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For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 I was a tomboy growing up. I didn't like wearing dresses. When I was little I wished I was a boy. But I never told anyone that because even as a child I knew that was wrong. God made me to be a girl! And now because of Jesus, I love the woman I've become through faith in Him. I am thankful to be a girl and created in His image. Most of all, I am thankful my Mom, my Dad, and my brother Matthew believe in Jesus. That's what gives me a light heart. That's what brings me the most peace and joy in my life. Jesus loves my family. And He loves me too. Heaven is our Home. I’m thankful for... Jesus. my faith in Jesus. my family and their faith in Jesus. the life He’s given us now, and the gift of eternal life He’s promised us. I’m thankful for the forgiveness of my sins. being saved by His grace.   I’m thankful for... the Lord’s sovereignty. His perfect will. His timing and seasons. His goodness and faithfulness. His mercy and grace. His patience and gentleness with me. I’m thankful for... God’s written Word. His wisdom, discernment, and understanding He grants me through the gift of The Holy Spirit.   I’m thankful for... being able to come to my Heavenly Father at any time. the privilege of prayer and communion with Him. knowing Jesus is with me throughout my whole day, every day, and every night. I'm thankful for... the Lord's beauty, creativity, and sense of humor shown through my joyful dog, Monkee and everything He has made.   I’m thankful for... my dog, Monkee and every good and perfect gift from Above, as well as every trial that God works together for my good to make me more like Jesus and prepare me for eternity.   I’m thankful... that I can share all my joys with Him as well as my sorrows. Jesus hears. Jesus cares.   I’m thankful... because Jesus knows me, chose me, died for me, rose again, saved me by grace through faith, and loves me forever. I'm thankful to... Jesus for Him and for everything. for it is all from Him, through Him and to Him. To Him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 "It's all about Jesus." - Charlie Kirk But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, 5  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— 6  and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7  so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8  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. 10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:31-32 Truly His Jesus' true disciples know the Truth. We know that Jesus is God (John 1:1). We know that Jesus is who He claims to be as The Messiah (John 4:25-26). We know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). Therefore, we believe everything that Jesus says, and we continue in His Word by His grace. We are truly His. He Keeps You Even true disciples though will have far from perfect faith and obedience. So, do not be discouraged, Christian. It's not about your pefection or performance in your walk with Jesus. It's about your secured position in Him and your direction toward Heaven. Even though true disciples may stumble at times, Jesus keeps you from ever falling away (Jude 1:24). Jesus is the One who keeps you in the palm of His hand (John 10:28). Jesus is the One who guides you on paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3). Jesus is the One who upholds you with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:11). Scripture says that He even broadens the path so your feet don't slip (Psalm 18:36). Yes, true disciples will often battle against sin and temptation and struggle to obey at times. But, true disciples will look to Jesus through every trial and make a practice of righteousness rather than sin (Rom 6:16-18). Jesus will always teach you the right way to go and forever keep you as truly His, Christian. From The Heart It's not about the strength of your faith or how well or big you perform in the Christian life. What matters is the Object of your faith and that you believe Jesus from the heart. And when you truly believe in Jesus, you will desire to obey Him from the heart! What you believe in your heart will be evident in what you produce in your life. Jesus tells His disciples that "you will know someone by their fruit" (Matthew 7:15-20). You won’t just profess "Jesus is Lord" and sing "Christ is King" and then continue in unrepentant sin as if He wasn't Lord and King (Titus 1:16). As truly His, you will show the evidence of God’s grace working in your heart and the sovereign, transforming power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Furthermore, you will will not only know the Truth, but your eyes will be opened to a greater understanding of it (1 John 5:20), as you continue in His Word, growing in His grace and knowledge.  Freedom From Sin True disciples not only know the Truth but find freedom in the Truth because Jesus says,  “And the truth will set you free”  (v 32). During Jesus' time, the Jews were living under the oppression of the Roman government, but Jesus was not talking about earthly or political freedom. In verse 34, Jesus clarifies by saying,  “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” Being a slave to sin represents the ultimate form of slavery. Jesus was talking about the bondage deep in the human heart; the will of a person. Through the new birth, you've been set free from the bondage of sin and welcomed as a member into God's own family. Because you've been given a new heart through saving faith, you now live under God's grace where you want to obey Jesus . You are now willing and free to obey Jesus from the heart! You can only do this by His power through the faith that He gives to you by His grace. The grace that has the power to save you from your sins is the same grace that has the power to help you walk in His ways. Before you came into a saving relationship with Jesus, whether you knew it or not, you were unwilling to obey Him because you were willing to obey another master: sin/self. And Jesus says that no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). As a believer, now your only Master you want to serve is Jesus. Christian, you don't have to obey sin anymore and be ruled by it. You owe Satan nothing. Yes, believers may struggle with sin, but what true believers really want to do is obey Jesus from the heart. And God gives them the grace to be able to. What freedom! (For understanding on the battle against sin for the believer, read Romans 7) Scripture says that as believers, they are now obedient from the heart and wholeheartedly committed to the teachings of Jesus. Believers have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God and righteousness instead (Rom 6:17-18). This is true freedom, which only the Christian knows. To want to obey Jesus and be able to is a gift. The Great Commission Jesus died for your sins on the cross and rose again, so that by grace through faith alone in Him, you may have eternal life. Believing in Jesus brings ultimate freedom — freedom from sin, the tyranny of the Law, and working for your salvation through your own efforts. It's freedom from God’s righteous judgment and wrath against sin, condemnation, and ultimately from death itself (Romans 6:22, 8:1-2). Jesus did all the work for you through his perfect life, death, and resurrection. Eternal life is a gift . Through the new birth, you are a new creation in Christ (John 3:3-7, 2 Corinth 5:17). Now you have become a member of God’s family, a child of God, and Jesus' true disciple. You know the Truth, and the Truth has set you free by His grace. And it's also by His grace you continue in His Word, learning and growing in Christ. As truly His, we love to learn from Jesus and obey Him. Jesus gives all His true disciples The Great Commission: telling others about Jesus and making more disciples! Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all that I commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20a). Today, let's tell someone about the Good News and the freedom we have in Jesus so they may become truly His too, by His grace. All glory belongs to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. “So if the Son sets you free you'll be free indeed.”   John 8:36

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. John 3:16 The Truth is Simple But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’'  Luke 16:29-31 In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus to the Pharisees. A poor beggar named Lazarus dies and is taken away to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet, while a rich man dies and ends up in a place of torment (v 22,23). The rich man pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue, for he is "in anguish in these flames" (v 24). The rich man then begs Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his five brothers so they could repent. Abraham first assures the rich man that there is a "great chasm fixed" so that neither Lazarus nor the rich man can cross over to the other side. He then assures him that his brothers have already received enough warning since they have Moses and the Prophets, meaning Scripture. In this story, Jesus gives us a few lessons: 1.  Our attitude toward money and what we do with it often reflects our attitude and devotion toward Jesus. There's nothing wrong with money itself, as it's a blessing from the Lord. There's nothing wrong with being rich either. But Scripture tells us that the love money is the root of many kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). To love money doesn't mean to have a happy, fuzzy feeling toward it. The love of money is evidenced through our behavior, actions, and how it dictates our lives. To love money means to serve it and allow it to rule our lives. To love money means to follow it, be controlled by it, be devoted to it. Rather, as Christians we are to follow Jesus, be controlled by the Holy Spirit, and be devoted to God and His will, as we trust in Him to rule our lives and provide everything we need. 2.       Once a person dies, his or her destiny is fixed for all eternity. There's no trading places. That's a hopeless and terrifying place for the one in torment and a secure and joyful place for the one in Heaven. 3.      If the Pharisees can't recognize Jesus in the Mosaic law and the Prophets, they won't recognize Him as their Promised Messiah through any miraculous signs either. Even if someone were to rise from the dead, they still wouldn't recognize and believe in Jesus! Unwilling All the miracles, signs, and proof in the world will not make the slightest difference to someone committed to their unbelief. The Truth is simple. When someone doesn't believe the Truth, it's not because they're intellectually challenged by it or don't understand it. It's because they do, and it's offensive. They don't believe it simply because they won't. And since they won't believe it, they can't believe it! They can't believe because they're unwilling. They don't want to. All the evidence is there, but those who are unwilling to believe cannot ever grasp the Truth. Jesus will not waste His time giving more evidence to those who have no interest in the Truth, nor should we. If someone is unwilling to believe Scripture, they won't be convinced of the Truth even if someone rises from the dead! Jesus rose Lazarus (a different Lazarus than this story) from the dead. Many still didn't believe Jesus to be God then either! Then Jesus Christ rose Himself from the dead, and still , most people in the history of all mankind won't believe in Jesus. Even with all the insurmountable signs and miracles of Jesus and all the historical evidence and first-hand witnesses of His ressurrection, people still won't believe in Jesus! As a believer, sometimes it's so hard to understand why people don't believe! (I won't go into it here, but John 8.42-47 explains why). The Pharisees needed to choose to believe what their Scriptures said about their coming Messiah and the fact that He was right under their noses. Today, we need to believe what Scripture tells us about Jesus too, which is also right under our noses. The Truth is simple. God doesn't make it hard to find or understand. What He's revealed in His Word, He wants us to know. All the way from Genesis to Revelation, the only way of salvation through Christ, is plainly written for us to know and understand. On the other side of eternity, we will have no excuse to say we weren't warned or that we didn't understand the message. The Truth is simple, and Scripture is sufficient. The Pharisees needed to believe what their Scriptures revealed about the Messiah. Today, we all must do the same, but still, most won't believe what the Lord has graciously revealed to us in His Word, namely that God so loved the world that He sent us His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins and rise again. So now, whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). And for those who do believe, may we find ourselves one day sitting at the heavenly banquet with Lazarus, Abraham, and Jesus. If someone doesn't believe in God's written Word, it's highly unlikely they'll believe if they were given even more miracles or signs (Matthew 12:38–39). Unless we choose to believe the truth about Jesus that's clearly and repetitively written to us throughout Scripture, we'll find ourselves like the rich man in torment, our consciences fully informed of how we ended up there. And we'd only have ourselves to blame. Willing As believers we know the Truth is so simple that a child can understand it, and Scripture is all we need. Therefore, we believe the saving message of the Gospel. We believe what we read in the Scriptures, which all point to Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. We understand that eternal life is a free gift. We didn't do any good works to earn it or keep it, and we can't pride ourselves that we were wise enough to choose salvation on our own. As believers, we give all the glory to God for our salvation because we know that salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8). All glory to God for choosing us before the foundation of world and gifting us with our repentance and faith in Jesus. It's only by the grace of God that we are willing to believe in Jesus, therefore we do! Amen!

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:1-2 Edward Herbeck • 73" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas • And Then We Looked... • herbeckart.com Look Up Psalm 121 1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the One who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. 5 The LORD Himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. 6 The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. 7 The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. 8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. As believers, our confidence and security come from the LORD. We can look up to the One who made the moutains and confidently say like the psalmist, “My help comes from the LORD, who made Heaven and Earth!” (Psalm 121:1-2) As the LORD helps us do His will and follow His righteous path, He won't let our foot slip. He is always on watch over His own, never closing His eyes or dozing off. He shields us at all times, standing next to us as our Protector, and caring for us day and night. The LORD keeps watch over our lives wherever we go, protecting us from all physical and spiritual harm, both now and forever ( Psalm 121:1-8) . How wonderful it is to know you're safe and secure in the LORD, especially when it comes to your soul. Now that's true peace. All throughout the Bible are commands to "fear not" along with promises that the LORD will help us, shield us, uphold us, and strengthen us (Psalm 115:11, Isaiah 41:10, Phil 4:30). Like Paul says to his fellow believers, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  (Romans 8:31). For those who fear the LORD, we should never fear! He's on our side! In the Old Testament, we know that our help comes from the LORD because He is our Shepherd who leads us beside still waters and protects us through dark valleys (Psalm 23). In the New Testament, we know that our help comes from the LORD because Jesus is The Good Shepherd. He loves us so much that He gives His life for His sheep (John 10:11-15). Jesus is So Helpful! • First, Jesus is so helpful to the point of dying on a cross for us! He helps us by paying for all of our sins (past, present, future) so we don't have to. And then He resurrects Himself from the dead so that whoever believes in Him may live forever. To say that's "so helpful" is quite the understatement. • Jesus is so helpful that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In life, the one whose sins have been forgiven is the one who's truly happy (1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:1). • Jesus is so helpful that He regenerates us and grants us the second birth (John 3:3-7); gives us new hearts that desire to follow Him (Ezek 36:26); gifts us with the Holy Spirit to be our #1 Helper (John 14:16-17); makes us new creations in Christ, setting us free from our sins, and transforming us from the inside out (1 Corinth 5:17, Rom 6:18, Col 3).  • Jesus is so helpful that He gives us eternal life as a free gift through Him (Rom 6:23). • Jesus is so helpful that He promises us eternal life and gives us assurance of our salvation (1 John 2:25, 5:11-13) so that we may be filled with hope, joy, peace, and confidence on our difficult journey to our eternal home (Rom 15:13). • Jesus is so helpful that He provides for us everything we need in our earthly lives (Mat 6:33) and everything we need for living a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). • Jesus is so helpful that He is our loyal friend (John 15:13–14) who cares and takes our worries from us (1 Peter 5:7), who grants us His peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:6–7).  • Jesus is so helpful that He loves us completely and perfectly (1 John 4:18), and He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5). Nothing can separate us from His love. (Rom 8:31–38). • Jesus is so helpful that no matter what suffering we face in this life, Jesus will cause everything to work together for our good (Romans 8:28), making us more like Him, which is the main goal of the Christian life. • Jesus is so helpful that He gives us all the grace we need to invest in our eternity wisely. He helps us to be well-prepared for our Homecoming in Heaven as "a freshman again." (Mat 6:19-21, 2 Corinth 4:16-18) He's Got You! Therefore, Christian, there is nothing to fear because your help comes from the LORD. So look up to the One who made those mountains and all of Heaven and Earth. Jesus will help you. Look up when you're worried. Look up when enemies surround you. Look up when life just gets heavy. Jesus cares and hears. He is not only above you but He is in you. He will protect you. Trust that He will take care of both the big things and the little things too. There's nothing too insignificant for Jesus so tell Him everything that worries or bothers you. He cares about every detail of your life. Take everything to the LORD in prayer, thank Him and praise Him, talk to Him, unload your cares on Him, and then rest in Him. He’s got you! Without Jesus, we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. But with Jesus , He moves those mountains for us! Can I get an amen? Yep! Amen! For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you: "Do not fear, I will help you."  Isaiah 41:13 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 Delight in Him “Desire is love in action, like a bird on the wing. Delight is love in rest, like a bird on its nest.” - Matthew Henry Psalm 37:4 is a beautiful promise. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse encourages us to draw near to Jesus and delight in Him. When we do, the Lord will give us the desires of our hearts. Now, this doesn't mean He'll grant us our own selfish desires, but rather, He will give us His. As we delight in Him, He will transform our hearts, planting desires in us that align with His will and purposes. And we will love those desires He plants…well, because they will become the desires of our hearts! Not only that, He will fulfill them. But what does it really mean to  delight  in the Lord? The word  delight  means  to enjoy  or  to find pleasure in . It's the kind of delight that carries a sense of real inner joy, peace, and satisfaction. To delight in the Lord is to enjoy all the blessings found in Him, enjoying the Giver more than the gifts themselves. When we delight in Him... • we’ll delight to be in His presence. Ps 27:4 • we’ll delight to pray and talk to Him throughout our day. Ps 42:1 • we’ll delight to read, meditate on, and obey His Word. Ps 1:2, Psalm 119 • we'll delight to tell others about Him. Ps 66:16 • we'll delight in His good and perfect gifts from above because we’ll know they’re coming from Him. James 1:17 Set Your Mind Reminder: In Scripture, the mind and heart are interchangeable terms. Both represent the seat of thought, will, and emotion:. It begins in the mind. What we believe will start to reflect what we do. Delighting in the Lord first transforms the way we think about things (Romans 12:2), which carries out into our attitudes, behavior, and how we live. When we make it a practice of “setting our minds on things above" (Col 3:2), we start to think differently about God, ourselves, sin, the world, eternity, etc. Setting our minds on eternal things transforms our hearts to love and obey God more. Consequently, that makes us turn away from sin more. As we practice setting our minds on things above, our hearts' desires will supernaturally begin to align with what God wants for us. This means we’ll crave the desires of the flesh less (Gal 5:19-21), and we’ll long more for the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We’ll continue to repent from self-serving ways and be more inclined toward expressing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5: 22–23), through our faith in Jesus. This is also known as sanctification for the Christian.  It's a slow, gradual, and imperfect process, but guaranteed to be completed once it begins. (Philippians 1:6) Ask Me Anything We could never expect the Lord to fulfill any kind of desire that goes against His will and doesn't bring Him glory. So, only when our desires are righteous and not selfish ones, we can know that if we ask anything in Jesus' name, our prayer requests will be granted (1 John 5:14-15, John 14:14). To ask in Jesus' name means to ask for anything that is consistent with His person, nature, will, perfection, purposes, and glory.  For You have given him his heart’s desire; You have withheld nothing he requested  (Ps 21:2). Ask Me anything in My name, and I will do it (John 14:14). What an awesome promise for the Christian! When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will fulfill our hearts' desires that align with His will and purposes, benefit us, and ultimately bring Him glory. Our hearts will be satisfied in Jesus alone and in ways that achieve God's purpose for our lives (Romans 8:28), making us more like Jesus (Rom 8:30), which is the main goal of the Christian life. Like a Bird on its Nest The book of Ecclesiastes talks about Solomon's exhausting journey for true happiness and purpose in life. He went on many different pursuits, but all his winding roads resulted in his hunger and thirst. This was until he discovered his real purpose and his ultimate delight in a personal relationship with the Lord. Everything else was "vanity and chasing the wind." Ecclesiastes 1:14 Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. Simply by believing in Him, we have eternal life as a free gift! Wow. Therefore, a truly happy life is when we look confidently into eternity because of our personal relationship and firm foundation we have with Jesus as both our Lord and our Savior. What a delight it is to be found in Him! Therefore, let us delight in Him! When we delight ourselves in Jesus, we won't be hungry, thirsty, or restless. We will be delighted, finding our nourishment, satisfaction, and rest in Jesus, like a bird on its nest. :) All glory belongs to Jesus, our Lord and Savior! He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them.  Psalm 145.19 “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.  John 6:35   “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew 6:33

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  Psalm 1:1-2 My Greatest Influence It's been said that you become like the people you surround yourself with the most. Motivational speaker, Jim Rohn coined the phrase for it: "You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with." This means that the perspectives, behavior, and characters of your inner circle will naturally "rub off" on you. That's why it's important to choose your company wisely. Ask yourself, "Who influences me?" and, "Who's my greatest influence?" Bad Company Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; Psalm 1:1 Scripture says blessed  is the man who doesn't walk with the wicked, stand with sinners, or sit with scoffers. This verse illustrates a downward progression of sin. It begins with the openness to being influenced by those who don't believe in Jesus and progresses to becoming good friends with them. As we continue to spend time with them, it ends up with us taking on their ungodly attitudes and behaviors, all the while thinking we could never be influenced by them. But Scripture tells us not to be deceived. Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”  (1 Corinthians 15:33). Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?  Proverbs 6:27:28 As Christians, we’re chosen and called to be set apart and lead a righteous life through faith in Jesus. That means we are to resist the influence of godless perspectives, attitudes, and behaviors. Even though there’s often the temptation to be liked and accepted, Scripture says that Jesus followers aren't to align ourselves or become close friends with those who clearly reject God's commands and standards of righteousness. Therefore do not become partners with them [the sons of disobedience]; For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (Ephesians 5:7-8). Do Not Be Bound Together Now, this doesn't mean Christians are never to talk with, visit with, or associate with unbelievers. Rather, we are called to be a positive influence on them for Jesus. Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with the tax collectors for the very purpose of telling and showing them the way, the truth, and the life (Him). So to be clear, believers are not to isolate ourselves from the world and have no contact with unbelievers. We're in this world for that very purpose to share the gospel and tell others about Jesus, as we display our faith through our good fruits to them. Like Jesus, we’re meant to engage with unbelievers so they may come to know Jesus and find eternal life too, by His grace. On the other end of the spectrum, Scripture commands us not to be bound together with unbelievers. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?  (2 Corinthians 6:14) This means we aren't supposed to enter into marriage with, go into ministry together, or become business partners with people who choose not to believe the gospel. We're not supposed to become partners or close friends with those still walking in darkness, since we're walking in the light. Scripture is clear that believers are not to share in any enterprise with unbelievers. How could that ever work out well to be unequally yoked in any type of partnership? The journey toward two different destinations would be painstaking together. We'd never get there. Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?  (Amos 3:3) The Positive Influence but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  Psalm 1:2 Psalm 1:2 talks about what we're meant to be influenced by: the truth of God's Word. Valuable and edifying meditation doesn't require us to empty our minds. The Bible doesn't talk about the idea of self-emptying of our thoughts during meditation. Emptying the mind is a dangerous type of meditation where it gives Satan access to fill an empty head with all sorts of evil thoughts and ideas. Instead, godly meditation means that we fill our minds with the truth found in Scripture.  Meditating on Scripture means reflecting and thinking deeply on what the Bible reveals about who God is; His character, His attributes, His beauty, His glory, His loving-kindness. It means meditating on the gospel; who Jesus is in His humanity and deity; who He is as our Lord and Savior; what Jesus did for us through His perfect life and finished work on the cross; who we are as sinners and our deep need for Jesus; who we are in Christ; and how we ought to walk as Christ followers. Meditating on Scripture means thinking deeply about what God's Word teaches about Jesus, life, ourselves, others, Heaven, and eternal life.  When we meditate on the Scriptures, we treasure the promises, teachings, and beauty found in them, obey the Lord's commands, confront our sins and confess them to the Lord, and align our thoughts with God's thoughts and our will with His.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2 The one who is "blessed" is not influenced or deceived by the words of an ungodly world but is profoundly influenced and transformed to think and live by the Word of God. Jesus is my Greatest Influence! Dear Heavenly Father, May You help me to be influenced by Jesus today in all that I think, say, and do. May You help me to meditate on Your loving-kindness today, and fill my mind with Your loveliness, righteousness, and beauty. I want to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Lord, give me a zeal for the Truth today! All glory belongs to Jesus! In Jesus name, I pray amen. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Colossians 3:1-2

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  Romans 1:16 Yes. It's All About Jesus. “In a purposeful display of hatred for Christ and the gospel, Rome publicly severed Paul's head from his body. After his life of self-sacrifice for the cause of the gospel – a life devoted to communicating the greatest message the world has ever heard, in order that men might know joy, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and peace – Paul’s execution is an expression of staggeringly tragic ingratitude. What an unjust reward for such a great man.” – “Unashamed, 2 Timothy 1” by John MacArthur Like the Apostle Paul, Charlie Kirk, lived and died proclaiming the greatest news that will ever pass through anyone’s ears: the saving message of the Gospel. The Gospel: Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect life, suffered and died on the cross for the sins of the world, and was buried. Three days later, He rose from the dead, triumphing over sin, Satan, and death itself. So now, whosoever believes in Jesus, shall never perish but have the gift of eternal life. What mercy! What grace! What good news! Charlie loved Jesus, and he loved people enough to tell them about Jesus. Like both Jesus and Paul, Charlie was so hated for speaking the Truth that it led to his own tragic death. So sadly, his life was cut short here on this Earth, leaving behind his beautiful wife and children. A family lost a loving and devoted husband and father. A country lost a passionate and humble leader. And the church lost a dear brother in Christ. Charlie will be missed by his family and friends, and we will all miss him too. In his unflinching zeal and fearlessness for the Gospel, both his life and his death glorified God. Charlie was a faithful servant of Jesus until the very end and was greeted into Heaven with those beautiful words we all long to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23). Faith comes by hearing the Gospel (Romans 10:17). Charlie was not ashamed of the Gospel because he knew it was the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who hears the spectacular message of Jesus and believes. Charlie boldly pointed everyone to Jesus and the Scriptures, which from Genesis to Revelation, all point to salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in our One and Only Savior, Jesus Christ alone. Let's be like Charlie today. Let's point others to Jesus and the Scriptures that speak of God's love, mercy, and saving grace through Him. Dear Heavenly Father,  We thank You for sending into this world a Christian leader so bold and Spirit-filled as Charlie. Charlie was a light in this dark world and divided country. He continues to encourage us all through his ministry that will continue to thrive. Even though many of us didn’t know Charlie, the Holy Spirit hurts in us all, especially because of the evil and injustice that brought him to his death. Lord, it is so sad. But what does Jesus say to us about the death of a believer? “ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death ” (John 8:31). “All death can do to the believer is deliver him to Jesus.” – John MacArthur What else do the Scriptures say about the death of a believer? It says that we aren’t to mourn in the same way as unbelievers, who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13). We as believers have real hope! We have the hope of Heaven and an eternity of joy awaiting us all, because our hope is in Jesus alone. As Christians, we will experience suffering, pain, and sadness in this temporary world, but let’s be reminded that our eternity is so very bright. When you know Jesus, truly, the best is always yet to come. Wow. Meditate on that truth today! Lord, help us to suffer well in this short time we all have here. Help us to always speak the truth to one another. Help us to be tender toward each other, love and forgive each other. Give us the grace to be bold about Jesus and the Gospel today and every day. Help us be meek in persecution and when we are ridiculed, excluded, or marginalized for our faith in Jesus. Help us to pray for our enemies that they may repent of their sins and believe in Jesus and be saved too. Lord, may the tragic death of Charlie give us all a zeal for the Truth and light a fire under us, and may we all go out today and proclaim the greatest news this world will ever know: the saving message of the Gospel. Because it’s all about Jesus. Yes, it’s all about Jesus. To Him be the glory forever and ever. It’s all about Jesus. In His name, I pray, Amen. “It’s all about Jesus.” – Charlie Kirk  The Gospel in four words is ‘Jesus took my place.’ In three words, it’s ‘Him for me.’ In two words, it’s ‘Substitutionary atonement.’ In one word, it’s ‘Grace.’ – Charlie Kirk   "Make history today. Share the Gospel." - Living Waters Ministries

But as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.  1 Corinthians 2:9 What No Eye Has Seen But as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9   The verse is often thought to be about the wonders of heaven, but rather, it speaks to God’s hidden wisdom; the wisdom that God has revealed only to those who believe in Jesus. This verse means that God's divine truth cannot be sought or understood through seeing or hearing (objective or empirical proof), nor can it be sought or understood through human logic, emotions, or intellect (subjective or rational deductions). Divine wisdom is the kind of wisdom that can only be found and understood by those who have put their faith in Jesus and been sealed with the Holy Spirit. Scripture says that the wisdom from God is often foolish and even offensive to the unbelieving world. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18) Scripture says that without the Holy Spirit living in a person through faith in Christ, God's wisdom cannot be discerned. Therefore, His Word cannot be trusted, cherished, or obeyed. But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  (1 Cor 2:14).   Boast in the Lord True wisdom, given by the Holy Spirit, is exclusively granted to those who believe in Jesus for salvation. Salvation and all its accompanying blessings (including wisdom) are entirely bestowed by grace. It’s all a gift. Neither salvation nor divine wisdom can be sought after or earned by our own human efforts, works, reasoning or intellect. These things can only be given to us from the Lord Himself.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding  (Prov 2:6). Every good thing comes from our Heavenly Father! (James 1:17) For those who have received the gifts of repentance, faith, wisdom, and ultimately salvation in Jesus, it is entirely a gift from Above without any opportunity to congratulate ourselves. Salvation is not by works but by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus did all the work for us. He lived a perfect, sinless life in obedience to His Heavenly Father. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to to the point of death: death on a cross (Phil 2:9). As our perfect substitute and the propitiation of our sins, Jesus suffered for us the wrath and judgment of God against our sins. Jesus loved us so much that He died for us. Charles Spurgeon once said, " “ My entire theology can be condensed into 4 words : ' Jesus died for me .'” – C.H. Spurgeon. That ought to be the sum of every Christian's theology! What grace! Jesus died, was buried, and three days later, He rose from the dead, triumphing over sin, Satan, and death. That's why right before He died, He said, "It is finished." (John 19:30). Jesus did all the work for us. What grace! And the supreme validation that Jesus is God is that He rose from the dead!...with over 500 first-hand witnesses of His resurrection. So as Christians, the only One we can ever really boast in, is in the Lord and His amazing grace.  It's only because of Him that we are in Jesus Christ, who became to us wisdom itself. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1  Corinthians 1:30-31   To Be a Soldier Now, all who come to Jesus in repentant faith, by His grace, are gifted with eternal life. So, all who want to be saved, will be saved. That is a guarantee! My friend, if you want to be saved, you have God's promise that He will save you . Turn away from your sins and turn to Jesus, and He will save you from your sins. He will give you a new heart to follow Him, transform your life from darkness to light, and gift you with the greatest of all graces: eternal life. Jesus turns away no one who comes to Him in childlike faith. The only thing that will keep you from trusting and loving Jesus and going to Heaven is your own self-righteousness and the love of your own sin, whether "little" or flagrant. So my friend, turn from your sins today, and turn afresh to Jesus in faith, who gives to all an abundant life in Him. Now, being a Christian is not easy! Being a Christian is the hardest thing I've ever had to do and be. It's not always easy repenting from my own pride and sins. At the same time, repentance is so sweet because when I turn away from my sins, it's right there that I fall into the arms of Jesus. And what better place to be! To be a Christian is to be a soldier. It's a daily battle to be both a sinner and a saint. But I know I'm not alone in the battle. Jesus, (who won the war for me), is with me. The Holy Spirit gently convicts me, teaches me, and guides me into His truth every day. While turning from sin can be hard at times, Jesus tells me that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). His Word does not demand me to do hard or unreasonable things. However, that doesn't mean He doesn't allow difficult trials to enter my life. Suffering and trials are there to prove and strengthen my faith and make me more like Jesus, little by little (Romans 8:28-29)...the main goal of the Christian life. All that being said, to be a Christian is to live a life that is full of courage, joy, peace, passion, and real purpose, in the Lord. The storms of life come to both the unbeliever and believer alike, but only one house stands. It's not the house that's built on sand but the one that's built on rock: on Jesus Christ. He is The Object of my faith. Jesus is The Author and Finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). To be saved and belong to Jesus is simply awesome. So, call on the Lord today, and you too will be saved. All who call on the name of the LORD will be saved  (Romans 10:13). All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away (John 6:37). “Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26  And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27 For He says, “In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11 My Father Knows Best For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. - Psalm 30:5 The Lord's anger is but for a moment compared to His favor, which lasts a lifetime. Even when He disciplines His children, whether to correct us in our sin or train us deeper in our faith, He is always patient, kind, and compassionate. The Lord's discipline may bring sorrow to the believer for a little while, but once we are trained by it, sorrow departs, and joy fills the heart. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Sometimes, God uses struggles and difficulties to correct me and guide me away from sin. (Heb 6:7-8). Other times, He allows for trials of various kinds to come into my life so that I may grow in my faith, "training" me to develop a deeper trust, love, and obedience to Jesus (James 1:2-4). This is likened to a relationship between a parent and child, where the dad and mom disciplines their son or daughter to teach them the right way to live. In hindsight (even if it's decades later), the child is able to see the unpleasant discipline for what it really was and loves and respects their Mom and Dad even more for it. (I hated not having cable tv when I was little. I was embarrassed that I was one of the only kids in my class who didn't have it. That was painful haha! But now I am so thankful to my amazing parents. They knew best, and they protected me from all that garbage that I would've definitely snooped into). I love you Mom and Dad. Thank you. I know my Heavenly Father allows all His children to experience trouble in this short life (John 16:33), and I trust that He has a transformative purpose in them. Whatever dark valleys I may go through, I know my Heavenly Father will transform all my hardship and struggles to contribute toward my good (Rom 8:28). I am to accept it as spiritual discipline from a Heavenly Father who loves me. My Father knows best. Three Things Trials & Discipline Do: Proves My Salvation Produces Peace & Righteousness Prepares Me for Eternity Proves My Salvation No one enjoys being disciplined. It's no fun, that’s for sure! Trial periods are challenging times that test my faith and love for Jesus. Adversity often reveals what I truly believe and desire in my heart and brings to light the idols I need to turn from. The apostle Peter states that going through trials serve an important purpose...to prove the genuineness of my faith in Jesus, which he states is far more precious than mere gold. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 8 You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 The end reward of trusting Jesus through all my trials and spiritual discipline is the salvation of my soul. Now, that's worth it! When my faith has been tested to be proven true, it gives me assurance of my salvation, which is a GINORMOUS blessing in and of itself. To know I am truly saved and belong to the Kingdom of God is a joy unparalleled to anything else! That amazing reality really keeps things in perspective for me and strengthens me in the midst of my trials. The joy of the Lord and my salvation gives me supernatural strength when I'm feeling weak. Produces Peace & Righteousness No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. -  Hebrews 12:11 The Lord's discipline, although is often times highly uncomfortable for a while, resembles an athlete's training. During the exercise, the athlete finds it "painful rather than pleasant." However, later on, the athlete sees his own growth and progress due to those vigorous training sessions. Similarly, my faith in Jesus grows and strengthens as I experience the Lord's discipline, resulting in me producing the " peaceful fruit of righteousness." Spiritual discipline produces peace. When I have been trained to live right by following Jesus, a clear conscience and a peaceful soul is the result. "Earth has no words to convey the holy calm of a soul leaning on Jesus." CH Spurgeon During hard times, my focus tends to be on my uncomfortable circumstances. But through them, God is training me to focus on Jesus instead, and I can trust Him that my suffering is not in vain. God's Word teaches me to accept and submit to discipline as spiritual training (Heb 12:9), trusting that my Father knows best. It's only when the trial has passed that I often recognize how God used it to grow me in my faith and strengthen my relationship with Jesus. With a peaceful heart, I can look back and observe my maturing process, guided by the Lord's unpleasant discipline. I can see more clearly His gentle and loving Hand through it all, and trust and obey Him even more for it. Prepares Me for Eternity Most of us are familiar with the famous Romans 8:28 verse: God works all things together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 But what we often forget is its context and what is at the heart of this verse, which is “to conform us to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29). The ultimate goal of every Christian here on earth is to prepare us for eternity by conforming us to the image of Christ. Becoming more like Jesus carries along with it right living and the peace that surpasses all understanding. So, all my trials and all my unpleasant and painful training in the Christian life are simply accomplishing the most important goal of the Christian life: making me more like Jesus, and preparing me for eternity, all so that I may glorify God and enjoy Him forever (the sole reason for my very existence). What I do here on earth, how I spend my time, how I endure suffering, and how I trust, love, and obey Jesus through both the good times and the "bad," will ring in the halls of Heaven forever. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning, and that shout of joy will be for an eternity! Encouraging Scriptures for You & Me For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us . Romans 8:18 • Let us always remember that those who have put their total trust in Jesus for salvation, will experience only temporary suffering here on Earth (Rom 8:18-25). He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 • Jesus' sheep are guaranteed that all their earthly sorrow, pain, and tears will eventually come to an end, while eternal joy will be theirs in Christ Jesus forever and ever.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. Hebrews 12:2-3 And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 • When going through trails, We should look to Jesus as our Prime Example. We are to keep our eyes on Him and not give up. There is an eternity of joy awaiting all those who believe in Jesus. • Jus' keep on keepin’ on ;) Jesus will help you. Wait patiently for Him, trust Him, and He will act (Psalm 37). Our Father knows best.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 Edward Herbeck • "Twas the Night" • 72" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas • Herbeckart.com Hallelujah! Jesus Loves Me. Jesus loves me. Jesus died for me. Jesus rose from the dead. By grace, I believe in Jesus. Jesus is Lord of Heaven & Earth. Jesus is my Savior. With Jesus, I have nothing to fear. Jesus paid for all my sins on the cross. Jesus gifted me with eternal life. Jesus is my hope, my peace, my joy, my confidence. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:25   I love Jesus only because He first loved me. 1 John 4:19 Hallelujah!   Dear Heavenly Father, Father, I praise You for planning my salvation and choosing me before the foundation of the world to be set apart and saved (Eph 1:4-5,11). I praise You for Your magnificent plan of redemption through Your Son, Jesus (Eph 1:9-10). Jesus, I praise You for purchasing my salvation. I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my trespasses (Eph 1:7). And s ince I have been united with Him in His death, I know I will also be raised to life as He is (Rom 6:5), the First One to be resurrected (1 Cor 15:20). In Jesus, I am blessed with eternal life and every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3, 4,7). Holy Spirit, I praise You for protecting my salvation. When I first believed in Jesus, He officially sealed me (Ephesians 1:13). Once God poured His love into my heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5), sanctification began, and the Holy Spirit became the guarantee of my salvation (Eph 1:14). Once saved, always saved. I am eternally secure, and I will never perish. No one can snatch me away from Jesus or my Heavenly Father (John 10:28-30). I am so thankful to have been given the gift to hear Jesus' voice and believe in Him, to follow Jesus and learn from Him, to love Jesus and obey Him, to have peace in Jesus and rejoice in Him, to praise Jesus and worship Him, and to give Jesus all the glory and tell others about Him. What amazing grace! He is risen! I serve The Living Christ, and one day I will live and reign with Jesus forever in His Heavenly kingdom with all who believe in Him too. The best is always yet to come because Jesus loves me, and He loves you too. Hallelujah! Jesus loves me. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This I pray all in Jesus' name, amen. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5