Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, and John Piper discusses how seeing the glory of God is believers' "ultimate hope".  He provides the following texts for us to understand and appreciate God's glory:

• Jude 1:24
• Romans 9:23
• 1 Thessalonians 2
• Titus 2:13
• Hebrews 1:3 
• John 17:24
• 1 Peter 5:1
• Romans 8:21
• 1 Corinthians 2:7 
• 2 Corinthians 4:17
• Romans 8:30        

Through these texts Piper wants us to "[s]ee and shar[e] in God’s glory[, as it] is our ultimate hope through the gospel of Christ." He writes that [s]uch a hope, that is really known and treasured, has a huge and decisive effect on our present values and choices and actions."  Piper wraps the devotion with the following exhortation: "Get to know the glory of God. Study the glory of God and the glory of Christ. Study the glory of the world that reveals the glory of God, and the glory of the gospel that reveals the glory of Christ. Treasure the glory of God in all things and above all things. Study your soul. Know the glory you are seduced by, and know why you treasure glories that are not God’s glory." Amen!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I have seen and experienced Your glory in the written word - I am in awe of You.  I am not deserving of how You display the works of Your glory in my life.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 4-8:1

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5:13-14

I resumed my D-Group's study of Revelation using Stephen Witmer's commentary and study guide.  My focus tonight is the memory verse for this week - Revelation 5:13-14.  In Revelation 4-5 John is given a vision of Heaven where God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all present and God is seated on the throne and Jesus is represented by the slain lamb who has the authority to open the scroll and seven seals that reveal God's plan for the end times. In 5:11 Jesus is worshiped and in 5:13-14 both God the Father and Jesus are worshiped using nearly identical words used in 5:11. John Piper, in a sermon where series where he explores hope, he ends the series by summarizing it, and in this summary he highlights three truths about hope: 

1. "First, the glory of God is very great.
2. Second, the glory of God is a sure hope in Jesus Christ.
3. Third, the hope of the glory of God fills the heart with joy and exultation."

 In looking at (1) specifically, Piper highlights ten ways the Bible (New Testament) gives us glimpses of the greatness of God's glory, including Revelation 5:11-14, where he uses these verses in Revelation to indicate: "[s]urely the purpose of giving us a glimpse into this heavenly worship is to make us feel the greatness of the Lord and the tremendous worth of his glory."

Finally, Piper wants us to, as Paul writes in Romans 5 to "rejoice in [the] hope of the glory of God."

Indeed - I am grateful for the blessing of Revelation to see God's glory and the greatness of God's glory, how it is a certainty, and how I get to share in the hope of the glory of God - and of course for this I am certainly joyful!  Thank You Jesus!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your glory is great indeed, as it sure, and I get to share in it and be joyful because of it - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues daily - worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on - building on my post yesterday - how experiencing the glory of God should be our daily pursuit. Piper encourages us to "[g]et to know the glory of God. Study the glory of God and the glory of Christ. Study the glory of the world that reveals the glory of God, and the glory of the gospel that reveals the glory of Christ. Treasure the glory of God in all things and above all things."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God, one who loves me and who has revealed to me His glory - and I treasure Your glory.  I am grateful for Your glory.  Your glory has transformed my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the grace and compassion You pour out for me.  My heart is often black with sin - including worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

Pages: 87-98

Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. John 12:37:41

This morning, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, covering chapter five - Reading to See Supreme Worth and Beauty, Part 3. Here, Piper continues with the third of six implications that flow from the ultimate goal of reading the Bible (as listed here); the third of the six implications is "that we should always read his word in order to see this supreme worth and beauty[.]" In this chapter, which is the third of three to explore this specific implication, Piper seeks to make it explicit that "we should always read God's word in order to see his supreme worth and beauty," emphasizing the word "always." He states straight-away that "the relationship between God and all things is such that nothing can be rightly understood apart from its connection with God.  And since God intends for scripture to be rightly understood, therefore, we should always aim to see everything in it in relation to God."

Piper seeks to demonstrate the above statement by pointing to scriptures that state:

• God is the origin and ground of all things (Hebrews 2:10, 1 Chronicles 29:14, Revelation 4:11)
• God owns all things (Psalms 89:11, 24:11)
• God holds all things in being (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:17, Acts 17:28)
• God designs the purpose of all things (Proverbs 16:4)
• God governs all things according to his will (Ephesians 1:11, Psalms 119:91)
• God's purpose in creation is to make all things new (Revelation 21:5)
• God appointed his Son heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2)
• God is the end and goal of all things (Hebrews 2:10, Romans 11:36)
  

Similar to my post yesterday, Piper points to 2 Corinthians 4:4, 6 to see how we are to "aim" to read the Bible "to see, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the glory of the Father and the glory of the Son, which are one glory." Piper also uses John 12:36-43 while stating that "wherever the glory of God shines forth in the Bible, it is not just the glory of the Father, but also the glory of the Son, for they are one glory."

Piper wraps up this chapter (as well as the preceding two) by writing that "in all the details of what we find in the Bible-Old Testament and New-the aim of reading is always to see the worth and beauty of God."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is always showing Your glory in Your Word, in creation, and in every moment of every day of my life - You are worth my ceaseless praise and worship and You bless me immeasurably!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You saved me and bless me.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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.

Pages: 75-86, 2 Corinthians 3:6-4:7

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 Corinthians 4:6

This morning, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, covering chapter four - Reading to See Supreme Worth and Beauty, Part 2. Here, Piper continues with the third of six implications that flow from the ultimate goal of reading the Bible (as listed here); the third of the six implications is "that we should always read his word in order to see this supreme worth and beauty[.]" In this chapter, which is the second of three to explore this specific implication, Piper seeks to demonstrate that through the Bible as a whole - both Old Testament and New Testament - God reveals his glory. 

As his key scriptural evidence for such a claim, Piper uses 2 Corinthians 3:6-4:7.  Here Paul writes that the glory of God existed in the books of Moses just as they do today in the entirety of the New Testament, not just in the Gospel books. Within this text, Piper shows how the glory of God is revealed in the Old Testament but it is temporary surpassed by the greater glory of Jesus Christ.  Piper also points to how "Jewish readers in Paul's day were...spiritually blind...[and] Paul compares the Jewish readers of his day to the generation at Mount Sinai," quoting Exodus 34:34-35. Piper continues: "Moses...lifted the veil when he turned to the Lord in the tent of meeting...[and] the point I want to stress is that the occasion for seeing the glory of God-or not seeing it-is the act of reading the Scriptures....[t]he veil, the hardening, kept out the peculiar glory of God."  Piper emphasizes that "not everyone sees the glory of the Lord in the gospel" and he specifically uses 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, pointing out that "the same blindness that kept Israel from the seeing of the peculiar glory of God in the Mosaic covenant is still at work blinding people to the glory of Christ in the gospel."  But just as God hardens hearts, He softens them and reveals his glory as Piper points to 2 Corinthians 4:6 to show God's role in lifting the veil. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus, You are an awesome God and I see Your glory every day, in scriptures, in creation, and elsewhere in my life and in the lives of others.  How magnificent You are!  You bless me immeasurably - thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not deserving for how You bless me.  I worry....Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

Pages: 65-73

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:1-4

This morning, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, covering chapter three - Reading to See Supreme Worth and Beauty, Part 1.  Here, Piper seeks to demonstrate the third of six implications that flow from the ultimate goal of reading the Bible (as listed here); the third of the six implications is "that we should always read his word in order to see this supreme worth and beauty[.]" In this chapter, which is the first of three to explore this specific implication, Piper points to both John and Paul to provide scriptural examples that demonstrate that we are to read the Bible "to see [God's] supreme worth and beauty[.]"  

John, in not just his gospel account, but also in his epistles (1, 2, 3 John), sought to help later generations see the glory of God through his writing - using John 1:14, 2:11, 11:40, 14:26, 16:13-14, 20:29-31, and 1 John 1:1-4 to help readers see the connection between reading an eyewitness account of the glory of Christ and "seeing" the glory of Christ. Piper writes that in 1 John 1:1-4, John refers to what was seen or manifest six times...and "[t]he intention that the faith and life he received by seeing the glory of Christ, his readers would also be able to receive by seeing what he saw-the glory of Christ shining through the inspired writing." 

Paul, in Ephesians 3:3-8, "makes a rare and crucial reference to the aim of reading his own epistle." His hope is that "by reading [church in Ephesus] may 'see' or get a glimpse, into what Paul was shown by God."  The "boundless riches of Christ" referenced by Paul is then more fully described by Piper as the riches of the "glory of Christ" and Ephesians 1:18 and Colossians 1:27 help clarify this.  

Piper then encourages us to avoid focusing on specific passages of scripture that help us see God's glory, and supreme worth and beauty, but instead to see the glory of God "in and through all things," and he uses 1 Corinthians 10:31 to help us see "all things in relationship to the glory of God-starting with the most ordinary things, like food and drink." 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and whose glory I see in the Word and with every passing day I can see the Holy Spirit working in and through me to sanctify me and bring You glory.  You pour out Your mercies and blessings every day for me.  Thank You!  Yet I am undeserving.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy[.]

Pages: 37-53

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy[.] 1 Peter 1:8

This afternoon, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, covering the Introduction to Part 1: The Ultimate Goal of Reading the Bible and chapter one - Reading the Bible toward God's Ultimate Goal. 

Piper starts by stating that "our ultimate goal in reading the Bible is that God's infinite worth and beauty would be exalted in the everlasting, white-hot worship of the blood-bought bride of Christ from every people, language, tribe, and nation."  Piper extends this by drawing out six implications "that flow from this," including:

1. "the infinite worth and beauty of God are the ultimate value and excellence of the universe;
2. that the supremely authentic and intense worship of God's worth and beauty is the ultimate aim of all his work and word;
3. that we should always read his word in order to see this supreme worth and beauty; 
4. that we should aim in all our seeing and savoring his excellence above all things; 
5. that we should aim to be transformed by this seeing and savoring into the likeness of his beauty, 
6. so that more and more people would be drawn into the worshiping family of God until the bride of Christ-across all centuries and cultures-is complete in number and beauty."

The remainder of chapter one focuses on how from "eternity[-past] to eternity[-future] - in predestination, creation, incarnation, propitiation, sanctification, and consummation-the Bible makes explicit that God's ultimate aim in all things is the revelation and exaltation of his glory."  In the next chapter, Piper explores and discusses implication #2.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and deserving of authentic and intense worship from me and all of Your children. You bless me every day with mercies that abound!  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not deserving.  I too often allow myself to be distracted by the things of this world - please forgive me!  Help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.

 Chapter 12: Pages 158-166, Ephesians 1:4-7

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:4-8

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 2 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence", moving to Section 3 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence in the Design and Enactment of the New Covenant" - moving to chapter twelve "Christ's Foundational Act in Establishing the New Covenant". 

Piper starts by quoting both Luke (Luke 22:20) and Matthew (Matthew 26:28) from the Last Supper to establish that Christs suffering and death on the cross "was the foundational step in enacting the new covenant." He then contrasts the first and second covenant using Hebrews 9:7, 15, 22 and 10:4 to underscore how Jesus "is responsible for putting the second covenant into effect." 

Piper builds on this to state that Christ's death and resurrection is not only the ground for the second covenant but also the goal - quoting Romans 4:25; Piper's description is that He is both the "price" and the "prize". Piper of course extends this to emphasize that "the ultimate goal of God in his saving providence-namely the praise of the glory of his grace-was achieved through the suffering of the Son of God, who died to delivery us from eternal suffering (2 Thessalonians 1:9) and bring us into everlasting enjoyment of his glory (John 17:24)".  We are then encouraged to see "the obvious" that-using Ephesians 1:4-6-God's plan from the beginning was that "God's ultimate purpose in creation and providence was not that his glory be displayed and praised through means that did not involve the suffering of Son.  The cross was not an afterthought.  It was part of the plan from before the foundation of the world (2 Timothy 1:9, Revelation 13:8)."

Finally, Piper writes that "[e]verything else is subordinate to this plan.  Everything else is put in place by God's providence for the sake of this plan.  The display of the glory of God's grace, especially in the suffering of the Beloved, echoing forever in the all-satisfying praises of the redeemed, is the goal of creation and ultimate aim of all God's works for providence". 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are amazing and of course so is Your grace and You are worthy of my ceaseless praise and worship.  Thank You for the rich mercies You pour out for me.  I am not deserving of such love.  I worry and I am lazy among my many sins.  Please forgive me for seeking my own power over yours and not relying on the peace of Christ.  Please forgive me for seeking comfort in the pleasures of this world.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

Chapter 4: Pages 56-66

 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Acts 17:24-25

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 2 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence", starting with Section 1 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence before Creation and in Creation" - moving to chapter four "The Act of Creation".  Piper describes how God created all things for God - that creation itself and all created things and beings exist for Him and for His glory. Piper points to several scripture passages to illustrate his point:

• 1 Corinthians 8:6
• Hebrews 2:10
• Acts 17:24-25
• Romans 11:34-36
• Revelation 4:11

Even nature exists for His glory as Piper states that "[i]n order for God's purpose in creation to be attained, there must be a world filled with the 'knowledge of the glory of the Lord'.  Trees may clap their hands for God (Isaiah 55:12), but they do not know what they are doing.  Such conscious, joyful knowing and loving and praising is the destiny of man, not nature."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your creation is worthy of glory and my praise - thank You for loving me so much that You gave me and all Your children such a wonderful creation.  I am undeserving of how You love me.  I worry and struggle with gossip, worry, and other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Chapter 3: Pages 50-56 and Ephesians 1

 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 2 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence", starting with Section 1 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence before Creation and in Creation" - essentially chapter three.  In these pages, Piper describes providence expressed before the foundation of the world and uses Ephesians 1:4-6 and 11-12 to illustrate God how this is expressed.  I previously posted on how providence is defined as serving for His glory - the "one great end" that distinguishes providence from fate. This morning we see Piper taking this further by stating that God's glory is incomplete without the praise of His glory.  Piper leans on C.S. Lewis, who writes that "[w]e delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is the appointed consummation." Further, Piper explains the "paradox" that exists by statng that "God is the one being in the universe for whom self-exaltation is a form of love.  For [H]e is the only being whose worth and beauty can satisfy the human soul fully and forever.  When God makes [H]is praise the goal of his providence, [H]e is pursuing our full and lasting pleasure.  That is love."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who chose me before the creation of the world - knowing everything about me and my sin - thank You Jesus!  It is indescribable that You would love me as You do.  I am undeserving of course.  My sin, of worry, etc. continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Genesis 12-14

“With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.” Genesis 14:22-24

Day 5 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on God's call of Abram.

Abram is called by God to a land that He will show him (Genesis 12:1-4) and Abram goes with his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot.  Soon after his arrival famine struck the land (Genesis 12:10) and Abram moves on towards Egypt.  It is here where Abram hopes to prevent Pharaoh from killing him and seizing Sarai (due to her beauty) - he deceives Pharaoh and refers to Sarai as his sister (Genesis 12:12-13).  The plot falls apart and they are all expelled from Egypt (Genesis 12:20).

Abram and Lot soon separate with Lot settling in Sodom while Abram settles in Hebron. Sodom is sacked during a war of the kings and Lot is taken captive (Genesis 14:12). Abram bravely rescues Lot (Genesis 14:14-16) and is met by Melchizedek king of Salem who blesses Abram and offers Abram to keep the tenth of everything Abram offers Melchizedek (see Biblical references to Melchizedek here).  

Abram's great faith is known, and while he might perhaps be best known by other events in his life (most notably by his willingness to sacrifice his own son Issac - see Genesis 22) I think it is important to pause and highlight Abram's response to Melchizedek's offer to Abram to keep the goods Abram tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:12). I agree with the assessment offered here by David McLemore:

"Abram, for his part, gave instead of took. True faith has that effect. When given the two choices of giving God the glory or take the spoils of war, the man of faith glorifies God. “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’” Abram knew where his riches truly came from".

This is one of the great ironies of the Bible for great men of faith.  We often see great recognition of those (such as Abraham) who seek not glory for themselves but glory for God - once again - this is why exist.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are - You are indeed the source of all that I am and all that I possess.  Thank You Jesus for blessing me well beyond what I deserve.  I sin...daily, including my neglect of You over earthly matters.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me turn from my sin towards You and love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:6-21

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. v14

Session #13 of David Platt - Revelation: The Hope of Glory (requires login which I have though my church) focuses on Revelation 22.  The title of the session is The End of the Beginning - this is the final session of the series.

The end of Revelation is just the beginning of a story where every chapter is better than the one before. Recap of Revelation:

• Not intended for hopeless speculation about the future; purpose is to fuel hopeful obedience in the present - 2 Peter 3 is another example of an exhortation of hopeful obedience.  We should undergo major examination of our lives.
• See the world in all of its deception; do not put your hope in government (the beast); do not put your hope in religion (false prophets); do not put your hope in material affluence and social acceptance (the prostitute) - don't base your life in things that don't matter!
• See the Christ in all of His glory; fully human and fully divine; fulfillment of prophecy and the final high priest; infinitely old and wise; sees all knows all and reigns over all; cannot hide anything from Him; purity has no error and His power knows no equal; His voice resounds with authority and His face radiates with light; He was dead for a time but He is alive for all time; He is the conquering Lion and the slaughtered Lamb; His worth is undisputed, His work is unforgettable, and His worship is universal; his birth declared the death of ancient serpent, His death deranged the adversary, and His resurrection demolished every accusation against the church; He is faithful and true; He is the righteous Judge and Messianic warrior;many crowns adorn His head and much mystery surrounds His name; He conquers God's enemies and He reveals God's Word; His grace is free and His joy is full!  He is the Savior who came once, and He is the Sovereign who is coming back soon (mentioned 3x in this chapter and time is near); He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; no one and nothing compares to Him.
• See the church in all her beauty; we are His body and bride.
• See your life in proper perspective; fight against sin! resist compromise; refuse complacency; God promises blessing for faithful and judgment for those who fall away; endure amidst suffering - do not be surprised by it; do not be overcome in it; Jesus is present with you, possesses you, has a purpose for you; proclaim gospel is Christ to everyone You know, to ends of earth; hasten the coming of Christ - give us unwavering holiness in this world with unshakable hope in the world to come!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus - You are unshakable hope - thank You Jesus for the hope that You provide.  I am not deserving for the blessings You pour out for me, including the hope and peace You provide.  Please forgive me for my sin...it is daily.  Help me turn from my sin towards You and help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Revelation 4-5

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” v13

Session #4 of  David Platt - Revelation: The Hope of Glory (requires login which I have though my church) focuses on Revelation 4-5 which Platt refers to as two of the most glorious books of Bible as all creatures in the universe give glory and ceaseless praise to God!

Core takeaway of this session: how does God motivate people to run from sin and to hold fast to Him, to spend lives making Gospel known?  He does this by showing us the battle of God vs evil in light of who God is in ALL of His glory.. 

Portrait of the glory of God, The Father, The Spirit, the Trinity

• God the Father: sits at center of universe - everything!
• Surrounded by unending praise (4:8-11)
• Judge of every man (4:5)
• He tempers wrath with mercy
• Holy above all
• Power over all
• Infinitely timeless (4:8)
• Infinitely glorious
• Supreme, sustainer, sovereign over all things (4:11, 5:1)
• Conquering lion
• Slaughtered lamb (standing) (5:6)
• His worth is undisputed (5:9, 12)
• His work is unforgettable
• His worship is universal 
• Omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent
• He enacts judgement
• He enables salvation
• God is three persons; each person is fully God; there is one God

Because God is infinitely glorious - 10,000 years from now, there will be more glory to be explored!

God will NEVER be boring!

Glory of God:

1. Compel us to receive salvation; God holds the future glorification of believers in His hand; holds final damnation of unbelievers in His hand (3:21).
2. Empowers us to escape temptation; we overcome idolatry by glimpsing a greater God.  We fight immortality through fulfillment in our Father.
3. Enables us to endure tribulation; God is in control; our enemy has been conquered; our suffering will one day conclude.
4. Motivates us to accomplish mission; let's pray passionately (5:8); give sacrificially; go confidently; die willingly.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are glorious indeed and while I have only received a glimpse of Your glory - I am compelled, empowered, enabled, and motivated to grow in my love and service of You.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not deserving of the blessings and love You pour out for me.  I sin...daily and need You to forgive me and intervene daily on my behalf.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Revelation 1

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. v3

Based on very challenging previous solo attempts at reading Revelation, followed by a more fruitful study through Bible Study Fellowship, I've decided to study revelation with the assistance of an online study by David Platt - Revelation: The Hope of Glory (requires login which I have though my church).  This online resource is 13 sessions long and today I reviewed session #1.

My key takeaways from session #1:

• Revelation is an apocalyptic vision filled with symbols and imagery but more than anything it provides in David Platt's words a "grand portrait of God's greatness" and a "glorious picture of god's gospel".
• It is very important to understand both the historical and Biblical contexts for this book - what is God saying to the 1st century church who first heard these words and were suffering greatly and tempted to bend to the prevailing culture, or tempted to succumb to false teachers and/or to Roman culture with all of its focus on material wealth, earthly power, sexual sin, etc.; this approach to focus on historical and Biblical context first then on what the application is for our lives today is important not just with Revelation but for all of the Bible
• We should avoid falling into a trap to interpret this book based on various academic schools of thought which only divide the church but instead focus on a broader more important message God seeks to convey: God wants to give us in the words of David Platt "unshakeable hope" as God has defeated sin and Satan; He is in control, has conquered all, reigns now, hears our cries, sees our tears and will wipe all tears away and take away all of our pain; God also calls us to unwavering holiness in the face of a seductive culture 
• We are promised blessings but also warned about falling away; God loves us now and He reigns now - for both not just in the past and in the future but now

 In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  Daniel 7:13

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. Zechariah 12:10

 
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has transformed my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the blessings You pour out on me.  I sin...daily and struggle with temptation.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.