Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:13-17

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:15

This morning and over the next week, I pause my study of Ecclesiastes to study James 4:13-4:17 in preparation for my Sunday school class where I am leading our discussion on this text.  Before I jump specifically into this text, I think it is important and relevant to set some context for the book of James.  For this aspect, I lean on the John MacArthur Bible Commentary.  The commentary provides this useful context:

• "The recipients of this book were Jewish believers who had been dispersed (1: 1), possibly as a result of Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7, c. A.D. 31– 34), but more likely due to the persecution under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12, c. A.D. 44)."
• "The author refers to his audience as “brethren” fifteen times (1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19), which was a common epithet among the first-century Jews. Not surprisingly then, James is Jewish in its content."
• "James, with its devotion to direct, pungent statements on wise living, is reminiscent of the Book of Proverbs. It has a practical emphasis, not emphasizing theoretical knowledge, but godly behavior. James wrote with a passionate desire for his readers to be uncompromisingly obedient to the Word of God."

The commentary outlines James as follows, sharing first:"[d]ue to its complexity, there are a number of ways to outline the book in order to grasp the arrangement of its content. One way is to order it around a series of tests by which the genuineness of a person’s faith may be measured."

1. The Test of Perseverance in Suffering (1:2–12) 
2. The Test of Blame in Temptation (1:13–18)
3. The Test of Response to the Word (1:19–27)
4. The Test of Impartial Love (2:1–13)
5. The Test of Righteous Works (2:14–26)
6. The Test of the Tongue (3:1–12)
7. The Test of Humble Wisdom (3:13–18)
8. The Test of Worldly Indulgence (4:1–12)
9. The Test of Dependence (4:13–17)
10. The Test of Patient Endurance (5:1–11)
11. The Test of Truthfulness (5:12) 
12. The Test of Prayerfulness (5:13–18)
13. The Test of True Faith (5:19, 20)

The Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book, outlines James as follows: 

1. Faith Perseveres (1:1-18)
2. Faith Obeys (1:19-25)
3. Faith Loves (1:26-2:13)
4. Faith Acts (2:14-19)
5. Faith Sacrifices (2:20-24)
6. Faith Risks (2:25-26)
7. Faith Speaks (3:1-12)
8. Faith Submits (3:13-4:12)
9. Faith Lasts (4:13-5:20)

Despite the differences in how the commentaries outline James, both generally see James as a book where the author looks closely at how faith is measured, particularly with respect to the relationship between faith and works.  Both also see James as a book offering practical guidance for living as God intends - challenging us to be bold in our faith in how it shows up for others to see. The Christ-Centered Exposition commentary shares this: "[f]aith moves Christians to take steps of radical obedience to make the gospel known all around the world."

Now....onto an unassisted review of James 4:13-17.  Vv13-14 should be viewed as an admonishment for those who fail to both see and heed God in their future plans.  James shares that we do not know for sure what each day will bring - the implication here is while we do not know what tomorrow will bring but God does as He is in control.  He certainly has a plan for our lives and it is our role to understand what this is.  Romans 12:2 is instructive here.  We should be thanking God for each day He gives us and seeking transformation and renewal of our minds to more like God - to think like God so that He can guide our thoughts and steps - we become slaves to God (2 Corinthians 10:5) as His Word is a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105).  Similar to Ecclesiastes where Solomon shares how life is meaningless and futile without God, v14 also shares our lives are a mist that comes and goes.  We should view our lives as a part of something bigger - as part of God's plan. V15 turns to a positive statement (vs don't do) where James urges us to seek God's will vs our own. V16-17 then turns back to negative where James admonishes those who do not seek God's will but arrogantly and sinfully follow their own desires.  Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (lean into God and study of His Word) and you are better able to know God's will for your life.  

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My Prayer: Jesus, You are indeed King of Kings and sovereign over all including all the details of my life.  Thank You for the breath of life today and of course my salvation.  I am not deserving of such blessings as my sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin.  Help me lean into You and be transformed by the renewing of my mind so that I can better know Your will for my life.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and energy.  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 appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 

 

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I started chapter sixteen Living in View of God's Mercy, which covers Romans 12:1-16.  My focus today is Romans 12:1-2, which my commentary refers to under the heading Offer Yourself to God. On the heels of Paul's closing marks in Romans 11, where Paul marvels at the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, as well as His judgements and ways, Paul then pushes us to - therefore (v12:1) - be a living sacrifice - to serve and love God out of an outpouring of gratitude for what He has done for us and continues to do for us as He provide for all of our needs - physical, emotional, and spiritual.   We are also cautioned to avoid conformity to the world, but instead to seek Him and how nearness to God can help us avoid this by directing our thoughts and desires to be more in line with Him. 

My commentary describes how Romans 12 moves from the "indicatives (the grammar of certainty and actuality)" of the gospel to the "imperatives (the grammar of commands)." We are to "rejoice in the glorious indicatives of the gospel!  The facts of the gospel have caused us to soar in worship throughout Romans, and now they give the proper basis for practical obedience.  God's grace should not make us lazy or passive but passionate and devoted to God, and this passion is 'rooted in faith and energized by the power of the Holy Spirit.' We are to see how Romans 12:1 echoes words expressed by Paul in Romans 6:13 and 6:19. The commentary describes how Paul highlights 'living sacrifice' as a form of dedication - the use of the word "sacrifice" along with "temple," and "priesthood," is used "without the actual physical apparatus associated with them...sacrifice is metaphorically applied to Christian service."  We are encouraged not only to offer our bodies to God (v12:1), but also our mind (v12:2).  We must avoid how worldly influences lead to a "polluted mind...[and] life." If we are able to orient our bodies and minds to God through scripture, worship, prayer, service, etc. then "we will be able to recognize and appreciate what honors God, and we can then set ourselves to obey his will."

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father - what an awesome God You are that You offer the Holy Spirit to advocate for me and to assist me...with all things.  Thank You Jesus for the Holy Spirit and for how You never leave or forsake me and how You have molded me...it has not always been easy but that is not what You promise.  I am blessed by all that You have done and what You continue to do.  Yet I am not deserving.  My sin of worry, etc. continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve, You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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....To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some....Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Matthew 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23, John 18-19

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....To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some....Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 9:22, 10:32-33

Day 319 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 focusing on Jesus' trial before Pilate. My commentary* indicates "...the Sanhedrin has no power to execute condemned prisoners without approval of the Roman government. Yet clearly such a pagan government will not regard a charge of blasphemy with the same degree of seriousness as do the Jews. Therefore more appropriate charges will have to be laid before the governor. Being politically astute, the Jewish leaders will accuse Jesus of sedition in allegedly urging refusal to pay taxes and in claiming to be the King of the Jews." Although both Pilate and Herod Antipas, who also hears the case, find no charge deserving of execution, Pilate bows to the pressure from the Jewish leaders to crucify Jesus.

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

This morning's scripture reading highlights the weight of the decision felt by Pilate regarding the charges made by the Jewish leaders and the remedy they sought for Jesus' "offenses".  Pilate of course caves to the pressure. While we know this is the plan - that God sent Jesus to die on the cross - we can also use the passage to examine the pressure we feel in our own lives...often this pressure is to do what the world sees as better or more popular - we call this peer pressure sometimes and it is often associated with teenagers, yet as we get older we are no less immune to this pressure.  On the subject of peer pressure, some digging this morning revealed a thoughtful post by John Piper that explores the balance of the "indigenous principle and the pilgrim principle" (Andrew Walls, The Missionary Movement In Christian History). Scripture tell us to "not conform" (Romans 12:2), while at the same time we are to be "all things to all people" (1 Corinthians 9:22) and to "please everyone" (1 Corinthians 10:32-33) so that we may save some.  

This is a difficult balance for sure, but once again I go to one of my "go to" verses Romans 12:2 where it says "be transformed by the renewing of the mind...".  Piper goes here as well and encourages us to focus on our deepening relationship with Jesus and how we are to grow closer to Him to help us navigate this balance.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has transformed my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I know I am more like You and others have seen this as well. I know I continue to fall down and there is more work to but I am grateful that You have given me faith and a desire for You.  I am not worthy for all that You do for me and that You went to the cross for me.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me for my harsh words and actions and impatience for others.  Help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You and help me love You and 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.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-12

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Mark 2:10-12

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 2:5, 10-12, which is the text for the third (of three) division of vv1-12 per the commentary.  Excerpts from the commentary for the third division (We Should Glorify Jesus for What He Does) vv5, 10-12:

• Quoting Mark commentary from Lane, the commentary shares: '[t]he paralytic experienced the fulfillment of God’s promise that the lame would share in the joy of the coming salvation.' See also Isaiah 35:6.
• "Often we think we know what our greatest need is, but really we are only focusing on our circumstances. In reality the problem you are facing today is not your spouse, children, or parents. It is not your job, boss, or coworkers. It is not your lack of resources, shortage of time, or insufficient income. Just like this young man, your greatest need is for the Messiah Himself."
• "Jesus saw everything clearly—far more clearly than we do. He used this teachable moment to make the point concerning our greatest need in this life or the life to come!"
• "The response of the man and the crowd is appropriate. Even the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who “had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem” (Luke 5:17), could not deny this man had been healed and his sins forgiven. Nor could they deny that it had all been done by this man named Jesus. They may not like it, but they could not deny it! Thus we see forgiveness of sins declared (2:5), questioned (2:6-9), validated (2:11), and recognized (2:12)."  

Core to this text is how in response to what Jesus did, "all [were] amazed and glorified God."  For believers, we all have a testimony regarding what God has done in our lives - He has certainly saved us, and He continues to do a work in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart - sanctification.  Our response should be to "offer our bodies as a living sacrifice...which is your worship." (Romans 12:1).  God created us to glorify Him in all that we do (see also 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17).   

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of amazing grace - every day that never ceases.  You continue to do a work in me and of course You saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worthy nor deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me 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 whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.

Mark 3:31-35

For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother. Mark 3:35

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 3:35, which is the text for the third division for 3:31-35. Excerpts from the commentary for the third division: 

• Pointing to Kent Hughes' commentary on Mark and referencing Christ's emphasis on being part of the family of God vs earthly bloodlines, the commentary shares 'this new family relationship is far superior, far stronger, far more satisfying, far more demanding, and far more dear than any human family relationship (ibid.). It is an eternal relationship that is marked by unshakeable grace, and those who receive such grace are marked by humble obedience.'
• The commentary then points us to Tim Keller's commentary where Keller compares v35 to the Prodigal Son: 'Jesus . . . is the true elder brother. He willingly brings us into the Father’s family at his expense. He died for us, he was plundered for us. We sit at the Father’s table dressed in Jesus’ clothes, with his ring on our finger. All through him. We must celebrate and live out the fact that we are members of a kingdom family, and it is all at the expense of our big brother, Jesus Christ. Do you live every day as if you are a member of God’s family, accepted and loved? Remember, a child in a family obeys not in order to be loved and accepted, but because he already is loved and accepted.'
• The commentary then points to scripture that highlights text on the topic of the "will of God:" Acts 13:22, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 6:6, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:18, 1 Peter 4:2, and 1 John 2:17.  

The commentary then offers the following observations about the family of God and His will:

1. "We became children of God by spiritual birth, not by physical birth (John 3:1-8). 
2. No one is born a Christian. You become a Christian and a member of God’s family only by adoption (Romans 8:12-16; Galatians 4:4-7). 
3. Becoming part of the family of God begins when we receive and believe in Jesus, which is a sovereign work of His will, not ours (John 1:12-13).
4.  Doing the will of God gives evidence that we are part of God’s family (Mark 3:35). 
5. Those incapable of knowing and understanding the will of God are objects of God’s saving grace and mercy in Christ. People spend eternity in hell as a result of their conscious and willful acts of rebellion and disobedience against the revelation of God they have received, and those who are incapable of understanding God’s will cannot rebel in this way (see Deuteronomy 1:39; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-12). (For more on this, see commentary on Mark 10:13-16 and Akin and Mohler, “Why We Believe.”) 
6. Revelation brings responsibility. The more you know of God’s revealed will, the greater is your accountability. Punishment is not all the same in hell, and rewards are not all the same in heaven. 
7. In spite of sophisticated and even well-intended arguments, there is no biblical warrant or evidence that people will have an opportunity after death to believe in Jesus or that eventually all persons (and perhaps even demons) will be saved. Just as eternal life is forever, so is eternal death. 
8. If it were true that all will eventually be saved, evangelism would be unnecessary, and missions would be a waste of time, lives, and money.
9. Because the Bible promises that people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation will be in heaven at the throne to worship the Lamb (Revelation 5; 7), we rejoice in knowing that the family of God will consist of the 16,600-plus people groups scattered around the world, 7,000-plus of which are still unreached. It is the will of God that they hear and believe and that we go and get them for His glory."  

Confess your sins, surrender your heart and life to Jesus as Your Savior, and be adopted into His family! 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who saved me - while still an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You God for saving me and for adopting me into Your family.  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. 

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. Like yesterday, today I sought views on Christian freedom from R.C. Sproul in this short video, and also from John Piper in this video.

In the video from RC Sproul, Mr. Sproul shares that we do have free will, we are not robots and therein lies the problem because we then are prone to our sinful nature which has been true since creation and The Fall in Genesis 3.  Although we are physically and biologically alive, we remain spiritually dead, enslaved to our sinful appetites and impulses.  

In the video from John Piper, the question at hand is whether we have free will to choose Christ.  Piper then defines free will on this question as having "ultimate self-determination," and this demands that you personally, not God, are the decisive cause to choose Christ.  Piper then shares that the answer to this is no because it is God's grace that is the decisive cause of salvation.  We are referred to Romans 8:6-7, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:25, Philippians 1:29, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Philippians 2:12.

Coming back to RC Sproul, I am reminded of Romans 12:2 and how once we are saved, God renews our minds though the sanctification process sharpened through submission to spiritual disciplines primarily daily study of God's Word, prayer, corporate worship, etc.  See also this article from RC Sproul.  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who softened my heart to see Your glory and You grew in my heart over time such that my desire and love for You deepened and I am eternally thankful for this.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor the sanctification process.  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.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied...Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Isaiah 1

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied...Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Matthew 5:6, Romans 12:2

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  On day 3 of my study, the key takeaway was based on an instruction from the study to look more closely at the use of "iniquity" and "sin" in Isaiah 2.  Iniquity is referenced twice (v4, 13) and sin three times (4, 18, 28).  My study guide indicates that iniquity is defined as "deviat[ing] or twist[ing] from the standard," while sin is defined as "fall[ing] short of the standard."  Believers should certainly be aware and avoid both, but understanding the standard is the pre-requisite in both cases.  If we are not aware of or don't understand the standard, we are more susceptible to both iniquity and sin. I am reminded of how God promises to satisfy us if we pursue hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and how God will renew our minds (Romans 12:2) if we seek to conform to His image (assuming we do that by first reading about and understanding His image via daily study of His Word).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who satisfies me and who renews my mind - making me more like Him.  You sanctify me - and I am better for it - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for how You sanctify and refine me.  Blessings beyond description!  I am not deserving.  My sin continues.  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.

... [F]or the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

... [F]or the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

I agree with this post on DesiringGod.com that states that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history. While Holy Week and Easter have passed, I do want to read to completion John Piper's 50-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Today I read reason #48: To Gain His Joy and Ours.  In today's devotion, Piper gets to it right away: "[t]he path that leads to joy is a hard road. It’s hard for us, and it was hard for Jesus. It cost him his life. It may cost us ours." We are then referred to Hebrews 12:2 where the author of the text shares that Jesus willingly endured the agony of His death on the cross because He was focused on the joy Heaven.  Piper continues by describing "the joy set before Him" as joy on many levels, including "reunion with His Father," "triumph over sin," "divine rights restored," and "being surrounded with praise by all the people for whom He died" - see also Psalm 16:11, Hebrews 1:3, 12:2, and Luke 15:7.  Piper than makes clear that this joy is not just for Him but for all of those who believe in Him - see also John 15:11.  Yet this joy for believers comes at a cost as Piper returns to how the devotion began - our path to joy will be hard.  Piper points us to John 16:33, Matthew 10:24-25, and Luke 21:16-17.  At the same time, the devotion does offer us great encouragement by referring us to how "our hope of joy empowers us to suffer with him."  See Matthew 5:11-12.  This hard path for Christ was the only way that we could have the Good News that Jesus Christ died for us, rose from the dead, ascended to Heaven, and for those who believe in Him they shall have eternal life - see John 3:16.  Piper ends the devotion by pointing us to Romans 8:18 and Psalm 30:5 where the text describes the "glory that is to be revealed to us," and the "joy [that] comes with the morning." Rejoice for the joy set before us!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God that willingly went to the cross so that I could have life with You via the Holy Spirit and for eternity with You in Heaven!  Thank You God - the greatest gift of all time.  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.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

2 Corinthians 8

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter seven - Love for People as the Overflow of Joy in God.  Here, John Piper unlocks another unresolved tension related to the one described yesterday in chapter six.  In chapter seven, Piper asks how we can resolve the tension between the desire to be happy in God and the desire to love others. Piper first shares scripture from Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, 10:24, and Romans 15:1 where this tension is highlighted.  We are commanded both to be happy and rejoice in God AND to love others (see Matthew 22:39, John 13:34.  Piper shares how in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 how "genuine, Spirit-awakened joy in God does not hinder love for people but in fact overflows with love for people.*"  Piper then emphasizes how "[l]ove is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others*." Text examples provided by Piper that support this claim include Micah 6:8, Romans 12:8, Hebrews 10:34, 2 Corinthians 9:7, 2:3, 1 Peter 5:2, and Hebrews 13:17. Piper's unwinding of the tension continues as he shares how a joy in God is so full that it overflows in sacrificial love to others.  He then explains why it may seem paradoxical that we demonstrate sacrificial love.  He writes: "[t]he reason is that the path of greatest joy in this life is often the path of great suffering. In the age to come, after Jesus returns, all pain will be gone*." Colossians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 7:4, and Romans 5:3 are provided to illustrate sacrificial love.  Believers know what awaits us in Heaven even as we suffer to love others - the temporary suffering we experience is just that - temporary. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for - helping me see how joy in You overflows in love for others.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me and give me joy.  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.

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Micah 5

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.  And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. v4

Micah 5 promises a ruler from Bethlehem, a town, according to the MacArthur Commentary, which was "small in size but not in honor".  In the same way, we have a God who focuses on our heart condition, not on external appearances.  We are called to strive to be more like Jesus - to be holy because He is holy.  If we focus on our heart, through daily time with Him and other spiritual disciplines, God can our renew our heart and mind.

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

Subsequent verses in Romans 12 also point us to humility.  We exist not for our own desires, but to serve and glorify Jesus.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who came not be served but to serve.  Thank You Jesus for the cross, the Holy Spirit, Your Word, and all that You are and do.  I am not worth 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, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.

Romans 2

No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. v29

Closeness to Christ is developed through the heart and by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  Close to Christ is the same as renewing of the mind through the spiritual disciplines of bible study, reflection, prayer, worship, acts of service, etc.:

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

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are pure, perfect and holy and You are all of the fruits of the spirit.  I greatly desire to be more like You.  Yet my mind and body continue to sin.  I am quick to anger, slow to listen, selfish, impatient, harsh with my thoughts, words, and actions, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  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 understand Your message for me today, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day. I love You. 

In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

1 Corinthians 14

In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. v20

In this chapter, there are several themes with the primary theme being use of our speech with an emphasis on prophecy vs speaking in tongues - the latter being something that does not do much if anything to build up the church as Paul desires (see v26).  

The primary theme of this chapter is best summarized I feel in the below verse:

But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.  v19

Yet verse 20 speaks to me in the sense that God desires both the church to be built up (towards maturity) and each believer.  In Romans 12:2, Paul seeks for us to have a trajectory of growth driven by our focus on God:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

 Hebrews 6:1 (as posted here) also speaks to this.

My Prayer: Jesus, You indeed are a great God full of love, compassion, healing, kindness and above all love.  You are full of love above how any person can love.  And I know You love me...You chose me and then suffered and died for me...knowing everything about me including my sin.  I am not worth such a love.  I am selfish, uncaring, I worry too much , I am lazy, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me turn from my 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 understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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

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. v2

I have many times posted or referred to Romans 12:2 as it is to me a foundational verse.  Paul instructs on two matters: (1) to avoid conformance with the sin and evil of this world; this is very similar to repentance; (2) to focus on renewal of our minds - how we do that is daily study of God's Word and through prayer.   There is then a promise - that if we do (1) and (2) we will be able better understand God's will in our lives both over more contemplative decisions and spontaneous decisions.  John Piper has great posts on these topics -  The Renewed Mind and How to Have It, and What is the Will of God and How Do We Know It?

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has both transformed my heart and life and given me a great taste of the fruits of the Spirit and many other blessings - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  I worry and I have much more sin - 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.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:9-10

  

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I started chapter sixteen Living in View of God's Mercy, which covers Romans 12:1-16.  Building on my post yesterday, where I focused on Romans v12:3-8, this morning I review the v12:9-16 and the associated commentary. While the sub-heading of the text (ESV) refers to these verses as "Marks of the True Christian," the commentary indicates that irregardless of the subheading the implication and intent of these verses is for Christians to outwardly demonstrate lives that oppose conformity to worldly behavior - we are to be "counter-cultural."  Our renewed mind (v12:2) transforms our thinking and actions, enabling us to live this worldly-opposed life and God works through us, causing our obedience.  While we see a number of commands, including how we are to love and treat our "enemies" or those who persecute or treat us harshly, the over-riding command is to love others as God loves us (see John 13:34) - given all believers where at one point enemies of God (see Romans 5:10).  My commentary stresses that such love leads to action - empathy and compassion towards others (see 1 John 3:16-18).  We must also hate evil as God does. We must also live with zeal - not apathy!

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that even while we were still enemies of God, You loved us and offered salvation for those who believe - what an amazing gift of grace!  Thank You Jesus.  Yet I am not deserving.  I have gossip, worry, harsh words, anger, etc. in my life.  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 understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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

Romans 5

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

I maintain a pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I continue using DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today emphasizes that - as the devotion title makes clear -  Glory Is the Goal.  John Piper points us to text throughout scripture that provides evidence of how glory is the goal - these texts include:

• Seeing the glory of God is our ultimate hope: Romans 5:2, Jude 24
• God makes His glory known: Romans 9:23, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, Titus 2:13
• Jesus, in all his person and work, is the incarnation and ultimate revelation of the glory of God: Hebrews 1:3, John 17:24
• Believers will partake and participate in God's glory to be revealed: 1 Peter 5:1, Romans 8:21
• God will glorify believers: 1 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Romans 8:30
  

Piper continues by sharing that: "Seeing and sharing in God’s glory is our ultimate hope through the gospel of Christ.  Such a hope, that is really known and treasured, has a huge and decisive effect on our present values and choices and actions.  Get to know the glory of God. Study the glory of God and the glory of Christ. Study the glory of the world that reveals the glory of God, and the glory of the gospel that reveals the glory of Christ.  Treasure the glory of God in all things and above all things.  Study your soul. Know the glory you are seduced by, and know why you treasure glories that are not God’s glory."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and worthy of all honor and glory.  Thank You Jesus for sharing Your glory with me and all believers and for allowing us to share in Your glory.  I am not deserving of how You bless.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2

And we know that 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 continue with my study of - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook by Max Lucado (for purchase). This morning, I continue with the story of "Joseph: Shaky Limbs and Unanswered Questions*".

*Title of lesson six from the Max Lucado study.

The commentary* of day three starts with Max Lucado describing the "lowly manger" scene in Bethlehem where the baby Jesus was born and how OT prophecies (see Micah 5:2 as one example) pointed to this time.  Despite the many prophecies of the coming Messiah, many overlooked the baby Jesus because they were expecting a conquering king, one who would use the "weapons of the world" (in reference to 2 Corinthians 10:4 how believers rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and God's Word) to force submission to his kingdom.  Lucado wants us to be more aware of how God works and to use scripture to help us be more aware - he points to the Parable of the Ten Virgins awaiting the bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-13, and how some of the virgins failed to take oil for their lamps to help them stay awake while waiting.  Jesus sums up the parable to "keep watch". We do want to keep watch and be more aware.  At the same time, we should not be waiting without developing our relationship with Jesus. In Romans 12:2, we are urged to "be transformed by the renewing of the mind...so that [we]will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."  This is supported by what I posted a couple of days ago in a post emphasizing spiritual growth and maturity as a call for all believers. 

Lucado also wants us to to look closely at Joseph's role and how he is not discussed much in the Bible yet his role is key as a "supporting actor" with Mary perhaps being more primary.  God often uses the ordinary and regular for supernatural purposes and He wants those He is using to see how they are part of a bigger plan. 

Discuss and comment on this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has a plan and I am part of the plan - I am humbled that You would love me as You do and would use me.  Thank You for the grace, mercy and patience You have for me.  I am not deserving of such love.  I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common....Greet one another with a holy kiss.

 Romans 16

And all who believed were together and had all things in common....Greet one another with a holy kiss. Acts 2:44, Romans 16:16

This afternoon, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I moved to chapter twenty Christian Friendship, which covers Romans 16.  My focus today is v16:1-16, 21-23, which my commentary refers to under the heading How Christian Friendship Is Emphasized. More so than anywhere else I can recall in scripture, in Romans 16, I see a very personal connection that Paul has to so many people that he names them individually/specifically.  We see a gratefulness from Paul for all that these people mean to him as he recalls specific acts or characteristics such as: 

• being a patron (providing for material needs) (Phoebe/v16:2)
• risking lives for believers (Priscilla/Aquila/v16:3)
• being first of converts in Asia (Epaenetus/v16:5)
• kinsmen and fellow prisoners (v16:6/Andronicus and Junia)
• my beloved (v16:8/Ampliatus)
• fellow worker (Urbanus/v16:9)
• my beloved (Stachys/v16:9)
• approved in Christ (Apelles/v16:10)
• kinsman (Herodion/v16:11)
• fellow workers (Tryphaena and Tryphosa/v16:12)
• worked hard in the Lord (Persis/v16:12)
• chosen in the Lord (Rufus/v16:13)
• Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them (v16:14)
• Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them (v16:14) 
• fellow worker (Timothy/v16:21)
• kinsmen (Lucius and Jason and Sosipater/v16:21)
• scribe of letter (Tertius/v16:22)
• Paul's host (Gaius/v16:23)
• city treasurer (Erastus/v16:23)   

I am drawn to Acts 2:42-47 where the Fellowship of the Believers of the early church is described. In Acts 2:44 it is said that these early believers "had all things in common." The most important bond of all - one that transcends race, gender, culture, age, education, income, etc. - is a shared belief and passion for Jesus Christ.  This is the basis for Christian friendship.  We are called to attend church corporately, to study Bible together, to sharpen our understanding of God and scripture, to pray and encourage one another, to serve with one another, to support one another, to confess our sins to one another, to hold each other accountable, etc.  We are to acknowledge our need for one another and the power of togetherness. 

My commentary highlights how this chapter was a personal thanks to believers all of which we know little or nothing about - it shows how ordinary people through togetherness demonstrate the power of Christ - as the church is intended. Friendships, community and relationships are key - our faith is weak without them. I am urged to look back at Genesis 2:18 where God Himself says "[i]t is not good that the man should be alone."  We must encourage and spur one another one on (Proverbs 27:17), and help one another avoid sin.  We are also urged to see in today's text the diversity and how despite the diversity there is oneness in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28). 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has provided so many fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have blessed and sharpened me, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am grateful...yet undeserving.  My sin of worry and other sins continue.  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.

[We] take every thought captive to obey Christ[.]

Proverbs 10-16

[We] take every thought captive to obey Christ[.] 2 Corinthians 10:5b

As I continue with my study of Proverbs, remaining in chapters 10-16, the next five questions for this week (week 6) from my study workbook focus on God's providence over poverty (injustice, sloth, punishment, mystery - see also Proverbs 13:23, 6:9-11, 28:19, 10:2-3, 13:25, and 22:2), how God works in our mind with sanctification (see also Proverbs 14:15-16, Romans 12:2, and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Hebrews 4:12), how we should be slow to anger (see also Proverbs 14:17, 29, 15:18, 16:32, and 19:11), how God's providential rule should be seen as comforting (vs frustrating) (see also Proverbs 16:1, 3, and 33), and how the New Testament more fully describes wisdom vs what we see in Proverbs (see also Proverbs 10:11, 13:14, 14:27, 16:22, and John 4:1-14, 7:37-39).  I worry quite a bit about Zach and Dustin so the examination today how God's providential rule should be seen as comforting DOES give me comfort - thank You Jesus!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who reigns over all details of my life - I see the good in Your reign.  Thank You Jesus for how You reign and for the sanctification process and renewing of my mind that allows me to see You at work.  I am not deserving of this or any other blessing You pour out for me.  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. 

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.