Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:13-17

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:13-17

I continue a pause of my study of Ecclesiastes to study James 4:13-4:17.  My focus this morning is a commentary-assisted review of this text using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book. As posted yesterday, the commentary where James 4:13-5:20 is outlined in its own chapter of the commentary with a title Faith Lasts.  The commentary then further breaks down the text into two primary divisions each with subdivisions - as follows:

Faith That Perseveres 

1. Humble before the sovereignty of God (4:13-16) 
2. Obedient to the will of God (4:17)
3. Confident in the justice of God (5:1-7) 
1. He is coming to judge the sinful. 
2. He is coming to deliver the faithful. 
4. Patient in suffering (5:7-11) 
5. Trustworthy in speech (5:12) 
6. Prayerful in sorrow (5:13-18)
7. Loving toward sinners (5:19-20)

Faith That Works 

1. Only possible by the gracious gospel of Christ 
2. Played out in the context of the body of Christ 
3. Ultimately aimed toward great glory to Christ

The main idea shared by the introduction for the commentary's chapter: "[f]aith that perseveres to the end is humble before the sovereignty of God, obedient to the will of God, confident in the justice of God, patient in suffering, trustworthy in speech, prayerful in sorrow, and loving toward sinners."  The commentary's chapter introduction also describes how James challenges us.

The commentary for the first division (4:13-16) challenges us as it describes how when James was originally authored "[b]usiness travel in the first century was actually fairly common, and verse 13 pictures a businessman confidently planning to make a profit in the future."  Contemporary life is of course no different and such thoughts are even more pervasive not just here in the United States but elsewhere.  The commentary shares: James calls talking about your business affairs as if they are certainties “boasting” or bragging, that is, doing things in your own strength without admitting dependence on God. James is warning us that we can become so consumed with the material realm, thinking about our plans, plots, and strategies to work and make money, that we become blind to spiritual realities. The problem is not the planning in and of itself but planning in such a way that God has no place in the plans." We are urged to see how God is sovereign over every aspect of our lives, birth, death, and everything in between.  As such we should act humbly and in reverent fear as God is in control - we should recognize that we exist to glorify God and that we don't want to disappoint Him. The commentary also shares that "the intent here is not to create a passive fatalism in our minds that says, “Well, God has determined everything, so I’m just going to sit back and do nothing and see what He decides to do.” No, remember that James gives plenty of commands to obey and actions to take. James is talking about activity throughout this book, but he’s talking about activity that is humbly dependent on the sovereign God of the universe....James describes a radically different way to live in this world, particularly in the busyness and the business of our lives. This world tells us to live like we’re going to be here forever, urging us to make our plans, acquire our possessions, and work to build our portfolio. But James tells us to submit to God. Don’t live like you’re going to be here forever. Instead, live and plan and work like your life is short and like you don’t want to waste it on worldly things. Live like you want to spend your life humbly before the sovereignty of God and ultimately for the glory of God."  

The commentary for the second division (4:17) describes obedience as being either a sin of commission or omission: "We normally think of sin in terms of sins of commission: doing what God has said not to do. God says, “Do not lie,” and so you do not lie. God says, “Do not covet,” and so you do not covet. This is how we often think of sin—as not doing bad things. But James reminds us that just as serious as lying or coveting or doing anything else that God has said not to do are sins of omission: disregarding what God has said to do. This involves hearing the command of God to do something—such as the command to admit dependence on God when you make your business plans—and then choosing not to do it....At the end of Matthew 25 [vv31-46], people are cast into hell, not because of what they did but because of what they didn’t do. They didn’t feed the hungry or clothe the naked. They failed to do what God has commanded His people to do all along—to care for those in need (Moo, James, 208)."  Challenging indeed - God please renew my mind and direct my steps, and help me live boldly for You!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God that is SO full of mercies that never ever cease.  You save me and continue to pour out these mercies daily and so much more - my cup overflows.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and for my salvation.  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 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.

[H]e looked around at them with anger[.]

Mark 3:5 

[H]e looked around at them with anger[.] Mark 3:5a

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 23: The Indignation of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "It has not escaped us that when men and women are angry they usually make fools of themselves. This fact has made a deep impression on us. Most of the indignation which we have known has been so childish or so brutish, so full of fury and of bitterness, that we find it hard to give it place in the experience of a strong and holy man."
• "It was thus that the Stoics taught, contending that ever to be moved by anger is a sign of weakness and unworthy of a full-grown man. The philosophy of the Stoics is not consciously accepted by us, but the considerations which led them to their estimate of anger are still operative in us all."
• "It is not easy to free one's self from the feeling that anger has something sinful in it, or that if anger is not actually sinful, it is at any rate unlovely, a defect or flaw in conduct, a deformity in character from which the lovers of the beautiful and good may wisely pray to be delivered. It is because of this assumption that anger is in its essence sinful that many persons find it impossible to think of Jesus in an angry mood."
•  ..."[I]t was inhumanity and insincerity which always kindled [Jesus'] heart to furnace heat. When he saw men — ordained religious leaders of the people — more interested in their petty regulations than in the welfare of their fellow-men, his eyes burned with holy fire. Those who were present never forgot the flash of his eye 'as he slowly looked round upon the pedants whose hardness of heart he held in abhorrence."
• "He was angered by the desecration of the Temple. The sordid wretches who cared nothing for anthems and prayers and everything for money, kindled a fire in him which well-nigh consumed him. The miscreants who fled before him had never seen such a flame as darted from his eyes. That a building erected for the purpose of adorning the name of God should be converted into a market was so abhorrent to his great soul that he was swept onward into action which astounded his disciples and which has been to many a scandal ever since."
• "One of the purposes of the New Testament is to give us a new revelation of anger. Take away Jesus' capacity for indignation and you destroy the Jesus of the Gospels. His anger was one of the powers by which he did his work. His blazing wrath is one of the most glorious features of his character."
• "Had he been less emotional, he would not have stirred men as he did. Had his passion been less intense, the world would never have called him " Master." Here, then, we have in Jesus what seems to some a contradiction. He is a Lamb and at the same time he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He caresses like a mother and he also strikes like a thunderbolt. He is tender but he is also terrible; he is loving but he also smites with a blow which crushes."
• "How can we reconcile the indignation of Jesus with his love? Nothing is easier. His indignation is the creation of his love. His wrath proceeds from his holiness. His mercy would have no meaning were it not for his immeasurable capacity for anger. Take away his indignation and you destroy the basis of his holiness, his righteousness, his mercy, and his love. Love and indignation are not antagonists or rivals. They ever go together, each one unable to live without the other."
• "In Jesus, then, we see what a normal man is and feels. He is full-orbed, complete. He gives sweep to every passion of the soul. He will not admit that in the garden of the heart there are any plants which the Heavenly Father has planted which ought to be rooted up. All the impulses, desires, and passions with which the Almighty has endowed us have a mission to perform, and life's task is not to strangle them but to train them for their work."
• "Jesus was angry but he did not sin. Anger because of its heat readily passes beyond its appointed limits. Like all kinds of fire, it is dangerous and difficult to control. But Jesus controlled it."
• "Our anger is frequently a manifestation of our selfishness. We become indignant over trifles. The street-car does not stop, or somebody carelessly knocks off our hat, or a servant disappoints us, and we are all aflame. Our comfort has been molested, our rights have been entrenched upon, our dignity has been affronted, and we are downright mad."
• "Our indignation then is quite different from that of Jesus. His anger never had its roots in selfishness. When men abused him, he was unruffled. When they lied about him, his pulse beat was not quickened. When they nailed his hands to the cross, no trace of anger darkened his face. His calm lips kept on praying, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." It was when he saw his brother men abused that his great soul rose in wrath. The more helpless the person who was mistreated, the hotter was the fire of his indignation."
• "It was when he saw cruelty perpetrated on the defenseless that his indignation rose to the fury of a tempest. The thought of bad men leading innocent souls to sin, converted him into a furnace of fire." 
• "If hearts do not burn with holy fire against wicked men and their wicked deeds, it is because the heart is too undeveloped to feel what manly hearts were meant to feel, or because the core of the heart has been eaten out by the base practices of a godless life. It is one of the lamentable signs of our times — our incapacity for anger. Many of us are lukewarm in the presence of evils which are colossal. Some of us are indifferent. Indifference to wrong-doing is always a sign of moral deterioration."
• "Society would be cleansed of much of its pollution if we had more men and women capable of becoming genuinely angry. Let us pray then every day that a new indignation may sweep through the world."
• "The New Testament is a glorious book. Its lines are straight, its discrimination is fine, it rings true. It is absolutely free from sentimentalism. It has no sickly fondness for bad people. It does not deal in excuses and in extenuations. It has no abnormal tenderness. The world is full of sentimentalists, — men and women who gush of love, and who do not know what love is.  After listening to their flimsy talk it is refreshing to get into a book where every bad deed is held up to scorn and every bad man, if unrepentant, is overwhelmed with shame. Nowhere in the Gospels is there a soft or flabby thought, a doughy or mushy feeling. All is high and straight and fine and firm and true."
• "One feels sure that God is in His heaven, and that though wickedness may flourish for a season, God's heart bums with quenchless fire against it, and that at the end of the days every impure man, and every cruel man, and every man who loves and makes a lie, will find himself outside the city whose streets are gold and whose gates are pearl." 

Many who don't (and perhaps some who do) believe in God cannot fathom why anyone would worship a God who wiped out all of humanity except Noah and his family (see Genesis 6-9) or who condemns people to eternal damnation.  Such actions are indeed harsh.  But we must remember that all of humanity is God's creation and humanity exists for His glory and not for its own glory.  As such God's anger is righteous - not a selfish anger.  When people reject God, intentionally mock or blaspheme His name, or willfully continue in sin without repentance, God had cause for anger.  But God is just, as all will be held accountable for all of their deeds and those whose name is written in the Book of Life (believers) will be saved - while everyone else who has not repented of their sin and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will suffer eternal damnation.  At the same time, God is also merciful and patient as He seeks for all to repent and be saved.  For example, the thief next to Jesus upon the cross who is saved.  For us, in this life, We must remember that just because God has righteous anger, that we as believers do not have free license to be angry.  God calls us to be slow to anger and quick to listen - see James 1:19.  Our ability is be slow to anger is driven by the sanctification process as we become more like Him - see scripture for how God is slow to anger. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You an awesome God who is just, patient and merciful - full of love to see all people saved. You are slow to anger, abounding in love - and it is this love with animates anger towards those who are not loving like You are.  Thank You for the love, patience, and mercy You show for me - I am not deserving.  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 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.  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. 

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

1 John 5

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. v18-20

As I wrap my study of 1 John, my attention is drawn once more towards commentary by John MacArthur, who highlights "Five Confidences of a True Christian" in his discussion of 1 John 5:13-21. MacArthur* indicates that the apostle John "accentuates their certainty [confidence] by using the word know seven times in this section".

1. Confident of eternal life in Christ (5:13) - I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
2. Confident of answered prayer (5:14-17) -  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
3. Confident of victory over sin (5:18) - We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.
4. Confident of belonging to God (5:19) - We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
5. Confident of Christ being the one, true God (5:20) -  We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

*MacArthur, John F.. The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Kindle Locations 64207-64209). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. 

I believe this discussion on confidence holds AT LEAST three key applications: (1) that we can have a confident faith that is strong based on the firm, unshakeable nature of God - this is particularly important in the face of persecution; (2) that we can be confident people knowing we are part of God's family, He loves us, is with us always, we can rely on Him, and count on the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave; (3) that confidence is first and foremost based on humility and the need for a Savior, and that this humility serves to refrain from arrogance.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me confidence - on many levels!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God and such love. I continue to sin...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 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 to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7

And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:14

I continue my study of Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 7:1-14 as I lean on my commentary for this text.  The commentary outlines two divisions for this text:

• God Is Sovereign over the Nations (7:1-8): The commentary first starts by emphasizing how God reigns amidst the chaos (depicted as raging seas in v2 where this image is also used in scripture (see also Isaiah 17:12, Job 41:31, and Revelation 17:15) in the world around us, including how nation states rise and fall.  It portrays the beasts which the commentary portrays as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome.  The fourth beast is also described as the anti-Christ. Ultimately all of these kingdoms, and all kingdoms rise and fall at the mercy of God's hand.
  
• God Is Sovereign over His Kingdom (7:9-14): this text is described in the commentary as "the most important verses in Daniel and some of the most important verses in the whole Bible. They are important theologically. They are important eschatologically. And they are important Christologically."  The commentary uses text from these verses to describe attributes of God: holy, pure, righteous, omnipresent, omniscient, wise, judge, in all things at all times, and both loving and wrathful. How the first three beasts are stripped of their power and authority demonstrates how God is full of grace and patience but still ultimately sovereign. Then in v13-14 we see how God is sovereign in how both God the Father and His Son reign. The commentary shares how the reference to the "Son of Man" v13 is a clear reference to Christ as scripture elsewhere refers to this description, including how this was Jesus's own "favorite designated title" (se also Acts 7:56, Revelation 1:13, Mark 10:45, etc.).
  

We should rest in how, despite the chaos in the world around us - don't you see it? - God is in control, and He is saving a place in heaven for us and the victory over sin and death is already won! 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome and You are before, in, and in control of all things and I know You love and You have sealed me and my salvation for eternity - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me and saved me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You...daily.  Help me grow in my faith and glorify You.  Please provide 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.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

Ecclesiastes 7-11

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.  Ecclesiastes 7:14-18

I continue my study of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book. My focus this morning is a commentary assisted review of Ecclesiastes chapters 7-11 and the commentary's third division for these chapters - The Gospel Is the Answer to Our Brokenness and Meaninglessness.   

 Excerpts and highlights from the commentary on this division: 

• "Solomon exposes us to the brokenness of the world—a brokenness that really hurts and brings emptiness—for the positive outcome of causing us not to build our lives on things or people other than God. Ecclesiastes is God’s goodness to us because He refuses to allow us to wallow in our broken futility.  Our frustration over the absurdity of life drives us to God and His gospel. That is the answer to brokenness and meaninglessness."
• The commentary shares how "Ecclesiastes encourages faith in God and His gospel in two ways in Ecclesiastes 7-11.  First God is in control and working things out according to His timing and plan.  Therefore Ecclesiastes 7:14-18 exhorts us to fear God."
• We are referred to Ecclesiastes 9:13-16 which tells the story of of poor man who saves a city from a siege but this poor man is soon forgotten - the story of course points to Jesus and how He, while many believer He is forsaken, He is not as He rises from the grave to Heaven to be seated at the right hand of God. Jesus is the answer to our worlds sin, brokenness, and resulting meaningless.
• The commentary for this division closes by describing how "Jesus is the Savior who rescues us from brokenness. Jesus is the wise man who makes us wise. Jesus is the poor man who makes us rich. And yet He was rejected too! Mark Dever points out that Isaiah 53 explains the wisdom and foolishness of Ecclesiastes 7–11. The righteous man got what the wicked deserved, so the wicked could get what the righteous deserve (Dever, “The Ungodly”). The poor, wise Savior who rescued the world is rejected and despised because the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world and the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). It pleased God to save through a cross that looked like foolishness. Turn to Jesus, and He can free you from your brokenness and meaninglessness. Let Him turn your foolishness into wisdom."  Amen!
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves us and is full of grace and compassion - taking on flesh and willingly laying down Your life so that I could have life now to the full and for eternity with You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  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.

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

Genesis  42:6-45:15

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Genesis 45:1-2

Day 19 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues to focus on Joseph's story - including the climax where Joseph's role in the administration and distribution of grain during the famine leads his brothers to Egypt where they are reunited - but not without tension and torment of his brothers by Joseph.

When his brothers arrived in Egypt and sought grain during the famine, Joseph desired at least some semblance of revenge and he puts both his brothers (all of them, including Benjamin) and his father Jacob through great agony.  But Joseph finally relents and in Genesis 45:3 he tells his brothers who he is and while there is initial fear, there is ultimately relief and celebration over the reunion.

Contrast such yielding and submission of one's life to God with the self-control Joseph exercises earlier in his life when he refuses to sleep with Potiphar's wife (see Genesis 39 and DesiringGod.com)   At least part of Joseph sought to continue to control and manipulate his brothers by putting them through more agony, yet he yielded to God's desires as he could not deny that even this aspect of his story was part of God's plan.

I've struggled with control much of my life and as I've grown in my relationship with Jesus, I've learned to be more at peace with how God is in control vs myself.

I think of the Israelites in Exodus 14 when they stood before the Red Sea as the rapidly approaching Egyptians threatened re-capture and worse:

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

While Joseph's circumstances are of course different - his story of self-control vs God in control are one in the same.  God works in all things and we must submit to Him and what He is doing.  See Romans 8:28 and Colossians 1:16-17.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You are in control - You reign and Your sovereignty and rule is perfect.  And I know You love me and You have adopted me into Your family.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your love.  I sin...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 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.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of Ecclesiastes 5:1-6, which covers the first division of the commentary chapter titled Religion Is Meaningless without Jesus - the first division specifically is referred to in the commentary as Religious Ritual without the Fear of God Is Meaningless .  Here, Solomon calls out those who focus on the "theater" of church worship - where the focus is on something other than God - this could be the self-edifying prayers of a worshiper, or the sermon from the pastor, both of whom may be focusing on self-glorification vs glorifying God.  For worship, Solomon rightly seeks to focus our hearts solely on Jesus and His glory.  God not only deserves this glory, we exist for this purpose!  Also, God is in control (He is in heaven - v2) and we should be careful how we approach God, recalling how inappropriate worship in scripture (see also how Aaron's sons died in Leviticus 10:1-2) is sinful.  We are to love God first, then love others and our worship should reflect this focus. Yes, God wants us to worship Him in song and praise, to offer heartfelt and authentic prayers, but he also wants us to "be still and know that [He] is God" (Psalm 46:10).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a good, good Father and I love You - You are worthy of my worship and I know that is why I exist.  Thank You for the blessings of a church that respects Godly worship.  I am not deserving of the blessings for how You directed me to my church, and how You bless me in so many other ways - my cup overflows!  I am not deserving because my sin is great and it is 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.

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.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts....Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Leviticus 10

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts....Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:6, 8-10

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing with chapter ten - Our Response to God's Holiness - covering Leviticus 10:1-20, looking specifically at the theme - God's People Affirm God as the Powerful Ruler.  Here, the commentary focuses on how God reigns over all aspects of not just our lives, but over all aspects of what is happening in the universe. The commentary looks at Nadab and Abihu's "unauthorized" worship and emphasizes how regardless of any human efforts to assert control or rule over God, He "overrules." We are to see this as good news, something that provides believers peace.  We are referred to Psalm 46:6, 8-10 where the psalmist (of the sons of Korah) exhorts us to be at peace knowing that God is in control.  An additional scriptural reference that describes the extent of God's reign:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15-20

A memorable Bible moment is when Pharoah lets the Israelites leave Egypt, but he then changes his mind, pursuing the Israelites into the wilderness.  The Egyptian army pins the Israelites against the shores of the Red Sea, but Moses urges the people to be still and to trust in God:

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:13-14

God understands the chaos that exists in our lives - yet we can take comfort that He is in control and He reigns.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who reigns over all aspects of my life - and You provide, protect, encourage, heal, etc.  You are my All in All!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You do of all this.  I worry, and I struggle.  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.

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Mark 3:22-30

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:28-30

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 3:28-30, which is the text for the third (of three) division of 3:22-30 per the commentary. Excerpts from the commentary for the third division:

• "Jesus declares the gracious forgiveness and mercy of God in forgiving sins. “All sins,” literally, “whatever blasphemies they may blaspheme,” will be forgiven. All sinners can find the forgiveness of God if they will come to Him in repentance and faith."
• "However, verses 29-30 note the one tragic and fearful exception. If someone speaks against the Holy Spirit verbally and continually, with willful and malicious intent that reveals a hardened heart beyond the possibility of repentance, there is no forgiveness, and they are 'guilty of an eternal sin.'"
• "In this historical context, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit denotes the conscious and deliberate rejection of the saving power and grace of God released through Jesus’ word and act...The considered judgment that his power was demonic, however, betrayed a defiant resistance to the Holy Spirit. This severe warning was not addressed to laymen but to carefully trained legal specialists whose task was to interpret the biblical law to the people. It was their responsibility to be aware of God’s redemptive action. Their insensitivity to the Spirit through whom Jesus was qualified for his mission exposed them to grave peril (Lane, The Gospel of Mark - The New International Commentary on the New Testament)."
• "The unpardonable sin is to knowingly, willingly, and persistently attribute to Satan the works of God done by and in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, who testifies to these truths in your heart. (1) It is a sin of full knowledge. (2) It is an ongoing disposition of the heart that resists the conviction of the Holy Spirit. (3) It is a verbal act that attributes the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. (4) It is a willful rejection of God’s grace in Jesus. (5) It is rooted in unbelief. (6) It is a sin a Christian cannot commit. (7) It is a sin not committed by one who is concerned that he may have committed it."
• "There is a boundary of sin where, once passed, there is no possibility or hope of return. Do not even think of going there. Instead, run to Jesus in faith and repentance. You will find open arms there! You will find forgiveness free and eternal."       

It is remarkable that such learned men, knowledgeable of the law, would act in such a way as to blaspheme God's name.  They were so blinded and hard hearted that their own status as supposed experts in the law was threatened by Jesus and this prevented them from actually seeing who Jesus truly is - the one promised in the Old Testament.  Those of us who truly seek to deeply understand God's Word should be careful that such study and the resulting knowledge should not become an idol as it did for the scribes.  We should all remain humble and our humility should acknowledge that whatever knowledge we do have it comes from God and whatever gifts God gives us in wisdom, teaching, etc. also come from God and it is God working in and through us.  God gets the glory - not us!  Thank You Jesus for the mercies You pour ceaselessly.  I pray that I can remain humble knowing that I continue to sin and that it is You alone that forgives, provides, is in control, and deserves the glory.  We exist to glorify God. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God who saves and whose mercies never run out and are new every morning.  Thank You Jesus!  You are worthy of all glory, honor and praise.  Please forgive me for my sin as it continues...daily.  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.  

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.