Daily Bible Lesson.
CAN BEAUTY BECOME A LIE?

THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF ARTIFICIAL BEAUTY, AND THE BEAUTY CHRIST WANTS TO CREATE.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness.” — Exodus 20:16

We usually think a lie must be spoken.

But can deception also be displayed?

A complexion made to appear different.
Artificial lashes presented as natural.
Artificial nails.
Artificial hair.
Filters that create another face.
An appearance deliberately designed to make the artificial appear real.

Here is the searching question:

IF GOD REQUIRES TRUTH FROM OUR LIPS—DOES HE ALSO CARE ABOUT THE TRUTH OUR APPEARANCE COMMUNICATES?

God is not against beauty.

HE CREATED BEAUTY.

But Scripture directs us away from making outward appearance our treasure and toward something cosmetics can never manufacture:

THE BEAUTY OF A CHRIST-TRANSFORMED CHARACTER.
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① WHEN APPEARANCE IS USED TO DECEIVE, TRUTHFULNESS IS AT STAKE

“Putting away lying, speak every man truth.” — Ephesians 4:25

Falsehood is not merely pronouncing an untrue sentence.

We can misrepresent ourselves by intentionally creating a false impression.

So before the mirror, ask:

“AM I SIMPLY BEING CLEAN AND PRESENTABLE—OR AM I TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING ARTIFICIAL APPEAR NATURALLY MINE?”

Scripture does not specifically say, “makeup and wigs violate the Ninth Commandment.”

The biblical principle is broader and deeper:

WHEN APPEARANCE IS INTENTIONALLY USED TO DECEIVE, THE PRINCIPLE OF TRUTHFULNESS IS AT STAKE.

And context matters. A wig used because of illness, hair loss, protection, or genuine practical need should not automatically be branded dishonest.

God wants truth not merely upon our lips—

“Thou desirest truth in the inward parts.” — Psalm 51:6
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② MAKEUP CAN COVER A BLEMISH—BUT IT CANNOT CREATE BEAUTY OF CHARACTER

Peter redirects our attention:

“Let it be the hidden man of the heart… even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.” — 1 Peter 3:4

Paul adds:

“In modest apparel… with good works.” — 1 Timothy 2:9–10

God moves beauty:

FROM DISPLAY → TO CHARACTER.
FROM VANITY → TO MODESTY.
FROM HUMAN APPLAUSE → TO GOD'S APPROVAL.
FROM MAGNIFYING SELF → TO REVEALING CHRIST.

No foundation can produce purity.

No lipstick can create kindness.

No artificial lashes can produce humility.

No wig can manufacture contentment.

No filter can create holiness.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FACE CANNOT COMPENSATE FOR AN UNCONVERTED HEART.

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” — Proverbs 31:30
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③ ARTIFICIAL BEAUTY CAN QUIETLY TEACH THE HEART: “THE REAL YOU IS NOT ENOUGH”

Cover this.

Lengthen that.

Darken this.

Lighten that.

Change the hair.

Reshape the face.

Hide every imperfection.

And tomorrow—

BUY SOMETHING ELSE.

Eventually the danger becomes bigger than cosmetics.

The mirror begins preaching:

“GOD'S WORKMANSHIP IS NOT ENOUGH.”

But Scripture answers:

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” — Psalm 139:14

Your deepest question is not:

“Am I attractive enough for people?”

It is:

“AM I BECOMING LIKE JESUS?”
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④ THERE ARE REAL PHYSICAL RISKS—BEAUTY PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY HARMLESS

Science requires honesty.

Not every cosmetic is dangerous, and many properly formulated products are safely used by most people.

But cosmetic does not mean risk-free.

Dermatology recognizes both irritant and allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetic ingredients.

Fragrances, preservatives, hair dyes, resins and adhesives can trigger reactions in susceptible people.

Products used around the eyes may cause irritation or allergy; contaminated eye cosmetics can contribute to infection.

False-eyelash adhesives can also provoke irritation or allergic reactions.

Hair dyes and some products used with artificial hair can likewise expose sensitive skin to allergens.

So the Christian principle of health asks:

“Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.” — 1 Corinthians 6:19

WHY ADD AN UNNECESSARY EXPOSURE SIMPLY TO CREATE AN APPEARANCE?

BEAUTY SHOULD NEVER BE PURCHASED AT THE EXPENSE OF HEALTH.

And cosmetics cannot permanently reproduce what sleep, nourishing food, exercise, cleanliness, sunlight, temperance and healthful living help cultivate naturally.

THE HEALTHIEST GLOW CANNOT BE PAINTED ON.
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⑤ THE MENTAL DANGER MAY BE EVEN MORE SUBTLE

The most dangerous mirror is the one that whispers:

“DON'T LET THEM SEE THE REAL YOU.”

When we feel unable to leave home without enhancement…

when compliments determine our worth…

when comparison controls our happiness…

when we repeatedly inspect perceived flaws…

when appearance consumes excessive money, thought, time and emotional energy—

THE OUTWARD IMAGE HAS BEGUN TO GOVERN THE INWARD PERSON.

Research on appearance-focused media repeatedly links appearance comparison and exposure to idealized or heavily edited images with increased body dissatisfaction and related psychological distress.

The gospel offers another identity:

YOUR VALUE IS NOT MEASURED BY A MIRROR.

It was demonstrated at CALVARY.

“Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things… But with the precious blood of Christ.” — 1 Peter 1:18–19

YOUR FACE DOES NOT DETERMINE YOUR WORTH.
THE PRICE CHRIST PAID REVEALS YOUR WORTH TO HIM.
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⑥ VANITY CAN BECOME EXPENSIVE IN MORE WAYS THAN MONEY

Ask what artificial beauty may consume:

MONEY that could bless others.

TIME that could be invested in prayer, family and service.

THOUGHT that could dwell upon eternal things.

CONTENTMENT through constant comparison.

SIMPLICITY through dependence upon fashion.

HEALTH when unnecessary products cause reactions.

And potentially—

SPIRITUAL ATTENTION, when the question becomes “How do I look?” more often than “How does Christ look through my life?”

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” — Matthew 6:21

That makes this deeply personal:

HOW MUCH OF MY PEACE DEPENDS UPON HOW PEOPLE SEE ME?
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⑦ WHY CHOOSE NATURAL CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY?

Not because neglect is holy.

Not because attractiveness is sinful.

Not because everyone who wears makeup is vain.

And certainly not because Christians should police another person's face.

Choose simplicity because it can help cultivate something better:

TRUTH instead of artificial impression.
CONTENTMENT instead of comparison.
HEALTH instead of needless exposure.
MODESTY instead of display.
STEWARDSHIP instead of unnecessary expense.
FREEDOM instead of dependence upon appearance.
CHRIST instead of self at the center.

Ellen White wrote:

“God is the author of all beauty.”

Christian simplicity therefore does not mean:

“MAKE YOURSELF UNATTRACTIVE.”

It means:

STOP LETTING THE WORLD DECIDE WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL.

Be clean.
Be neat.
Be healthy.
Be modest.
Be appropriately dressed.
Be beautifully Christlike.

BUT NEVER LET FASHION BECOME YOUR MASTER OR APPEARANCE BECOME YOUR IDENTITY.
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⑧ THE GREATEST DANGER IS SPIRITUAL

We can spend an hour preparing the person everyone sees—

and minutes preparing the person GOD SEES.

Correct the complexion—
while leaving anger untouched.

Arrange the hair—
while neglecting prayer.

Perfect the outward appearance—
while tolerating pride.

Cover blemishes—
while hiding cherished sin.

Then Jesus takes us past the mirror:

“Cleanse first that which is within.” — Matthew 23:26

CHRIST DID NOT DIE TO GIVE US A BETTER MASK.
HE DIED TO GIVE US A NEW HEART.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God.” — Psalm 51:10

**HEAVEN IS NOT PREPARING FACES FOR DISPLAY.

HEAVEN IS PREPARING CHARACTERS FOR ETERNITY.**
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⑨ BEFORE THE MIRROR—ASK SEVEN QUESTIONS

Is it truthful?
Is it modest?
Is it necessary?
Is it healthful?
Is it good stewardship?

Am I content with how God made me?

Does it help reveal Christ—or magnify self?

Christianity does not merely ask:

“WHAT CAN I GET AWAY WITH?”

Love asks:

“Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” — Acts 9:6
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CHRIST OFFERS WHAT THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY NEVER CAN

Makeup can change a complexion.

Artificial hair can change an appearance.

A filter can change a photograph.

BUT ONLY JESUS CAN CHANGE THE PERSON.

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

He replaces—

vanity with humility,
comparison with contentment,
insecurity with identity in Him,
self-display with modesty,
falsehood with truth.

This is not permission to ridicule women, condemn those dealing with hair loss, or judge another person's heart by appearance.

REFORM WITHOUT CHRIST BECOMES CONDEMNATION.
REFORM THROUGH CHRIST BECOMES TRANSFORMATION.

Bring Him the insecurity.
Bring Him the vanity.
Bring Him the craving for approval.
BRING HIM THE MIRROR.

“Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, [we] are changed into the same image.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18

DON'T SPEND YOUR LIFE PERFECTING AN IMAGE THAT TIME WILL ERASE—WHILE NEGLECTING THE CHARACTER CHRIST WANTS TO PREPARE FOR ETERNITY.

Every cosmetic eventually washes away.
Every artificial enhancement is eventually laid aside.

Youthful beauty fades.

BUT THE BEAUTY CHRIST WRITES INTO THE CHARACTER CAN ENDURE FOREVER.

LET THE FACE BE SIMPLE.
LET THE LIFE BE BEAUTIFUL.
LET THE HEART BE TRUE.
LET THE CHARACTER REVEAL CHRIST.
AND ABOVE EVERYTHING—LET JESUS BE SEEN.

THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT ETERNITY
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:19–20 
A Christian father who was terminally ill called his three sons to his bedside. To his two sons who were believers, he said, “Goodbye, my sons. I will see you in the morning.”
Turning to his third son, he simply and sadly said, “Goodbye, my son.” 
The young man was deeply disturbed. He said, “Father, why is it you said to my brothers, ‘I will see you in the morning,’ and you only said to me, ‘Goodbye, my son’? Why didn’t you say you would see me in the morning, too?” 
His father replied, “Son, you have never asked Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Savior and Lord. And that is what breaks my heart the most. I will never see you again.”
That son began to ask his father how he could be saved, how he could see his father again. His father told him how.
The son prayed and received Christ into his life. Then his father said, “Now our family will be together in eternity.” 
That can happen for everyone who has put their faith in Christ.
It will be a great reunion one day in the future. But what does the unbeliever have to look forward to? Judgment after death and a miserable, empty life on earth.
There might be some fun in sin—for a while. But payday comes.
The hard truth about eternal life is found in the apostle Paul’s words in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death” (NLT). 
That’s why believers are called to share the gospel far and wide, as the Christian father in the story did with his son.
In what’s known as the Great Commission, Jesus gave His followers these instructions: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20 NLT). 
Eternal life is the hope believers cling to when the things of this life start to overwhelm us.
There’s a reason that John 3:16 is perhaps the best-known passage in all of Scripture. Jesus’ words to Nicodemus still resonate powerfully today: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT). 
If you do not commit your life to Christ, ultimately you will look back on your life and realize that you wasted it. But don’t wait until the end of your life to figure that out. Figure it out now. 
God bless you

Now look at the other side:

One Lion leading 10 sheep.

It doesn't look impressive.

The crowd is small.

The conference may have only 10 people.

The church may have 100.

The preacher may not be famous.

The ministry may not trend online.

But what if that small congregation is being faithfully taught:

Christ.
Repentance.
Righteousness.
Sanctification.
Holiness.
Truth.
Readiness for eternity.

Never despise a small gathering where the truth is being preached.

https://youtu.be/KEbgJb0bG3g?si=CQFSI4-QwOca_zIB

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am reaching out to your ministry because I desperately need prayer.

I have been going through a very deep spiritual struggle, and I feel lost, frightened, and spiritually exhausted. I love Jesus Christ and I sincerely want to follow Him, but I have become deeply afraid about my eternal salvation.

Matthew 7:21–23 has been weighing extremely heavily upon me. When I read Jesus' warning about people saying, “Lord, Lord,” but being told that He never knew them, I become terrified that somehow I could be one of those people.

I am deeply afraid of hell and of being separated from God forever.

I examine my life and see so many weaknesses, failures, sins, inconsistencies, and areas where I struggle. I keep thinking that I am not doing enough, that I am not good enough, or that perhaps God does not truly accept me.

Sometimes I struggle to believe that God is truly merciful and gracious toward me. His judgment and holiness can seem so overwhelming that I forget how enormous His love and grace are.

I know intellectually that salvation is by grace through faith and not by my own works, but my heart struggles to rest in that truth.

I feel as though I am constantly trying to make myself right with God, yet I know I cannot save myself.

I need Jesus.

I need His mercy.

I need His grace.

I need His forgiveness.

I need the Holy Spirit to transform me.

I need to know that I am truly loved and accepted by God through Christ.

Please pray that God would take away this overwhelming condemnation and replace it with genuine biblical assurance.

Please pray that I would understand Matthew 7:21–23 correctly and not allow fear to destroy my relationship with Jesus.

Please pray that I would truly know Jesus—not merely know about Him.

Please pray that the Holy Spirit would search my heart, reveal anything that needs to change, lead me into genuine repentance, and give me a deeper love for God.

Please pray that I would stop trying to save myself through my own efforts and learn to completely trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Please pray that Romans 8:1 would become deeply rooted in my heart:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Please also pray that I would truly believe the words of Jesus:

“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” — John 6:37

I don't want to run away from God because I am afraid of Him.

I want to run toward Him.

I want my relationship with Jesus to become real, deep, genuine, and unshakable.

Please pray for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, renewed faith, spiritual discernment, freedom from condemnation, freedom from fear, genuine repentance, and a restored joy in my salvation.

Please pray that God would help me surrender everything to Him and trust His character even when my emotions tell me otherwise.

I am asking you to please stand with me in prayer.

Please pray for my mind, heart, soul, faith, salvation, relationship with Jesus, and my entire life.

I especially ask that you pray that I would come to understand the difference between Holy Spirit conviction that draws me toward Christ and condemnation that makes me believe I am hopeless and rejected.

I don't want to be a fake Christian.

I don't want to merely have religious words.

I want to know Jesus Christ personally and sincerely.

I want to love Him.

I want to follow Him.

I want to surrender my life to Him.

And I want to spend eternity with Him.

Please pray that God would meet me exactly where I am and lead me into a deep assurance that rests not in my ability to be perfect, but in the mercy, grace, righteousness, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to pray for me.

May the Lord bless you and everyone in your ministry abundantly for standing in the gap for people who are struggling.

In the precious name of Jesus Christ,

Amen.

With heartfelt gratitude and Christian love,
Markus Klinger from London Ontario Canada

Ecclesiastes 3:11-12 AMP
[11] He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end. [12] I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live;

https://bible.com/bible/1588/ecc.3.11-12.AMP

The Importance of NOT Knowing Yahwah

Exodus 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

• One of the greatest hinderances of knowing Yahwah is knowing Yahwah!
• Most believers will tell you that they know Yahwah
o Job 36:26 Behold, YHWH is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
• Most religious people will tell you the same thing. Why? Because they think they know Yahwah and so they think they don’t have to know him anymore! (They already know all there is to know)
o Ps 145:3 Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
o Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of YHWH! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
• The first title used for Yahwah in the Scriptures is Elohim (God in the KJV version)
• This is a mystery word be because it is both singular and plural
• Singular because Yahwah is one Elohim
• Plural because there is always more to Yahwah
o Always more to Him
o Always more of Him to know
• Do you want to know why we will be in Heaven for eternity? Because that’s how long it will take for us to know Yahwah!
• Make your aim to Know Yahwah more then you ever have before!
o Phil 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
o Ps 42:1-2 To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O YHWH.My soul thirsteth for YHWH, for the living Elohim: when shall I come and appear before YHWH?
o Mark 10:14-15 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of YHWH. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of YHWH as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
• Seek Him, learn of Him
o Isa 55:6 Seek ye YHWH while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
• Go deeper and farther for the one who truly knows Yahwah is the one who knows they don’t even know the half of Him!
o Job 5:8-11 I would seek unto YHWH, and unto YHWH would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.
• Press on today into the joy and wonder of those who can say “That I might know Him”, that is Yahwah!
o Eph 3:8-9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Messiah; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in YHWH, who created all things by YHWHMessiah:

Having an Encounter with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
By: Evangelist Dominic Ofori-Mensah
Kindly Read and Share.

As a Christian there's this one and special encounter you get with Christ Jesus the day and moment you make your mind to take up your cross to follow him (personal consecration), I term this the Salvational Encounter/encountering salvation. (Moses, Abraham, Saul etc). Salvational Encounter I define as the first taste of divine and mortal encounter by man with a deity. As believers/Christians, it is our aim and desire to encounter Christ Jesus day to day. When God orchestrate His divine plan and purpose over your life to manifest His Will, He meet man half way and when he's mostly desolate in life, wondering and wandering.
When you have this salvational encounter, your life changes from living life worldly than the Word of God. Moses after encountering God at the burning bush, got a new purpose and a divine shift over his life.
But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I would like to expound on 2/3 others..

1. Relationship Encounter: As a believer/Christian, it should be your priority to always yearn to know more of Jesus Christ or have personal intimacy with him. You shouldn't always become a "suckling baby" as a child of God but maturing to certain dimension when God can use you accurately without fear. It is one thing to be saved and another to stick to God. Many Christians do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus (Word) and by the teachings and leading of His Spirit so they easily fall prey to false teachings and spirituality. Moses never met God again at a burning bush but had to actually meet him face to face on mount Sinai. (Exodus 3:2, Exodus 4-15). Moses had a temperamental issues which was common to the Levite's but after encountering God and having a Personal Relationship with Him, he was used according to how God wanted. To have a personal relationship with God is to obey His Word and the guidance and teachings of His Spirit which will guide you into righteousness for His eternal purpose.

2. Spiritual/Dimensional Encounter:
As we become older and matured in Christ, it is expected of us to live above the rulings of this mundane whiles you still have to fit in. In our walk of life as humans and christians, we are to grow naturally either the inner man(Soul) or the outer man (Ego) and with this growth comes battles that needs the intervention of a higher realm. We come across cycles and seasons where most people get to repeat what's ought to be crossed and vice versa. Life is spiritual and have to be lived as such. Saul, after encountering Christ Jesus (salvational encounter and personally having a relationship with him, made him understood certain spiritual dimensional messages which an ordinary man could not understand or fathom.. Salvational encounter comes with fear and trembling as the first encounter but when you develop a relationship with God, He opens you up for more Divine mysteries and spiritual dimensional realms that He knows you will use according to His Will.. It is one thing to Encounter God and another thing to be Encountering God. Moses, Abraham, Moses, etc had a continuous encounter with God where they had to be taking instructions and information even to the moment of death as Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior did. For righteous living and eternity sake, strive to have a personal relationship and spiritual encounter with God in other for Him to position you well for His Will and Plan..
Amen!

THAT WAS THEN. THIS IS NOW. BUT WHAT HAPPENED THEN CAN HAPPEN AGAIN.

When we read the book of Acts, we see a church marked by boldness, prayer, sacrifice, biblical conviction, community, mission, and an unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ.

https://patrickryanlewis.com/2026/08/23/that-was-then-this-is-now-but-it-can-happen-again/

The early church wasn't perfect. Scripture openly records its struggles, disagreements, and failures. But there was something unmistakable about those believers:

Christ had the preeminence.
 They feared God more than people.
 They prayed believing God could move.
 They were willing to sacrifice for the gospel.
 They lived with eternity in view.
 They confronted sin while extending grace.
 They cared deeply about reaching people with Jesus.

The question isn't whether we can somehow recreate the first century.
The question is whether we are willing to recover those same spiritual priorities in the twenty-first century.
Before pointing at everything wrong with the church today, we should ask:

Lord, what needs to change in me?

Am I more concerned with God's approval or people's approval?
Am I willing to stand for truth when it costs me something?
Is Jesus truly first in my life?
Do I pray expecting God to work?
Am I more passionate about the gospel than my preferences?
Do I live like eternity is real?

We don't simply need better programs, bigger churches, or newer strategies.

We need Christ-centered churches filled with surrendered people who believe the gospel is true, Jesus is alive, eternity is real, and the mission is worth our lives.

Maybe our prayer needs to become very simple:

Lord, do it again.

Read the full blog and consider what it would look like for the church—and for each of us individually—to recover the passion, courage, holiness, prayer, and mission we see in the book of Acts.

#ChurchRevival #BookOfActs #JesusChrist #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #Faith #Prayer #Repentance #GreatCommission #Gospel #FollowJesus #ChristianChurch #SpiritualRenewal

Dear God, thank You for this new day and for the truth that eternal life isn’t something I have to wait for, it’s already mine. Your word in John 5:24 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” God, I’ve heard Your word and I believe in You, and that’s enough to pass me from death into life right now. Help me really understand the weight of that today and not just read past it like it’s ordinary. I don’t want to live like eternity is something far off. I want to live like it’s already mine, because it is. I give You all the praise for a salvation I could never deserve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. -Psalm 23:6

**JESUS IS CALLING TODAY**

Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?

This question from Jesus, in Luke 6:46, needs to touch your heart deeply. We live in a time when much is said about the love of Jesus, about blessing, healing, and prosperity, but little is said about repentance, obedience, and holiness.

It is true that Jesus is love, for those who also love him (Proverbs 8:17), but the same Jesus who said come to me also declared that if you want to follow him, you must deny yourself and take up your cross daily. Following Christ has a cost: dying to sin and living for Jesus. He himself said that whoever loves him keeps his commandments.

I ask you, you who say you are a Christian: are you truly following Jesus, or just using his name?

The Word of God does not call sin a weakness; it calls it sin, and it confronts the attitude of those who claim to be Christian yet live out, day to day, practices such as lying, greed, envy, pride, hatred, adultery, sexual immorality, idolatry, theft, addictions, corruption, slander, and hypocrisy. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6, lists several of these practices. But right after, he reminds us that some of the believers in Corinth had once lived this way, and were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus.

Jesus says to you: repent and turn away from sin.

Jesus told the parable of the rich man who built bigger barns, thinking he had many years ahead, and God said to him: Fool, this very night your soul will be required of you; then who will own what you have prepared?

You may have a house, a car, a job, a good salary, plans but what does it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul?

If you are in Jesus Christ, you are a new creation, and the evil one cannot touch you or your household.

The book of Acts 3:19 says: Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.

Jesus does not look only for those who call him Lord, but for those who follow him and do what he commands, being doers of the word and not hearers only. Your life is short, eternity is real. Do not treat grace as a license to sin, and do not put it off until tomorrow.

If today you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.