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The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” Psalm 32:8 What happens when the “best pathway” seems as if it’s anything but His best? One day you’re walking along, enjoying the beauty around you when suddenly the pathway begins to feel like mountain climbing. And the mountain starts to crumble leaving piles of rocks in your path. Let me explain— First of all, only a God, who truly knit me together, could know that I, a single independent woman who never wanted children, would find her sense of belonging in the chaos of a family of five. A couple of years ago, God blessed me with my husband and three children. My family. Shortly after we were married, Jeff told me that I woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air. When he asked me what was wrong I told him that I heard God say that He was going to take everything away from me. Although I do remember a feeling of panic and a brief question of ‘You just gave me my family, would you really take them away so quickly’ sweeping across my mind, I woke up the next morning not remembering a thing. (I’m sure my mind blocked it thinking if I forget it, maybe it won’t happen). Well, if you know God, you know that by me blocking it didn’t change the fact that He was after something in me that I couldn’t learn any other way.  Although the flesh part of me would love to be able to learn through knowledge as the “world” learns, God knows our deepest understanding comes from Him. Though He thankfully did not take away the people I love, He did take, one by one, the things I depended on for many years. What I call my securities and comforts. Here is a brief synopsis of the last year of our lives— A little more than a year ago this new bonus mom of three began to suffer with insomnia, along with other recurring health issues. We have been to several doctors and I have tried many medications, none of which have helped. I have been tested, poked, analyzed, researched and given more advice than I could ever use in a lifetime. In addition to children living between two households, we have also (so far) survived rebellious teen issues.  I lost my job of 10 years due to the company closing, leaving me unemployed for the first time in my life. I get out of bed each morning without a place to go, which is foreign to me. Even simple comforts have been stripped away.  For example our new home has windows everywhere and the brightness is, well let’s just say, an adjustment! And did I mention that I’ve been known as the “ducks in a row chick?” And my ducks are hardly in a row!! I call this the season of my life ‘the season that God is stripping me of me.’ It has been, to say the least, a very difficult year. God has not yet delivered me from the physical pain, but at the risk of sounding cliche I am grateful to have this uninterrupted time with Him. Through this, I have become dependent solely and completely on the Lover of my soul. I believe learning to depend on Him is one of the reasons for THIS season of my life. We have traveled together through miles of rocky road, sudden hills and dips, and He has never let go of my hand. As hard as this past year has been, God has shown me that without this traveled road I would have never experienced the peace of Jesus so deeply. I learned that only on this road, in this valley, would He be able to give me this new found knowledge of who He is. He is after my whole heart and He longs to be my first love. Because of what I have gained here, I would not change this road for a road less traveled. Unfortunately, another thing I have learned in this valley is that pain is the way of refining. Now hear me, I am not by any stretch of the imagination a person who easily deals with physical pain, nor am I this spiritual wonder woman. I have asked on many occasions, even pleaded with Him to tell me when I will learn all there is to learn here so I can experience sleep again. But I am still here, in this valley, and here is where He is teaching me and loving me in ways I’ve not experienced before. For most people and I am one of them, avoiding pain is natural.  But I am here to tell you that refining eventually comes. Embrace it! I promise you that on the other side of the refining process God will show you things about Himself that will blow your mind. Trust that God knows what He is doing. Trust that He loves you more than you can imagine love is. Trust that He is taking you to a new level in your relationship with Him. Trust in Him and know that the Joy of the Lord is your strength.

Jesus is the salt that makes us valuable (a living and holy sacrifice). Like salt, He purifies us, He brings healing, and He preserves us from rotting. Without Him, we could never be the salt of the earth. The salt of the earth can penetrate hearts, it can enhance the desire for more than what's seen, and cause a thirst that can only be quenched by the Holy Spirit. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Matthew 5:13 NKJV See my last post https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/salt-of-the-earth And you, beloved, are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, she puts it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house. You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it. Matthew 5:14-16 VOICE We talked last time about salt, this time let's talk light. Jesus said we ARE the salt of the earth; He also said we ARE the light of the world. Not that we are becoming salt and light, but that we are salt and light. So the question we should be asking ourselves is, do I walk in that truth? After creating the heavens and the earth, the very next thing God spoke into existence was light. Light made vision possible. It exposed the darkness. In the Genesis of creation, the earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light," And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.(Gen 1:2-4 NLT). When God says something, the truth He's revealing is not just physical, but also spiritual. Like the earth, we enter into it formless, empty and in darkness. God's Light opens spiritual eyes so they may turn from darkness to light (see Acts 26:18). For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." (2 Cor 4:6 NIV) Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT). Jesus makes vision possible to a life in darkness. The Light of the world separates out the light from dark. His light exposes hidden things and shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Jesus declares His beloved light, commissioning her to go into the world as light. Part of my work, part of your work, as the light of the world, is to shine brightly. People are chasing what they believe to be freedom, declaring, "I need to have and deserve whatever it is I desire." They do this without realizing that they were designed purposefully by a Creator with eternity in their hearts. Why do we doubt that our designer knows exactly what is needed for best results. We don't do that with anything else. We were designed by Him and for Him; this is true freedom—freedom that doesn't have to be chased, or defined, or is just out of reach. Yet a lifetime and into eternity is spent chasing pseudo freedoms that never satisfy, leading to perpetual darkness. God provided the light—light always follows darkness. And evening passed and morning came ( Gen 1:5); weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning (Ps 30:5) — so why do so many choose to sit in the dark? Because they don't understand. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. (John 1:4-5 NASB) Theologian John Stott gave the church these words as a warning for rough times ahead, let them sink deep into your soul– "‘The world is going down the drain,’ we say with a shrug. But whose fault is it? Who is to blame? Let me put it like this. If the house is dark when nightfall comes, there is no sense in blaming the house; that is what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is, ’Where is the light?’ Similarly, if the meat goes bad and becomes inedible, there is no sense in blaming the meat; this is what happens when bacteria are left alone to breed. The question to ask is, ’Where is the salt?’ Just so, if society deteriorates and its standards decline until it becomes like a dark night or a stinking fish, there is no sense in blaming society; that is what happens when fallen men and women are left to themselves, and human selfishness is unchecked. The question to ask is, 'Where is the Church? Why are the salt and light of Jesus Christ not permeating and changing our society?" These questions command our attention. No matter where you stand, it's difficult to deny the tangibility of the darkness looming. Our world is decaying ; it's suffering in darkness. It needs salt—it needs light. Jesus is the salt of the earth and He is the light of the world. As His beloved, He is in you, thereby making you salt and light. Open your heart to Him if you haven't already. Walk in His freedom and let Him love through you to show the world what He designed true freedom to look like. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT). Why would someone say no? Well, I imagine it's because they don't know. I know I said no for a very long time, until—well, until God sent a beacon of light, and He separated the light from the darkness; giving me the ability to see. I pray for revival, it's the world's only hope. But that has to begin with each of us—the Church. We are not just observers, we are sent as difference makers. The world needs you; the lost, the hurting; flaws and all. Because it's in the transparency of your weakness that the power of God speaks to the depths of a darkened soul. A soul that longs for more but is blinded by the lies fed to it by the devil, society, and the media ideology. Will you shake the salt shaker? Will you turn on the light and let it shine everywhere for all to see?

We are declared innocent, not by our deeds, but solely by the work of Jesus. Made in the image of God, from the moment we say yes to Him, He awakens in us a desire to please Him; while simultaneously igniting the Refiner's fire to purify His beloved. He's never content to leave us where He finds us or where we currently are. Likewise, a passion to stand on truth, regardless of consequence, will begin to flow through a secure—loved—refined—and purified heart. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 NIV See my last post on the Beatitudes https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/pure-in-heart I previously split the eight Beatitudes into two sets of four. The first four relate to relationship with God; the next, relationship with people. It's become clear to me that the latter four are actually three. The last Beatitude Jesus described persecution as it relates to the Christian. We'll talk more about that next time—for now, let's talk peace. Jesus begins His progressive statements with poor in spirit. When our need for Him is realized, it leads to a mourning over sin that produces in us meekness, and a hunger and thirst for righteousness—creating an appetite to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus said this is the first and greatest commandment. From that love flows much fruit, beginning with mercy, purity of heart, and as we will see today, peace. These are the building blocks in caring for the souls of others; loving your neighbor as yourself—the second greatest command that Jesus said is as equally important as the first. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 NIV) Make every effort to live in peace with everyone. (Hebrews 12:14a NIV) God calls us to pursue peace. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 NIV The difficulty of this Beatitude is never more clear to me than in 2021. How, in such a volatile world, does one have peace? I mean, don't I first have to possess something before I can offer it to someone else? Not much today resembles peace, yet God calls us to be peacemakers. However, make no mistake here, Jesus is not talking about becoming a peace-keeper. Consider a tale of two pastors who are facing an issue that can cause division. One presents truth regardless of the outcome. The other shapes his response to ensure he pleases everyone. Peacemakers do not seek conflict, but they also do not ignore or cheapen truth just to keep the peace. That is not peace at all. Peace-keeping can cause confusion. Peacemaking results in stability and is comforting because it's grounded in truth. Peacemakers promote peace, they don't compromise it. After reviewing the progression of the Beatitudes thus far, I think it's safe to say that peace flows from a pure heart. A pure heart's desire is to bring peace to others. But how? Let's go back to the beginning; 'It is not something you do, it's who you become when Jesus lives in you.' As trouble consistently presents itself, Jesus instilled peace in His beloved, not to hoard for themselves, but to offer to others. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV Author Catherine McNiel writes, "Yes, darkness looms palpable. The groaning is real, and despair always whispers at our backs. But the Christian faith centers itself, from first to last, in the hope of shalom, […] We are so vulnerable, so fragile; the risk is high, the chances uncertain. Surely floods and drought, weeds and pests will assail us. Openhearted, we tenaciously offer everything we are to the same world notorious for its fierce tendency to utterly destroy." Peacemakers are called children of God because when they make peace, they look most like Him. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18 NKJV

As we surrender to Jesus, we will continue to long for righteousness—hunger for justice—and thirst for goodness. This is "a longing that endures and is never completely satisfied this side of eternity." (David Guzik) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 NIV While we await heaven, may we hold tightly to God and trust in Him. As we do, pay close attention to the spiritual hunger and thirst it produces. See my last post on the Beatitudes https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/hunger-and-thirst The first four Beatitudes describe a person's relationship with God: Poor in spirit is a condition of the heart, an awareness of our need for God. Out of that need comes a mourning over sin and its effects. As a result, meekness is produced; stimulating a hunger and thirst for righteousness. The next four Beatitudes describe a person's relationship with others, that organically develop in a surrendered soul. Jesus begins these four Beatitudes with mercy. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NIV What is the definition of Mercy? Mercy is the compassionate treatment of an offender, especially those under one's power or authority. Mercy has been described as withholding what's deserved. In Matthew 18, Jesus shares a parable about an Unmerciful Servant who owed the king ten thousand bags of gold. Because he could not settle his account, the king ordered he and his family be sold for payment. The man then falls to his knees begging for the king's patience as he tries to earn enough money to repay his debt (as if anyone could pay back such a large debt). The king took pity on him and with compassion he canceled the debt and set him free. But when the man went out, he approached someone who owed him a hundred silver coins and demanded payment. When this man could not pay his debt, he also begged for mercy, but the man had him thrown into prison. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' Matthew 18:32-34 NIV The king's compassion led him to bestow mercy upon the begging man, but because the man's eyes were on himself, his desire was self centered. He had no concept of the magnitude of mercy he received; thereby, he was unable to extend that same mercy. In contrast; Genesis 42 is a story about someone I‘ll call a Merciful Servant. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers when he was a teenager. He had suffered a great deal because of their hatred toward him. He lived as a slave—was wrongly accused—spent years in prison— and was forgotten. Many years later, at just the right time, he was able to overcome his circumstances by the grace and mercy of God. God raised him up to be second in command of Egypt ahead of a famine. The same brothers, who thought him dead because of their actions, had made their way to Egypt to buy food. When they met with Joseph, they didn‘t recognize him, but he knew them immediately. His initial response was harsh: And he put them all in custody for three days (vs17 NIV). On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households" (vs 18-19 NIV). There is much more to this story but what I would like you to see is that the presence of God in Joseph's life was pervasive; it changed the way he treated those who wronged him. God's mercy on Joseph, and Joseph's understanding of his dependence on God, had a deep impact on his life and enabled him to extend mercy in the most difficult of circumstances. The greatest example of mercy we find is God's patience toward humankind. He gives each of us ample opportunity to surrender to Him. We see His tremendous mercy on display at the Cross when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). We are not wired, in ourselves, to have compassion on someone who we believe has wronged us. Actually, it's entirely the opposite. Our entitlement usually calls for justice not mercy. It‘s only when we truly comprehend the significance of the underserved mercy of God in our lives that we can recognize that Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). Mercy does not naturally happen, it is an overflow of the love of God in you to another. Beloved, consider the ways God nudges you; sometimes He's subtle, other times, not so much. Remember, His desire is always to make us more like His Son. Can you remember a time when you extended mercy and later realized that without God in you it would never have happened? I have. It actually blew me away. God has a funny way of doing that. We are never more like God than when we extend mercy—and merciful hearts receive mercy.

I recently was the guest speaker at a woman's Christmas event. Part 1 and 2 of SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF—CHRISTMAS are both based on that event's teaching. To read Part 1 click the link below: https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-christmas-part-1 Click here if you'd like to watch: https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/speaking In Acts 17:26-28 Paul says, "From one man he made every nation of man, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' " According to God's word there is no doubt that He put you and I in the places in which we live, in 2021, smack dab in the middle of all that comes with it—Pandemic; Division; Civil unrest; Obvious corruption, and unfortunately a Christianity that doesn't look much different than the world. God is shaking the whole earth, but more so His bride. We're here to represent Him collectively, but also for a unique individual purpose that will glorify Him and further His Kingdom. So, how do we apply any of this to Christmas? And how do we apply Christmas to any of this? Well, think about Mary. Other than Jesus, I can't imagine a more difficult journey. Do you remember when you were young and planning and dreaming about your future? I'm sure Mary had hers all planned out in her heart, but God intervened. Luke tells us that Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (1:28-33) Imagine being Mary. I'm sure a million thoughts ran through her head. Although she spoke of only one, “How can this happen, I'm a virgin?” But I'm sure she had many other thoughts too. Thoughts like— What about Joseph? He's not going to understand. How will I even tell him? I love him and I'm sure he's going to leave me. What about my parents? My Community? What will they think of me? And the Law says, I will be stoned to death! How in the world can I raise the Son of God? It had to be too great for her to fathom; the responsibility too heavy to measure! Yet, she said yes, with virtually no hesitation, yes to birth the most important human being that would ever live—God's son! I am the Lord's servant, she said, May everything you have said about me come true" (1:38) What an insurmountable honor that would bring with it unimaginable pain. Mary would later be told that "a sword would pierce her very soul" (2:35) She was just an ordinary girl, asked to do an extraordinary thing—and she said yes. Would you have said yes? Can you follow God with an indistinct future? He doesn't give us all the information, He just says, "follow Me, walk this way." Think about— Noah - God said, You will be ridiculed because it's never rained before - but will you build a boat anyway? And Abraham - I won't tell you where you're going - but will you leave your country and your family to walk with me? Esther - I need you to save your people - will you Go before the King—Uninvited? Even though going uninvited may be a death sentence? The disciples - You will be persecuted, even to death - but will you follow me anyway? And later Paul - You will walk an extremely difficult road. I am sending you to preach to the very ones you've been killing, the Christians, the Gentiles. Will you let me remove your religiosity and replace it with the Gospel? We are all part of the same story. COLLECTIVELY, God is asking us to represent Him and to stand on truth no matter the consequences in order that others will see Him through us. AND INDIVIDUALLY, He's asking you to do something significant for Him; something that He prepared ahead of time for you to do. Just as Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Jesus is in us. So let’s ponder a few questions together— Is Jesus made visible to the world through you? Think about your everyday life, is Jesus shining through you? Are you standing on truth no matter what? Even when it doesn't make sense to you? Or especially when it doesn't make sense to those around you or even those who are persecuting you? Does your life today reflect a greater alignment with the purposes of God than it did yesterday? What would have to happen in your life for you to make a difference in this place, in this time, in 2021, that has God placed you in? Maybe we need to ask ourselves what we need to start doing, or maybe stop doing. Mary was shaken. God is shaking us. Mary had Gabriel to literally tell her what was going to happen. Don't you wish you had an auditable voice telling us what's going to happen. We don't get a Gabriel, but we have someone better, we have the Holy Spirit. Gabriel may have been speaking, but Mary knew God, and she recognized His voice calling her to the most important thing she would ever do. We have to have a heart that is fully seeking after Jesus in order to hear His voice. Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant. Let it be according to your word. (Luke 1:38) A servant doesn't own her own life, she submits her life to her Master. Paul said in Ephesians, "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." Did you catch that, you are God's inheritance. I remember when that first hit me, I knew He was my inheritance, but I never imagined myself as His. Paul continues, "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 1:18-20) And later in Ephesians, Paul tells us that we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he PLANNED for us LONG AGO. (2:10, Emphasis mine) I'm pretty convinced that anyone who looks out the window would agree that time is short and Jesus is probably coming soon. What I'm not sure of, is how many of us who claim Christ would ask God for the ability to live boldly, with the same reckless abandon as Mary. Are you willing to seek God with all your heart, and listen, and submit to His plan with a readiness to act? Beloved, we are the church. The church is not a building. It's you, it's me. God could have unzipped the sky and told everyone His plan. He didn't. He chose to turn His beloved into an army. He gave us dominion over the earth. Regardless of the outcome, God has called us to step in as His representative. I don't know about you but Christmastime reminds me of new beginnings. It seems as though the world as we know it has been turned upside-down. Wrong is right, right is wrong. Good evil, evil good. The shaking is tangible, and it's for us. 2 Chronicles 7:14 was a direct conditional promise to Israel but I believe its principle applies to the Christian— If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. This is to the believer. It's not up to the unbeliever, it's up to us. They don't follow God, we do. I wrote this in one of my blogs when the bottom fell out in 2020, "Even though God told Israel that if they did this He would heal their land, I believe it was always more about the people than the land. So, let's personalize the principle. God is asking the Christian to humble himself, to pray, to seek Him, and turn from sin. He is promising that if we do, He will hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. But could that land be the land under your feet? Is He promising to heal our nation or is He promising to heal you, and then use you, no matter the circumstances around you, as His ambassador to a lost and broken land?" And hey, who knows, He may actually heal our land. I mean, the only chance of that even happening is if the church is the church. We have to stand up against the blatant lies of the enemy, the culture, and I’m sorry to say our leaders that say, It’s okay to kill a PRE-BORN BABY. Or that MARRIAGE isn’t only between one man and one woman. Or that God makes mistakes when He chooses GENDER. Ephesians 5:14 says, Wake up, O Sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Mary's world was, without a doubt, turned inside out and upside-down. Israel hadn't heard from God in 400 years because of their disobedience. But God, He was sending the Savior, and He was using Mary as His vessel. She had to step in with a different response than the status quo in order to meet the demand of the time in which God placed her. Was it difficult? Sure it was, but she got to be Jesus' mom. And us—we get the Holy Spirit. We need a response that is different in order to meet the demands of the time in which God has placed us. This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, may we have Mary's same courage, her servant's heart and most importantly her desire to please her Father. Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you close enough to hear His voice? Can you hear the wake up call? Let's Pray, Father, thank You for Jesus. Jesus thank You for Your willingness, Your sacrifice, and Your victory over death. Holy Spirit, thank You for revealing Jesus to us, for Your guidance, protection, comfort and conviction. I pray Father, should You give us another day, may we align ourselves to You more and more. Open our eyes and hearts. May we live boldly and with reckless abandon to You. We need your help; it's much easier to stay quiet in the volatile atmosphere in which we live, than it is to speak the truth in love. Please give each of us the courage we need to step into Your call. May our appetite for You be bigger than any other appetite. Thank You that You love us and that You chose us for such a time as this. Please bless each of us with your amazing Grace, In Jesus name Amen. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

John, in his Gospel, emphasizes the seven I AM statements of Jesus. His third, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." John 10:9 NIV Many sheep pens did not have a gate so a true shepherd would lay his body down across the opening to protect his flock from wandering off, while at the same time blocking anything dangerous from entering in. See my last post, I AM THE GATE, on John 10:1-10 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/i-am-the-gate Let's recap before Jesus's next statement. Jesus healed a man who was blind from birth. The man was brought before the Pharisees to explain what happened. He knew it was a miracle, and so did they, but because of their own blindness they refused to accept it and threw the man out of the temple. When Jesus found him, He essentially told him not to listen to them because they were thieves and robbers. They didn't enter through the gate, they instead climbed over the fence—they are not really the shepherds, I AM. (See John 9-10:1-10) "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." John 10:11 NIV We talked a lot about sheep last time. They are needy, helpless actually. They need a shepherd; but not just any shepherd. Jesus' love is sacrificial, then and now, He lays down His life for His sheep. This offends many, then and now. But why? I know this is a loaded question that seems to have a layer of answers, however, I believe it can all be boiled down to one—Pride. Pride says it doesn't need anyone to lead, so the very indication of a needed shepherd becomes offensive. I know because this is where I lived for a very long time. To my defense, I had no idea what a shepherd was to a sheep. With blind eyes opened, it would be kind of senseless, don't you think, to reject the Good Shepherd who would go as far as to lay down His life for me? It can be difficult, I know, to accept that that kind of love is actually real? Especially after living any amount of time in this world. God gave us free will, and free will, well, is free will. It can be beautiful or it can be pretty brutal, depending on the person and how they choose to use it. As I say often, take a look outside your window. I often wonder what stops people short of accepting God's invitation? Do you think maybe it's fear or self-righteousness? Perhaps a false understanding of who He is—or a comfortable numb, or shame, or guilt? And then there is a definite possibility that they've been misled by someone in disguise. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:11-13 NIV An employee defends the sheep to a certain point because they do not belong to him. His responsibility goes only so far, and according to Jesus, it doesn't include wolves. But what about the Good Shepherd? Well, He tells us again to be sure we know— “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. John 14:14-16 NIV Jesus is a relational, personal Shepherd. He invites each of us into relationship with Him. I am so glad He is a shepherd, because I am a sheep. As hard as I've tried to have peace, it's just not possible without Him. I mean, maybe for a little while, but true peace comes from the surety of heaven. I know I've been in some scary, and dark, and even dangerous places in my life; many of which I've tried to navigate on my own. I can't hold a candle to a wolf, but He can, and He wouldn't have it any other way. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:17-18 NIV I love that! Jesus's life wasn't taken from Him. He willingly laid it down by submitting it to the will of the Father. Sin has a debt that needs to be paid. You can try to pay it yourself with an unattainable perfection, or you can rest in the fact that Jesus paid it for you. There is no third option. Whether we believe it or not, each of us will stand before a holy and perfect God regarding our sin. There is a choice though, God made sure of it. It is simple, yet profound—Him or you. Jesus was not forced and neither are you. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:24-30 NLT They all had a choice. Some picked up stones to kill Him (vs31); while others tried to arrest Him (vs39); and then there were those who followed Him, and believed (vs41-42). Jesus is the Gate for the sheep. He is the Good Shepherd who tends to them in every way. Be careful though, He doesn't take kindly to wolves. Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21) If you are His, you know it. If you're not, how come?

John, in his Gospel, emphasizes the seven I AM statements of Jesus. The first, "I am the bread of life." Bread, just hearing that word makes me think of butter. I'm an Italian girl who loves me some bread and butter. Unfortunately, my life took a turn in 2017 when I learned that because of an autoimmune condition, I had to say goodbye to both. What! How would I survive without bread—and butter?! Eventually I was able to find a substitute for the physical bread (and butter), but spiritually, there is no substitute. In John 6, Jesus explains that He is the Bread of life. His explanation came after He fed 5000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish (v 1-12). Oh yeah, then He walked on water (v 16-20). Yet these same people wanted another miracle—they didn't want Him, they instead wanted what He could give them. They asked for free bread everyday like the manna their ancestors received from Moses in the wilderness (vs 30-31). Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:32-35 NLT) Jesus said come - follow Me and you will never be hungry. And believe - put your trust in Me and I will forever quench your thirst. They wanted nothing more than to be secure and comfortable. Boy can I relate! Before I knew Jesus, I remember thinking (and saying—because usually when things come to my mind they many times shoot right out of my mouth—Pray for me!) "Come on, Jesus walked on water?" And I'm sure I also would have had something to say about feeding all those people with such little food had I known the story at the time. As if anything is impossible for God, right!? [Jesus continued} "But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me" (vs 36). Ouch! Just as they did, I had many opportunities but each one bounced off my hard heart. I was looking for what I could see and was missing the beauty of what I could not see. This was true for the Israelites as well. Manna was the miracle food from heaven; food they could see; food with physical sustenance (Exodus 16). However, it was so much more than that. It was a foreshadow of the Bread that would bring life; true sustenance. Let's be honest, even as believers we can find ourselves seeking Jesus for what He can give us rather than seeking more of Him. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day. (vs 37-42) Stop for a moment to think about the gravity of Jesus's words. He said He came to give life, eternal life. Yet somehow we've dumbed Him down to a man, or a god of many gods. Regardless of what these disciples saw, or what He said, they were blinded to who He was. They could not get past their own desires and human logic (vs. 34,41-42). Isn't that something we've all struggled with? I mean, either we've rejected Jesus all together or we put Him in a box by interpreting His word to fit the narrative we like. Either way it's a rejection of who He is. Jesus now drops a truth bomb that would blow anyone's mind; truth that caused many to walk away from Him. He not only said it once (vs. 47-51), but twice— So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” (vs.53-58) Whoa! And because they did not know Him, they found His words difficult to accept (vs.60). Jesus's words were difficult indeed, but we realize that He was not suggesting that anyone literally eat His flesh and drink His blood. He was talking about surrender—abiding—He in you and you in Him—fully committed, following Him wherever He leads. His way not yours, no matter the circumstance, now and into eternity. Do you have a hard time accepting what Jesus said? Search your heart because it's extremely important. Jesus essentially says that He is EVERYTHING to you or He is NOTHING. Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” (vs.61-65) In other words, there is no halfway. It's not what we do, it's what He did. He paid the price so we didn't have to. Our only job is to surrender to the One who actually gave His life so we could have life. “Unless God thus draw, no man will ever come to Christ; because none could, without this drawing, ever feel the need of a Saviour.” (Clarke) Jesus rejected their selfish motives for following Him. He told them they had to be all in, but unfortunately, that's not what they were looking for. At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. (vs. 66) Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (vs.68-69). I believe that everyone, at some point in their walk with Jesus, has to ask themselves some important questions. I surely have; and the closer I walk, the more they penetrate my heart: Will I stay or will I go? Do I believe that Jesus is the Holy one of God? Do I want Jesus or am I following Him for what He can give me? Do I take Him at His word or do I try to mold His word into what works for me? I'm pretty sure that most of you who have read this far would say that you believe in Jesus, but have you fully surrendered your heart to Him or is what He asks too difficult? It's not easy living in a world that has rejected Jesus as Lord, but I say as Peter did, "Lord, to whom would I go? You have the words that give eternal life. I believe, and I know You are the Holy One of God.” Jesus, the Bread of life, the One who gives life, indicates that we're either all in or we're not in at all. Which are you?

John, in his Gospel, emphasizes the seven I AM statements of Jesus. The second, "I am the light of the world." Light or darkness depends on where you come out on the other side of this; "Do I need to be set free?" I personally don't want to ever get comfortable with darkness again. We crave the light of Jesus whether we know it or not. Coming from someone who lived much of her life in perpetual darkness without Him, the answer is worth seeking. See my last post, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, on John 8:12-59 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/i-am-the-light-of-the-world Jesus said, "I am the gate for the sheep." Before Jesus said this, He healed a man who was blind from birth. He opened the man's eyes physically, and because the Pharisees, who supposedly had sight, were threatened by this, they threw the man out of the temple and accused Jesus of being a fraud. However, Jesus, the true Shepherd, found the man, revealed to him his spiritual blindness, and unlike the Pharisees, the man believed (see John 9). “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. John 10:1-2 I love the way Jesus used real life to drive a point. He knew they would understand shepherds and sheep and sheep pens (yet as you'll see shortly, they still didn't get it.) But as for us, in our culture, it's understandable that we would have a bit more difficulty with the analogy, so we'll have to dig a little deeper. Who were these Pharisees, they keep popping up everywhere don't they? Like many leaders of the day, they were known as shepherds. They were educated, scholars really, with clout. Believing they were the only ones who fully knew God, they lorded over the people. Arrogance and self righteousness caused them not only to turn away from the Light, but also to reject the Messiah they claimed to know so much about. They were supposed to be leading the flock, but they, not Jesus, were actually the frauds. It just goes to show you that just because someone calls themselves a shepherd, doesn't make a shepherd; neither does simply stepping into the role (or the gate). The Pharisee effect is real. It's legalism through and through. I think we should take a good look inside just in case. At the very least we should be aware of its influence on us; and weigh and test everything we hear against scripture, whether it comes from someone else or from within our own hearts. (1 John 4:1, Galatians 6:3) [Jesus continued] The gatekeeper opens the gate for him [the shepherd], and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” John 10:3-5 NIV . At the end of the day, shepherds would put their flocks into a sheep pen for the night. In the morning when the shepherd would call his sheep, only those that were his came to him. That's so amazing to me. There could have been dozens of other sheep in the pen but only his recognized his voice. Imagine the trust they had to have in him; a trust he cultivated. As he walks, they follow knowing they would be cared for, protected, and led in the way they should go. Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. John 10:6-8 NIV Jesus is the Shepherd, and also the Gate for the sheep. What does that mean? Well, if we are His, then we are the sheep in the story. Why does Jesus call us sheep? I think it has as much to do with Him being our Shepherd as it does with us being His sheep. If you really think about it, we are kind of helpless and dumb when left to ourselves? Like sheep, left to ourselves, we're lost. We're prone to wander just as they are. Ever feel like you would love nothing more than to have someone you can trust to lead you in the right direction? How about uncertainty? I definitely see the sheep in me in this one; I can go from uneasy to down right fearful in 2 seconds flat! Sheep are helpless, especially against evil; and so are we. The only difference between us and them is we're deceived into thinking we have the power to control it. And let's not forget about herd mentality. We've seen a lot of that lately, haven't we? Yep, I went there. It can be a poisonous game of follow the leader. When a sheep is bored or sees greener pastures in his peripheral, off he goes, even if it's off a cliff. And then bam, there go his friends. A mistake many of us make is that we think we can conquer these things on our own. That is simply an illusion. So yes beloved, we need a Shepherd. But not just any shepherd; a Shepherd who knows us intimately and cares for us deeply. A Shepherd who was willing to leave heaven in order to gather His sheep; His sheep who He calls by name. Now to the gate. Many sheep pens did not have a gate so a true shepherd would lay his body down across the opening to protect his flock from wandering off, while at the same time blocking anything dangerous from entering in. [Jesus said again] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:9-10 NIV Jesus was clear, religion will not save anyone, not even a Pharisee. Knowledge does not give us a pass into His Kingdom, nor does good deeds, or even the Church. And emotion, definitely not emotion. Unfortunately, emotion seems to be the god of the day. People are blindly feeling their way through life, completely unaware that they are listening to the wrong voice(s). Jesus heals the blind. He is the Gate; the Way, the Truth, and the One that leads to Life. I don't know about you, but this particular sheep is grateful that the Father who knows everything, knew we'd be sheep, so He provided a Shepherd for those who would choose to follow Him through the Gate that sets them free and brings true liberty. The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3 NIV Poor in spirit is a condition of the heart given by the Spirit of God to the believer. A spiritual bankruptcy—an awareness of our own depravity and hopelessness without God—a need for Him. The closer we walk with Jesus, our inherent need for Him is realized. The smaller we get, the bigger He becomes; it is in that awareness, Jesus says, we inherit the kingdom of heaven. See my last post on the Beatitudes https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/the-blessings Though being poor in spirit is given to us by God, it is not a natural posture of man. I know for me, if I take my eyes off of Jesus and put them on myself, I am filled with more self-righteousness and pride than I am with spiritual poverty. My need to control is puffed up. I become bigger and He becomes smaller. Jesus started here for a reason; the statements to follow are impossible for man without realizing poverty of spirit; and the first response is mourning. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 NIV Many have believed (including me) that this was meant for those who mourn or grieve over a loss. Don't misunderstand me, I do think this is implied here; loss can be a deep and devastating experience. However, I believe Jesus is referring to mourning as a godly sorrow over sin and its effects. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB This last year, the Beatitudes have come alive to me like never before. In 2020 everything was magnified and not only did it give me fresh eyes to see what Jesus meant by poverty of spirit producing mourning, it also exposed how little time I've spent previously mourning and grieving over my own sin, never mind the sin of the world. Depravity is tangible. It demeans and belittles. It incites hatred and division; a need for power and murderous tendencies. It convinces the world that God doesn't exist or at the very least, He doesn't care. It creates the illusion, like at Babel, that we can become our own God. The human heart will always seek what it desires; itself. The prophet Jeremiah grieved for his people. Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? Jeremiah 8:21-22 NIV This, beloved, should cause a deep mourning in every believer. A weeping over what breaks God's heart. Not a heartbreak over agenda or the things of this world, but a deep sadness over our own sin and a sorrow over a lost world. How do we get to the place that David did when he agreed with God about sin? In mourning he said: "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge." Psalm 51:4 NIV And this led him to ask God to: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 NIV Jesus, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, said that it's God's mourners who will be comforted. God's promise is to be near the brokenhearted; and it's His nearness that brings us comfort.

As a fruit of the Spirit, I know I have meekness in me, but it's not an automatic posture. It's a minute by minute dependence on God. Left to myself, meek I am not. As our perfect example, without Jesus our meekness is counterfeit. Poor in spirit is a condition of the heart, an awareness of our need for God. Out of that need comes a mourning over sin and its effects. As a result, meekness is produced. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 NIV See my last post on the Beatitudes https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/strength-under-control Like the first three, the following Beatitude describes a person's relationship with God; and is not possible without realizing their need for Him. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 NIV Jesus, speaking to His disciples, knew that those who were listening understood what profound hunger and thirst felt like. Today, if you are reading this, most likely you have not experienced such an intense longing for physical food and water. However, each of us have deep desires that go unmet; such longings that may be fulfilled today, only to return tomorrow. Previously Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek." In contrast, He does not say blessed are the righteous, He says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." So that tells me, as someone who is surrendered to Jesus, I will long for righteousness—hunger for justice—thirst for goodness, yet I will never fully acquire these this side of heaven. What exactly is righteousness? Why don't we automatically have it? And why would we hunger and thirst for it? Let's start with what it is. Righteousness is "the character or quality of being right or just; a condition acceptable to God." Just as our meekness without Jesus is counterfeit, righteousness without Him is corrupt. The Bible tells us that there is no righteous person (Rom.3:10); and all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags to God (Isa.64:6). Yet He loves us so much that He chose to pay for our sins Himself. True righteousness comes through Jesus. It's not achieved, but declared; and Jesus says that those who eagerly long for it will be satisfied. As I look around, morality seems so—yesterday. It's as if the only desired righteousness is self-righteousness and it comes with an insatiable appetite for the pleasures of this world. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more we long for right-ness on the earth, but without Him, it's simply unattainable. The Lord says, “All you who are thirsty, come and drink. . . . Why spend your money on something that is not real food? Why work for something that doesn’t really satisfy you? Listen closely to me, and you will eat what is good; your soul will enjoy the rich food that satisfies. Isa 55:1-2 NCV While we await heaven, may we hold tightly to God and trust in Him. As we do, pay close attention to your spiritual hunger and thirst as it produces "a longing that endures and is never completely satisfied this side of eternity." (David Guzik) As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you, God. I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet with him? Psalm 42:1-2 NCV The earth is decaying and the world spends its time trying to save it. Why is it that we care more about the dirt than we do the ones who are made of it? Jesus loved. He wept. He called forth life. He stood with the weak, the weary, and the lame. He routed for the underdog. Yet He also stood up to bullies, those who puffed themselves up, the religious, and the self-righteous. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Ask Him for the strength and courage to stand with Him in His righteousness. Lift your eyes beloved, He has much for you to do. Will you join Him?

The first four Beatitudes describe a person's relationship with God. The next four describe a person's relationship with others; that organically develop in a surrendered soul. Jesus begins these four Beatitudes with mercy. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NIV See my last post on the Beatitudes https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/mercy After Mercy is Pure in Heart, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 NIV The Greek word for heart is kardia. It is the center and seat of the spiritual life—thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, purposes and endeavors. The Greek word for pure is katharos. It means to be clean, blameless, innocent, unstained. What makes a heart pure? Let's start with the obvious, the heart can not purify itself; nor can a person purify their own heart. Since no heart is pure, katharos indicates that the heart is purified by fire. In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist says, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." I have read this verse many times, but this time, God opened my eyes to the word fire as a fire purifying the heart. Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. . . . I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “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: 15-17, 25-27 God is like a "refiner's fire"(Mal 3:2). Notice, He sends His Spirit wrapped in Truth to remind us of His love and of our ability, through Him, to not only withstand the fire but to learn to appreciate its power. His loving discipline is intended to burn up the worthless things in our lives and make us more like Jesus. Peter put it this way, "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 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." 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT Now, I have yet to meet anyone, including myself, who has a desire is to be purified by fire. However, I have personal experience that the fruit it bears is undeniable. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know I have an autoimmune condition, and I’ve been battling severe insomnia for more than ten years. Physically and emotionally, this many years of insomnia and chronic illness have brought with it much instability. Since I never know what night will bring, planning for tomorrow is quite the challenge. Emotions sometimes run wild as they are difficult to control in exhaustion—and an overly emotional woman can leave her husband looking like a deer in headlights. But seriously, there are days that I am in what seems like a catatonic state, leaving me unable to do much at all; and at the very least I can become irritable or just down right sad. Spiritually, these past ten years have created in me an intimacy with God I could have no other way. Prior to my relationship with Jesus (and my husband), I spent decades setting up my life in a way that I did not need to depend on anyone. However, God chose me as His—and knowing that control is my thing, He loves me through—as He chisels control out. Without question, we are declared innocent, not by our deeds, but solely by the work of Jesus. We are made in the image of God and from the moment we say yes to Him, He awakens in us a desire to please Him; while simultaneously igniting the Refiner's fire to purify His beloved. He's never content to leave us where He finds us or where we currently are. Likewise, a passion to stand on Truth, regardless of consequence, will begin to flow through a secure—loved—refined—and purified heart. God is the One who makes a heart pure. And Jesus said, a pure heart sees God. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV

It's safe to say that peace flows from a pure heart. A pure heart's desire is to bring peace to others. How? Let's go back to the beginning; 'It is not something you do, it's who you become when Jesus lives in you.' Peacemakers are called children of God because when they make peace, they look most like Him. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 NIV See my last post on the Beatitudes https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/peacemaker I previously stated that I split the eight Beatitudes into two sets of four. The first four relating to relationship with God; the next, relationship with people. It's become clear to me that the latter four are actually three, since the last Beatitude is experiential. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me." Matthew 5:10-11 NASB Notice, persecution comes to the Christian not because of who he is, not even because of what he believes, but because of Who he follows. It's your pursuit of Jesus that invites persecution. What's striking about this is when you actually understand the Beatitudes—when your heart softens toward Jesus and follow His ways—His love for people will flow. It's beautiful to see what that looks like, yet, it brings trouble to the person who emulates Him. Isn't that strange? Loving God. Weeping over what breaks His heart. Submitting to His will. Desiring righteousness. Having mercy toward others through a refined heart. Promoting peace. Thinking about others more than yourself. Turning the other cheek—Such things bring persecution. Doesn't that say so much about who we are at our core? Power, status, recognition, self righteousness, money; they all undermine Jesus in the human heart. Without Him we are incapable of morality. Look around, it's evident. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. John 3:20 NASB Darkness is threatened by the Light, therefore, it attacks at the mere presence of it. Light expels darkness, yet darkness tries desperately to expel the light as it vies for the throne. David Guzik, in his commentary, asks a question I think each of us must ponder, especially when we take notice of the direction the world is heading, "The world persecutes these good people because the values and character expressed in these Beatitudes are so opposite to the world’s manner of thinking. Our persecution may not be much compared to others, but if no one speaks evil of you, are these Beatitudes traits of your life?" No one knows the heart better than the one who created it. It's only in realizing our need for God does a surrendered heart follow. The world sees that as weakness; the Christian, as strength. If you understand your need for Him, you will follow Him, and so persecution is not far behind. “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you." John 15:18-19 NLT With all this in mind, can we go through persecution without it triggering hopelessness? Jesus reveals His promise to the persecuted; just as He began with the blessing for the poor in spirt, He ended with the same, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He continues by asking of us what seems an impossible feat; Rejoice and be glad. Wait. Rejoice and be glad in persecution? But how? There's only one way; by taking your eyes off the present and redirecting them to your future with Him; for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:12 NASB Surrender. Pursue. Persecution. Rejoice. Reward. Are you ready? Remember, it's impossible without Jesus. Beloved, After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10 The hope of glory awaits! Heavenly Father, Thank You for guiding us through the Beatitudes and for all that You've revealed to us. Thank You for Your promise that when we seek You with all of our hearts, we will find You. Please help us to surrender ourselves to You as You lead us to where You led Paul when he was able to say, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom 8:18). I pray that You strengthen us and supply us the courage we need to walk through whatever we face. Continue to water the seeds You've planted here. You say Your sheep know Your voice, make us good listeners Father. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. (Thank you for joining me on this journey through the Beatitudes. I hope you will stay tuned as I am not sure where God will lead us next. J)

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Matthew 5:13 NKJV I love salt! I salt EVERYTHING because salt makes everything taste better. Salt symbolizes purity and it endures. Besides enhancing flavor, salt has many other remarkable qualities. Unlike today, in ancient times, salt was a rare, precious and valuable commodity. Cities would seek to build around salt mines for that very reason. In some cases, it was used to pay wages. In the Middle East, when two parties entered into an agreement, they would eat salt together in front of witnesses to solidify their relationship. One essential use of salt was to preserve foods such as grain, and especially meat, to keep it from spoiling and rotting. Salt is known to have healing properties as well, and can help with a multitude of ailments. God told Moses that the salt of the covenant of God shall not be missing from any offerings (Leviticus 2:13). He made an everlasting covenant of salt with the Priests and Levites, to give to them what was set aside from the holy offerings (Num18:19); and to David, dominion over Israel forever, to him and his sons, by covenant of salt (2 Chron 13:5). Jesus spoke of this kind of covenant in Mark 9:49 when He said that His followers, as living sacrifices to God, must be seasoned with fire and salt. “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt." And in Romans 12:1, Paul pleads to give your bodies [body, soul, spirit] to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice [seasoned with salt]—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. When Jesus says, you are the salt of the earth, what does He mean? And how can salt lose its saltiness? Well, I've been pondering these questions since my last post on the Beatitudes, as these are the very next statements that Jesus makes. Let's start with the covenant of salt. As I see it, it's an everlasting covenant; a covenant made by sacrifice; a sacrifice that is always seasoned with salt. And a sacrifice by its very definition is to give up something of value for something else that is considered of greater value. A sacrifice, especially when offered to God, is not sacrificial if it does not cost something; and furthermore, it must be pure in nature (seasoned with salt)—this kind He will find acceptable. Jesus is the salt that makes us valuable (a living and holy sacrifice). He purifies us. At the last supper, when He washed His disciple's feet, He said that those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet. In other words, He cleansed us fully; but we still walk in the world, and unfortunately we pick up things along the way. Jesus brings healing; He preserves us from rotting. Without Him, we could never be the salt of the earth. The salt of the earth can penetrate hearts, it can enhance the desire for more than what's seen and cause a thirst that can only be quenched by the Holy Spirit. Jesus uses us to attract to Him a lost and broken world. So, can salt really lose its saltiness? I wonder if Jesus was asking a rhetorical question? Perhaps salt that loses its saltiness was not real salt to begin with. I imagine, that's when it is good for nothing, thrown out, and trampled underfoot by men. But technically, salt can be diluted, which could possibly cause it to lose some of its flavor. Surely it's not Jesus who is less desirable, it's whatever we've picked up and allowed to get in the way. I've allowed many cares of this world to dilute my saltiness; worry, fear, health issues, insecurities, stress. When my eyes are on me and not Him, salty I am not. Has your salt lost its flavor? Could it be that you need to focus your eyes on the Rock? And just in case, check your feet, they might be dirty. Oh, and grab that salt shaker, you don't want to miss a moment of what God wants to do through you; after all, you ARE the salt of the earth! 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 NLT).

Your strength is not your own, it's God's strength in you. And your armor, well, Paul didn't say to put on your armor, he said to put on the full armor of God. I think we miss that. So many of us are trying to operate in our own strength, leaving us weak and frail and reaching for an armor that is completely powerless. David Guzik said in his commentary on these verses, "If you take a weak man who can barely stand, and put the best armor on him he will still be an ineffective soldier. He will be easily beaten. So equipping for Christian combat must begin with the principle, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." See my last post, Stand Firm, on Ephesians 6:10-12 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/stand-firm Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 NKJV Remember, in any battle, training comes before preparation. Back in verses 10-11, Paul told us to strengthen ourselves in the Lord and to put on the whole armor of God. Here in verse 13, he phrases it a bit differently. After establishing that our battles are not against flesh and blood but are actually spiritual warfare (v12), he tells us to therefore take up the whole armor of God. We see a subtle difference between verses 11 and 13. Paul's first exhortation is to stand (put on) your position in Christ; the second, to act (take up) that position. It is only by this that you can withstand the coming storms. Storms help develop endurance, strength of character, and a confident hope of salvation (Rom 5). With that, nothing can move you from standing upright and firm on the immovable rock of Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT A soldier, at least from what I've read, put on his armor in the same order as Paul describes here. I guess he would know since he spent a lot of time chained to Roman guards. The armor was strategically placed to physically protect the soldier from harm or even death. We need that same protection spiritually. Paul's analogy is brilliant. It's interesting that of the whole armor there is only one offensive weapon, the sword. The rest are defensive; the belt, breastplate, shoes, helmet and shield. Their function is to protect what we already have against the spiritual forces whose only agenda is to pull toward evil. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, Ephesians 6:14a ESV A belt holds everything together. If we don't start with truth everything else falls apart. Truth is not relative, it's absolute; it's unchanging and not based on belief or opinion. There is no my truth, or your truth, there is only the Truth. When God opens your eyes, things become clear. "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25b). We see the world through a lens. Whose lens are you looking through? and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Ephesians 6:14b ESV The breastplate protects the heart, as well as the most vital organs. Without the righteousness of Christ we're extremely vulnerable to Satan's attacks and accusations . We try so hard to stand on our own righteousness but it always proves to be impossible. Your righteousness does not depend on you or your good deeds. Jesus gave you His righteousness when you surrendered your heart to Him. He covers you. Whose righteousness are you depending on to cover and to protect you? and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15 ESV A soldier's feet must be properly protected in order that he stand firm and ready to go forth. The same is true for the Christian. We must stand firm in Christ and always be ready to go wherever He leads. The Gospel is the good news—the good news is Jesus—and Jesus gives peace. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14 NKJV Are you living at peace with God? Are your feet firmly planted and ready to move? The first three pieces of armor that we use in our struggle against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (v12) are Truth, Righteousness (of Christ), and the Gospel of peace—if you're a Christian, they are already in place and were put on at salvation. Doesn't this give you a sense of freedom? Let Truth guide your thinking. Let His Righteousness protect and cover you. And the Gospel of peace, let it strengthen you to stand on what you know is true and go forth in bringing it to the ends of the earth. Next time we'll talk about the rest of the armor—the parts we must take up. For now, look in the mirror; you are armed with the Armor of God. If God is for you, who can be against you?

Imitate God. Walk in love. Jesus said if you love me, you will love others. It's a posture of the heart. Get to know Jesus intimately and you will live and love differently. Be careful of idolatry; putting anything before God in your heart. Funny thing is, we try so hard to avoid sin by implementing a bunch of rules and boundaries. Instead, what we need is a worship change; a pivot of the eyes from self to God. As we follow Him, our lenses change. See my last post, The Power to Walk in Love, on Ephesians 5:1-7 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/the-power-to-walk-in-love Follow God's example as dearly loved children, Paul said, and walk in love just as Christ loves you (5:1-2). For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. Ephesians 5:8-12 NIV Apart from Christ we are darkness (not in darkness, but actually darkness), deceived, dead in our sin. But now that you're in Christ, you are light. Why would you ever choose to sit in the dark? Paul said, you are children of light, so live as light, and find out what pleases the Lord. When God gave me a new heart, my view of just about everything began to change. That doesn't mean that I don't still struggle with the darkness of my old self; Christians still struggle, wrestle and even sometimes fall, but we don't remain in the dark because Jesus has changed us. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:13-14 NIV I surrendered to Jesus late in life so it's easy for me to remember the dark. I was asleep; I wanted nothing to do with Jesus. Most of the time I was indifferent to Him, but when someone approached me with God's truth, it actually made me angry. Why? Because light exposes darkness and the darkness tries desperately to overcome it. God's truth makes no sense to the person without Christ. It seems unreasonable, combative, even foolish. (see 1 Cor 2:14) To me, there was no absolute truth, everything was subjective. Without morality, my focus was on whatever made me happy or feel full in the moment. Unfortunately that changed on a regular basis. I know what it's like to have everything and feel empty—to chase the next shiny new thing only to find that it's not enough—it's like chasing a high that's never satisfied; that is until Jesus opened my eyes. He is where I found fullness, contentment and value. God said, "In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:4-5 CSB Jesus doesn't just show us light, or reveal it, He makes us light. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NLT). The light of the world says, "You are the light of the world" (Matt 5:14 NLT). Simply amazing. So if we, His church, collectively are light, then why in the world is the world in such darkness. We've compromised; instead of exposing darkness, we've joined it by ignoring it. We've kept quiet in the face of evil, and called that love. We left moral law to governments, so morality dissipated. "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." Dietrich Bonhoeffer Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV Be careful. Jesus said, "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:11-13 NIV We must wake up church: put our eyes on Jesus; pay attention; be wise; stop wasting time; seize every opportunity for God's glory; and begin to (truly) disciple others. By the way, if the Lord remains patient in coming, changed hearts is the only way out of the mess this world is in. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:17-20 CSB Other than the reckless decision and consequences of getting drunk, let me start with the obvious rub here—many miss the point of what Paul is saying because they spend too much time debating whether or not a Christian should drink alcohol. We don't live under restriction, make your choice, but it's probably safe to say that if alcohol is your struggle, it would be a good idea to avoid it. But I digress, this is clearly not Paul's point. I think we need to figure out what we move toward to fill a void, be it good or bad; it could be exercise or it could be alcohol. This is one of those wrestles with the old self I spoke about earlier. Having said that, when I was young, having a couple of drinks was a way to loosen up, especially around a lot of people. I didn't feel like I fit in, so when I had a few drinks, I felt a pseudo sense of relaxation and peace; until that one too many of course. I guess you could say I looked to alcohol to rescue me. Gosh I don't miss those days. Remember, Paul is speaking to believers in Christ; and what I believe he's saying is before you look to destructive ways to fill your emptiness, let God fill you with His Spirit. He knows exactly what you need. He is where true fulfillment comes from. Fullness breeds contentment and contentment always seems to make you want to hum a tune, or better yet, sing in thankfulness to the One who loves you. Many of us have fallen asleep. Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be filled with His spirit; sing and give thanks to the Lord. His will is that you are no longer darkness; but light that leads to life.

The world, and even more importantly the church, needs truth-tellers, not pacifiers. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Look around, many of God's towers are empty. Pick a wall, become a watchman, and let us never underestimate the power of a new heart in Christ Jesus! See my last post, The Power of a New Heart, on Ephesians 4:17-32 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/the-power-of-a-new-heart In Christ, you are a child of God. You're an heir to the Kingdom and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. It is only by His grace that you have been saved and He's empowered you with inner strength through His Spirit. Christ has made His home in your heart and now He invites you to come boldly into the presence of God and to keep united with His body. Your eyes have been opened. Everything is different! You're learning to walk worthy, in humility and gentleness, with patience and forgiveness. Imitate God, since you are the children he loves. Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave his life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 GW Imitate God; mimic Him. What does that mean? Study Him, especially His character and imitate, especially, His love. I think about a child watching his dad, whom he loves and who loves him; he wants to be like him. So he walks with him—he watches him—and he follows in his footsteps. We are image bearers, made new in Christ, so the closer we walk with Him, the more we'll reflect His nature. This is how it was meant to be; male and female reflecting God's image. We lost it, but Jesus restored it. So set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Put to death, therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature. . . .Col 3:2-3,5 NIV Walk in love; follow His example; love like Jesus. I need reminding of this constantly. Jesus said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12). He always raised the bar. He didn't just say love as you love yourself; He said, love as I have loved you—sacrificially— unconditionally. Wow, now that's a tall order; one we can not take lightly. If you know Jesus, it's easy to love Him like that, but others, well that's a bit more difficult. So how do we do it? Jesus is essentially saying that if you love me, you will love others. It's a posture of the heart. Get to know Jesus intimately and you will live and love differently. Don’t let sexual sin, perversion of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you. This is not appropriate behavior for God’s holy people. It’s not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks to God. You know very well that no person who is involved in sexual sin, perversion, or greed (which means worshiping wealth) can have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:3-5 GW Paul is describing idolatry. Idolatry is when you put anything before God in your heart. Funny thing is, we try so hard to avoid sin by implementing a bunch of rules and boundaries. Instead, what we need is a worship change; a pivot of the eyes from self to God. As we follow Him, our lenses change. Now I know that Paul is speaking to Christians and not the world, but I can't help but wonder how much pain I could have avoided had I surrendered to Jesus early in life. Even more so, imagine how perfectly the world would fit together had we followed His design in all things as He created them to be. For instance, Paul begins with sexual immorality. I know most people's hair just stood up. Okay, I'm just going to say it—God created sex for marriage between one man and one woman, who fit together as one, reflecting Jesus and His bride. I know I am not supposed to say any of that, but I didn't, He did; I just happen to agree with Him. Now did I always agree with Him? Nope, I can't say that I did. And I think that's Paul's point. Before I met Jesus, my boundaries were as I saw fit. That's what we do. From the beginning of time, we decided to make things up as we go along, following feelings and desires, making a billion little designs rather than following the Creator's perfect design. Don't miss what Paul is saying; he's saying that if you're God's kid, you will not follow the world, you'll follow Him. God's kids imitate Him. Looking for approval in sex, impure things, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse jokes; this is not who you are anymore. If you are alive in Christ you can not continue to do these things and have peace. Don’t let anyone deceive you with meaningless words. It is because of sins like these that God’s anger comes to those who refuse to obey him. Don’t be partners with them. Ephesians 5:6-7 GW Human nature is much easier pulled down than it is pulled up. Early in my walk, I was deceived by someone who lured me away from my commitment to God. I praise Him everyday that He pulled me back quickly. Knowing I'd make the wrong choice, He still let me make it. Why? Because He loves me. I know God, so I know it hurt Him to watch me wander and hurt myself, but He allowed it in order for me to see where I was lacking in trust; where I chose myself over Him. Because I turned from my sin, He forgave me and He remembers my sin no more. But I choose to remember so I am reminded of that awful feeling of turning away from the One who gave up everything for me. The reason I was deceived is that although I believed in Him in my heart, I did not yet know Him. Believing without knowing left me vulnerable. It's impossible to understand Him, much less be like Him, without taking the time to get to know Him. Everything Godly is upside-down in the world. What used to make sense to me no longer makes any sense at all, and what now makes sense would have never made sense to me in the past. Seeing things through God's eyes makes all the pieces fit together perfectly. He's a loving God—a just God—and He fiercely protects His kids. After all, He gave up everything to make sure that we would be with Him forever. Will you keep seeking to know Him more and more? Believe it or not, you already possess all the power to walk in love, wherever He may lead you.

God's perfection requires perfection; but perfection is not attainable to man on his own. Jesus bridged the chasm that sin caused between you and God. God's grace saves; it unifies; it equips. It's His Grace in you that overflows through your gifts. Saving grace is between you and God; the grace given in gifts is between you and His body. I am so grateful to the leaders who have stepped into their calling to lead their flock, including this sheep, to discover and walk in the gifts He's given; in order that we all work together effectively building up the body of Christ for His glory. See my last post, The Power of a Gift, on Ephesians 4:7-16 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/the-power-of-a-gift I know I keep saying this, but it's so very important to remember that our identity comes first, then our behavior follows. I heard a pastor put it this way "Our behavior flows out of our identity." If how you live doesn't flow out of who you are, it's not very effective and it won't last long. It's not a behavior thing, it's a heart thing. Now let's back up just a bit. We touched on spiritual gifts last time. Paul emphasized that as a result of receiving and walking in our gifting, we will mature and no longer be like children tossed around and carried away by every wind of new teaching, or gullible to lies or deceitful scheming (vs14). Instead, He exhorts us, "speak the truth in love" (vs15). What truth? Truth that builds. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly; one part helping another part grow (vs16). It's not always easy, but it is necessary for growth; and if we love one another, our desire for others, as well as for ourselves, will be to grow up in every way to be more and more like Christ. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. Ephesians 4:17-19 NIV When you walk in the flesh, it is natural that you occupy most of your thoughts. I mean, think about the last time you took a picture with friends; when you saw it, where was the first place your eyes landed? If we agree that God is light, then we must also agree that we are born in darkness. We do not naturally gravitate toward God, we naturally gravitate toward self. Therefore, our own needs, wants and desires are elevated. Selfishness has led to such depravity that we find ourselves in 2021 with 112 genders to choose from—while at the same time a court is deciding whether or not a pre-born baby is actually a person. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24 NIV If you are in Christ, you have a new heart. You are changed; different. Your feet no longer fit in those old shoes. In the first half of his letter, before Paul implores us to put off our old self, He so beautifully put on display our new identity in Christ. We're adopted. As heirs, not only do we have an inheritance from our heavenly Father (1:14), we are also His inheritance (1:18)! Yet still, the desire for approval pushes many Christians, and churches for that matter, to try to blend in as though they are not so different from the world after all. BUT, Jesus was different. He did not blend in; and neither did His disciples. So why do we try so hard to fit in? Why are so many churches not teaching the Truth as God said it, but instead watering down the Word in the name of pleasing the masses—not only the seekers but also those who claim Christ. Jesus told the Truth. He never watered down God's word, nor did He compromise to please those around Him. He loved people enough to speak the truth in love as to draw as many to Him as would hear and listen. And for those who didn't, He did not chase after them. I imagine His heart broke as He watched them walk away, but He never forced or manipulated anyone to follow Him, He instead left them to their own choice and to God's will. I love salt. I put it on everything! I live in a humid climate so I put rice in my salt shaker to keep the salt from being exposed to moisture. I feel like God is shaking the salt to separate out the rice. Do you think that the chaos and rapid changes that we are seeing daily have anything to do with God calling those who are truly His? Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:25-32 NIV Back to the beginning, you have a new heart. Somewhere along the line it was decided that a new heart in Christ means being peacekeepers; but Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9). How can we be at peace if we are silent in the face of silence? We need to stand on truth and let God handle the rest. So, let us stop lying and speak truth. In anger, don't sin. Stop stealing; instead work so you can share with those in need. Edify each other, building each other up, not tearing each other down— and that means telling the truth even if it hurts. Let's be kind, compassionate, forgiving—after all, isn't that what God has done for those of us in Christ Jesus? The world, and even more importantly the church, needs truth-tellers, not pacifiers. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Look around, many of God's towers are empty. Pick a wall, become a watchman and let us never underestimate the power of a new heart in Christ Jesus!

Paul spent three chapters unpacking all of what God has done for us. Now, in chapter four, he pivots from who we are in Christ to how to walk worthy of that calling. When the love of God actually sinks in, it produces humility; even in the darkest soul. When this happens the need to prove yourself to anyone begins to dissipate. Having all you need in Him leads to an ability to love others without expectation. Unity is woven throughout the church by what we have in common. We are one in Christ, but we are not the same. God gives us grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. In other words, He's equipped each of us with just the right amount of grace to accomplish all that He asks us to do with, and through, the gifts He's given. See my last post, The Power to Walk Worthy, on Ephesians 4:1-7 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/the-power-to-walk-worthy Let's revisit Ephesians 4:7 for a moment. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (NKJV) Grace, there's that word again. It's woven throughout the Bible. We specifically talked about it back in chapter 2 when Paul said that you are saved by grace when you believe and you did nothing to earn it or deserve it. Here in chapter 4, the grace he's referring to has to do with individual spiritual gifting, something that is also not earned or deserved. Jesus has a calling for each of us and He gives us gifts for that calling. Grace is unmerited favor—unconditional love toward someone who does not deserve it. It sounds great doesn't it? Sure, receiving it is great, but extending it, that's a bit more complicated for us. Jesus brought this concept of grace to light when He posed a question that raised the bar so to speak. Essentially, He asked, if you love those who love you, well that's easy, but what about your enemies? Likewise, in his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us that it is rare that anyone would die for a good or righteous man. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" ( see Romans 5:7-8). God's perfection requires perfection; but perfection is not attainable to man on his own. Jesus bridged the chasm that sin caused between you and God. God's grace saves; it unifies; it equips. It's His Grace in you that overflows through your gifts. Saving grace is between you and God; the grace given in gifts is between you and His body. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:8-10 NKJV Now I'm not going to lie, these verses challenge me. There are a couple of different opinions on what the lower parts of the earth actually means. I will leave that to you, reader, to study and ask God to discern what Paul is saying. But in any case, the truth is that Jesus was with the Father—chose to leave heaven to accomplish what we could not—suffered, died, was buried and rose (ascended)—filling all things with Himself—giving gifts to men. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV Jesus is in charge of spiritual gifts and only He distributes them; many parts one body. It's like He gives little pieces of Himself to us. In addition to His letter to Ephesus, Paul mentions other gifts in 1 Corinthians and Romans. But the purpose of this list is to lead and unify His body by equipping others to maturity in faith and knowledge in the fullness of Christ. I am so grateful to the leaders who have stepped into their calling to lead their flock, including this sheep, to discover and walk in the gifts He's given; in order that we all work together effectively building up the body of Christ for His glory. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:14-16 NIV I've shared this before but it seems appropriate again. Much of my life has been spent spinning wheels trying to find a place to fit—reaching for temporary things. Things like knowledge, career, success, comfort, security, happiness. Although I know there is nothing wrong with any of these, true joy has come through discovering the gifts that God has entrusted me. Now, I'm not saying it's always been easy. He's crafted my personality and my spiritual gifting perfectly, however being a truth teller with the gift of exhortation is not exactly popular! Spend some time with God. Ask Him to lead you into your calling and to discover the individual gifting He's entrusted to you. Seek maturity so not to be deceived. Seek unity so not to divide. It is a privilege to be used by the God of the universe in the body of Christ. This is His grace imparted.