The Imitation of Christ. Day 10: Walking in Truth. Book 3. Chapter 4-6.

Day 10: Walking in Truth (Book 3. Chapter 4-6 emphasize humility, the vanity of worldly knowledge and possessions, and the importance of a pure conscience and a virtuous life over intellectualism.) Walking in the truth is to see reality clearly: who God is, who we are, and how deeply we need His grace. [The sad truth is I want God, but I also don't want God.]

Ch. 4: We must live before God in humility and truth. The one who walks in truth will be safe from the assaults of the wicked. Think of your sins with great displeasure and grief. Never consider yourself to be something because of good works. Let what you most dislike be your own great baseness. Fear and flee nothing like you do your own vices and sins. [There is good in me and brokenness in me. Both good works alone {leads to pride} and brokenness alone {leads to despair, discouragement, despondency, dejection, depression, defeat} are lies.]

The Imitation of Christ. Day 9: Listening to God's Voice. Book 3. Chapter 1-3

Day 9: Listening to God's Voice (Book 3, Chapter 1-5). God is always speaking—but we're too distracted to listen by noise, vanity, or even good things. Quiet your hearts so we can truly hear and act on God’s voice.

Ch. 1: Christ speaks within to the faithful soul. Truly blessed are the ears that listen, not to a voice making noise outside, but to one that teaches the truth within.

The Imitation of Christ. Book 1, Chapter 1-25. Day 1-5.

Day 1. The Ultimate Good (Chapter 1-7).

• Ch. 1. Because there is so much good in the world God made, we are always tempted to make good things ultimate things (Exo 20:3-4). Even knowledge of the Trinity without humility displeases God; only a virtuous life makes you dear to God.

The Imitation of Christ. Day 8: When the Cross Finds You. Book 2. Chapter 10-12.

Day 7. When the Cross Finds You (Book 2. Chapter 10-12). The only way God makes us more like His Son is through the Cross. It is through both active and passive mortification that the Cross finds you.

• Ch. 10: Gratitude for God's grace. Grace is always offered to one who gives proper thanks. It is given to the humble and taken away from the proud.

• Seek patience more than consolation and carrying the cross more than enjoyment. Spiritual consolation surpasses all wordly delights and the bodily pleasures. I do not want any consolation that would take away my repentance/compunction.

• Be grateful even for punishment and chastisement.

The Imitation of Christ. Book 2. Chapter 6-9: The Joy of a Clean Conscience. Day 7.

Day 7. Book 2. Chapter 6-9: The Joy of a Clean Conscience. A clean conscience always brings peace. Profound freedom is found in detachment from praise and criticism. Accept the truth of who you are before God.

• Love God more than yourself, more than what you desire. (Dt 6:5)

• God wants you for Himself and will tolerate no rivals. (Exo 20:3-4)

• With Jesus everything is good; without Him everything is hard. (Rom 8:28)

• Blessed are you to disregard yourself for Jesus' sake. (Lk 9:23)

• A clean conscience is a good man's pillow.  If you have a good conscience you will always have joy, even in adversity (Ac 24:16; 1 Pet 3:16; 1 Tim 1:5; 2 Cor 7:4)

• Don't rejoice when you're praised or be depressed when you're criticized or rejected. (1 Cor 4:3-5)

• Who you are right now is who you actually are. You are not greater than what God knows you to be. (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 2:20; Eph 2:10; Col 3:3)

• If God gives you consolation, know that it's a gift and not what you deserve. (Eph 2:8-9)

The Imitation of Christ. Book 2. Chapter 1-5: Distrust of Self.

Book 2. Day 6. Chapter 1-5 (Distrust of Self) focus on the vanity of worldly things, the importance of humility, and the pursuit of inner peace through God. The 2 movements of conversion are distrust of oneself and trust in God.

• Ch. 1. Learn to disregard externals and give yourself to what is within, for the kingdom of God is within you (Lk 17:21).
• When Christ is within you He is enough for you...and you will have no need of hoping in human beings. Do not have much confidence in human beings, who are frail and mortal and soon change (Jn 2:24-25).
• If you love Jesus you will disregard your very self, and totally disregard personal convenience or inconvenience.
• Nothing stains and binds the human heart quite like an impure love for creatures (Exo 20:3-4, 17; Rom 7:8, 24).

Christians were Never Meant to be Normal. Extremism. Evil People.

“Christians were never meant to be normal. We’ve always been holy troublemakers, we've always been creators of uncertainty, agents of dimension that’s incompatible with the status quo; we do not accept the world as it is, but we insist on the world becoming the way that God wants it to be. And the Kingdom of God is different from the patterns of this world.” Jacques Ellul. 1912-1994, died 82. 20th-century French social theorist and resistor against Nazi occupation.

The Cross of Christ, A.W. Tozer

The cross of Christ is the most revolutionary thing ever to appear among men. The cross of old Roman times knew no compromise; it never made concessions. It won all its arguments by killing its opponent and silencing him for good. It spared not Christ, but slew Him the same as the rest. He was alive when they hung Him on that cross and completely dead when they took Him down 6 hours later. That was the cross the first time it appeared in Christian history.

God's Object in Sending Trials, Andrew Murray

"...every branch that does bear fruit he prunes [purges] so that it will be even more fruitful" (Jn 15:2).

The Father's object in sending trials is for us to Abide in Christ--"remain in me" (Jn 15:4). In the storm the tree strikes deeper roots in the soil; in the hurricane the inhabitants of the house abide within, and rejoice in its shelter. So by suffering the Father would lead us to enter more deeply into the love of Christ. Our hearts are continually prone to wander from Him; prosperity and enjoyment all too easily satisfy us, dull our spiritual perception, and unfit us for full communion with Himself.

DARKNESS (Psalm 88)

Psalm 88 is considered one of the most despairing and bleak passages in the Bible with its themes of darkness, suffering, and the apparent absence of God. It is a profound expression of anguish and despair in the OT. It doesn't contain the uplifting or hopeful themes often associated with other Psalms, yet it still holds a significant place in religious discourse.

"Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you" ["by day I have screamed, by night, in front of you" {Motyer}] "...darkness is my closest [best] friend" (Ps 88:1, 18).

• Can you live a life without comfort (1-9a)? Die without hope (9b-12)? Have questions without answers (13-18)?
  
• How do you live when there is no light at the end of the tunnel?
• How do you go on when you feel abandoned?
• How do you live by faith when the future seems dark and bleak?

REJOICE (2025 Key Verse)

Forsaken was the theme based on my 2024 key verse, Ps 22:1: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Because Christ was utterly forsaken on my behalf, I never would. I am encouraged by Anne Frank, who died in a concentration camp of typhus fever at age 15. In just her early teens, the age of my oldest grandchildren, it is remarkable that she wrote in her diary, "God has not forsaken me, and He never will."

Rejoice is the theme based on my 2025 key verse, 1 Th 5:16: "Rejoice always," which is the shortest verse in the Bible. Through my ordeal and predicament I learnt that joy and sorrow, peace and pain can coexist peacefully, even perfectly. This was exemplified by Jesus, who was simultaneously all of the following: 

• a man of sorrows who was familiar with pain and suffering (Isa 53:3; Mt 23:37; Lk 13:34), 
• a man of peace, for he is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6), and the giver of peace (Jn 14:27) that transcends all understanding (Phil 4:7), and 
• the happiest man who ever lived, for he was a man of joy, happiness and contentment (Jn 4:32; 10:30; Mk 1:11; 9:7; Lk 9:35; Mt 3:17; 17:5; 11:25-30).

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson (1830-86) is known for her bold original verse, which stands out for its epigrammatic compression, haunting personal voice, and enigmatic brilliance.

Dickinson lived much of her life in isolation. Considered an eccentric by locals, she developed a penchant for white clothing and was known for her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even to leave her bedroom. Dickinson never married, and most of her friendships were based entirely upon correspondence.

Although Dickinson was a prolific writer, her only publications during her lifetime were one letter and 10 of her nearly 1,800 poems.^[4] The poems published then were usually edited significantly to fit conventional poetic rules. Her poems were unique for her era; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme** as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.^[5] Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality (2 recurring topics in letters to her friends), aesthetics, society, nature, and spirituality.

Till, Tend. Cloud-Rider. Dwelling. How long? Remember-Ps 78

Till and Tend. In the beginning, God entrusted humanity with a two-word Prime Directive (Gen 2:15) for life in the Garden: Avad and Shamar.

• Till and Tend.
• Cultivate and Care For.
• Conceive and Conserve.

This ancient wisdom holds the secret to a life of wholeness, where opposites harmonize in a sacred dance. Mastery of this rhythm of resonance requires embracing the interplay between:

• Innovation and Consolidation
• Stability and Motion
• Settling down and Stirring up
• Roots and Wings
• Being and Becoming
• Rest and Renewal
• Vocation and Vacation
• Tradition and Transfiguration

Cloud-Rider, Divine Warrior: The God "who rides on the clouds" (Ps 68:4, 33; 18:9; 104:3-4; Dt 33:26; Isa 19:1; Eze 1:4, 28; Nah 1:3; Mt 24:30; 26:64; Mk 13:26; 14:62; Lk 21:27; Rev 1:7).

Dwelling in God's/Yahweh's house: Ps 23:6; 26:8; 27:4; 36:7-8; 52:8; 65:4; 84:1-4, 10-12; 92:12-14.

How long? The question asked during the lament (Ps 4:2; 6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; 62:3; 74:10; 79:5; 80:4; 89:46; 90:13; 94:3; 119:84). This indicates that the sufferer has been long in his pain and sees no end in sight. He thus appeals to God's pity that perhaps "enough is enough."

God’s Word says you’re lovable (John 3:16), capable (2 Peter 1:3), valuable (Luke 12:6), forgivable (Psalm 103:12), and usable (Ephesians 4:12). Psychologists say that your self-esteem comes from what you think the most important person in your life thinks about you.

Change (Romans 6:1-14)

• If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
• What do you wish you could cut out OR add to your life forever, instantly?

1. How might you answer someone who says that it is no big deal for a Christian to sin, since grace will cover it (Rom 6:1; 5:20)? [Why did Paul's Jewish opponents oppose his teaching of grace (Rom 6:15?]

Is this moral policing? Augustine-happiness.

Gal 6:1, 1 Cor 5:1-13, 1 Tim 5:20, Tit 3:10-11, Jas 5:19, Rom 16:17, 2 Tim 4:2, Lk 17:3-4, Ezek 33:7-12, Lev 19:17, Gal 2:11-14

“There is a joy that is not given to those who do not love you, but only to those who love you for your own sake. You yourself are their joy”

“Happiness is to rejoice in you and for you and because of you. This is happiness and there is no other. Those who think that there is another kind of happiness look for joy elsewhere but theirs is not true joy.” Augustine.

Don't Demand Your Own Interpretation of the Bible (C.S. Lewis)

A reason why I think Christians should not insist on a particular, precise, specific, narrow interpretation of Scripture or biblical doctrine, and then use it to question any other contrary interpretation or perspective or practice: "...then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it" (Eccl 8:17).

Death (Psalm 49) and Judgment (Psalm 50)

“But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself” (Ps 49:15). Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me (Ps 50:14-15).

Psalm 49: The Brevity of Life, the Certainty of Death and the Futility of Wealth.

• What are 2 unavoidable guarantees and certainties in life (Heb 9:27)?

SINKING: Drowning in Darkness (Psalm 69:1-36)

Desperation (Ps 69:1-4): "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal."

Folly (Ps 69:5-12): "You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you" (Ps 69:5; 51:3-4). "...for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me" (Ps 69:9).

God Knows and Sees All (Psalm 139)

Too Wonderful for Me: "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me" (Ps 139:1). "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps 139:23-24).

• Do you want your children, parents, spouse or friends to know your every thought and desire just like God?

Is it scary that God knows everything about you? No one can ever escape from God, yet the psalmist finds nothing to fear or regret from such a "scary" truth.

Raising Disciples

• 
  Sadly, it's so much easier to teach others than to teach myself (Rom 2:21).

• Focus on "be" not "do," "being" not "doing," "being a disciple" (Mk 1:17a; Mt 28:19a) not "raising disciples" (Mk 1:17b; Mt 28:19b).
• Focus first on yourself (Ac 20:28a) and not primarily on others (Ac 20:28b).
• Focus on Jesus (Heb 12:2), not the Bible student (Isa 53:6a).

When the Foundations are Destroyed (Psalm 11-12)

* Your thoughts about having faith in God (Mk 11:22)?

1. When is it a very strong temptation to flee/run away (Ps 11:1; Mt 16:22; Lk 13:31; Ac 21:12; 1 Sam 26:20)? Why (Ps 11:2-3)? Why should we not (Ps 11:4; 9:7; 96:10; 99:1; 146:10; Dan 4:26; Rev 19:6)? What if your life is in great danger (Phil 1:21; 1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:23; Ac 20:24)?
2. What should you know about the Lord (Ps 11:4, 7a)? About the righteous and the wicked (Ps 11:5-6: Gen 19:24; 2 Pet 2:6-9)? [Why-]Should you want to see God's face (Ps 11:7; 13:1; 34:15-16; 27:4; 63:2; 80:3; Exo 33:18; Num 6:25)?
3. Why do we need help from the Lord (Ps 12:1-4; Isa 6:5; Jas 3:5-6)? Where do lies come from (Gen 3:1, 4-5; Jn 8:44)? What does the Lord promise to do (Ps 12:5)?
4. 
   What counteracts the power of lying lips (Ps 12:6; 18:30; 19:7)? Why (Eph 6:17; 2 Tim 3:16; Heb 4:12; Jn 6:63; Mt 24:35; Mk 13:31; Lk 21:33)? Knowing this, what should you do practically (Ps 1:2; 119:97, 11; Prov 23:23; Phil 4:8: Jn 8:31-32)?

• When the vile are honored (Ps 12:8) and foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do (Ps 11:3)? "When vileness is exalted" (Ps 12:8, NKJV). "What can an honest person do when everything crumbles?" (Ps 11:3, CEV)

"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps 11:3) "...when what is vile is honored by the human race" (Ps 12:8).

Shout Out, Bow Down, Listen Up! (Psalm 95)

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods (Ps 95:1-3). "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, 'Do not harden your hearts...'" (Ps 95:6-8a). 

RESIDENCE (Psalm 15). SECURITY (Psalm 16)

How to Live with God: "Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken" (Ps 15:1-5).

To enter God's presence. This brief poem of 5 verses instructs those who desire to enter the presence of God in the sanctuary. It gives 11 answers to the question of who can enter God's presence (Ps 15:2-5a).

Feeling Far From Father God (Psalm 77)

When You Feel Far From God: "I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me" (Ps 77:1). "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" (Ps 77:7-9)

• Have you ever faced something so difficult and so heartbreaking that it's caused you to question God's goodness, presence and love (Ps 77:7-9; 22:1)?

Why Churches Die

Why do churches die? Thom Rainer's list:

(1) because they refuse to admit they’re sick,

(2) they don’t take sufficient responsibility,

(3) they are too inwardly focused,

(4) they want to return to the glory days,

(5) they are waiting for the super pastor,

(6) they are unwilling to change.

Downcast, Disturbed, Discouraged, Depressed (Psalm 42-43)

In Psalm 42-43, the writer felt overwhelmed and discouraged.

1. Do you long for God as a deer pants for water (Ps 42:1-2)?
• Do you long for God more in good times or in hard times? 
• Do you long more for something else or for God? For answers [Why? Why? (Ps 42:5, 9, 11; 43:2, 5)] or for God Himself?

Universal Salvation, David Bentley Hart

Romans 5:18-19, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 2 Corinthians 5:14, Romans 11:32, 1 Timothy 2:3-6, Titus 2:11, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Ephesians 1:9-10, Colossians 1:27-28, John 12:32, Hebrews 2:9, John 17:2, John 4:42, John 12:47, 1 John 4:14, 2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 18:14, Philippians 2:9-11, Colossians 1:19-20, 1 John 2:2, John 3:17, Luke 16:16, and 1 Timothy 4:10. (Cited in Hart's That All Shall Be Saved, 95-102).

FORSAKEN (2024 Key Verse)

Found guilty as a criminal. 2023 began 2 weeks after 6 armed FBI agents came to my house unannounced at 7 am and hand-cuffed and arrested me. I was indicted and charged with serious offences of defrauding the U.S. government and committing health care fraud for an online job I did for 5 months in 2019. I reviewed charts of patients who had cancer or a family history of cancer to decide whether or not to order a genetic test. Unbeknownst to me, there was a fraud that involved labs and multiple marketing companies that targeted medicare recipients. I knew of this only after my defense attorneys informed me. I was paid $26,800 while the lab billed Medicare for 9 million according to my indictment. In Aug I went to trial. After 3 emotionally exhausting weeks 12 jurors found me guilty on one charge. On Feb 29, 2024, I will be sentenced and will receive prison time of up to 5 years and fines and forfeitures.

Isaiah 49

Isaiah 49:6

Isa 49:1-3. What is the first command Isa 49:1? Who are the recipients of this command? Who is giving this command? What is the significance of the words “born” and “womb”? What are the qualifications listed of the Servant Isa 49:2? What is He called Isa 49:3 and what is His purpose? Isa 49:4. How might the Servant be discouraged in His ministry? Yet, despite the discouragement, what is His assurance?

Isa 49:5-6. What is the Servant’s purpose Isa 49:5? How is the Servant regarded and upheld by God Isa 49:5? What is the Servant’s purpose as described Isa 49:6? How does this remind us of what Israel was called to do (Isa 42:6)? Who is the light of the world? Isa 49:7. What will the nation of Israel think of the Servant? What is God’s ultimate promise to His Servant?

Isa 49:8-9. Who is the Lord speaking to Isa 49:8? How is the ministry of the Servant described Isa 49:8-9? How are these covenant blessings to be enjoyed by God’s people? Read Isa 49:9-12. How do Isa 49:9-10 describe God’s provision, protection, and guidance? What do Isa 49:11-12 promise for those whom the Lord brings to Himself?

Isa 49:13. What is the response of all creation when the Lord liberates His people? Isa 49:14. Yet, despite God’s promises, what is the response of His people, Zion? Isa 49:15-18. What is the Lord’s word of hope to His people Isa 49:15-16? What additional promises does the Lord make to His people Isa 49:17-18?

Isa 49:19-21. Because of the Servants work, God will bring blessings to His people. Isa 49:19-20, it is as though the Lord was speaking to Jerusalem/Zion; what does He say to the city? In Isa 49:21, what do the words “bereaved and barren” indicate? Yet, what is God’s promise?

Isa 49:22-23. How do Isa 49:22-23 describe the Sovereign Lord reversing the fortunes of His people?

Isa 49:24-26. What is the question being asked Isa 49:24? How is the question answered Isa 49:25? In Isa 49:26 we see some of the horrors of siege conditions. Through God’s deliverance of His people, what will all mankind know (Isa 49:25)?

Heaven (Revelation 21:1-8)

“I am making everything new!” (Rev 21:5)

• What is your idea of heaven? A pie in the sky? Playing harps on a cloud?
• Do you fear death? Going to hell?

1. What is significant about:
• a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1a; Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet 3:13),
• the first heaven and the first earth (Rev 21:1b; 2 Pet 3:10) and 
• no more sea (Rev 21:1c; 13:1; Dan 7:3; Isa 57:20; Lk 21:25)? Is this literal (Rev 21:6; 22:1-2, 17)?
2. What is "the new Jerusalem" (Rev 21:2, 10, 16; Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22; cf. Exo 26:33-34; 1 Ki 6:20; 2 Chron 3:8)?
3. Why is the promise of God dwelling with man the best promise ever (Rev 21:3-4, 7; 7:16-17; Eze 37:27; Is 25:8; 65:19; 9:6)? What prevents this from happening (Isa 59:2)?
4. How does God make all things new (Rev 21:5; Isa 43:18-19, 2 Cor 5:17)?
5. Why is God "the Alpha and the Omega" (Rev 21:6; 1:8; 22:13; Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12)? [What is Alpha and Omega in the Greek alphabet?] What is it to be thirsty for the water of life (Rev 21:6b; Isa 55:1; Jn 4:13-14)? To be victorious (Rev 21:7; Gal 3:26)?
6. What is every person's worst destiny (Rev 21:8)? Are you afraid of dying? Hell? How can you not be cowardly (Rom 1:16; 2 Tim 1:7; Heb 2:14-15; Phil 1:21; Ac 20:24)?

• How might the new heaven and the new earth be entirely and existentially different from anything you have ever experienced in your life? How can it help you handle trials, tribulations and temptations in your life?

Revelation is about the triumph of God over Satan and the forces of sin and evil through Christ, culminating in a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1). The ultimate hope of God's people is heaven (> 500x in Scripture; ~50x in Revelation).

1. Bonus questions for your own reflection and rumination:

2. 1. What does the promise of a new heaven and a new earth signify to you?

   2. What emotions or thoughts does the description of the New Jerusalem evoke in you?

   3. How does the vision of God dwelling among His people influence your understanding of God's relationship with humanity?

   4. How does the absence of a physical temple in the New Jerusalem shape your view of worship?

   5. How does the concept of the second death in the lake of fire influence your understanding of divine judgment and reward?

   6. In what ways do you see God making things new in your life today?

   7. How can the promise of a life without mourning, crying, or pain bring comfort in your present situations?

   8. How can the detailed description of the New Jerusalem inspire you to live in anticipation of this glorious future?

   9. How can the vision of the New Jerusalem impact the way you handle trials and tribulations in your life?

   10. How does the vision of God as the Alpha and Omega influence your view of God's sovereignty?

   11. What does it mean to you to be called to "overcome," as mentioned in verse 7?

• In what ways will the new heaven and the new earth be entirely different from anything we’ve experienced to this point in our lives? How will the new heaven and the new earth be better from what we’ve experienced to this point in our lives? (v. 1-8)
• What does it mean to you that the Lord will dwell with us forever? Why is this important? (v. 3)
• Why do you think John includes this beautiful, comforting picture of God wiping away every tear from our eyes? Why is this important? (v. 4) 
• God prepares us for eternity and provides us with the perspective we need by means of His Word. How can you be more intentional about the time you spend in God’s Word moving forward? Alone? With your family? At church?
• ● What do you think it means to live with an eternal perspective? Are you living with an eternal perspective? Moving forward, how can you more intentionally live in light of the eternal destiny that’s in store for you as God’s people?