But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. v3

As I posted yesterday, Satan is real and at work in us and around us and we need God's protection.  If we go to God in prayer, through study and application in His Word, etc. then we should take great comfort that He promises to protect us.

Solomon also tells us in Proverbs 2:

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding —
indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones. 

  hen you will understand what is right and just

    and fair—every good path.

  For wisdom will enter your heart,

    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

  Discretion will protect you,

    and understanding will guard you. 

  Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse, 

 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,

    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,

  Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

My Prayer: Lord You are a great God, one who came to save and protect...and You chose me, knowing everything about me, including my sin and brokenness and disobedience.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am quick to anger, slow to listen, etc. among my many sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me take great comfort in Your protection through prayer, study of Your word, etc. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength and comfort.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.

Psalm 122, 124, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 138 

You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. Psalm 138:7

Day 122 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 my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue today with the group: "Psalms of Joy and Praise".

Today's psalms focus on praise for Jerusalem, and the house of the Lord, for escape from enemies, for the joy of brothers living harmoniously, a call for temple servants to praise God, for the many things for which temple servants can give praise, a special poem of thanksgiving for all things, and praise for a faithful God.  A few days ago I posted on praise, and how it is a critical aspect of our relationship with God.  This morning my focus is on how we must recognize the daily battle we face against Satan and sin, and how God is our only weapon against this battle.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

We must no doubt praise God for how he has protected us, continues to protect us, but most importantly we must put on the "armor of God" daily so that He can protect us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, who has protected me and continues to protect me.  You also arm me with Your armor, the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet and salvation, sword of the Spirit, and word of God - I am not deserving of how You love and protect me.  I sin...daily.  I am grateful for Your love, compassion, mercy, and protection but I need it daily!  Please forgive me for me sin 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 arm myself with what You provide to protect myself in this daily battle with sin and satan.  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.

Seek God and He Will Protect You

Today's Reading
Genesis chps 16-19

My last post was about Abram developing a real relationship with God, one where Abram doubts, questions, and even challenges the Lord. This of course is what God wants - he wants us just where we are and he will meet us. Before that of course, we must KNOW him, TALK to him and LISTEN to him. I strive to have the daily child-like relationship with God that I truly desire, yet there is much more room for growth here.

The world is full of sin, then - just look at what is happening already in Genesis - and now. Then God wiped out all of humanity except Noah's family and then he destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. Today those who fall prey to sin are doomed - I certainly don't want that and I don't want that for my family. With so much wickedness in the world, I must protect myself and also seek God.

^"When he [Lot] hesitated, the men [Angels of the Lord] grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" (Gen 19:16-17)

My Prayer: Lord I pray that I can develop a daily child like relationship where I seek you out and just desire to be with you...to talk to you, to listen to you, to question you. Help me keep running to you and away from sin. Protect me Lord. I know that if I seek you out you will protect me!

Be Aware of "Sin Slipping In Among You"

Today's Reading
Numbers Chp 31

Here I see God's admonishment to avoid others who are sinful. God commands Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites (see also here).

¹⁵ "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. ¹⁶ "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. ¹⁷ Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, ¹⁸ but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

¹⁹ "All of you who have killed anyone or touched anyone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. ²⁰ Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood." (Numbers 31:15-20)

God knows that we as humans are prone to sin and he seeks to protect us and to keep us pure.

This is consistent with Christ in the New Testament as found in Jude:

³Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. ⁴For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 1:3-4)

The key is, I believe to reach out to sinners to save them but be wary of sin so we can protect ourselves.

I was thinking of saying "love the sinner but hate the sin"....but then I read this. Now I am inclined to just say, "love the sinner, but beware of Satan trying to entice you to sin". This may mean depending on your circumstances, to avoid certain situations. Or, depending on your gifts, abilities, and trust in God, it may mean understand what you are dealing with (sin) but confront sin and speak and act in Truth.

My Prayer: Lord, your wisdom knows no bounds. When I am dealing with difficult situations and seek guidance and protection...I know I can come to you and you will guide and protect me. Thank you for how you have protected me and helped me make wise decisions. Forgive me for not always making wise decisions and for not following your guidance. Help me trust more in you and follow you. I know you will protect me.

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Proverbs 5

¹⁸ May your fountain be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
¹⁹ A loving doe, a graceful deer —
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
²⁰ Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

I have never physically been unfaithful to Lisa and I never expect to be...yet from time to time I do become intoxicated with other women either because of their beauty or qualities they have - and this is clearly sin!  I do believe also that God is growing in my heart and yesterday's reading demonstrates that drawing near to God is the only way to protect yourself.  Fix your eyes on Jesus to protect your heart and all else will flow from there, including other tactics you can use to protect yourself from sin.

My Prayer: Lord, You are SO patient with me....that my growth in You is sometimes non existent (either because I choose not to come to You or because I am not obedient in other ways) or very slow to grow.  I have become intoxicated with other women - including yesterday!  I thank You that You love me anyway and for Your patience with me.  Please forgive me and also help me grow in Christ.

Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path.

Psalm 120, 121, 140, 143 and 144

Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Psalm 140:4-5

Day 113 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 my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue with "Psalms of the Troubled Soul".

Today's psalms focus on prayers for deliverance from lying Gentiles who press war, praise for the Lord who watches over his people, prayers for protection from violent persons, prayer for preservation of life and protection against trouble, and for God's power.

As motivation to draw near to God, so we can draw upon the strength of God's promises and protect ourselves with a heart of gratitude, we should recognize that there is a battle raging for our soul over sin.  Satan is all around us and on the prowl.  David gets it right - we all need a savior.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9

 

 My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who protects me - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of Your love and protection.  I continue to sin...primarily in the workplace but everywhere in my life.  Please forgive me Lord.  Help me 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.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Psalms 3

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.  I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. v5-6

We need protection daily - physical, spiritual, emotional, etc.  We often do much (I know I do) to take steps to protect ourselves, even going to the point of NOT doing something to avoid harm (fear of failure, etc.).  Yet God is the one should be taking all steps to protect us, and as David writes hear in this Psalm as he runs from Absalom, He is always there to protect us.  This should give us freedom to serve Him without fear of failure or harm.  See also Romans 8:1-2 (recommend reading full chapter for context):

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.  Romans 8:1-2

My Prayer:  Lord You are a great God full of love and compassion for me...and patience...I am not worth such blessings Jesus.  I fail to serve You in the capacity that You ask of me.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me the courage that only You can provide.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength. Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects of chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin and help me serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion...

Misplaced Passions
Proverbs 3

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion...v21

As I posted a couple of days ago, sin is real, on the "prowl" and it wants to and can "devour" us.  God is where I should place my full trust and faith as my protector.  I have my God, His Word, the Holy Spirit, and the church, including my brothers and sisters in Christ, to protect me and my family.  Help me be the Spiritual Leader of my household to protect my family from sin.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and ONLY You have and can protect myself and my family from sin...yet I often place my faith in my own abilities or I get lazy and fall down in my duties as Spiritual Leader of the household.  Forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer and the remaining side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.

Genesis 4

But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. v7

Sin is indeed crouching at our doors.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

 

 We can protect ourselves by reading, studying and memorizing scripture.

See Proverbs 2, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 and other verses.  We can also protect ourselves by avoiding those who do not believe and consistently demonstrate willful sinful behavior - we must instead surround ourselves with other believers who can encourage us and be in prayer for us.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13

 

 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16

My Prayer: Heavenly Father - You are an awesome God who is able to beat sin and death.  You give me this same power and I am grateful Jesus!  Thank You.  However, I often lack complete trust in You and am taken away by sin.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me protect myself through faith and trust in You.  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, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 11

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever. v15

In the midst of the end of times, God provides comfort for those who have called God their God and who have obeyed and followed His ways...I am prayerful that I and my family are part of this group.

God protects!

...for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.  Proverbs 2:8

Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:3-4

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

 

Of course there are MANY more scripture references for how God protects me and all of His children but I take great comfort in how God HAS, DOES, and ALWAYS WILL protect me.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love, compassion, patience, etc. for me...You protect me from great harm and You have done so many times and I know You will always.  I don't know what is in store for me but I know it will be for Your glory and my good...as You are just.  I am not deserving of such love and blessing Jesus because I worry...about my job.  I care about my status and this is sinful!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me be worthy of Your protection...now and during the end of times should You return before I die.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies.

Nahum 1

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. v2

In a prophecy regarding Ninevah, a city spared by God's great mercy following Jonah's warnings to repent, God is described as a jealous God.  God is jealous because He loves us, and He wants and deserves our full attention.  Yet we often serve other Gods because our hearts become distracted and we wander of course. 

We must grow our desire of God such that we don't wander.  God promises to protect us.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

Throughout scripture we are warned to be alert, to watch out and to be awake.  If we desire God and are faithful to Him He will protect us.

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Proverbs 2:9-11

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know You are a jealous God - but that is a good thing...it is because You love me and You don't want anything bad to happen to me.  You deserve my full attention.  You are faithful to me and You bless me beyond what I deserve - thank You Jesus but I am not deserving of such love.  I am too easily distracted.  Please forgive me for my sin and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength 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, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3

³ But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

 Yesterday, my entry was on how evil and Satan are not only both real but a real threat.  Today, I am encouraged by Paul in that the Lord Jesus Christ, and ONLY through the Lord Jesus Christ am I to receive protection from evil and the evil one.

My Prayer: I know that You Lord are faithful in that You have delivered me trials many times in my life and You have protected me as well.  It is ONLY through You that I have been delivered and protected and for this of course I am thankful.  Yet I need to place more faith in You because I know there are either times when my faith lacks or there are parts of my life when I don't fully turn my life over to You.  Please, please forgive me Lord.  Help me fully turn my life over to You and have this faith that will ALWAYS "strengthen and protect[me] from the evil one.

Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes.

Proverbs 27

Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes. v20

Peter also warns us that Satan is always there, on the prowl, looking for us to fall for temptation and for us to sin and be separated from God.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

We must equip ourselves with scripture and surround ourselves with the "armor" that only God can provide.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and I know that protect me from sin - You have protected me and I desperately need You to continue to protect me.  I am surrounded by sin and temptation.  Only You can protect me.  Thank You Jesus for how You have protected me.  Forgive me for those times when I have fallen prey to Satan and His forces.  I love You and I need You.  Help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind. Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.


 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Satan is as deadly as Cancer
Ephesians 6

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. v12

There is certainly no doubt that evil is real, on the "prowl", powerful, and very deceptive - we must protect ourselves.  The devotion today devotes little focus on how.  Yet the verses before and after verse 12 speak directly to how we can protect ourselves and Romans 12 and other verses get more specific in this regard.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11

...

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:13-18

...
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

 ...

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We MUST be in the word, stay rooted to Him, etc. - see also Deuteronomy 6, John 15.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You alone are my protector, in all things and all circumstances.  Thank You for You protect me daily...I know You are slow to anger and abounding in love...Thank You!  I am not worth such protection and love yet You are full of mercy anyway.  I often fail to be the man You intend for me - I should be sharing the Good News about You all the time yet I don't - please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me be more bold.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You!  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do....“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Galatians 1-2 and Romans 10:14-17

Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do....“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Galatians 2:10 and Romans 10:15

This morning, I continued with John Piper's book Holy Ambition.  My focus today is on chapter nine Gospel to the Nations, Generosity to the Poor, pages 134-144.  Here, Piper largely leans on Galatians 1-2 and Romans 10:14-17 to illustrate how God calls us to reach the unreached and the poor which for most of the world is the same according to Piper.  Piper starts by looking at Galatians 1 where Paul urges the Galatians not to abandon their faith by following false teaching. We must believe in grace alone, and faith in Christ alone - nothing else. Piper describes how Paul met with the apostles in Jerusalem and demonstrated his faith by "not yield[ing] in submission even for a moment" (Galatians 2:5) to false teaching, and how this led the apostles to agree on how Peter would continue to preach to the Jews and Paul would preach to the (unreached) Gentiles.  Regardless of two approaches - there was unity in the overall mission (Galatians 2:9) - to seek and save the lost.  Piper writes how Galatians 2:6-9 describe what how the founding apostles and Paul protect against one of the churches earliest threats.  Piper then wants us to see how all of the apostles and Paul sought also to unify around a key aspect of missions to reach the unreached and the poor - which, again, Piper sees as often one and the same. He describes the 10/40 window, and how this area is home to some of the largest unreached people groups in the world.  We encouraged to see how God is calling us to serve this vast group of the unreached poor.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have blessed me beyond what I deserve and helped through great difficulties...You have never left or forsaken me and I continue to see Your hand in my life and in all things.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me and protect me.  My sin continues...harsh words for others, worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

Jude 1

Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. v10

This is of course a warning for all believers and it is just as relevant today as it was when Jude penned this letter.  The patterns of this world (Romans 12:2) lead to sin and destruction and we to easily fall into these patterns when we don't understand the character of God and his design and plans for us.  We need to draw close to God so that He can protect us! 

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

See also scripture in Jeremiah, etc. here . 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great and only You can protect me from the sin of this world and how this WILL destroy me if I am left on my own.  I have felt the power of Your hand in my life and want it daily, every day...please help me Jesus!  Thank You for Your many blessings Jesus but please forgive me for my harshness with my family!  Help me please!  Please help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

 Mark 1:12-13

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. Mark 1:12-13

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  This morning, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 1:12-13 - the second division of Mark 1:9-13 per my commentary. The commentary shares how this text describes Satan's temptation of Christ (see also Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13) was a "declaration of war."  Excerpts from the commentary:

•  "Jesus’ temptation was no accidental encounter, no chance meeting. It was a divine appointment scheduled by the Father and implemented by the Spirit."
• "Thankfully, Jesus yields to the Spirit and embraces this test. The Servant King has a job to do, and the Spirit immediately compels Him. Rather than shrinking back, as Israel was so prone to do, our King, our Commander in Chief, the true Israel goes out to fight in the trenches with us and for us. In so doing He turns back the enemy and provides hope and a pattern for us to do the same."
• "This was the deep wilderness. This was no vacation spot. The conditions were grueling, and Jesus was undoubtedly tired and weak. To grumble, complain, or give in would have been easy."
• Jesus' response in the wilderness contrasts with that of Israel who constantly grumbled and complained.  This wilderness is also similar to that of Moses' 40 days on Mt Sinai and Elijah's 40 days on Mt Horeb - see Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8. 
• Believers should be encouraged as Christ knows the battles we are fighting and we can take comfort in knowing that Satan does not win this battle nor the war which ends in Revelation.   

Just as the angels were ministering to Jesus in the wilderness, so too does Jesus aid us in our time of temptation and need - when we may feel tempted to grumble, complain (about God no less!), and lose faith.  See Ephesians 6:10-18 for how we are provided with the whole armor of God.  Know and love God by reading and studying scripture - all of it - and experience how the whole armor of God protects us against Satan's schemes.  

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that provides us with the whole armor of God to protect us from Satan's schemes.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and how You protect.  My sin is still 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. 

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14

Today, I continue a pause of my study of Zechariah as I prepare for leading worship at The Gardens and The Lodge this upcoming Sunday as part of a ministry outreach of my church Bay Leaf Baptist. Since the start of the new year, worship for this ministry is based on Tony Evans' booklet The Grace of God, and for this Sunday's worship specifically, we are using chapter 4 Set Free by Grace.  In reflecting on chapter 4 of the book here are additional thoughts on the logical flow of how grace works - building on my post yesterday:

1. God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah who became the spotless lamb and perfect sacrifice for all of the sins of all humanity throughout redemptive history.  The sacrificial system introduced in the Old Testament was a foretaste of things to come and Jesus fulfilled prophecy to both end a focus on external behaviors and ceremonial rituals as a path to God, and He became the amazing saving grace of God and the path to Him. There is not a single thing we can do to earn this saving grace - it is a gift and it is free.  Grace saves.
2. The appearing of God and His grace (Titus 2:11-14) not only saves but it trains and equips us for the works God has planned and predestined for us - see also Ephesians 2:10.  This training and equipping helps protect us from evil schemes designed to prevent us from falling prey to sin and from performing these good works - He gives us the full armor of God - see also Ephesians 6:10-20. We are also given hope and confidence to stand firm in our faith as we wait for Jesus' second coming.  We ultimately become zealous for His good works.
3. This equipping and training helps us remain laser focused on Him as we don't know when He will return and we must also stay focused on the mission He places before us.  
4. We gain greater assurance and confidence that we can persist in a fallen and broken world because of this equipping, because of the Holy Spirit who is always with us, and because we know that we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and with this power we can do all things through Him.  He will protect us and see us through the challenges we will encounter.
5. We are liberated by a Christian freedom that helps us see the abundance of His blessings and in fulfilling His purpose - obedience to Him is no longer a burden.
6. We must always remember that the grace that works in all of this never runs out!

Be set free by the grace of God!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who dispenses an inexhaustible supply of grace that sets me free - and free indeed!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this amazing grace and freedom.  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 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.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 The Wannabe God
1 Peter 5

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. v8

I have previously posted on the need to stay alert and of sober mind as encouraged by Peter.  No doubt, Satan is real and we need protection.  Protection is afforded through God alone - and God arms us with His Word, the Holy Spirit, the church, etc.  

The Bible provides many vivid examples of how God protects us, including how God protected Jesus from Satan in the wilderness, how God protected Daniel from the lion's den, etc.

God is real, able to defeat sin and death, and He always protects us - see also references to other posts here.

Thank You God for how You protect us!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God - full of love, compassion, mercy, etc.  You protect me even though I am not deserving of such mercy - I have sinned in my life and I know that wages of sin are death.  But You have rescued me and You continue to rescue me - thank You Jesus!  Worry is still active in my life so please forgive me Jesus.  I know You tell me not to worry.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer and the side effects of chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Revelation 7

Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” v16-17

During the end of times, we have the assurance that God will be with us and that He will protect us...these verses are greatly comforting as they provide greater detail and clarity around how He will be with us, and how He will provide for us and protect us - God is great!

I should be thankful for my circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18) because I know that regardless of what is happening, "...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). I also know that God WILL be with me...and that I will be with Him even to the end of the ages...and during those end times it will be great to be with God.

My Prayer: Lord, You are my provider, my refuge, my protector, my hope, my encouragement, my teacher, etc.  I am NOTHING without You!  You are so patient, compassionate, and merciful to me...I am not worth such love and care...I am lazy.  Please forgive me and help me turn from my sin...my laziness.  Help me "make every effort".  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.