[T]rain yourself for godliness;for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

 1 Timothy 4:1-10

[T]rain yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

I completed my quick study of Jude (given it's only one chapter), and this morning, for one more time, before I jump into a new study, I pause to dive into 1 Timothy 4:1-10, text that is basis for our church's sermon today and our subsequent small group time.  My focus is how to "train for Godliness" as the affirmative commandment in vv7b-8. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Everything created by God is good - v4.  This is of course referencing food in v3 "that God created," but it can be extended into all of Creation because God is the Creator of all things.  Training in Godliness "is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (v8).  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: People train themselves for various purposes, including physical and bodily training - but how often do they train themselves in Godliness.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are to avoid silly myths that add to/subtract or twist the Word to suit a worldly point of view or one that suits a personal preference vs that of God. Claim the promise that "Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." Follow the example of the Bereans from Acts 17:11 who "received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."  Hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of the mind "that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Endure: "[L]et us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame[;]" Hebrews 12:1-2. 

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My Prayer: Father God, thank You for saving me, and for giving me Your Word, prayer, corporate worship, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ - spiritual disciplines that I can use to train myself for Godliness. I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out for me daily.  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 and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to 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.

Jesus, [is] the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus, [is] the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 11:16

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 12:1-2 - the author builds on the previous chapter by encouraging believers to endure with faith until the end, just as Jesus did.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus is seen as not just God but as a coach for those running the race of faith to the end.  This is not a sprint but an endurance race and we know we will experience tribulation as God tells us that we will (John 16:33) but he also tells us that we will overcome because He has overcome.  This encouragement comes on the heels of the encouragement from the previous chapter where the author of Hebrews shares that believers have a better promise - an eternal one - than the one from those mentioned in the "Hall of Faith."  We can endure because of the greater promise of Jesus and the inheritance we will share with Him. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Believers are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" - v1 - implies that God wants the light of our faith and love of God to cut through the cloud so that people can clearly see who the light is and be drawn to the light - which is of course Jesus!  V1 also describes how we do this - by enduring whatever is thrown at us and by focusing on Jesus - His Word, the Holy Spirit, church, spiritual disciplines, etc.    
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid the weight of sin which clings so closely and weighs us down as we endure with faith.  Claim the promise that God is saving a place for us in Heaven. Follow the examples of the many explicitly and otherwise mentioned in the "Hall of Faith" from Hebrews 11 who labored for a promise they did not see and did so in faith that they would receive the promise.  Focus on Jesus by making Him the most important relationship in your life - He will help you endure to the end!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves You, who provides a better promise that allows us to endure until the end where our reward will be that God is saving a place for us in Heaven!  How awesome - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me 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 continue to 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.

They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service.

Numbers 8:23-26

They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Numbers 8:26

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today, 8:23-26, we see the Lord give instructions to Moses to retire Levites beyond age 50.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God instructs Moses that Levites over 50 years old retire from service in the tent of meeting (tabernacle).  V26 includes an apparent contradiction where the text says that while they are to "serve no more" (v25), they are to "minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard."  We should be careful to read into the text that retirement - where we no longer serve - is biblical.  A quick search of scripture does not reveal anything further in the Old Testament about retirement and both Old and New Testaments are replete with examples of biblical heroes serving God well into their advanced years.  Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5) and soon thereafter (Genesis 22), we see the well read text where Abraham was obedient in following God's instruction to sacrifice Isaac (until God stopped him). It is estimated that Paul was in his mid-to-late 50s when he was arrested and sent to Rome and during this time he authored his prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon).  John was certainly in his advanced years when he wrote Revelation during his exile in Patmos. On the subject of retirement, DesiringGod.com warns us to not let these years go to waste as John Piper shares his perspective in this short ebook.    
• What do we learn from the text about people?: We all know believers who focus primarily on earthly endeavors during retirement (travel, golf, leisure, etc.) and this is not God's intention or desire.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid an earthly focus during retirement years.  Claim the promise that God uses people of all ages and abilities in His service. Follow the example of Abraham, Paul, John and so many others to follow, serve and be obedient to Him during our advanced years.  Run the race until its completion when you meet God face to face in Heaven - keep running.

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 My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  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 and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to 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.

They shall be mine: I am the LORD.

Numbers 3:11-13

They shall be mine: I am the LORD. Numbers 3:13

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today 3:11-13, where the Lord speaks to Moses and shares how the Levites are His.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: The text describes how the Levites, among all the tribes in Israel, were taken by God to be His representatives to Him and they were His possession (vv12-13).  As with all scripture, this text points to Jesus and how with His shed blood, all believers (all of Creation) are a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).  God wants us to draw near to Him, personally, and not let anything or anyone stand in our way - He is our #1 priority.  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The Levites, and ultimately all believers, were chosen from among the people to serve in the priesthood and they belong to God.  When you belong to God, you are designed to serve His will, for His glory.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid thinking that you exist to serve self or anything/anyone above God.  Claim the promise that, as a believer, you were purchased by His blood for a price, and you are a royal priesthood called out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Follow the example of the Levites and proclaim the excellencies of Him.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  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 and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to 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 woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

 John 4:1-26

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. John 4:19-21

I continue my study of John, and today, I build on my review of John 4:1-26 by summarizing the text via an outline/divisions and a main point for the text.

Main point: God wants us to live intentionally for Him in worship and to seek and save the lost.  

1. Jesus acts with intention - there is nothing aimless about what He does as all is orchestrated with divine purposes. We should live with intent, leaning on God to understand His will for our lives.  Lean into God through daily study and prayer of God's Word to renew your mind so "that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). 
2. Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman helps us see that regardless of race, ethnic, economic, social, or cultural boundaries, we all sin and are in need of a savior.  The most important commandments are to love God, and to love others (Matthew 22:34-40).  As we love others we seek to save.
3. Worship of God is not dependent on a physical location or a church building and God designed us for both individual and corporate worship. As the Holy Spirit dwells within us, believers become the temple.  See Matthew 18:20, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20.  Worship God anywhere, individually, AND go to church!      

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loves, saves and provides others, including the church for us to live as You designed to worship both individually and corporately.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save nor bless with the church.  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  Please forgive me 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 continue to 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 messages for me today and every day. 

And when the centurion, who stood facing [Jesus], saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Mark 15:33-41

And when the centurion, who stood facing [Jesus], saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39

I continue my study of Mark, focusing on Mark 15:33-41.  

Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: In the midst of darkness that covered the whole land, Jesus cries out to the Father, asking why has He forsaken the Son -vv33-34. This feeling of being forsaken is understandable, yet we would expect this to be a temporary state of mind of course because we know that Jesus will rise and ascend to Heaven (see also Acts 1:9-11 and Luke 24:51). Jesus continues to be mocked right up until He dies - v36 - He does not save Himself although He has the power to do so, He faithfully submits to the Father's will - v37. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: There will always be those who mock Jesus as done in v36.  Based upon the darkness that befell the whole land and the tearing of the temple curtain vv33, 38, and what we know from the other gospels (Matthew 27:51-54) - earthquake, raising of dead, etc., the centurion accurately states that Jesus is the Son of God - v39. It is implied this centurion becomes a believer. Mary Magdelene, Mary mother of Jesus, and other women - those who loved and ministered to Jesus during His time in ministry observe the crucifixion - v40-41.  These women were certainly devastated by Jesus' death on the cross.  They followed and served (and were at His feet literally as He hung from the cross) Jesus through what they thought was the end, yet we know that this was not the end.
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?):  We should not question who Jesus is nor mock Him.  Today, many question and mock Jesus and even threaten harm (sometimes physical) - yet we must remain steadfast in our faith and continue to share the gospel.  We should follow Jesus without fear of reprisal - run the race until the end (our physical death) (Hebrews 12:1-2).  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  You loved and saved me while I was still an enemy and hostile to You...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and 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 continue to 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.

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

Mark 13:24-37

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Mark 13:29

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 13:24-37.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of three) division (vv28-31):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "Jesus Will Come Again, and the Time Is Near." 
• "Jesus drops an interpretive bomb in verse 30: “I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.” The question is, Who is “this generation”? The answer is not a simple one, and how you understand and interpret other parts of Mark 13 will influence how you answer the question."  
• The commentary offers four prevailing views on this question: "(1) The contemporary generation of Jesus’ day who would see the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. (2) The eschatological generation that will be alive at the end of history who will see all these things because they occur in close proximity to one another. (3) The Jewish people, with the word “generation” being understood to mean “race”—a particular race of people. (4) The generation of Jesus’ day who would see the coming of the kingdom."   
• View (2) is what is presented as the most biblically supported. "This generation refers to those who will see all these things occur in rapid-fire succession just before Jesus comes again. I believe the future tribulation (v. 24) will be a period of seven years." See also Daniel 9:27, Revelation 7:14, 11:3, 12:4, 6, and 13:5.   
• Per v31, the end of times promises finality for all things of this world that many hold dear and all that will remain will be God, His elect, and what He has created for God's elect - the New Jerusalem. We can take comfort from God's words.  "Nothing is so true, stable, permanent, and abiding as the word of our Lord. Here is a firm foundation on which we can stand forever. No wonder the prophet Isaiah was inspired to write, “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (Isaiah 40:8; cf. 51:6)."

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who saves, who is eternal and whose Word is eternal.  Thank You Jesus for Your Word that offers not just salvation, but also great comfort and encouragement in how it gives us confidence - Your Promises always come to pass so You are faithful in what You tell us will happen.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor how You comfort with Your Word.  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 and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to 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. 

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Mark 12:13-17

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Mark 12:24-25

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:18-27.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the second (of three) division (vv24-27):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Perfect Plan for Heaven." 
•  "Jesus tells [the Sadducees] plainly that they are “deceived,” in error. Jesus accuses the theological elite of His day of error in their area of expertise! What they claim to know best, the Torah, they actually know least. And because they misunderstand the Bible, they also misunderstand God! Misinterpreting the Scriptures inevitably leads to a distorted view of God. It always leads to your god being too small and impotent to be the God of the Bible!"  
• "Jesus begins correcting them in verse 25. The world of resurrection is different from the world we live in. There is continuity, to be sure. I will be me, and you will be you, but we will live for all of eternity in an entirely new reality. In Revelation 21:1, it is called a “new heaven and a new earth.” Why? Because 'the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.'"  
• "Jesus addresses the Sadducees’ question. (1) There will be a resurrection. (2) There will be no marriage relationship as we know it in this life. (3) We will become “like angels,” probably in the sense that we will no longer procreate and we will never die. Therefore marriage will not be necessary, at least for that purpose."  
• "No one will be disappointed in any way when they get to heaven! No one will be deprived of one thing that is necessary for maximum joy, optimal happiness, and complete satisfaction. Our relationship with Jesus and with all of our brothers and sisters will be so intense and so filled with love and affection that all earthly marital bliss will seem shallow and small in comparison. Heaven is indeed God’s perfect plan for His children who have come to Him through His Son Jesus."

Scripture from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1 and Philippians 3:20-21, Ephesians 2:19 comes to mind as further text to clarify an appropriate application after reading this text from Mark 12:24-25.  We should continue to persevere, endure and run the race has given us in this life with the ultimate goal of reaching Heaven where our true citizenship lies. See also 1 Corinthians 4:16-18.  

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My God, You are an awesome God that has already defeated death and sin so I have assurance the final victory is already won and can rest knowing this.  Thank You Jesus and thank You for the mercies You pour out for me daily that never cease, and of course for my salvation.  I am not deserving of such blessings and gifts.  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 and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to 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 LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 15: The Firmness of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "The majority of mortals are not strong enough to be themselves: they become echoes of their neighbors and walk in paths marked out by others. There is a spirit of the age which leaves its impress on every mind. Even the mightiest men cannot free themselves entirely from it."
• "But when we come to Jesus of Nazareth we are in the presence of a man whom nobody swerved or dominated, who is so free from the bias of his race and so clean of the spirit of his age that he seems to belong to all races and all ages. He is not the Son of David but the Son of Man, just genuinely, supremely human. He is not a citizen of the first century only, but the contemporary of each succeeding generation. Immersed in an ocean of mighty forces which beat upon him furiously through every hour of his career, he resisted them all successfully by the indomitable energy of a victorious will, living a life unique in its beauty and achieving a work unmarred by the limitations either of time or place. That he was not insensible to the dominant forces of his time, he himself has told us in the story of the temptation." See Matthew 4:1-11.
• "Who is a man that he should set himself against the expressed wish of a nation? Is it not through the people that God makes his wishes known, and what is it but egotism or insanity which would lead an individual to set his judgment against the judgment of the people ? This is the argument whose sharp edge many a leader has felt, and Jesus of Nazareth felt it too. Wherever he went he heard the people clamoring for a king, a king who should rise to supremacy over the wrecked empire of Caesar.  The nation was ripe for revolution. A word from him would, like a spark, have kindled a mighty conflagration. Expectations had been built up by men anointed by Jehovah, and these expectations were glowing hot, and how could Jesus hope to win the attention of his people or control the current of their life unless he fell in with their ideals and attempted to carry out the program on which their hearts were set? It was a great temptation, so terrific that he told his apostles all about it.  He assured them that in this temptation he had been wrestling with the very prince of infernal powers, but that notwithstanding repeated assaults he had come out of the conflict victorious. In choosing the road which led to supremacy by way of Gethsemane and Golgotha, he renounced the ideals of his countrymen and disappointed their dearest expectations, but so firm was he that the hosts of hell speaking through God's chosen people could not move him from his place. The nation hurled itself with frantic force against him, but he did not budge. He was the Rock of Ages. When we study his life with attentive eyes we see it was one long resistance to the forces of his age."
• "There were many reasons why Jesus should have conformed to the ideas and customs of the church, but he firmly resisted all the voices which urged him toward conformity, standing out alone in defiance of what the best men were doing and saying, notwithstanding his nonconformity seemed to the majority impiety and to many blasphemy. For a godly man to be classed among blasphemers is one of the bitterest experiences which the heart can know. But Jesus paid the price and continued firm."
• "Jesus could not be manipulated. He refused to be used. One party after another tried to work him into its scheme, but he was incorrigibly intractable and went on his way independent, unshackled, free. All the seductions offered by the men who sat on thrones could not swerve him from his course, and although his steadfastness made him enemies and finally nailed him to the cross, he was everywhere and always a man who could not be moved." 
• "Jesus could not be manipulated even by his friends. He had many friends in Nazareth, but he never gave up his principles to please them. They had their prejudices and superstitions, but he never surrendered to them."
• "The most tender and gracious and obliging of men is compelled to resist not only the prayers of his countrymen but the wishes of his family and friends. He stands like a rock in the midst of a troubled sea, and all its billows dash themselves against his feet in vain. There was something inflexible in his will, something granitic in his soul. When he found a man whom he thought worthy to be the first member of his church he called him "rock.  Are we to infer from this that it is the rock-like quality which is indispensable in the building of an institution which shall endure? It is certain that Jesus loved stability in others, and what he loved in others he had super-abundantly in himself. Firm himself, he loved men who could not be moved."
• "Salvation could not be offered to any one who did not endure to the end. It is in this tenacity of will that we find an indispensable element of Christian character. Men are to resist exterior forces and form their life from within. They are not to be swayed by current opinion, but by the spirit of the Eternal in their heart. They are not to listen to the voices of time, but to live and work for eternity. We like this steadfastness in human character, and we also crave it in God. Men have always loved to think of Him as the unchanging and the unchangeable, the one "with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning." And what we desire in God we find in Jesus of Nazareth."
• "From age to age he is about his Father's business, and in the midst of all nations and kindreds and tongues he goes about doing good." 

While the commentary provides ample evidence of Jesus’ firmness in scripture, the Holy Spirit guides me to additional examples in scripture of how we as believers must also be firm.  An unwavering faith – resisting temptations to either lack trust in God to provide and protect, or to act outside of God’s commands in the face of worldly temptations and persecution –  demonstrates firmness consistent with Jesus’ own character and what He commands and expects from us.  Two examples where firmness was not displayed - even among biblical heroes - was when Peter denied knowing Jesus upon Jesus' arrest (see Mark 14:66-72), and Abraham lying that Sarah was his sister (see Genesis 20:1-2).  Believers know that temptations will arise and that the only way to battle these temptations is with the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).  Exodus 14:14 tells us to be "still" or "silent" and to trust in God vs falling prey to temptations where we seek to take things into our own hands (acting outside God's counsel). Philippians 1:27 and Romans 12:2 urge us to stand firm in our faith and not to conform to the patterns of this world - instead we are to be transformed by the renewal of our mind so that we know God's will for us. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and is always there with Your Word, the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters in Christ and more to help us to be firm and from falling prey to the patterns of this world.  Thank You Jesus for the full armor of God.  I am not deserving of how richly You save and bless!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me 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 continue to 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.