Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

 Mark 1:16-20

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. Mark 1:16-20

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 1:16-20, which is the text for the second of three divisions per the commentary.  Excerpts from the commentary:

• "This is a call to discipleship and a unique one at that. In the rabbinic schools of the day, the aspiring student sought out the respected rabbi. Further, the student’s allegiance was to the Law, not to the teacher. Jesus’ form of discipleship is fundamentally different! Jesus seeks them out, and their allegiance will be to Him."
• "Jesus looks for men and women who will commit to Him, who will learn from Him, who will deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him[.]"
• "There is no prerequisite to following Him. This is a grace call. He does not tell them to improve their moral character or their social acceptability. Jesus finds them where they are, and He simply calls, in effect, 'Come! Come as you are, but come, you must and come right now.'" 
• "The summons to be fishers of men is a call to the eschatological task of gathering men in view of the forthcoming judgment of God. It extends the demand for repentance in Jesus’ preaching [quoting Lane]."
• "Like Simon and Andrew, James and John did not hesitate: they left their father and the hired servants in the boat! This is striking and captures what it truly means to follow Jesus. To follow Jesus, we are called to forsake everyone and everything else. We must not rationalize or explain away Jesus’ call as mere hyperbole!"
• The commentary refers us to Matthew 10:34-37, Mark 3:33-35, and Luke 14:26 as text that emphasizes how Jesus is the most important relationship in believers' lives. 

The Ten Commandments outline commands that focus on love of God and love of others.  In Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus shares that these are the two most important commandments (with love of God coming first) and that all other commandments hang on those two.  When we love God, we seek to please Him and avoid sinful temptations that draw us away from Him, including activities that absorb our time that we might otherwise use to draw close to Him in a study of His Word and in prayer. We must deny our earthly desires (see Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23), seek Him, and allow Him to work through us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) such that our desires become more like His desires - sanctification.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion - thank You for my salvation, and for the mercies You continue to pour out for me daily.  Thank You also for giving me Your Word, the Holy Spirit, and the church so that I can know and love You more.  I am not deserving of any these blessings.  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. 

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.... Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 1-6

 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.... Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 3:16-19, 5:1-2

Day 348 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 as I move further into the New Testament - this morning I continue with another Prison Epistle: Ephesians. My commentary* notes how there is some debate whether the letter is written to the church specifically in Ephesus or to churches more broadly in the area around Ephesus. "Whatever its intended destination, the message is universal. Paul writes about the exalted relationship between Christ and the church and the practical results which that knowledge ought to bring into the lives of individual Christians. He begins by summarizing how God’s eternal plan is revealed through Christ, then proceeds to teach various lessons regarding the church, personal righteousness, earthly relationships, and the Christian’s relationship with God."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

For purposes of a post this morning in the context of this study - there is far too much in the entire book of Ephesians to do justice by calling out one set of verses vs another - there are many nuggets here. Yet, consistent with Jesus' words that loving God and loving others are the two most important commandments, I am focusing on Paul's exhortations on these two commands.  I am not ignoring Paul's words on relationships (Ephesians 5:21-6:9) and other important points of scripture in this book but instead focusing on what I believe is most important.

We all must understand (or attempt to understand to the extent we can) the depth of God's love for us and this of course should motivate us to love Him and others.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and time and time again You have blessed me and continue to do so.  I am not deserving of how You love and bless me.  I worry and have other sins.  Please forgive me for my worry and other sins 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.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. v14

As Jerusalem is threatened by invaders, the Lord tells Isaiah:

⁷ Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,⁸ for the head of Aram is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
⁹ The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,    you will not stand at all.’” (v7-9)

Two key takeaways this morning, particularly after the election:
(1) The Lord is in control of all things at all times (v7)
(2) Our faith in Him is the most important (v9), Mark 12:28-30

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:28-30

My Prayer: Lord, You alone reign over everything at all times forever and forever.  You know why things happen and why and when things will happen.  You allow things to happen and You also prevent things from happening.  It is You alone in whom I must have faith.  Yet I have faith too much in people and government and this is not right - it is sinful.  I know You love me anyway, but please forgive me that I am not standing firm in my faith.  Purify me, refine me.  Help me be more like You Jesus Christ and help me act like Jesus Christ.  Take me and make me Yours.

For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 3

For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 3:19

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Ecclesiastes 3:18-22, which is the second division of the commentary chapter titled Politics and Justice Are Meaningless without Jesus (covering Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3, and 5:8-9). The commentary describes how Solomon reflects on how we - collectively as humanity - treat one another as beasts:  "[E]ven though we have moral sensibilities, we treat one another like animals. We deal with one another in the most disgusting ways imaginable. From Hitler to Stalin to Polpot and the Khmer Rouge killing fields, we see barbaric acts that humans commit against other humans. My first mission trip was to Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge wiped out so much of the population. As we walked over the killing fields with the missionaries, they showed us trees where babies were bashed to death. The barbarism was sickening. That is Solomon’s point. Wickedness increases, and like the days of the flood where both animals and humans died, judgment is needed!" The commentary then highlights how God created man in Genesis 1 to have dominion over the beasts, yet we became like the beasts in how we treat one another. The commentary goes further sharing how beasts are described throughout scripture, including how "evil nations...attack Israel (see Psalm 80:13, Daniel 7:3)," and how "the antichrist and the false prophet  are called beasts (see also Revelation 13)." As the commentary winds down for this division, it explores vv19-21 more closely by sharing that while we have certainty of our own death, we have less certainty what happens after death: "[s]ince we do not know what happens beyond this life, we have to rely on the eternal God who put eternity in our hearts. We are told to enjoy His gifts while we can. Ecclesiastes 3 ends with another carpe diem passage that tells us to live life to the fullest. Ecclesiastes does not deny the afterlife, but it does commend us to take death seriously. Just as the psalmist tells us to number our days (Psalm 90:10-12), Ecclesiastes says that life is short and we need to make the most of it (Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, 305)." Making the most of our lives must include loving God and loving others as He intends - the two most important commandments!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - giving me hope in this life and hope that You are saving me a place in Heaven - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me, bless me, save me, and seal me so that no one can take from You.  Thank You - but again I am not deserving...not at all.  Please forgive me for my sin that is great and daily.  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.

Am I leading a rebellion, said Jesus, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?

Mark 14

Am I leading a rebellion, said Jesus, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? v48

On the heels of my post yesterday, Jesus provides greater clarity about the methods believers are to employ for the battle we face.  This is not a battle to be fought on earthly terms.  Our most powerful weapon is love. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well....“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:38-40, 43-45 

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing.1 Corinthians 13:1-3

To love God and love others are the two most important commandments as "[a]ll the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:34-40).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who knows everything about me - including my sins and unfaithfulness - yet You love me and came to die for me, rescuing me from the grip of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love...I worry and I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin.  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.

...as the LORD commanded him.

Exodus 39:2-40

 ...as the LORD commanded him. Exodus 39:2-40

Day 32 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 the completion and blessing of the tabernacle and God's glory fills the tabernacle.

Moses and the Israelites did just "as the LORD commanded [them]" using these exact words in scripture sixteen (16) times in these two chapters.  Clearly God wants us to pay attention how obedient Moses and the Israelites were.

Obedience to God of course is critical - and this calls into focus God's commands and then of course our ability to do God's commands.  When we have repeated commands - we know they are important.  God also tells us He has the most important commandments (1st, 2nd) and how all other commandments hang on these two (see Matthew 22:34-40).

See also these posts from John Piper regarding how God makes obedience possible and how obedience is not burdensome.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who makes all things possible - including obedience to Your commands.  I know You love me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  I sin daily...including grumbling and complaining.  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.

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.

Mark 2:23-28

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath. Mark 2:28

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 2:23-28, which is the text for next chapter of the commentary.  Observations using the Sword Bible Study Method:

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Similar to vv18-22, God is not concerned about empty rituals if we don't have a heart for God. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Pride and arrogance is one of the most dangerous sins and it led to the arrest and persecution of not just Jesus, but countless followers throughout redemptive history. The Pharisees were more concerned about their status and position then they were about pleasing God. Jesus challenged the Pharisees by citing 1 Samuel 21 as an example of God's intent with ceremonial practices where David is on the run from Saul and partakes of the holy bread set aside for the priesthood (see Leviticus 24:5-9).  Surely Jesus' example of David will not be challenged as someone whose heart is not right with God! 
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey - sins to avoid, promises to claim, examples to follow, or commands to obey?: Sins to avoid - we should avoid empty ritual worship practices.  We should also avoid judgement and disagreement over matters that are either inconsequential (or not Biblical) or less clear in scripture.  Many a congregation separate over or have conflict about such matters.  Promises to claim - recognize that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord over all - having providence over all matters in the universe.  Jesus is the example to follow of course.  Commands to obey include how we are to worship - focusing on the most important commandments which are to love God, and to love others (Matthew 22:34-40).  

V28 in particular strikes a chord in how Jesus shares how Sabbath was modeled during creation and then codified in the Ten Commandments - see Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-11. Sabbath was designed as a day of rest and to focus on God - and our heart condition is of primary concern.  It's less about what you do vs how you do it. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and gives rest - thank You Jesus!  You also save and pour out mercies that never cease and that are new every morning.  I am not deserving of how You bless so richly and how You 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.  

Therefore love truth and peace. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

Zechariah 7:1-3 and 8:18-23

Therefore love truth and peace. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" Zechariah 8:19b-23

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is an unassisted review of Zechariah 7:1-3 and 8:18-23, which the commentary outlines as the first of five divisions for the text 7:1-8:23 (7:1-3/8:18-23, 7:4-7, 7:8-10, 7:11-14, 8:1-17).  In an effort to better understand the first division, I reviewed the entirety of 7:1-8:23 and here one can see in chapter 7 God's people seeking answers on how to approach ceremonial law (specifically fasting), and how God, while He does care about external behavior, He is most concerned about our heart condition and that we focus on the most important commandments that we love Him first then love others - see also Psalm 50:8; Hosea 6:6; Psalm 51:16; Psalm 40:6–8; Isaiah 1:11–31; Jeremiah 7:21–23; Hebrews 10:4–10.  When you turn to chapter 8, you see a prophecy of a peaceful and prosperous Israel.  Of note in 8:18-23 is v23 where God's people draw others to Him because others see God in them.  For believers, we should be a light and draw others to Him. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and loved me first, while I was still hostile and an enemy of You.  Thank You Jesus!  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You and others as You love me.  Help me be a light to others.  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.

"It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law."

Luke 16

"It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law." v17

Thanks to help from my John McArthur commentary, it is more clear to me that the Old Testament is still intact even though we have a new covenant with Jesus Christ:

“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it." v16

The question for me is the extent to which the Old Testament applies.  For example, in Exodus 20 God gives Moses the Ten Commandments.  The two most important commandments are indicated in Matthew 22 as:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  Matthew 22:37-40

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed a God full of an immeasurable amount of patience.  I am not worthy of such patience - I am certainly not patient with others.  Nor do I serve my earthly masters with humility.  Thank You Jesus that You love me anyway, but please forgive me!  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me be the man You intend for me...help me love You (and others) with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Luke 18

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” v29

In v18-30 (also in Matthew 19 and Mark 10), Jesus engages in a conversation with a wealthy man (ruler) seeking to enter the Kingdom of God.  The wealthy man is looking for what he needs to do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus engages with the man who believes he is in good shape early in the conversation when he tells Jesus that he is already following the commandments indicated in v20.  Yet he stumbles when Jesus confronts Him with a challenge (sell everything that He has) that implies He is not following the most important commandments as Jesus describes in Matthew 22:34-40.  You see, the man loves his money and possessions more than God and this is the problem.

We need to love God - first and foremost - above everyone and every thing.

See also this great post from DesiringGod.com.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has paid the ultimate price for me - You suffered a gruesome death...for me.  I can't even fully grasp this yet I know this is true.  Thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such love and grace.  I gossip, and I worry, among my many, many sins...please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin.  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.

This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

1 John 2

This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. v5-6

Challenging words indeed from John - John wants us to live in the light and for us to live in the light and in Him (Jesus), we must live as Jesus did.  A very high standard indeed.  A great place to start is with Jesus' two most important commandments:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed a great God and You lived a sinless perfect life then willingly laid down Your life for me so that I would be freed from the sting of sin and death and so that I would have eternal life in Heaven with You.  How awesome are You!  Thank You Jesus for doing all that You have done and for doing all that You do.  I know my worship is but filthy rags I offer it with the hope that You will accept my life as a living sacrifice.  Please.  Forgive me for not being all that You desire for me.  I am selfish and I desire my comfort far too often.  Please forgive me and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  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, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

 2 Samuel 6, 1 Chronicles 15-16, Psalm 105, and Psalm 96

And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 15:15

Day 96 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 David as he completes his efforts to bring the ark of God back to Jerusalem, including the resulting celebration and praise of God.

This time, David is careful about following God's instructions about how the ark is to be carried - unlike 1 Chronicles 13 where it details how the ark was carried on a cart and steadied by Uzzah who accidentally touches the ark while preventing it from falling off the cart.  He is struck dead by God - see 1 Chronicles 13:9-10.

We ought to be careful about how we approach God - I am reminded of one of God's commandments that we are not to take the Lord's name in vain (the 3rd commandment - see Exodus 20). John Piper has this excellent post about how we are likely to take the Lord's name in vain when our hearts, minds and actions "empty God of his weight and his glory".  Piper encourages us to focus not on the negative perspective of this command but instead the first commandment where we are to "revere God, love God, delight in God, know God, [and] fill up God with all that he is. And then out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak".

See also my post yesterday on how our lives evidence fruit and how Jesus tells us what the most important commandments are.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has transformed my heart and life - I am grateful for how You are able to produce fruit in my life - thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not deserving - I am still harsh with others.  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.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

1 John 2

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.  But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. v9-11

Hate is a powerful word and it implies hardness of heart, which impedes our ability to love - both God and others.  We certainly should not hate anyone nor should we hate other believers as the scripture today indicates. John refers to a "new command" not just in v8 here but also in John 13:34-35 (as told by Jesus):

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

These are the two most important commandments - to love God and to love others.

The Holy Spirit has helped rid me (mostly) of use of the word "hate" - as He has "luck".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You love me and I know You desire for me to love others.  Thank You Jesus for loving me - knowing everything about me.  I am not deserving of such love.  I worry and I have other sin - falling short often of not loving others.  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.

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?

Zechariah 7:4-7

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? Zechariah 7:4-6

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zechariah 7:4-7, which the commentary outlines as the second of five divisions for the text 7:1-8:23 (7:1-3/8:18-23, 7:4-7, 7:8-10, 7:11-14, 8:1-17).  The commentary offers an application largely consistent (including reference to 1 Samuel 15:22) with my post yesterday, as the title for this division in the commentary is Transformed from Serving Ourselves to Serving Him.  Key excerpts from the commentary:

• "When God’s people observe a fast or any other religious tradition to please ourselves or to win the admiration and approval of others, God is not pleased and the activity is wasted."
• We are urged to avoid traditions just for the sake of our own comfort and desires as it becomes "...a meaningless tradition or, worse yet, a type of idolatry."
• Many churches are likely guilty of this traditionalism.  "But traditionalism is when we take the form of what has been done before and we just go through the motions without considering the meaning. Experiencing God’s living presence requires deep transformation and we begin to say, “Lord, I want to serve You and not myself. I don’t want to just go through the motions."

We are encouraged to remember Jesus' words where he shares the most important commandments to love God and love others - see also Matthew 22:37-40.  When we seek to love God first, we will pursue a worship that is pleasing to Him and wholly appropriate for the One who is before, in all things, and holding all things together. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - loving me before I loved You and while I was still an enemy and hostile to You.  And You also saved me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  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.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 12-13

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:8-10

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I continued with chapter sixteen Living in View of That Day, which covers Romans 12:17-13:14.  My focus today is v13:8-10, which my commentary refers to under the heading "Love Your Neighbor." Perhaps underpinning my post yesterday, which discusses how to submit to earthly authorities, as they placed in our lives by God, today we see the primacy of love above all commands.  This is consistent with Jesus' words in Matthew 22:34-40 where the Jewish leaders sought to test/trap Jesus by asking him what the most important commandment is; Jesus responds with how we are to first love God, then to love others as "[o]n these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

 

My commentary refers to v13:10 where it says that "love is the fulfilling of the law" by describing the law as "train tracks" whereas the Holy Spirit is the engine: "[w]ithout Christ the law is powerless; without the law, love is directionless.  Because of Christ, the Holy Spirit has been poured into believers' hearts, enabling us to love; and Spirit-empowered love involves keeping God's commands."  We are encouraged to see how loving is a permanent obligation. My commentary points out that both Jesus' and Paul's words (v13:9) on loving others refers back to Leviticus 19:18. We are further encouraged to see how love involves looking for ways to "bless others" - to listen, care, give, etc. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of love for me.  It is my proper response to worship You and love others as You love me.  I am so grateful that You love and You first loved me as a sinner - thank You Jesus for such grace and mercy.  I am not deserving of such grace and mercy.  I continue to sin and often fail to love others as You love me.  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.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.

1 John 2

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. v9

Hate implies anger and other emotions that harden our heart.  Any hardening of our hearts prevents us from loving God and loving others - the two most important commandments in the Bible.

As I posted Saturday, we are to live as Jesus did so that others can see Jesus in us and we can draw others to Him.  Bottom line, we exist to glorify Him and for His purpose.

They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. Isaiah 60:21

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are love - everything You are and all that You do is out of love...perfect love, perfect justice...yet You chose me, knowing everything about me, then suffered and died for me so that I can find freedom from the sting of sin and death and eternity in Heaven with You.  What a great God You are!  I am not worth such love....I am lazy, selfish, and I worry.  Please forgive me and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  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, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Luke 14

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. v11

Humility is critical for believers - the two most important commandments (see Matthew 22:34-40) focus on love of God first then love of others.  God wants us to love others, to snatch others from the fire, and to ensure that as many of His children are saved as possible.  Jesus words on this subject are further clarified in v12-14 where He explains how we should be focusing on glorifying God and eternal rewards vs gain in this life.

Lord Jesus please help me be humble.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who I know has saved a place for me in Heaven - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such a gift but nonetheless grateful!  I daily miss the mark and often neglect my relationship with You by focusing on my own comfort.  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 fro me today and every day.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10-11:1

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1.  Here, Paul builds on his warnings against idolatry (1Corinthians 10:1-22) by stepping back and looking big picture at Christian freedom - theology that is unpacked here in detail at DesiringGod.com. In v23, Paul states clearly that our freedom from the law does not mean that we are free to do things that do not forward God's call for our lives both corporately and individually - we are to focus on those things that help the mission and build others up.  In v24, this is amplified with Paul's words that we not focus on selves but on others - demonstrating Christ's model to love God, then love others (most important commandments (Matthew 22:34-40).  In vv25-26, Paul elaborates on Christian freedom for believers by using Psalm 24:1 as scriptural support to describe how they are not shackled to Old Testament ceremonial law.   In vv27-30, Paul uses the example of being a dinner guest of an unbeliever who serves food offered as sacrifice (as part of an idol worship ritual) to hit home Christian freedom - our liberty should be directed towards God's mission for us.  This means we must be flexible as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.  This is made plain in vv31-33.  V11:1 hammers it home - be imitators of Christ.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me freedom from the law - so that I can be slave to Christ.  And this is a blessing and not a burden!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  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 healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons.

 Mark 1:29-34

 [H]e healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Mark 1:32

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 1:29-34, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary.  Excerpts from the introduction and first division for this text per the commentary - vv29-34:

• "With a sense of mission and urgency, Jesus is here and there, ministering to this one and then another. He truly is the Servant of the Lord, healing the physically sick and setting free spiritual prisoners held captive by the prince of darkness and his demonic hoards!" 
• The healings described in the text prompts a question in the commentary: "Is there healing in the atonement? Isaiah 53:5 says, “We are healed by His wounds.” Matthew 8:17, in the parallel account of these events, even adds a quote from Isaiah 53:4: “Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.” The answer, then, is a resounding “Yes!” There is healing in the atonement! For some it is immediate but temporary, since all still die."
• "But for all who trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, it is eternal and permanent. This is plain in Revelation 21:4-5[.]       

The introduction to the commentary explores how personal relationships often form based on the premise of "what can you do for me?" Yet on this question, the commentary refers us to Mark 10:45 where the text shares that Jesus seeks not to be served but to serve.  Also, Jesus provides us with commands that position Him and others above ourselves: 

• Love God, and love others - the two most important commandments (Matthew 22:34:40). 
• Love one another as He loves us (John 13:34).
• Love your enemies and those who persecute you (Matthew 5:38-48).
• Bear with one another in love - forgiving as Jesus forgives (Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:2)   

To follow Jesus is NOT about getting something from Him, it's a natural response to how good He is to us as He loved us and died for us while we were still enemies of Him and slaves to our sin.  He continues to pour out His love and grace for us on a daily basis.  See also this post from DesiringGod.com - humility is key as must allow Jesus to be seen through us - we must decrease and He must increase.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves and who sent Your Son to serve and die on the cross so that I can have life to the full now and for eternity.  Thank You!  I am not deserving of such blessings!  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.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14/So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 6:32-34

Luke 9

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14/So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 6:32-34

This time, the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand in all of the Synoptic Gospels (see Matthew 14 and Mark 6) plus in the Book of John (John 6).  Of note today is how two of the accounts in Matthew and Mark make note of how Jesus felt "compassion" for those following Him.  Even though He was likely tired and/or perhaps feeling like He would rather focus on Himself (I know I feel like this on long or rough days) versus on others.

Jesus never said no to an opportunity to serve.

We have to remember that Jesus tells us to love God and others - these are the most important commandments.  It's implied that we are to love ourselves less (self-esteem is a separate issue/question) - see post from DesiringGod.com here.

In fact the Bible tells us to deny oneself.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus what a great God You are - You are always available whenever I call and You never refuse to hear and answer my cries.  It may not always be the answer I seek but You are always there - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such a God...I daily miss the mark.  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.