THE 10 KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST 1. Self-Denial and Surrender: Choosing to put aside personal desires, control, and selfish ambition to follow Jesus daily. 2. Obedience to His Word: Remaining anchored in Christ's teachings and consistently putting His commands into practice. 3. Radical, Sacrificial Love: Loving others unconditionally—even the difficult or unlovely—just as Christ loved us. 4. Bearing Spiritual Fruit: Producing the evidence of the Holy Spirit's transforming work in character, attitude, and actions. 5. Willingness to Count the Cost: Accepting hardships, rejections, or personal sacrifices for the sake of following Christ. 6. A Humble and Teachable Heart: Approaching God and others with humility, recognizing a daily need for His grace and guidance. 7. Ongoing Spiritual Growth: Actively seeking to mature in faith, wisdom, and likeness to Jesus over a lifetime. 8. Making Other Disciples: Passing on the message and teachings of Christ to help others grow in their faith. 9. A Distinct Public Witness: Living in a way that stands out from the world, so others recognize whose we are through our actions and love. 10. Perseverance Through Trials: Enduring life's difficulties with steadfast faith, trusting God's ultimate purpose and presence. "We meet God through entering into a relationship both of dependence on Jesus as our Saviour and Friend and of discipleship to Him as our Lord and Master." — J.I. Packer 20th Century Teacher, Theologian and Author. Best known for his classic book KNOWING GOD. If you haven’t read it I strongly recommend that you do. _____________________

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 ✍️ “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦; 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦.” We live in a world obsessed with leaving a legacy—businesses, books, organizations, and achievements. Yet the greatest legacy is not what bears our name, but truth faithfully passed to another generation. The question is not whether we know the truth—but whether we are entrusting it to others who will carry it forward. True legacy is investing in others’ faith, not just our own accomplishments. Paul writes in 🕮 𝟐 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝟐:𝟐: “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰.” Paul is giving a charge to Timothy to entrust the truth to faithful men, and they would teach others. Biblical ministry is not a dead end—it is a chain of faithful hands passing the truth onward, multiplying the Gospel through generations. A torch is not lit to be hidden in a drawer. Its purpose is to be carried forward, lighting the way for others. So it is with the truth of God's Word. We are not spiritual warehouses, storing truth on our shelves while others remain in darkness. What God has entrusted to us was never meant to stop with us. Scripture teaches discipleship through multiplication: “𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰” (𝟐 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝟐:𝟐). “𝘎𝘰 𝘺𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴” (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟖:𝟏𝟗). “𝘏𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴… 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴” (𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟒:𝟏𝟏–𝟏𝟐). Disciples are not made by addition alone, but by multiplication—passing the Word through faithful hands to reach the ends of the world. But investing in others requires patience. People do not mature overnight. A gardener does not plant a seed and expect fruit by sunset. Do not abandon the seed because the harvest is not visible yet. Teaching, correcting, encouraging, praying, and walking alongside believers may seem slow, but faithful investment shapes lives for eternity. We are called not just to gather listeners but to develop faithful followers of Christ. Before calling us to entrust truth, Christ entrusted it to us. He “𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳” (𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝟏𝟎:𝟒𝟓). Now, as stewards, we do not keep truth to ourselves but pass it on. This truth is the Gospel of Jesus Christ (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟏𝟓:𝟑–𝟒). Paul entrusted it to Timothy, and Timothy to others—the Gospel came to us through faithful witnesses, and it must not stop with us. The call to invest in others is a divine mission impacting generations. Are you ready to pass on faith’s legacy? Do not be a spiritual warehouse storing truth that never leaves your shelves. You need Christ not just for knowledge, but to acknowledge that you are called to be a faithful steward of what He entrusts. Receive the truth. Live it. Entrust it. Multiply the faith. One faithful life can influence many more. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: Heavenly Father, thank You for entrusting us with the truth of Your Word. Forgive us for hoarding what You have called us to share. Teach us to invest faithfully in others, to multiply faithful believers, and to carry the Gospel forward until Christ returns. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Remember, a dose of God’s Word a day will keep you going all day! 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝... _____________________________________________________ All scripture references were taken from the KJV Bible. Thank you for allowing this ministry to be a part of your day… If my posts speak to your heart, you may be blessed by the full devotional series created for deeper reflection and journaling: 👉 FREE FlipBook Previews: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ae17998766.html 📚 Also available now on Amazon (Kindle & Paperback) ✨ Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! https://www.amazon.com/author/dennislastimoso Also, just in case you need a reliable, dedicated online Bible Study Tool, I created one for you. 👉 Try it here for FREE, anytime at your hand: https://www.baptistry.app Your support helps us continue this ministry, edifying the believers around the world. May God bless you more abundantly…

Why does a Christian need to cultivate Biblical discernment? Three reasons why you need Biblical discernment: Sometimes you hear the right voice (a believer) say the wrong thing. When this happens, if you exercise Biblical discernment, then you’ll understand that the person simply mis-spoke. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. Mis-stating something doesn’t make someone a bad person. It simply means that they’re human…like you. Sometimes you hear the wrong voice (a non-believer) say the right thing. When this happens, if you exercise Biblical discernment, then you’ll understand that the person didn’t say the right thing to help you; they said what they said to try to mislead you because… The wrong voice NEVER says the right thing for the right reason. Now that I’ve stirred up a hornets nest, let me make some clarifications. The insights I’ve shared in this post only apply to true Christians - followers of Jesus - who live the way they live to glorify God and point people to the Savior, Jesus Christ. And just to be perfectly clear: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. In fact, He’s the only Savior, which means that there is NO way to connect to God the Father apart from Jesus. The Biblical discernment I’m referring to is developed over time by making God’s Word (the Bible) a priority, along with praying regularly and fellowshipping regularly with other believers. Biblical discernment is NOT available to unbelievers. So if you want Biblical discernment, but you have not yet surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus, then your next step is to do what the Bible tells us we have to do to connect with the Father through Jesus: Believe in God the Father and in His only Son, Jesus Christ. Confess that Jesus is Lord and that the Father raised Him from the dead. Repent of your sin (your wrongdoing - we’ve all done wrong). Surrender control of your life to Jesus, who will then become the Lord of your life. Accept by faith the forgiveness that God offers freely through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Believe that you are now justified before God (put in right-standing with God), and that He’s forgiven you of EVERY wrong thing you’ve ever done. Believe God’s Holy Spirit is now living in you (that’s a mystery, but it’s true), and purpose in your heart to live as God intends, with the help of His Spirit. Learn to enjoy being in God’s “forever family”, and share with others what’s happened to you. Discover God’s gifts to you, and then use them to make a difference in the lives of other people. Become an ambassador for Jesus! Tell everyone you meet about how He’s changed your life and given you a purpose (a reason for living). I hope these insights inspire & motivate you to open yourself up to all that God is and all that He has for you! God bless!

TV Preachers & Beggers I've had a train of thought congeal within the past few minutes. The type of well-know TV preachers who always end their meetings/broadcasts with "I know there's 10 of you that can give $100...or 100 of you who can give $1000..." We've all heard it until we're sick of it; well, if you're like me you're sick of it. Here's the thought that congealed just a few minutes ago: (1) they learned it from their predecessors; (2) they were taught how to do it by their mentors; (3) they've been doing it so long that they're absolutely unable to understand why it's a problem; (4) it's one of the biggest hurdles for non-believers, especially those who've been hurt by church folks; (5) it needs to stop! Nationally-known church leaders who walk in integrity and who do NOT engage in begging for money need to start addressing it in every way possible, and even demand that these charlatans cease & desist. Now, that's my take on it. What do you think?

LEP'S FAITH QUOTES: The Prayer Responsibility 8/26 Wednesday Wisdom If you don't take time to pray, you are losing out. You can't say that you have no responsibility in the prayer life, for you have. To see a need is to have a call to prayer. There are people who will be utterly lost unless you take your place. Unless you do your part, men will cry against you through eternity. You can't plead that you have too mcuh work to do. You can pray while you work. You can't put up the plea that you do not know how; you can learn if you wish. For you to disobey the prayer call is for you to disobey the call of your Father. The prayer responsibility today is the most important thing of our lives. E. W. Kenyon

REPROBATE: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? These questions were asked today: "What is a reprobate? What's so bad about being a reprobate?" First of all, let's define the term: depraved; morally corrupt; rejected by God. So, what's the big deal? Glad you asked: * You don't know you're a reprobate because the Holy Spirit never again convicts you of your sin and of your need for a Savior. * There's no coming back to a place of repentance, again because you're never convicted. * You live the rest of your life thinking that everything is okay between you & God, but it's not. You're actually on your way to hell, and there's nothing you can do about it. So, what's the takeaway for us who are born again, who desire to have a Godly influence on others? Whenever you encounter someone who is very cold (or even hostile) toward the Gospel, warn them that they may have already crossed a line. And then plead with them to lose sleep over their eternal state, and call out to Jesus for mercy. We're not God, so we can't say if someone has gone too far, but we can warn them about the cliff they're headed to.

Hebrews 4:14, 16 ESV [14] Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [16] Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ❤️👍🙏🔥✨

well I can’t delete this profile as I need a password which I don’t have and no one in support has responded so, I will just delete the app and no further activity will occur here.

I need for children study can any person prayers for us 🙏 ❤️ 🙏 G

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him strengthens me. Philippians 4 : 11-13