What Does It Mean To Be Saved?

To be saved means to be rescued by God from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin, and brought into a right relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ alone.

The Problem: Why You Need to Be Saved

All humans are born under the curse of Adam's sin. Because God is holy and just, sin separates you from Him and places you under His righteous judgment (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). You cannot save yourself by being good enough, religious enough, or sincere enough. Your best works are like filthy rags before a perfectly holy God (Isaiah 64:6).

What Salvation Is

Salvation is God's act of rescuing sinners through the finished work of Jesus Christ. It involves several realities that happen together:

Regeneration (New Birth): The Holy Spirit gives you new spiritual life. You are born again. Apart from this, you are dead in your trespasses and unable to seek God on your own (Ephesians 2:1-5, John 3:3-8).

Faith and Repentance: You respond to the gospel by turning from sin (repentance) and trusting in Christ alone (faith). These are two sides of the same movement—turning from sin and to the Savior (Acts 20:21, Romans 10:9-10).

Justification: God declares you righteous, not because of anything in you, but because Christ's perfect righteousness is credited to your account and His punishment for your sin is credited to Christ. You stand before God as if you had never sinned, clothed in Christ's righteousness (Romans 3:24-26, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Adoption: You are brought into God's family as a beloved child. You are no longer an enemy but an heir (Galatians 4:4-7, Romans 8:15-17).

Sanctification: The Holy Spirit begins the lifelong work of making you actually holy in your daily life, conforming you to the image of Christ (Philippians 2:12-13, Romans 8:29).

Glorification: At Christ's return, you will receive a resurrected body, free from all sin, suffering, and death. This is the final completion of salvation (Romans 8:30, 1 Corinthians 15:52-54).

How You Are Saved

By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone. There is no other name under heaven by which you can be saved (Acts 4:12). Salvation is entirely God's work from start to finish. You contribute nothing to your rescue except the sin that made it necessary.

What Salvation Looks Like in a Person's Life

A truly saved person will bear fruit. This does not mean perfection, but it does mean a changed life—a growing hatred of sin, a growing love for God and His people, and a persistent faith that endures to the end (James 2:17, 1 John 2:3-6, Matthew 7:16-20). If there is no change at all, there is reason to question whether salvation has actually taken place.

The Bottom Line

To be saved is to be brought from death to life, from condemnation to justification, from slavery to sin to adoption as a child of God, and from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ. It is entirely a work of God's grace, received by faith, and it results in a life that increasingly reflects the supremacy of Christ.

If you are asking this for yourself: repent of your sin, trust in Christ's death and resurrection alone, and you will be saved.

THIS IS BAPHOMET


This lesson will be a little different as we will address the urgency of this topic. Baphomet was one of the early child sacrificing gods of the Bible days. But here is the issue. The worship of Baphomet continues to this day. It is Satanism pure and simple.

Worship entailed having sexual intercourse with temple priests and prostitutes. Baphomet is a creature with both male and female genitalia. Female breasts with male arms and legs. Baphomet worship is a fulfillment of base sexual desires and deviance. It is foundational homosexuality from the source that inspires homosexuality, Satan.

It is necessary as a follower of Baphomet to sacrifice your children to him. In Bible days, that meant placing your infant to one year old child into the white-hot metal arms of a Baphomet idol and worshipping as your child writhes in excruciating pain before dying. Yes, to this day there are Captains of industry, government leaders and Hollywood elites who gather to offer the life of their children to Baphomet.

Today's worship of Baphomet still accepts the human sacrifices, but an additional provision was added. “Sacrificing your child” could mean doing so and devoting their continued life in service as a priest of Baphomet. What did that entail? It required the forced removal of a male's sexual organs. The new “priest” would live out his remaining days as a neutered sex object accepting the offerings of others.

Do you understand that the push for accepting homosexuality in this country was always headed here? That it wasn't tolerance they wanted, or acceptance. Do you understand now why so many on the left have transgendered children? How the transgendered lunacy has resulted in government leaders too afraid to even define the word, “woman”.

Within the past decade there has been another shift in culture to demonize Biblical stances and adults nowadays refuse to define the word, ‘woman’ because to do so would go counter to their agenda. So the madness that it is allowing men into locker rooms or women's bathrooms, and insisting against all science that they are a different kind of woman is not a mental deficiency, it is part and parcel of their Satanic agenda.

Does it begin to make more sense that liberal women now stand supporting a mentally ill woman who strangled her 3 children? Anything to support victimizing the innocent is front and center in todays world as a great thing.

Statistically speaking transgendered individuals make up 1% of a population of 3 to 5% of homosexuals but celebrities have 4 children, all of whom are transgendered now. This is a combination of mental illness and a demonic intent. They cannot be reasoned with, they will not apply the simplest of logic or understand reality because they can't. Why? They told us.

Earlier last year a parade of homosexuals marched through the streets chanting, “We're here. We're queer. And we're coming for your children. “ But to share the video or comment on it was somehow “phobic”. So they can openly admit to wanting to rape your children, but for us to point it out becomes problematic.

And we look around now and what used to be considered common sense is now considered bigotry. The absolute hatred that is displayed against anyone calling into question allowing a male to compete unfairly against women in sports isn't about acceptance, or equality it is rooted in the worship of Satan.

Look at the rage on the videos of the mentally ill men online screaming “It's she, I'm a she.” Or, “It's ma'am.” That is not rational. It is not natural, it is demonic. This is not political, the leftist devotion to all things anti-god has been an issue for decades. But when adults in a school charged with keeping our kids safe covers up a trans student raping a girl in the bathroom, transferring him to another school where it happens again, you know there's an evil behind it. They would rather girls get raped than to possibly offend a homosexual and will go to great lengths not only to cover it up, but to allow it to happen again.

No, what we see with Britney Griner and Lea Thompson is lackluster mediocre male athletes who aren't capable of competing against men now “declaring themselves female” so they can steal scholarships and positions from females. These men are doing this out of greed and indifference but the people defending them have a clear Satanic agenda.

Even though the individuals themselves may not be aware, this is not a rights issue, it started as and continues as pagan worship. It is a demonic stance that God has made clear He hates.

When you realize that the whole effort to deny the most basic biological fact that there are only 2 genders is not about rights, not about acceptance, it is clear that any organization or church supporting this is of a Satanic origin. They've said as much.

So when you see celebrities with multiple children who they've adopted and then altered to become transgendered ministers of Baphomet, now you understand. They've surrendered the future to Satan creating a generation of infertile devotees to a blood cult.

They must be removed from power and influence but they won't be because this is where we were always headed with the issue of homosexuality. To a culture that is either too afraid to speak up when children are being cut from the womb to be eaten by Baphomet fanatics, or they will follow cultural norms and will do nothing to stop it.

Pray, brothers and sisters in Christ. Because Jesus is coming to His own and these unbelievers will be tossed unceremoniously into the pit of eternal fire to suffer eternally. Along with every lukewarm Christian who didn't want to make a stand out of fear of consequences. Now is the time to make a stand.

Kingdom Principles: Salt and Light

As we continue meditating on the Kingdom principles that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, we come to two powerful metaphors that directly speak to the life and witness of His disciples: salt and light. After teaching the Beatitudes, Jesus explained how citizens of God’s Kingdom should live in a way that influences the world and brings glory to our Heavenly Father.

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). Salt has a purpose: it gives flavor and preserves. If salt loses its distinctive quality, it becomes useless. In the same way, followers of Christ are called to live lives that demonstrate the character, truth, love, and holiness of Jesus. Our lives should make a spiritual difference in the world around us.

Jesus also said, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Light has a purpose: it drives away darkness and makes things visible. A city on a hill cannot be hidden, and a lamp is not placed under a basket but on a lampstand so that it can give light to everyone in the house (Matthew 5:14–15). Jesus is teaching us not to hide the light He has placed within us.

Therefore, Jesus gives us this powerful instruction: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Our good works are not the reason for our salvation; rather, salvation through Jesus Christ produces good works in our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s character becomes visible in us. As we follow Jesus, His light is reflected through our words, actions, love, compassion, humility, and obedience.

Our purpose is not to receive glory for ourselves, but to point people toward our Heavenly Father. May our lives truly be salt and light, so that others may see Christ in us and glorify God.

Let your light shine, love God, and love people. Have a blessed day!

Gods Creation, 100 / evolution,0
KANGAROOS - THE POUCH, THE MILK, AND THE MIRACLE

A newborn kangaroo enters the world barely larger than a grain of rice. It cannot see, it has no fur, and its back legs are useless. Yet the moment it is born, it begins climbing. Using only its tiny front claws, the joey crawls through its mother’s fur all the way up to her pouch, a hidden pocket on her belly that it has never seen and could not possibly have learned about. There is no wandering. It moves in the right direction from the start. Miss the pouch and it dies. That instinct had to exist from the very first kangaroo, or kangaroos would never have survived.

Once inside the pouch, something even more astonishing begins. The mother’s body produces milk that is custom matched to the baby’s stage of development. Early milk is thin and immune rich, designed for an embryo like joey that cannot yet digest complex nutrients. As the joey grows, the milk changes its chemistry, becoming thicker and richer. It is not a simple on or off switch. It is a biological program that runs in stages, adjusting itself as the baby develops. That system has to exist before the baby ever arrives.

Even more remarkable, a mother kangaroo can care for multiple babies at once, each at a different stage of life. One joey may be deep inside the pouch, another may be peeking out, and a third may be hopping alongside her. Her body can produce different types of milk at the same time from different teats, each perfectly matched to the needs of each baby. One animal running several independent feeding systems at once is something engineers would struggle to design.

The baby knows where to go. The pouch is already prepared. The milk changes at exactly the right time. The mother can nourish several lives at once. This is not blind chance stumbling forward. It is foresight written into flesh, and it points straight back to a Creator who planned life before it ever began.

The Advent Truth.
CONSCIOUSNESS DOES NOT DETERMINE HUMAN VALUE.

One increasingly common argument says that ending the life of a developing child isn't really taking a human life because the child isn't yet conscious.

But think carefully about that standard.

Since when does consciousness determine whether a human being has the right to live?

A person who is asleep isn't consciously aware of the world around them. A patient under general anesthesia isn't consciously experiencing their surroundings. Someone knocked unconscious in an accident may temporarily have no awareness whatsoever.
Would that make intentionally ending their life acceptable?

Of course not.

That's because our value as human beings isn't created by our current level of consciousness.

And there's another problem: newborn babies don't possess anything close to the developed self-awareness, reasoning ability, memory, or cognitive capacity of adults. If consciousness determines human worth, exactly HOW MUCH consciousness is enough?

Where is the line?

And who gets to draw it?
The Bible gives us a radically different foundation for human value:

"So God created man in his own image..." — Genesis 1:27

Our value comes from WHO created us—not how much we can currently think, understand, communicate, remember, or accomplish.

David said:

"Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb... Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect." — Psalm 139:13,16

Jeremiah was told:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee." — Jeremiah 1:5

And Luke describes John before birth using the Greek word brephos—"baby"—the SAME word used for Jesus after His birth (Luke 1:41,44; 2:12,16).

Before birth and after birth: a developing human life.
Human worth cannot safely be based on intelligence, independence, size, location, development, or consciousness. Once we make human dignity dependent upon possessing certain abilities, human rights stop being inherent and become something the powerful decide who qualifies for.

Human life has value because human beings bear the image of God.

WHEN GOD WRITES ON THE WALL
A Call to Examine Your Heart Before God

KEY SCRIPTURE
“TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”
— Daniel 5:27 (KJV)

Thought Of The Day...
There are times when God whispers to our hearts. There are times when He sends warnings through His Word, through circumstances, and through people. And then there are moments when God makes His message so unmistakably clear that it can no longer be ignored.
Daniel 5 gives us one of the most powerful and sobering examples in all of Scripture.
King Belshazzar was surrounded by celebration. The palace was filled with people, food, wine, wealth, music, power, and prestige. To everyone looking from the outside, it appeared that the king had everything under control. But while Belshazzar was celebrating on earth, Heaven was examining his heart.
While people were honoring the king, God was weighing the king.
While Belshazzar was looking at what he possessed, God was looking at what he had become.
Suddenly everything changed.
“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.”
— Daniel 5:5 (KJV)
The celebration stopped. The king's confidence disappeared. The man who commanded others suddenly had no control over himself.
Scripture says:
“Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him... and his knees smote one against another.”
— Daniel 5:6 (KJV)
Belshazzar discovered something that we must never forget: when God speaks, earthly power cannot silence Him. When God exposes something, money cannot cover it. When God pronounces judgment, human influence cannot reverse it.
Belshazzar called for the astrologers, Chaldeans, soothsayers, and wise men of Babylon, but none of them could interpret the writing. All the intelligence of Babylon was powerless before a message that came from God.
Eventually Daniel was summoned.
Daniel had lived faithfully before God for years. Kings had changed. Governments had changed. Circumstances had changed. Daniel had grown older, but his commitment to God had remained.
What a testimony!
The queen said concerning Daniel:
“...there is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods... light and understanding and wisdom... was found in him.”
— Daniel 5:11 (KJV)
Daniel had developed a reputation that when everybody else was confused, Daniel knew how to seek God.
May that become our testimony.
When people around us are confused, may they know that we know God. When families experience trouble, may they know there is somebody who knows how to pray. When darkness enters a situation, may our lives carry the light of Christ.
Jesus declared:
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
— Matthew 5:14 (KJV)
Belshazzar offered Daniel wealth, clothing, jewelry, and political promotion if he could interpret the message. But Daniel answered:
“Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another...”
— Daniel 5:17 (KJV)
Daniel's integrity was not for sale.
He didn't need the king's money to tell the king God's truth. He wasn't seeking popularity. He wasn't chasing another title. Daniel understood that pleasing God was greater than pleasing people.
That same conviction must live within us.
There will be times when standing upon God's Word will not make us popular. There will be times when truth will challenge people. There will be times when obedience may cost us opportunities, relationships, applause, or acceptance.
But we must be able to say:
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men?...”
— Galatians 1:10 (KJV)
Daniel reminded Belshazzar about Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had once become lifted up in pride, and God humbled him until he understood:
“...that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.”
— Daniel 5:21 (KJV)
Then Daniel spoke words that should cause every believer to examine his or her heart:
“And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.”
— Daniel 5:22 (KJV)
Though thou knewest all this.
Belshazzar had been given an example. He knew what pride had done before him, but he refused to learn from it.
There is a dangerous difference between not knowing God's will and knowing God's will but refusing to obey it.
The Bible says:
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
— James 4:17 (KJV)
God's patience should never be mistaken for God's approval.
Just because judgment has not come does not mean God approves of what we are doing. Sometimes God's delay is actually God's mercy giving us time to repent.
“The Lord is... longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
— 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
Belshazzar had also taken the sacred vessels from God's temple and used them during his celebration. He treated what belonged to God as though it were common.
Daniel told him:
“...thou hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven...”
— Daniel 5:23 (KJV)
This should cause us to ask ourselves: Have we become too casual with the things of God?
Have we become casual about prayer?
Casual about worship?
Casual about God's Word?
Casual about holiness?
Casual about our calling?
Casual about the gifts God placed inside us?
Casual about gathering with other believers?
God is loving, gracious, merciful, and compassionate, but He is still holy.
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”
— 1 Peter 1:15 (KJV)
Belshazzar praised gods made from silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone. Yet when trouble entered the palace, none of those gods could answer him.
How often do people still place their confidence in things that cannot save them?
Money cannot save the soul.
A career cannot save the soul.
A title cannot save the soul.
Popularity cannot save the soul.
Possessions cannot save the soul.
Human relationships cannot take God's place.
Jesus asked:
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
— Mark 8:36 (KJV)
Then Daniel revealed the handwriting:
“MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
— Daniel 5:25 (KJV)
MENE meant:
“God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.”
— Daniel 5:26 (KJV)
Belshazzar thought he had more time.
God said his time had been numbered.
That should remind us that every day is a gift from God.
Every morning is mercy.
Every breath is grace.
Every opportunity to pray is precious.
Every opportunity to forgive matters.
Every opportunity to tell someone about Jesus matters.
Every opportunity to obey God matters.
David prayed:
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
— Psalm 90:12 (KJV)
Then came TEKEL:
“Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”
— Daniel 5:27 (KJV)
What a frightening statement.
Belshazzar had been weighed—not by public opinion, not by his friends, not by his servants, and not by the standards of Babylon.
He had been weighed by God.
People may celebrate what God is correcting.
People may applaud what God is examining.
People may be impressed by our gifts while God is concerned about our character.
People may see our appearance while God sees our hearts.
Scripture declares:
“...for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
— 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)
That brings us to a serious question:
If God examined my heart today, what would He find?
Would He find humility or pride?
Would He find obedience or rebellion?
Would He find forgiveness or bitterness?
Would He find love or hatred?
Would He find integrity when nobody is watching?
Would He find genuine faith?
Would He find someone seeking His glory—or someone seeking his or her own?
This is not about earning salvation. We cannot save ourselves through our works.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works...”
— Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV)
Our hope is Jesus Christ. But when Christ truly transforms our hearts, our lives should produce evidence of that transformation.
Finally came PERES:
“Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
— Daniel 5:28 (KJV)
Then Scripture delivers the sobering conclusion:
“In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.”
— Daniel 5:30 (KJV)
That night.
Belshazzar started the evening sitting on a throne and ended it having lost everything.
He thought he had tomorrow.
He didn't.
This is why Scripture says:
“...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
— 2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV)
Don't wait for tomorrow to surrender what God is asking for today.
Don't wait until tomorrow to forgive.
Don't wait until tomorrow to repent.
Don't wait until tomorrow to pray.
Don't wait until tomorrow to make things right.
Don't wait until tomorrow to answer God's call.
And above all, don't wait until tomorrow to come to Jesus.
Daniel 5 is not merely about handwriting appearing on a wall. It is about a God who sees beyond appearances and examines the heart.
Belshazzar's kingdom is gone. Babylon's glory faded. Its wealth could not last. Its power could not last. Its king could not last.
But our God remains.
“For I am the LORD, I change not...”
— Malachi 3:6 (KJV)
Before God ever has to write something on the wall, allow Him to write His Word upon your heart.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
— Psalm 119:11 (KJV)
Let His Word correct you.
Let His Word convict you.
Let His Word humble you.
Let His Word guide you.
Let His Word transform you.
And when God reveals something in your heart that needs to change, don't run from Him.
Run to Him.
Because through Jesus Christ there is forgiveness, mercy, restoration, and new life.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
— 1 John 1:9 (KJV)

PRAYER...
Most Holy and Eternal God, our Father,
We come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, humbled by Your Word and grateful for Your mercy.
Father, search us today.
Your Word declares:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.”
— Psalm 139:23 (KJV)
Lord, shine Your light into every area of our lives. Reveal anything within us that does not please You.
If pride has entered our hearts, humble us.
If bitterness has entered our hearts, cleanse us.
If unforgiveness has taken root, help us forgive.
If compromise has entered our lives, give us courage to turn away from it.
If we have become casual concerning holy things, restore our reverence for You.
If anything has taken Your rightful place in our hearts, tear down every idol and draw us back to You.
Father, never allow us to become so comfortable with Your blessings that we forget the One who blessed us.
Help us remember that every breath comes from You, every opportunity comes from You, every gift comes from You, and every good thing comes from You.
Your Word says:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...”
— James 1:17 (KJV)
Give us the spirit of Daniel.
Give us wisdom when others are confused.
Give us courage when others compromise.
Give us integrity when temptation comes.
Give us faith when circumstances become difficult.
Give us boldness to speak Your truth with love.
May we never sell our convictions for acceptance, promotion, popularity, money, or position.
Father, teach us to number our days.
Help us understand that tomorrow is not promised and today is an opportunity to glorify You.
May our lives bring honor to Jesus Christ.
May our homes glorify You.
May our marriages and families glorify You.
May our ministries glorify You.
May our workplaces glorify You.
May our words glorify You.
May our decisions glorify You.
And when You examine our hearts, may You find people who sincerely love You, trust You, obey You, and desire to walk according to Your Word.
Thank You for Jesus.
Thank You that where we have fallen short, the blood of Jesus still cleanses.
Thank You that repentance is still available.
Thank You that grace is still available.
Thank You that mercy is still available.
Thank You that restoration is still available.
Create within us clean hearts and renew right spirits within us.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
— Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
We surrender ourselves completely to You.
In the mighty, matchless, wonderful name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen and Amen!

DECLARATION...
I DECLARE IN THE NAME OF JESUS:
My heart belongs to God!
My life belongs to God!
My family belongs to God!
My gifts belong to God!
My future belongs to God!
My worship belongs to God!
I will not allow pride to rule my heart.
I will not allow the things of this world to become idols in my life.
I will not compromise God's Word for popularity, acceptance, position, possessions, or applause.
Like Daniel, I will walk with an excellent spirit.
I will stand when others compromise.
I will pray when others panic.
I will trust God when others doubt.
I will speak truth with love.
I will honor God publicly and privately.
MENE! I understand that my days are numbered, therefore I will make my days count for the glory of God.
TEKEL! I understand that God examines the heart, therefore I will walk humbly and sincerely before Him.
PERES! I understand that earthly kingdoms, possessions, titles, and accomplishments will pass away, but the Kingdom of God will stand forever.
I declare that God's Word will be written upon my heart.
I will not wait for the handwriting on the wall before I obey God.
TODAY I CHOOSE JESUS!
TODAY I CHOOSE HUMILITY!
TODAY I CHOOSE OBEDIENCE!
TODAY I CHOOSE HOLINESS!
TODAY I CHOOSE FAITH!
TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
— Joshua 24:15 (KJV)
This is my declaration, this is my commitment, and this is my prayer—in Jesus' mighty name. Amen and Amen!

Shimoni NTP Mission | 10th–17th August 2026

I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be part of the Shimoni NTP Mission.

I went to Shimoni thinking I was mainly going to serve, but I came back realizing that God was also working on me.

One of my biggest lessons was that mission is more than preaching. It is about understanding people, listening, serving, praying, and building genuine relationships. Through practical activities such as farming, community visits, and interactions with people from different backgrounds, I learned that service can become a doorway to relationships and opportunities to share Christ.

God also challenged some of my assumptions about Muslim communities. I experienced people who were welcoming and hospitable, and I was reminded that relationship takes time, but relationship creates an opportunity to share the Gospel.

John 10:16 especially spoke to me: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring…”

I returned home with a greater burden for the underreached and unreached, but also with a personal challenge: I cannot wait to go somewhere far away before I begin living missionally.

Mission begins where God has already placed me.

Thank you to everyone who prayed, supported, and encouraged me throughout this journey.

I have left Shimoni, but the mission continues.

#ShimoniNTP #Mission #Gospel #Discipleship #Prayer #Serving #GodsMission

August 21
“WHO GOD IS TO ME”
MY REFUGE
Psalm 46:1 (LLV) —
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
When trouble comes,
our first instinct
is often
to look
for somewhere
to escape.
Somewhere safe.
Somewhere
the storm
cannot reach us.
The psalmist
points us
toward such
a place.
“God is
our refuge.”
A refuge
is more
than shelter.
It is
a place
we can enter
when what surrounds us
feels stronger
than we are.
But notice:
The psalmist
does not promise
that those
who trust God
will never
experience trouble.
Quite the opposite.
He assumes
trouble
will come.
The promise
is that trouble
will never come
without God
being there.
He is
“a very present
help.”
Not distant.
Not unaware.
Not arriving
after everything
has settled down.
Present.
Right here.
Right now.
Sometimes
God changes
the circumstances
around us.
Sometimes
He gives us
strength
to walk
through circumstances
that do not change.
Either way,
we are not
alone.
That is why
the verse joins
two words:
“refuge”
and
“strength.”
God is
the shelter
we run to.
And God is
the strength
we receive
when we must
step outside
the shelter
and continue.
Later
in this psalm,
the earth moves.
Mountains shake.
Waters roar.
Nations rage.
The world
seems to be
coming apart.
Yet above
all that noise
comes the quiet
command:
“Be still,
and know
that I am God.”
Our refuge
is not found
in a life
where nothing
ever goes wrong.
Our refuge
is found
in knowing
that nothing
can happen
outside
the presence
of God.
A new beginning finds shelter here:
When trouble surrounds me, I do not have to search for God. He is already present in the middle of it with me.
Reflection: When trouble comes, is my first response to focus on everything going wrong, or to remember the God who is already present with me?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being my refuge and my strength. When trouble comes and circumstances feel larger than I can handle, remind me that I do not face them alone. Help me run to You rather than to fear. Give me shelter when I need to rest and strength when I need to continue. Above all, help me recognize that You are already here—my very present help. In Jesus' name, Amen.

THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT THANKFULNESS

“So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” —Luke 14:33

In her remarkable book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom relates an amazing story about the importance of being thankful.
Corrie and her sister Betsie were held in a concentration camp known as Ravensbrück, where they lived in barracks that were plagued by fleas. Fleas were everywhere—in their hair and on their bodies. One day Betsie told Corrie they needed to give thanks for the fleas.

Corrie thought Betsie had gone too far. She couldn’t imagine thanking God for fleas. But Betsie insisted, reminding her sister that 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances” (NLT). Still, Corrie didn’t want to thank God for the fleas. But as it turned out, Corrie and Betsie were trying to reach the other women in their barracks with the message of the gospel, and they had been holding Bible studies. They found out later that because of the fleas, the guards would not go into those barracks, and therefore, the women were able to have their Bible studies. As a result, they had the freedom to minister to numerous women. So, God can use even fleas.

If the Bible said, “Be thankful in some circumstances,” I would say, “No problem there!” But it says, “Be thankful in all circumstances.” And that’s not an easy thing to do. Yet it’s necessary because “this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” It’s also beneficial.

Our attitude does, in fact, impact our circumstances. Being thankful won’t change events that have occurred, and it won’t prevent trials and suffering from coming our way. But when we lead with a spirit of thankfulness and joy, we change our relationship to our circumstances. We see them in a different light. We see them in the context of the big picture of God’s faithfulness.

This isn’t simply a matter of choosing to be a “glass half full” person or to “always look on the bright side of life.” It’s a matter of choosing to see God at work in our lives, no matter how bad our circumstances get. It’s a matter of wrapping ourselves in His presence when life threatens to overwhelm us. It’s a matter of staying in constant contact with Him during trials and never losing sight of the awesome privilege of being able to do so.

Maintaining a spirit of thankfulness will not only impact our lives, but it will also impact the lives of others in our orbit.
Nothing speaks louder about the life-changing potential of the Christian faith than a believer who remains faithful and thankful when things go bad.

First Thessalonians 5:18 doesn’t say we should be thankful for all circumstances, but rather in all circumstances. There are many things that happen that I’m not glad about. But I am glad that, despite the tragedies, God is still on the throne, and He is still in control of all circumstances that surround my life.

God bless you!

Give God Control (Proverbs 3:5–6)

One of the hardest things to do is let go.

We want to control our future.

Our plans.

Our relationships.

Our careers.

Our finances.

Our reputation.

Even the things we pray about.

We often tell God what we want and then quietly expect Him to follow our plan.

But trusting God means something deeper.

It means being willing to say:

“Lord, I trust You—even when Your plan is different from mine.”

The Bible says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Notice the instruction:

Trust.

Not partially.

Not only when everything makes sense.

With all your heart.

Sometimes we struggle to trust God because we want to know exactly what will happen next.

But faith doesn't require knowing the entire future.

Faith means trusting the One who already knows it.

Think about Peter when Jesus called him to step out of the boat.

The water was still there.

The storm was still around him.

But Peter had to decide whether he would trust Jesus enough to take the step.

Sometimes God is asking you to take a step before you have all the answers.

Maybe you need to start something.

Maybe you need to stop something.

Maybe you need to forgive.

Maybe you need to wait.

Maybe you need to surrender a dream.

Maybe you need to give God control of a relationship, career decision, or future you have been trying desperately to manage yourself.

Surrender doesn't mean giving up on life.

It means giving up the illusion that you have to control everything.

There are things you can control:

Your choices.

Your attitude.

Your obedience.

Your words.

Your effort.

Your response.

But there are also things you cannot control:

Other people's decisions.

Tomorrow.

The economy.

Every outcome.

Every opportunity.

Every circumstance.

Trying to control what belongs outside your control will eventually leave you exhausted.

So give those things to God.

Pray about them.

Do your part faithfully.

Then trust Him with the results.

And remember:

Surrender is not weakness.

It is an expression of faith.

Jesus demonstrated the ultimate example of surrender in the garden of Gethsemane.

Facing the cross, He prayed to the Father and submitted to God's will.

That obedience brought salvation to humanity.

The cross reminds us that God's plan can accomplish something far greater than what we can see in the moment.

Maybe you don't understand your current season.

Maybe you're asking:

“Why is this happening?”

Instead of only asking God to change the situation, try asking:

“Lord, what are You teaching me through this?”

Sometimes God changes the circumstances.

Sometimes He changes us.

And sometimes He does both.

Whatever you're facing today, don't carry it as though everything depends on you.

Give God your fears.

Give Him your plans.

Give Him your mistakes.

Give Him your future.

Give Him your unanswered questions.

And then trust Him one day at a time.

You may not know what tomorrow holds.

But you know who holds tomorrow.

Release what you cannot control and trust the God who can.

Today, take a quiet moment and pray:

“Lord, I surrender my plans, my fears, and my future to You. Help me trust Your wisdom more than my own understanding. Lead me where You want me to go, and give me the courage to follow. Amen.”

What is one thing you've been trying to control that you need to place completely in God's hands?

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