Called By Your Name
John 10:3 NIV
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
It caught my attention this morning when Jesus said that, as our Good Shepherd, He calls each of us by name. Jesus makes our calling to Him personal and very special. His plan all along has been to call His own. And when He calls, He reaches out to our hearts and calls us to be His own sheep.
Think about that for a moment. Jesus knows you by name. You are not just another person in the crowd. He knows you personally, and He calls you to follow Him.
And His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. They will not follow a stranger.
As Jesus says in John 10:5 NIV:
“But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
So be blessed today, fellow follower of Jesus. You are unique, special, and personally called to follow your Good Shepherd. Jesus knows your name, He knows your heart, and He is calling you to follow Him.
Let’s look to Him right now and follow His teachings and allow them to guide us today.
Richard Templin Hancock
Encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily.
Christian - forgiven - grateful
Welcome. My name is Richard Templin Hancock and I’m here to encourage you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. I'm glad you're here—let's walk this path together.
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He That Keepeth Thee
He That Keepeth Thee
Psalm 121:3 KJV
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.”
Fellow follower of Jesus, be comforted by this encouragement: your Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are watching over you day and night. He never slumbers, and He never stops watching over those who belong to Him.
One example of a believer whom God protected is Daniel. In the book of Daniel, we see how Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, yet he remained faithful to God.
In Daniel 6, King Darius issued a decree that no one could pray to any god or man except the king for thirty days. Despite this decree, Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day, just as he had always done.
As a result, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. But God was watching over him. God protected Daniel, and the lions did not harm him.
The Scripture tells us:
Daniel 6:22 NIV
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight; nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
Daniel remained faithful to God, and God was faithful to Daniel. The same God who watched over Daniel watches over His people today.
Fellow follower of Jesus, you may not know what lies ahead. You may face circumstances that seem frightening or uncertain. But remember this: the One who keeps you never sleeps.
Jesus is with you. He sees you. He knows what you are facing, and He is able to keep you through it.
So take comfort today in the words of Psalm 121: “He that keepeth thee will not slumber.”
Keep trusting Jesus. He is watching over you.
Psalm 121:3 KJV
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.”
Fellow follower of Jesus, be comforted by this encouragement: your Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are watching over you day and night. He never slumbers, and He never stops watching over those who belong to Him.
One example of a believer whom God protected is Daniel. In the book of Daniel, we see how Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, yet he remained faithful to God.
In Daniel 6, King Darius issued a decree that no one could pray to any god or man except the king for thirty days. Despite this decree, Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day, just as he had always done.
As a result, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. But God was watching over him. God protected Daniel, and the lions did not harm him.
The Scripture tells us:
Daniel 6:22 NIV
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight; nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
Daniel remained faithful to God, and God was faithful to Daniel. The same God who watched over Daniel watches over His people today.
Fellow follower of Jesus, you may not know what lies ahead. You may face circumstances that seem frightening or uncertain. But remember this: the One who keeps you never sleeps.
Jesus is with you. He sees you. He knows what you are facing, and He is able to keep you through it.
So take comfort today in the words of Psalm 121: “He that keepeth thee will not slumber.”
Keep trusting Jesus. He is watching over you.
Following The Commands Of Jesus
Following The Commands Of Jesus
Psalm 119:73 NLT
“You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands.”
This verse reminds us that God created us, and because He created us, He knows what is best for our lives.
As followers of Jesus, we also need wisdom and understanding to follow His commands and live according to His Word.
Why should we follow the commands of Jesus?
First, loving Jesus is demonstrated through obedience.
Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.”
Our obedience doesn’t earn Jesus’ love. Rather, obedience is one way we demonstrate our love for Him. When we love Jesus, we should desire to listen to Him and follow His teachings.
Second, obediently following Jesus leads us to remain in His love.
Psalm 119:73 NLT
“You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands.”
This verse reminds us that God created us, and because He created us, He knows what is best for our lives.
As followers of Jesus, we also need wisdom and understanding to follow His commands and live according to His Word.
Why should we follow the commands of Jesus?
First, loving Jesus is demonstrated through obedience.
Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.”
Our obedience doesn’t earn Jesus’ love. Rather, obedience is one way we demonstrate our love for Him. When we love Jesus, we should desire to listen to Him and follow His teachings.
Second, obediently following Jesus leads us to remain in His love.
Jesus said in John 15:10-11, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Third, obeying Jesus gives us a strong foundation for life.
In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus compared those who hear His words and put them into practice to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Life will bring storms—trials, disappointments, temptations, and difficulties. But when our lives are built upon Jesus and His Word, we have a foundation that can withstand those storms.
And finally, Jesus reminds us that there is a blessing in hearing God's Word and obeying it.
Jesus said in Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
My fellow follower of Jesus, are we simply hearing the words of Jesus, or are we putting them into practice?
Let’s ask Jesus for the wisdom and understanding to obey Him, love Him, and follow Him every day.
Third, obeying Jesus gives us a strong foundation for life.
In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus compared those who hear His words and put them into practice to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Life will bring storms—trials, disappointments, temptations, and difficulties. But when our lives are built upon Jesus and His Word, we have a foundation that can withstand those storms.
And finally, Jesus reminds us that there is a blessing in hearing God's Word and obeying it.
Jesus said in Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
My fellow follower of Jesus, are we simply hearing the words of Jesus, or are we putting them into practice?
Let’s ask Jesus for the wisdom and understanding to obey Him, love Him, and follow Him every day.
Our Heavenly Inheritance
Our Heavenly Inheritance
I felt blessed and happy this morning thinking of the heavenly hope Jesus has for us. Listen to what Brother Peter says in 1 Peter 1:3-9.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials,
that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory,
receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials,
that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory,
receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Thank God, this inheritance is undefiled and does not fade away. This motivates me to seek out Jesus all day long and not be seduced by the world, the flesh, or the devil. This is a battle worth fighting: the battle of faith. This battle is won by simple faith in Jesus, His word, and following Him faithfully. Think about the fact that you and I are guarded by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed to us in the last time. Jesus is coming back! Let's aim to be faithful to Him today.
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