arrival into the world, the scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees were the ones who thought they set the moral standard for everyone. They sat in the highest seats in the synagogue and were most revered for all their external virtue. But that’s all it was: external. The virtue was only a facade, and Jesus exposed them for their pretense: Jesus said to the crowds and His disciples: “For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. (Mat 23:4-5). And He said to the Jewish rulers, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! (v. 25-26) So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (v 28). (All of Matthew 23 is Jesus calling out the scribes and Pharisees) In reality, Jesus was the perfect moral standard as the Truth incarnate, while the Pharisees were only a counterfeit. Nothing exposes a counterfeit more than the presence of the genuine. When someone can’t attack the truth, they attack the credibility and character of the truth-teller, and that’s exactly what the Pharisees do to Jesus. They felt threatened by Him so they attacked Him, even though there was nothing to attack. The Pharisees were exposed by Jesus’ authenticity as He walked with true righteousness and holiness, and He spoke the truth in love. It doesn’t take brilliant discernment to tell the difference between the real and the counterfeit, in anything, especially when the two are lined up next to each other. While Jesus is the reason Christians rejoice because of His perfect righteousness, it made the Pharisees hate Him because He exposed them for what they truly were: fakes and phonies, self-righteous with empty words and unchanged hearts. The truth in Jesus didn't transform their hearts but exposed their unchanged status of condemnation. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:18). They were afraid of Jesus. We know there can be no faith when there's fear. The two can't coexist. The Pharisees were full of fear. They weren’t afraid of Jesus' judgment and eternal wrath (what they should’ve truly feared). Rather, they were afraid of what would happen to their wordly status and power on Earth. They were in a high position of power and authority and didn’t want to lose that prestige. They feared the Romans too. They were afraid that Jesus would somehow lead an insurrection and cause a revolt against Rome, which would bring war and death to them. Their fear blinded them and drove them to do everything they could to get rid of Jesus...eventually leading to the cross. Their own hate blinded them to the Truth, who literally stood right in front of them: Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. They couldn't see His truth, grace, and glory because they had no faith. And 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). It made no sense why the Jewish leaders hated Jesus so much, but that's what sin is. It's nonsense. They hated Him without a cause. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated Me without a cause' (John 15:25). They surround me with hateful words and attack me without a cause (Psalm 109:3). Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for loving the world so much that You sent Your only Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for me too. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He was raised for me too. Father, thank You for choosing me before the foundation of the world, thank You Jesus for making the way possible for me to be saved, and thank You Holy Spirit for leading me in the Truth and guaranteeing my entrance into Your Heavenly Kingdom. All glory belongs to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! In Jesus' name I pray Amen. “If the world hates 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, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. Matthew 15:18-20 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:16-21

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 "Atheist: If God created the universe then who created God? Me: If a baker baked a cake then who baked the baker?" - Unknown The Sky Above The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, who voice is not heard (Psalm 19:1-3). This is one of the clearest declarations in Scripture that nature itself proves there’s a Creator. Not only that, it proclaims His greatness. God’s glory is everywhere, and He makes Himself plain and obvious to all in what has been created. Nobody can deny God’s existence. People have ample proof telling them that God exists. Scripture says, For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse (Rom 1:19-20). Nobody can stand before God on Judgment Day and claim they didn’t know there was a God. Ignorance will be no excuse. God has so clearly demonstrated His existence to the whole world since the beginning of creation that knowledge of His existence is inescapable. Scientific Proof Information is always understood as the product of intelligence. We always recognize the information as a work of the mind, not as blind luck or mere chance. For example, when we look at a painting, we don’t think the painting just appeared out of nowhere. We don’t even have faith there was a painter. We know for a fact there was a painter because paintings don’t paint themselves. A painting is scientific proof of a painter. We know there is intelligence behind the product. So, when we look at the breathtaking creation all around us, we see scientific proof of a Creator. Birds, butterflies, flowers, trees, clouds, rainbows, mountains, oceans, the sun, moon, and stars, kittens, puppies, you and me: these are all clear signs and scientific proof of an Intelligent Designer, who is none other than the God of Scripture. Since God is the One who invented science, we can use His awesome tools to explore and understand the world around us. The more we discover of the world through science, the more evidence we collect that God is the One responsible for all of nature and its laws; and the more glory we give to Him. As Christians, we know that He upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3) and we know that everything flows from His Creative Hand alone. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:3). A Peculiar Faith Contrary to the peculiar faith of the atheist that believes nothing created everything, the Christian believes the eternal God created everything. “Atheism is a strange thing. Even the devils never fell into that vice, for the devils also believe and tremble’ (James 2:19).” – CH Spurgeon. In short, atheists deny God’s handiwork not because they don’t believe in His existence but because they don’t want to be held accountable for their sins. Atheism comes down to this: They don’t want to submit to a moral and just God so they deny His existence altogether. But Scripture says that everyone knows there’s a God, even atheists. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to Him (Rom 1:21). What's just as bad as atheism is its close cousin: agnosticism. The agnostic doesn't flat out deny God's existence. The agnostic just says they can't be totally sure if there is a God.They believe there isn't sufficient evidence to come to any real conclusion on the matter. The agnostic often says they believe in a "higher power," but they're not quite sure what that higher power is and if we'd even assign the name "God" to it. The agnostic is not only unwilling to affirm God's existence but also blames their own unwillingness on God for not giving sufficient evidence of His existence. In that case, agnosticism is worse than atheism. To blame God for one's own sin is what Adam did in the garden. That's taking it to whole another level than the atheist. Not Intellectual but Moral In the end, affirming the existence of God does not come down to an intellectual problem but a moral one. According to Scripture, a fool is not one who is intellectually deficient but morally bankrupt. And the one who is morally bankrupt is the one who is unwilling to affirm God's existence. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1) Scripture goes on to say, For even though they knew God, they did not honor God or give thanks to Him but became futile in their speculations and their foolish hearts was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:21). The basic sin of the whole human race and the sin we've all been guilty of is the sin of refusing to honor God at the very first moment we became aware of His existence. We have all refused to give the proper acknowledgement, honor, and gratitude to our Creator. This is until God Himself graciously opens the eyes of our hearts to see the light Gospel and be saved through faith in His Son, Jesus. Then the whole world looks different! The sky above is more beautiful than ever. Trees are cooler than you've ever seen. There's a whole different sparkle to everything after putting your faith in Jesus and knowing you're eternally secure in Him. The biggest problem with the atheist and agnostic is not that they don't know God but that they refuse to acknowledge what they know to be true in their hearts, and that's deception at its root. No matter how hard anyone tries to escape the knowledge of God, all the unbelief, disinterest, or apathy in the matter has no power to destroy Him or escape the grim reality of His coming judgment. The reality of God's existence is not dependent on our finite thinking, nor our feelings or personal preferences. God exists whether the Christian believes in Him or the atheist and agnostic does not believe in Him. Sadly, the same God atheists and agnostics reject is the One who is willing to forgive them of all their sins if only they would turn to Him. He is willing to gift them with eternal life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and give them real purpose, significance, and peace in their lives. And even still, they don't want a loving God. They prefer their sin. They don't see the Gospel as good news but as bad news that God even exists at all. That makes me feel sad for Jesus that people hate Him that much they deny His existence altogether. They deny the One who loves them the most! If only they knew who they were rejecting. Special Revelation The testimony of the universe comes forth consistently and clearly, but mankind continues to reject what is plain and obvious; the fact there is a Creator. General revelation (what we perceive with our eyes) is not sufficient to save sinners, but it certainly makes us all highly accountable (Rom 1:18). General revelation is meant to point us to the Bible, where God graciously gives us His special revelation. When a person first believes the light he or she has been given through general revelation and desires to know his/her Creator more, God will grant them even more light. He will send His special revelation to that person...the Gospel Message. Salvation comes ultimately through special revelation, the Word of God, carried by the Holy Spirit. We can’t just look around the world and believe in the existence of God if we want to go to heaven. That's not true saving faith. In fact, that's not even faith at all. That's just intellectual assent to God's existence, which will only make those more culpable on Judgement Day for rejecting His special revelation. We need personal faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved from our sins and granted eternal life. We need to have a proper relationship with God, and that comes only by God’s grace when we repent of our sins and trust in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. It begins with general revelation and acknowledging God in His magnificent creation; the heavens, the sky above, and everything we see with our eyes, but it doesn’t end there. We must come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in our hearts, by believing in the saving Gospel message. So faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17). (The Word of Christ means the message concerning Christ; The Gospel). He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). (The ones who are eternally rewarded are those who don't stop at general revelation but diligently seek Him through special revelation, His Word). "You never meet an atheist who wishes God is true. It's because they don't want God to be true." RC Sproul "The question of the existence of God can never be resolved on the basis of our psychology." RC Sproul

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules. Ezekiel 36:26-27 Controlling Our Emotions with Truth In ancient Hebrew and Greek, the heart was considered the seat of knowledge, thinking, and understanding; the place of moral responsibility. In Scripture, the heart is the mind and will of a person, and that includes emotions. The heart believes and thinks. The heart can either believe God's Word and think good and true things (Phil 4:9), or it can disbelieve God's Word and think twisted and false things. Emotions come only in response to what the heart believes and thinks. Emotions respond to whatever the heart perceives to be true, even if it's not true. The "secret" to controlling our emotions is continuously filling our minds with the truths of Scripture and believing what God says. Please note, I will be using the terms heart and mind interchangeably in this post. Those of us who have a hard time controlling our emotions don't have an emotional problem but a mental one. (We all struggle with this to one degree or another). When emotions get in front of the mind, problems will arise. Before we allow our emotions to take over, we should pause and ask ourselves, "Am I trusting in God's Word, or am I trusting in how I feel? Am I being humble or proud? Am I believing true things or false things?" We indirectly control our emotions when we primarily control the mind. We must first make it a habit to feed on divine truth with our minds, believe the truth in our hearts, and then allow the truth to reign in our lives and rule over our emotions. But when we allow our emotions to reign and rule, we aren't even able to receive truth, let alone submit to it. Emotions can blind us when they get in front of the mind. When we put the "cart before the horse," things don't usually work out too well. May the Word of God, planted in our hearts, be far more powerful to us than our own feelings. May the Word of God lead and control us instead of our feelings. Emotions are Important Christianity doesn't do away with emotions. It just regulates them. Emotions are good signals and supporters of what we believe and think in our hearts, when what we believe is true. So I'm not saying to ignore how we feel! Emotions are important. They're part of being created in God's image. They bring color into our lives! Emotions allow us to relate to one another and bond with our family and friends. Without any emotion, life would be un-motivating and daunting. Life would hardly be called "life," without feeling the world around us. Our feelings can be good signals that we ought to pay attention to. The Lord gave us gut feelings and intuitions for a reason. These built-in mechanisms can alert us to dangerous situations and warn us about manipulative people and wolves in sheep's clothing. Furthermore, they can give us feelings of either peace or unrest about an important decision we make. Not only that, God commands us to feel! All throughout Scripture, it says to rejoice always (Phil 4:4, 1 Thess 5:16), delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:3), be glad and shout for joy (Psalm 32:11), cherish and relish His commandments (Psalm 112:1). Our feelings matter greatly to the Lord, and joy is not an option for the Christian! Obedience without affection is legalism, but obedience that takes delight in obeying God is true love. If we're obeying God without any feelings for Him, we should really pause and examine our own hearts to see if we're truly in the faith. Our feelings are never to be ignored or discounted. They are good signals that God has given to help us navigate this life and serve Him from the heart. So we see that emotions can make for good supporters, but they are never reliable leaders. We should never allow our feelings to determine our actions or truth. They can't be the final word. God's Word is the final Word. The Remedy Daily meditating on the truth, especially the truth of the Gospel and our election, is the remedy to gaining control over our emotions. Over time, this powerful little habit will make a huge impact on how we think, feel, and operate in both favorable and unfavorable circumstances, big and small. That's why Scripture says to renew our minds in the truth (Rom 12:2, Eph 4:23). I'm not saying it's easy, but it is simple, and it works. Daily feeding on God's Word and meditating on Scripture answers all our emotional problems. When we meditate on the truth that our biggest problem was solved 2,000 years ago on a cross, we realize that all our current problems are much, much smaller. Remembering and pondering the glorious truth that Jesus died for me and forgave me all my sins, saved me from an eternity in hell, and gifted me with eternal life instead, really helps me regulate my emotions! The truth of the Gospel is humbling. The truth of predestination and election is humbling. The truth kills my pride and helps me let go of any angst or self-pity I have about any seemingly "unfair" circumstances I'm in. It also helps me let go of anger, resentment, or any unforgiveness I may have toward anyone who has wronged me. When I ponder Jesus and what He has done for me for even a few minutes, my emotions stop ruling over me so intensely. When put into practice, it has proven to be a 100% success rate, and it's the best reality check there is. In fact, when I think about how Jesus died for me, all my negative thoughts and feelings get replaced with feelings of gratitude and words of praise. There's just no room for anger, worry, or complaining in a thankful heart. A Strong Heart is a Peaceful One In Part 1, we read about how God gives us a new heart through faith in Christ. We learned that we are to guide and guard our hearts in the truth. But how do we grow and strengthen our hearts in the truth? In his letter to the Colossians, Paul says, "I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf...that their hearts may be encouraged (strengthened) (Col 2:1). The Greek word Paul uses is parakaleō, which gives the three-fold definition of strength, courage, and comfort. A strong heart is one that holds on to its convictions and principles. A strong heart holds on to the truth, but never by its own strength. Jesus tells His disciples that He will send a Helper, One who will strengthen, encourage, comfort, and be with them forever (John 14:16). When we were given new hearts through faith in Christ, we were also given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help us become stronger and stronger in our convictions and the things we believe about Jesus, who will guard our hearts from deception and guide us into all truth (John 16:13). When we yield our lives to the Holy Spirit, He will transform us into the image of Christ from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). When we make it a habit to feed on God's Word, pray to our Heavenly Father in Jesus' name, and submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit's leading in our lives, He will continue to strengthen our hearts in the truth. That's why Jesus says, "Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27). When we trust Jesus and believe the Truth, the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts (Col 3:15). And we will rejoice and be glad, giving glory to God. Dear Heavenly Father, May Your Word continue to transform my heart to think, speak, and act more and more like Jesus, by the Power of the Holy Spirit. May the truth of the Gospel continue to soften my heart. May I never be afraid because I know Jesus is in control, and I trust in Him with all my heart. After all, He's the One who gave me a new one <3 All glory belongs to Jesus. This I pray in His name, amen. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:26-27 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:7-9 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and My Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 The Lord Knows Our Hearts For man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (Samuel 16:7). Only God knows a person’s true character because only God knows a person's heart. Only He can look into our hearts to examine our thoughts, intentions, and what we truly believe. He knows everything there is to know about us. We can't hide from Him. For the believer, what a comforting truth that is! For whenever our heart condemns us, we know that God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything (1 John 3:20). God is greater than our feelings of guilt, and He is greater than our sins. God is greater than our hearts. In Scripture, the term "heart" is what we would now refer to as the mind. We don't find the word "brain" anywhere in the Bible. That's because in ancient Hebrew and Greek, the heart was considered the seat of knowledge, thinking, and understanding; the place of moral responsibility. The heart is a person’s intellect and will: one’s inner moral and spiritual life. The heart is what God is going to judge, whether it be righteous or rebellious, obedient or disobedient, believing or unbelieving. Please note that I will be using the terms heart and mind interchangeably in this post. A New Heart According to Scripture, The heart is deceitful above all else and desperately wicked; who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds" (Jeremiah 17:9-10). We're all born in sin with a heart that can't do anything but sin. Scripture says that even our most righteous acts are filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6), when not done through faith in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). That's why we must be born again and given a new heart; a heart that desires the things God loves and turns away from the things God hates. We must be given a righteousness that is not our own. and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Phil 3:9). The moment we first believe in Jesus, the Lord puts His Spirit in us, removes our heart of stone, and gives us a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). We are justified through faith and clothed in Jesus' robe of perfect righteousness. We are made new creatures in Christ. The old things have passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through the new birth, God gives us new hearts with new natures and new desires to be able to walk in His ways (Ezekiel 11:19-20). It's a Gift Just like there's nothing we can do to earn or keep our salvation, there's nothing we can do to receive a new heart. Just like we could never cause our physical birth, we could never cause our spiritual birth. And we certainly can't turn from our sins and muster up an obedient heart in our own strength. That's impossible. This is only done by divine grace. Scripture says that according to God's mercy, He is the One who causes us to be born again into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). He chose to give us birth through the word of truth (James 1:18). Furthermore, the Lord says,“I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” So then, it does not depend on the person who wants it nor the one who runs, but on God who has mercy (Romans 9:17). (See also Titus 3:5). We receive a new heart only because God is merciful. Scripture also says that anyone who comes to Jesus, He will certainly not drive away (John 6:37). God will never reject any sinner who comes to Jesus with childlike faith. Salvation, which includes being given the Holy Spirit and a new heart, is a sheer gift from God. No saved sinner could ever boast that he achieved salvation by his own intellect. We only can choose and love Jesus when He first chooses and loves us (John 15:16, 1 John 4:19). Scripture says that salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8, 62:1, Jonah 2:9). This means every single aspect of our salvation, including a new heart, is from God and is utterly dependent upon God. The only contribution we make to our salvation is our sins that Jesus took away from us on the cross. God gets all the glory! Everything Flows From It If we want to live self-controlled lives in all manner of behavior, we must guard our hearts with the truth. Scripture explains that everything we do flows from our hearts and that we must guard them with all vigilance. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). A guarded heart is one that believes and obeys the truth, discerns deception, and rejects lies from corrupting it. Scripture also says that what's down in our hearts will come out of our mouths. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45). We must plant the truth of God's Word in our hearts through faith to control how we talk and behave. We can't hide what's in our hearts for very long. Sooner or later, what's down in our hearts will come out of our mouths, manifest in our actions, spill out into our lives, and point in the direction of our eternities. Our words, actions, attitudes, and overall pattern of our lives will flow from what we believe to be true in our hearts, and it’ll be clear to a watching world whom we follow and what we believe. We must first guide our hearts to receive truth, and then we must guard our hearts in the truth. In turn, our behavior will reflect the truth that we believe; namely that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Guarded in the Truth When we guard our hearts in the truth, we will believe and obey the Lord by His grace, and the fruits of the Holy Spirit will show up in our lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will generally mark the lives of those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation. These attitude fruits can only flow from a heart that is guarded in the Truth. As fallen creatures living in a fallen world, these fruits won't show up perfectly, and in certain seasons of our Christian walk, we may bear little fruit to the naked eye. But we know that God knows everything, and He is greater than our hearts. Oh, how comforting that is to the struggling Christian! Nonetheless, the fruits of the Holy Spirit will be ever-increasing in our lives as we continue to walk by faith; as we continue to trust and obey God's command to 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). To be continued...

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (Photo credit goes to my brother, Matthew. He and his wife Jenny spotted a bald eagle together, a rare sighting). “God helps those who cannot help themselves.” - Charles Spurgeon Have You Not Heard? During the time of Isaiah, Israel suffered a period of great political oppression as the Assyrians invaded and conquered their lands. Isaiah chapters 40-48 proclaim God’s promises of redemption and deliverance from their enemies. And they all begin with the word, comfort. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God...that her iniquity is pardoned (Isaiah 40:1-2). Israel almost gave up all hope, thinking God had abandoned them to their enemy. But that was certainly not the case! Isaiah writes, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to Him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:27-31). We are comforted when we trust in God’s unwavering character. We are comforted when we think of His mercy, saving grace, and the forgiveness of our sins. We are comforted when we trust in His promise of eternal life through faith in Christ. And He strengthens us when we wait patiently for Him. Eagles' Wings In Ancient Hebrew culture, eagles were depicted as powerful warriors who were also very protective of their young. Eagles are known for their strength and courage, soaring above stormy clouds and guarding their eaglets from all sorts of predators. In Scripture, the term eagles’ wings is commonly used to describe one who possesses the great characteristics of the eagle. In Exodus, we also find the term eagles’ wings in how God faithfully delivered Israel out of Egypt. “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession (19:4-5). We prove to be the children of God when we lovingly obey Him and keep His Word. We don’t obey God to be saved. We obey Him because we already are. It's God who puts His Spirit in us and causes us to walk in His ways (Ezekiel 36:27), and keeps us forever. We obey Him because He's carried us on eagles' wings and brought us to Himself. We obey Him because we belong to Him and we trust Him. He is our Father, and we are His children; His treasured possession. Isaiah ascribes the phrase wings like eagles to those who remain faithful to God; to those who obey Him from the heart, by His grace. The phrase, mount up in Hebrew means to go up, to ascend, to rise over a boundary. Isaiah writes that the Lord will provide renewed strength and confidence to overcome all obstacles. If only Israel would wait for the LORD; if only they would trust in His sovereignty; if only they would be patient in His timing, they will mount up on wings like eagles. And like an eagle to its young, the Lord protects and preserves His own. They will never perish. No one can snatch them out of His hand (John 10:28). More Than Conquerors It's simple (yet not always easy). When we trust in the Lord and wait for Him, we are comforted and strengthened. When we trust in Jesus and wait for the One who defeated death on our behalf and accomplished our salvation through His life, death, and resurrection, He will comfort us through our earthly trials and give us strength to overcome them all. What we cannot do for ourselves, Christ has already done for us, namely our salvation. The Lord comforts us and renews our strength when we’re feeling weary or faint by reminding us of who He is and what He’s already accomplished for us on the cross. May we continuously be reminded that He has forgiven us all our iniquities and saved us from the horrible reality of hell. May we continuously be reminded that we have eternal life, through faith in Christ. May we continuously be reminded that we are the children of God, and we will never perish. What could be a more comforting and empowering reality than all those things?! When we make it a daily habit to meditate on the Gospel and set our minds on things above, it will be a continuous reminder of God’s mercy and glorious grace. Keeping an eternal perspective like that will change the way we see our earthly circumstances, big or small. As believers, we know if His grace is sufficient to save us, His grace is sufficient to carry us safely through all life’s temptations and trials to our heavenly home. When we wait for the Lord, He will cause us to mount up on wings like eagles, and we shall run without weariness in the soul and walk without being faint of heart. What could give us more comfort, strength, and joy than knowing that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and granted us eternal life in Him, by grace through faith? Jesus paid it all! We know that in all things, including death itself, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us (Rom 8:37). Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for who You are. Lord, You are my comfort and my strength. I know I can’t help myself. My help comes from You alone. Lord, help me to not grow weary in doing well, for in due time I will reap a harvest, if I do not give up (Gal 6:9). Lord, help me trust in You and wait patiently for You, in all things. Lord, help me to be a comfort to other Christians in their own unique walk with Jesus by reminding them of the ultimate - You have forgiven all our iniquities, and we have eternal life in Him. May I encourage them to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of Your might (Eph 6:11), through all earthly trials knowing that we have overcome the world, through faith in Christ (1 John 5:4-5). (By the gift of Your grace)! May the Gospel soften our hearts. All glory belongs to Jesus, our Lord and Savior! I pray all of this in Jesus' name. Amen. that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Eph 3:16-17 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2 “I’m sure of my salvation because I am sure of my Savior.” - RC Sproul

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:1-2 Psalm 62 1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah 5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah 9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, 12  and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work. My Rock, Salvation, and Fortress He alone is my rock, salvation, and fortress. I shall not be greatly shaken (Psalm 62:2). Rather than being anxious or fearful about my external circumstances and the attacks of the enemy, I can have a quiet and bold confidence, a stillness in my heart, and a security in my soul because I know the Lord is my rock, salvation, and fortress. He is unmovable, unshakeable, and unchanging (Heb 13:8). A rock and a fortress symbolizes strength, stability, and permanence. Putting my hope and trust in other sources of strength, I will always be disappointed. But trusting in the Ultimate Source of strength, the Lord God Almighty, I will always overcome! (1 John 5:4-5). In Him alone do I put my trust because He alone is my salvation. My confidence is in the One who died for me, that I may live to God. Steal, Kill, and Destroy The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The attacks of the enemy come in a variety of forms, but his end goal is always to steal, kill, and destroy; perhaps steal our time and energy, kill our joy and peace, or (attempt to) destroy our confidence in God. Oftentimes, the enemy comes disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14); a wolf dressed up as a sheep (Mat 7:15). He comes professing Jesus with his lips but denying Him as his Master and Lord of his life (2 Pet 2:1); professing to know Jesus in his heart but denying Him by his actions (Titus 1:16); creating confusion and division in sneaky, subtle ways. Our enemies can be two-faced or double-minded; they say one thing yet mean another. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths but inwardly they curse (Psalm 62:4). The enemy attacks in a way someone might kick down a leaning wall or a tottering fence (62:4). The enemy studies us, knows our weaknesses, and our weak points of entry. The enemy looks for every opportunity to divide families and the body of Christ. He looks for every opportunity to tempt, confuse, discourage, wear us out, knock us down, ruin our reputation, or worse yet, ruin our testimony of Christ. The Object of My Faith Many times I am a leaning wall or a tottering fence. My faith is weak, but I know it's not my faith that saves me. It's the Object of my faith that saves me; and that's Jesus, my Savior. It's better to be a leaning wall on the real Lord Jesus Christ than a steel building built on a jesus of my imagination. My confidence is not in myself or in my own faith but my confidence is in Christ alone. I am weak, but I know my Lord is strong. He is my rock and my refuge. He is my salvation! He died on the cross for me, was ressurected from the grave, and granted me eternal life, by the gift of His grace! Therefore, I will not be greatly shaken, and I will trust in Him at all times! When the enemy attacks, I will pour my heart out to Him, and my soul will wait for Him in silence, for my hope is from Him alone (62:5). All I need to do is wait on the Lord because vengeance belongs to Him alone (Rom 12:19), as He calls me to pray for my enemies (Mat 5:44), that they may repent, believe in Jesus, and be saved too. Where God is all-powerful, the schemes of people operating under the influence of Satan and his demons are powerless. Their influence is nothing compared to the supremacy and omnipotence of Christ, the Object of my faith. As believers, we know that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Our quiet and bold confidence, stillness of heart, and security in our souls come from trusting in God at all times. He knows all things. He’s everywhere all the time. He sees and judges all things, and on all those who believe, He has mercy. Those who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, have nothing and no one to fear, ever. Those who reject Jesus, are indifferent to Jesus, are lukewarm about Jesus, or believe in a false jesus have everything to fear, now and for all eternity. Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You that You are my Rock, Salvation, and Fortress. Nothing and no one can greatly shake me when my trust is in You, the unshakeable foundation on which I stand confidently and securely, in this life and throughout all eternity. Father, I praise You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for me on the cross, save me from my sins, and gift me with eternal life, by grace through faith in Him alone. I praise You for Your justice, mercy and saving grace! I praise You for choosing me before the foundation of the world and gifting me with genuine repentance and saving faith (no matter how weak it may be) in my strong Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Object of my faith. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name, I pray amen. If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a sick craving for controversial questions and disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:3-10 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:19-20

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4 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 Light & Darkness In Scripture, the words “light” and “darkness” are often symbolic. Intellectually, “light” refers to God's wisdom and biblical truth, while “darkness” refers to ignorance and lies. Morally, “light” refers to purity and holiness while “darkness” refers to sin and wrongdoing. In Scripture, Jesus is the Ultimate Light. He is the highest, truest, purest wisdom that exists since He is our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). Jesus is called the Light of the world, and whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but have the light of life (John 8:12). God is the provider of light through Jesus (2 Corinth 4:6) and in our future eternity, He will be the source of light (Rev 21:23). There will be no need for the sun in eternity. Visible Light & Gospel Light Visible light is a great necessity, yet Gospel Light is an even greater necessity. Visible light gives sight to our eyes and warmth to our bodies, plus many other wonderful blessings. Visible light helps us to know where we’re going and how to safely get to our next destination. In the same way, Gospel Light gives sight and warmth to us as well. But the value of it is infinitely more precious than even the rising sun. It lights up the eyes of our hearts with the Truth and brings eternal life, plus all the spiritual blessings in Christ in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3). In the eternal sense, Gospel Light helps us to see where we’re going and how to safely get to our final destination: Heaven. The same God who spoke physical light into existence is the One who must speak supernatural light into the soul and bring sinners out of darkness into His kingdom of light. The light is the knowledge of the glory of God shone in Jesus Christ. When we were dead in our sins and first believed the saving Gospel message, the Lord granted us life by shining spiritual light into our hearts, awakening us to the truth of who we are, who God is, and how to find eternal life in Him: by repenting of our sins and trusting in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Possessing Gospel light separates believers from the world as God’s children and heirs of His Kingdom of light. We are set apart for good works (Eph 2:10), the purpose of His will, and the praise of His grace (Eph 1:5-6). The Greatest Miracle Since we've been given Gospel Light, we believe everything God says in His Word. God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105), as the Holy Spirit illumines truth in our minds and helps us walk in holiness on the path to our heavenly home. The Bible is the Instructions Manual to life. God tells us all we need to know and always grants us more wisdom when we ask Him for it (James 1:5). With Gospel Light, we can see the reality of this world and both heaven and hell, as God grants us wisdom to rightly understand all that He has chosen to reveal in His Word. Even the weakest believer who possesses Gospel Light is still infinitely wiser than the most educated unbeliever. With Gospel Light, we know the reason for our existence, our ultimate purpose, and why God still has us in this world (We're here to glorify God in every single thing we do, love and serve one another, and be a witness to the truth in Jesus. We are here to shine the Gospel Light while we still can). With Gospel Light, we never need to fear a thing because we know our final destination is heaven and that we'll arrive safely with Jesus. With Gospel Light, we know how the world began, how it’s going, and how it’ll end. With Gospel Light, we’re able to see our sin as more deadly, God as more holy, receive Jesus as our Savior fully, be saved eternally, walk in the truth wholeheartedly, and rejoice unendingly in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. Nothing shines brighter than Jesus, yet He is so gentle on our eyes that we will gaze at Him forever in eternity. To have been given visible light and the shining sun is a miraculous gift, but to have been given Gospel Light, by grace through faith in Jesus, who is the Light of the world, is an infinitely more miraculous gift. Visible light is a miracle, but Gospel Light is a bigger miracle. The greatest miracle God performs is the salvation of a soul. Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for sending your Son Jesus into the world to be the Light of the world. Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins, rose again from the dead, and granted me eternal life by grace through faith in Him. Father, thank You for helping me see the light of the gospel in all its glory! Thank you for granting me spiritual light so that I may have eternal life. Father, I ask that You shine the Gospel Light into hearts that are still darkened to give them the light of the knowledge of Your glory in Jesus. Help me to carry the Gospel Light everywhere I go and let it shine brightly for all to see, as You do the saving of souls! But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us (2 Cor 4:7). All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name I pray amen. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 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 4:3-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 1 Peter 1:3 Praise Be to God Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3-7 Peter calls us to praise God for the reality of being saved. To receive an eternal inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading that can never be taken away, and to receive a faith that holds on to it by God's power, is something to praise God for every day. To be given a faith in Jesus that endures and perseveres through every trial, so that no matter how difficult the trial, it becomes the evidence of our faith and not the destruction of it. This is a most precious thing to see when our faith endures through our trials because it's evidence of our salvation. Trials reveal our faith, and enduring faith reveals salvation has truly taken place. And that reality ought to result in praise, glory, and honor to God every day. This is why James tells us to count it all joy when facing trials of many kinds (James 1:2) A Loving & Saving God Every day in this New Year, let us praise God for who He is. Scripture tells us that He is a loving God and a saving God by nature. He is a God who loves sinners and is able and willing to save them. He demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:9-10). The Lord desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4), and He’s not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek 18:23). Our Lord is a loving Savior by nature. Let us praise Him for who He is! Salvation Belongs to the Lord Every day in this New Year, let us praise God for what He’s freely given us, namely our salvation in Christ. Scripture tells us that salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8) and that we were loved and chosen before the foundation of the world to be saved according to His will, to the praise of His grace (Eph 1:4-6, 11-12). Salvation is from God, by God, and for God, as we receive the immense benefits of it! Salvation is a free gift. There’s nothing we can do to earn our salvation. By the deeds of the Law no one will be justified before God (Romans 3:20, Gal 2:16). We are saved by grace alone through faith alone. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph 2:8-9). Even our repentance and faith in Jesus is a gift by God's grace. No saved sinner can ever boast that he achieved salvation by his own good works or intellect. We could never be wise enough to choose eternal life on our own. That wisdom can only come from above and bestowed on us by God's grace. We are only able to choose Jesus because He first chose us. (John 15:16) We are only able to love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Apart from God, we can't do anything to obtain our salvation. And once we're saved there’s nothing we can do to lose it either (John 10:28, 18:9, 6:37, 1 Pet 1:5, Phil 1:6, Heb 7:25). As much as we are saved by God’s grace, we are also kept by God’s grace (John 10:28, Phil 1:6). Salvation is truly all of grace and belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8). Every day in this New Year, let us praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us. But above and beyond all else, let us praise Him for our salvation. Let us praise Him for the deliverance He has provided us from sin, death, judgment, and hell through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. He died on the cross for our sins, paid the penalty in full as our Perfect Substitute, and He rose again from the dead, so that by grace through faith in Him, we may have eternal life. Let us praise God every single day here on earth, knowing that one day we will spend all eternity praising Him for who He is and for our salvation. Proclaim the good tidings of His salvation day to day (Psalm 96:2). Dear Heavenly Father, Every day in this New Year and beyond, may I give You thanks and praise for who You are and what You’ve given me through Your Son, Jesus. You've given me eternal life, not because You saw anything good or deserving in me but because of who You are. You are good, kind, and rich in mercy, and for whatever reason, You chose me because You loved me. For whatever Your reason, it was pleasing to You to give me eternal life through faith in Jesus. Talk about winning the lottery! The eternal riches in Christ, You chose to give to me! How could I ever let a day go by without giving You praise for Your grace? You've given me a heavenly inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven by You, and I am being guarded by Your power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:4-5). These are the things that You want me to set my mind on as I go about my day. Lord, Help me to set my mind on these glorious things! Please help me set my mind on things above where Christ is seated and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). Lord, just as You did for me, I ask that You work Your divine grace in the hearts of those who need You as their loving Savior. I ask that You have mercy on them like you did me and save them from their sins, gifting them with eternal life in Christ Jesus. Help me speak confidently and boldly about Jesus to others. Give me an earnestness and a burden to reach the lost. Help me to be a faithful message carrier of Your salvation to everyone as You do the choosing and the saving. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In His Name I pray Amen. 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks faith, let him ask of God who gives to you generously and without reproach and it will be given to you. James 1:2-4 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4