Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 9

Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:25-26

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper examines Jesus' perfect sacrifice of Himself on the cross, and he contrasts Jesus' sacrifice with that of the Jewish high priests in the Old Testament.  Unlike the Jewish high priests, who "came into the holy place yearly with animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people," Jesus only had to die once - His sacrifice was perfect - done for all humanity for all times.  Piper points out how the author of Hebrews underscores this point by describing how it is "unthinkable" it would be for Jesus to have to sacrifice Himself yearly as the Jewish high priests did in bringing their sacrifices yearly. Piper shares how this is unthinkable "[b]ecause it would make the death of the Son of God look weak and ineffective. If it has to be repeated year after year for centuries, where would be the triumph? Where would we see the infinite value of the sacrifice of the Son of God? It would vanish in the shamefulness of a yearly suffering and death."  Piper then wraps up the devotion with an exhortation to be encouraged and not take "for granted that there should be a welcome for sinners in heaven....There was shame in the cross, but it was triumphant shame. “[Jesus despised] the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). This is the gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). I [John Piper] pray that no matter how dirty or unholy with sin you are, you will see the light of this glory and believe."  Be encouraged!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who died for me and for all of humanity for all of time as a perfect sacrifice for my sins - so that I could have life now in abundance and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God and such blessings!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[H]ow much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Hebrews 9

[H]ow much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:14

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper looks at how our conscience too often condemn us with shame, guilt, feelings of inadequacy that "make us feel unacceptable to God".  We then, in response, implement responses to compensate or "fill the hole" left by our conscience.  Yet Piper rightly points out that these responses are sometimes harmful, and nothing we can do - even works we deem "good" - in this world can do what ONLY Jesus can do.  Unbelievers, accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior and have faith. As Piper puts it: "[t]urn to the only cleansing agent in the universe that can give you relief in life, and peace in death."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me.  You cleanse me, make me one of Your elect, and You clothe me in righteousness - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings...not by a long shot.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please cleanse me, forgive me, and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where, in contrast to posts over the past few days that focus on gratitude, John Piper looks at why someone might not have gratitude towards God.  He writes: "[W]hen gratitude does not spring up in our hearts at God’s great goodness to us, it probably means that we don’t want to pay him a compliment; we don’t want to magnify him as our benefactor. And there is a very good reason that human beings by nature do not want to magnify God with thanksgiving or glorify him as their benefactor. The reason is that it detracts from our own glory, and all people by nature love their own glory more than the glory of God." In other words, unbelievers value self-sufficiency and self-glory over that of God.  Of course, believers know they need a Savior and Jesus Christ is that Savior. Piper points us to Mark 2:17 Jesus emphasizes how He says "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me my salvation, Your Word, the Holy Spirit, and SO much more - all out of grace as I am undeserving.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know I am undeserving.  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.

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper uses David's words from Psalm 69 to urge us to magnify God.  Piper first draws a distinction between two types of magnification: one where you make a small thing look bigger, and the other where we make a a big thing begin to look as big as it really is.  He writes how the latter is David's intention.  He then urges all believers to magnify God in the same way: "Christians are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor’s product is far superior. There is nothing and nobody superior to God. And so the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is." Piper reminds us that we exist for this very purpose, and why we were saved, "to proclaim God's excellencies" (see 1 Peter 2:9). Piper wraps up today's devotion with a response - we must first see God for who He is, to get to know Him, and to do so daily, lest we forget.  He offers two texts to emphasize this response: Ephesians 1:18 (open the eyes of my heart), and Psalm 103:2 (soul, forget not all the benefits).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are worthy of magnification - I desire to proclaim Your excellencies because You are infinitely valuable - more so than anything else.  I am not deserving of how You made me one of Your own - Your elect.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[H]e is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7

[H]e is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper ensures we understand that Jesus intercedes and prays for us...today and forever - "our salvation is as secure as Christ's priesthood is indestructible" - as He not only lives forever, but He also intercedes for us forever.  Piper writes: "[t]his means we should not talk about our salvation in static terms the way we often do — as if I did something once in an act of decision, and Christ did something once when he died and rose again, and that’s all there is to it. That’s not all there is to it.  This very day I am being saved by the eternal intercession of Jesus in heaven. Jesus is praying for us and that is essential to our salvation."  Piper refers us to Romans 8:34 and 1 John 2:1 where scripture reinforces how Jesus intercedes and advocates for us as our High Priest.  Be encouraged!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who intercedes and advocates for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it 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.   

For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4

For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper discusses how a life of humility and gratitude glorifies God.  Piper starts by positing that when we express our gratitude to God, we are the beneficiaries - we receive grace (and other blessings) and we in turn we are thankful. Piper then states that a posture of humble gratitude leads us to "acknowledge our need and God’s beneficence," glorifying the giver (God).  This is the key, according to Piper, as he uses Paul's words to the Corinthians to stake his claim: "this is Paul’s final goal in all his labors. Yes, his labors are for the sake of the church — the good of the church. But the church is not the highest goal....God’s all-supplying glory in giving and our humble gladness in receiving are not in competition. Joyful thankfulness glorifies God." So, believers, we should - not just on Thanksgiving (yesterday) - daily be joyfully thankful for God's grace and blessings.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and worthy of my gratitude - daily!  You died for me and You never leave or forsake me and Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to accept You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Hebrews 6

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:17-18

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which uses Hebrews 6:17-18 to encourage believers to "hold fast to the hope set before us."  Ultimately, the hope set before us refers to how Christ has already defeated sin and death and how he is saving a place in Heaven for believers - for eternity.  We should be hopeful about this - and this hope should carry us through all of the trials and challenges we will experience in life - and we will experience trials and challenges (John 16:33).  However, John Piper reminds us that even though Christ has already secured the victory we all need, we still need power and a will to hold fast - we cannot do this alone.  We need Christ while we remain in this life to hold fast.  Piper uses Philippians 3:12 to underscore his point - in this text Paul writes how he presses on and endures (just as Jesus did on the cross) to own and claim the life God has given him (regardless of the trials and challenges), and to place his hope in the cross "because Christ Jesus has made me his own."  Take hold of this hope!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a good, good Father - and I know You will never leave or forsake me and You will help me through the ups and downs of life - all the way to the end.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it 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.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”

Hebrews 6

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” Hebrews 6:13-14

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which highlights Hebrews 6:13-14, where the author of Hebrews uses the Abrahamic Covenant (see Genesis 12) to establish the certainty of God's promise(s). In today's Solid Joys daily devotion, John Piper unpacks the language used by the author of Hebrews to not only underscore the certainty of God's promise(s), but more importantly (as a foundation), to establish God as "the greatest value in the universe."  Piper states: "when God takes an oath, he swears by himself. If he could have gone higher, he would have gone higher. Why? To give you strong encouragement in your hope. What God is saying in swearing by himself is that it is as impossible that he will break his word of promise to bless us as it is that he will ever despise himself. God is the greatest value in the universe. There is nothing more valuable or wonderful than God. So, God swears by God. And in doing that he says, “I mean for you to have as much confidence in me as it is possible to have.” For if more were possible, Hebrews 6:13 says, he would have given us that. “Since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself.” Now this is our God, the God who is reaching as high as he can reach to inspire your unshakable hope in him."  Believers - be encouraged!  Non-believers - place your hope in Jesus!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God in whose promises we can rest as You are faithful!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  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.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which is entitled The Key to Spiritual Maturity.  Here John Piper unpacks an essential realization all believers must have, and it is important, according to Piper, so that we might "save...years of wasted living."  He points to "[g]etting ready to feast on all God’s word" as primarily (and first) a "moral challenge" vs an intellectual one.  He then challenges believers who spend time on worldly (and sinful) pursuits vs leaning into God, exhorting believers to pursue God instead and allowing Him to work the sanctification process through renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). Piper then lays out how we achieve spiritual maturity.  We must taste God, know that He is Truth and Light, and that He is Our Savior.  We then seek to please God in response to His grace - our desire to become obedient and to glorify Him is key.  The devotion is summed up nicely in this key statement from Piper: "[t]he pathway to maturity and to solid biblical food is not first becoming an intelligent person, but becoming an obedient person."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You are SO good for how You made me one of Your elect and You then drove sanctification in my life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it 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.  

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

2 Timothy 3

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. 2 Timothy 3:1-5

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which focuses on the corrosive power of ungratefulness.  John Piper first starts the devotion by referring us to Paul's words to Timothy regarding what we can expect during the last days.  He then pivots to the anti-dote of this last days heart condition - and he points to the how ungratefulness is found at the end of v2.  Exploring this anti-dote, Piper moves to Ephesians 5:4, where Paul says "[l]et there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."  Piper sums up the devotion by stating that the reason gratitude is the anti-dote "is that the feeling of gratitude is a humble feeling, not a proud one. It is other-exalting, not self-exalting. And it is glad-hearted, not angry or bitter. Bitter thankfulness is a contradiction in terms. The key to unlocking a heart of thankfulness and overcoming bitterness and ugliness and disrespect and violence is a strong belief in God, the Creator and Sustainer and Provider and Hope-giver. If we do not believe we are deeply indebted to God for all we have and hope to have, then the very spring of gratitude has gone dry."  Gratitude must extend beyond the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving, and be part of a daily discipline of humbly going to God, recognizing that He is our provider and sustainer - without Him we can do nothing.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:1-5

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the great Provider and Sustainer - in You and through You we have it all, including abundance in this life and eternity and in Heaven.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Hebrews 4

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which focuses on how, for believers, death is gain.  Here, John Piper provides five reasons from scripture that support his claim:

1. Our spirits will be made perfect (Hebrews 12:22-23)
   
2. We will be relieved of the pain of this world (Luke 16:24-25)
   
3. We will be given profound rest in our souls (Revelation 6:9-11)
   
4. We will experience a deep at-homeness (2 Corinthians 5:8)
   
5. We will be with Christ (Philippians 1:21-23)

I have a niece - Marit, who is going to be 15 years old in a few days - and she is dying of brain of cancer. My wife and I pray constantly for a miracle of healing - we don't want Marit to die, nor do we want her to suffer or be in pain.  I struggle with this and in my struggle I selfishly believed that my words could bring Marit comfort as I talked to her on the phone a few days ago (not knowing whether it would be the last time I talked to her).  Since then, upon reflection, I sense that Marit is better served by us simply spending time with her, and it will be through these final moments where the Holy Spirit will be working to comfort her.  If we are at peace about where Marit is going, the Holy Spirit will do the rest - to comfort Marit in ways that we, through actions or words, cannot. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who comforts like no other - thank You for the peace and comfort You provide by giving us a glimpse of Heaven and telling us that You are saving us a place in Heaven.  I am not deserving of such a blessing.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me.  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 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 us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4

 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which offers encouragement, particularly to those currently struggling in times of trial and challenge.  John Piper starts the devotion by stating what we might consider to be obvious, that we all have needs and need help.  Yet he makes this assertion to make two other broader points: one, that because we all sin (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8), we don't deserve help (Romans 6:23); two, we are faced with a choice to go it alone, which is futile; or, we can lean on God who offers grace in our time of need. Piper sums it up this way: "[y]es, we all need help. Yes, none of us deserves the help we need. But no to despair and pride and lechery. Look at what God says. Because we have a Great High Priest, the throne of God is a throne of grace. And the help we get at that throne of grace is mercy and grace to help in time of need. Grace to help! Not deserved help — gracious help. That’s why the High Priest, Jesus Christ, shed his own blood. You are not trapped. Say no to that lie. We need help. We don’t deserve it. But we can have it. You can have it right now and forever. If you will receive and trust in your High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, and draw near to God through him."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who offers grace to me in my time of need - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus.  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 word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which asserts - rightly so for believers - that "[t]he word of God is our only hope."  The devotion then states that "[t]he good news of God’s promises and the warnings of his judgment are sharp enough and living enough and active enough to penetrate to the bottom of my heart and show me that the lies of sin are indeed lies. Abortion will not create a wonderful future for me. Neither will cheating, or dressing provocatively, or throwing away my sexual purity, or keeping quiet about dishonesty at work, or divorce, or vengeance. And what rescues me from this deception is the word of God....Be of good cheer in your battle to believe. Because the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, it will penetrate deeper than any deception of sin has ever gone and reveal what is truly valuable and what is truly worth trusting and loving." Indeed, earlier this week, I posted how, during our time in this life, believers are in a battle for our soul against sin, Satan, and the forces of darkness. Yet this victory is already won (John 19:30) and we have the full armor of God to fight this battle.  Believers should be encouraged and seek God with a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who gives me the Word and the Holy Spirit and so much more so that I can know You, love You, and become more like You in my battle with sin. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it 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.

[P]ut on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4

[P]ut on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which proclaims - via its title, that "Change is Possible."  Using Ephesians 4:24 as the basis, and the entirety of scripture ultimately, for the devotion, the devotion boldly claims that "[d]eep, fundamental change" is possible. I know from personal experience that this is a true statement and I would argue that change is not just possible, but a guarantee because this is the very nature of sanctification, the process where God molds us into more of His image as we get to know Him more intimately through Bible study, prayer, fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ and other spiritual disciplines. Today's devotion goes on to state that: "[i]t is possible to become tenderhearted when once you were callous and insensitive. It is possible to stop being dominated by bitterness and anger. It is possible to become a loving person, no matter what your background has been. The Bible assumes that God is the decisive factor in making us what we should be." This is of course a huge encouragement for anyone seeking growth and change and who might be frustrated by sin and destructive habits, inclinations or patterns of life, etc. I encourage everyone to read the Bible with "a hunger and thirst for righteousness" as the Bible says this will produce blessings and satisfaction (Matthew 5:6).  See also resources from Renovare.org - which focus on spiritual transformation.  Among the many spiritual disciplines in which we can engage, scripture memorization is seen as key - see this post from Renovare on the power of scripture memorization on driving change. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome who has produced both blessings and satisfaction in my life - Your Word is Truth! Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and satisfaction.  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 by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 6

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

Today I complete my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I move to a more detailed examination of Ephesians 6:21-24.  These verses focus on Paul's closing remarks to the church in Ephesus in this prison epistle.  Paul tells the Ephesians that he is sending Tychicus to them so that they "may know how he [is] and what [he is] doing"...and so that "Tychicus may encourage [their] hearts" (v21-22). He then sends final greetings in v23-24.   

To assist my learning this morning, I watched the following videos from DesiringGod.com:

What Do the Lives of Teachers Tell Us?

In this video, John Piper observes four key reasons why Paul provides the details he does in his closing remarks to the church in Ephesus:

1. he shares details of how he is doing and what he is doing (i.e. in v20 Paul remarks how he is in "chains" or prison) so that the church can appropriately pray
2. he shares details of what he is doing because teachers not only use words to teach but also teach by enabling others to see how they live, thereby providing a model to imitate; see also 1 Corinthians 4:11-17
3. he shares details because he wants the readers to not lose heart as Paul is suffering for their glory and their sake; see also Ephesians 3:13 and Colossians 1:24
4. Christ gives us teachers to equip and they do so not just with words but by actions and through face-to-face interactions and fellowship; Tychicus is sent in person on behalf of Paul as an encouragement; see also Ephesians 4:11-12
   

A Closing Cry for Peace and Love - through the cross we not only have peace and with God but also with each other.  Love is the means through which we have peace with God and with others. Both peace and love are WITH faith - to show that love and peace flow FROM faith (1 Timothy 1:5). 

Grace from Start to Finish - grace WITH ALL who love Christ with a love that it is incorruptible based on an imperishable source (lasts forever). See also Romans 11:4-6 and Ephesians 1:4-6.  Grace produced faith and then this produced all the fruits of the Spirit, including love and peace.  God gives us grace and this grace via faith produces more (future) grace (infinitely and forever); see also James 4:4-10 and 1 Peter 5:5-7.

Incredible messages from God this morning!  Thank You Jesus!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God - thank You for the grace You have already given me and thank You in anticipation of the grace I know You will give out to me in the future.  I am not deserving of this of course.  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 by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 6

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I move to a more detailed examination of Ephesians 6:10-20. For this morning, I read Paul's words to "[p]ut on the whole armor of God" (v10) as a battle cry, with both excitement and vigor.  Believers MUST see our time in our earthly bodies as a battle for our soul.  The encouragement here of course is that Jesus Christ has won this battle!  "It is finished" as Jesus cries out from the cross as written in John 19:30 - see also this post from John Piper. That is how Paul, from prison when he writes the prison epistles (including Ephesians), is able to be so full of hope and boldly proclaim the gospel. Despite the darkness of our world, and how it is full of sickness, addiction, death, sin, war, suffering, and pain, we can be full of hope and boldness.  We have Christ and we can stand on how He has already won!  We must stand, and we must also, as Paul asks, pray for one another!

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:18b-20

For additional great resources, see this post on DesiringGod.com regarding addiction to digital devices and this post from John Piper on the power of Jesus' words from John 19:30 and how we must use this power to tell the world about Jesus.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for winning the battle against the darkness of this world - for me!  Incredible!  I am not deserving of such a blessing that is truly hard to grasp in terms of its riches!  My sin is great and it 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.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 6

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I look again at Ephesians 6:1-9, but moving on from fatherhood (v4) - which I covered yesterday - to bondservants and masters, which is covered in v5-9. First, we should review this perspective on Biblical history and context on slaves, which states that believers of today should focus less on the word slaves but instead "refocus their mind on the labor of the individual. In the Bible, the intended focus of the word slave is a reference to the living situation of an individual—in no way was it meant to demean a person’s God-given value." With this lens in place, we should now view Ephesians 6:5-9 as talking to the employee-employer relationship. Leaning on this post from John Piper at DesiringGod.com, which looks at earthly authorities across the board and not just the authority in the workplace, we glean that "in the socioeconomic sphere, [we are to] submit to human authorities in a way that turns [our] service of them into the service of Christ[.]"  Serve God always - He is our Master in all ways!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me a job and provides for all of my needs - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the blessings 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 by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 6

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I look deeper at Ephesians 6:1-9, leaning on commentary from John Piper from this video, which focuses on fatherhood - Paul's subject in v4:

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

First John Piper indicates how Paul is writing specifically to fathers here in v4a, and only excluding mothers because there is deference to the father as the spiritual leader of the household (see Ephesians 5), and because v1-3 speak to how mothers and fathers work together to raise Godly children given Paul's instruction in those verses refer to "parents" and there is an implied agreement between mom and dad.  Piper also refers us to Proverbs 1:8 and 6:20 where scripture reinforces how mothers are of course involved (heavily) - but there is deference from mom to dad as dad takes primary responsibility for raising Godly children.  Piper then moves on to 4b where the focus is how father's must "bring [children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."  This provision is more important than food or other physical provision.  Piper points to Hebrews 12:5-11 where discipline is emphasized in its importance.  Instruction is broken down as both an affirmative but also with qualification in that if you don't do it - harsh consequences await (a warning), and in this case the consequences are eternal damnation.  Fathers are also urged to know their children and their inclinations, and based on this model Godly behavior and Piper uses Psalm 103:13-14 and Colossians 3:20-21 to help guide fathers - and finally to aim at holiness and joy.  See below for a summary from the video.

 

 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and who gave me incredible children - I am not deserving of the blessings they are - my sin is great and it continues, particularly in how I have left my children down with respect to raising them according to Your design and intent.  I am grateful for how You have forgiven this and redeemed much of it but there is more to be done - continue to work in my heart and life - please!  Help me turn from my sin, overcome it, and turn towards You. 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 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 by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 6

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

I resume my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I move on to Ephesians 6, looking at my initial observations of this chapter. Here we have commands for children and parents (v1-4), and for bondservants and masters (v5-9), as well as an exhortation to be strong and to "put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil" (v10-11) because believers "do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (v12). The "whole armor of God" includes the Word, the Holy Spirit, faith, and our salvation. We are also encouraged to pray "at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication" (v18), and "to keep alert with all perseverance" (v18).  I look forward to further unpacking this chapter in the next several days.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who defeated sin and death for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the sacrifice You made for my salvation. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  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 Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Hebrews 3

For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:3-6

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which examines why Jesus is worthy of greater glory than Moses, and how He is the builder of the house (which is a reference to God's people or the church globally), and believers are the house.  John Piper writes: "[s]o if we boast in Jesus and hope in Jesus, we are the house, and Jesus is our Builder, and Owner and Ruler and Provider. He does not let his house be destroyed or fall into ruin."  This is a hopeful and encouraging statement.  This DesiringGod.com post goes deeper into this text and shares: "[a]nd the text concludes by saying we are his house—we are his people, we are partakers of a heavenly calling—'if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.' The evidence that we are part of the household of God is that we don't throw away our hope—Hebrews 10:35 says, "Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward"—we don't drift into indifference and unbelief. Becoming a Christian and being a Christian happen in the same way: by hoping in Jesus—a kind of hoping that produces confidence and boasting in Jesus." Let us not throw away our hope!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and whose church will never be destroyed or fall into ruin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of God who never leaves or forsakes me and provides for all of my needs.  My sin is great and it continues...daily...impatience, 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.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Psalm 56

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which, like last Friday, examines anxiety. In this devotion, John Piper starts where last Friday left off, stating "[o]ne possible response to the truth that our anxiety is rooted in unbelief goes like this: "I have to deal with feelings of anxiety almost every day; and so I feel like my faith in God’s grace must be totally inadequate. So I wonder if I can have any assurance of being saved at all."' His response to this question offers encouragement to those of us who struggle with anxiety; I know I do - God has helped me in this area greatly but there is room to mature in this area. Piper goes on to share that "[w]hen anxiety strikes and blurs our vision of God’s glory and the greatness of the future that he plans for us, this does not mean that we are faithless, or that we will not make it to heaven. It means our faith is being attacked. At first blow, our belief in God’s promises may sputter and swerve. But whether we stay on track and make it to the finish line depends on whether, by grace, we set in motion a process of resistance — whether we fight back against the unbelief of anxiety."  He refers us to Psalm 56 (and elsewhere in scripture where the same message of encouragement is offered), then wraps up the devotion by referring back to Psalm 56:3 saying "[n]otice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike." 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a good, good God who never leaves or forsakes me, who always hears my cries, and helps me see the joy and blessing in all circumstances.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me for my lack of patience, 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 by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 5

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I wrap my study of Ephesians 5, examining v22-33 in more detail. This morning, I return to this post from John Piper and DesiringGod.com on the complementarian view of men of women and how the text for today informs God's intent for husbands and wives inside the context of a Godly marriage.  On the subject of the complementarian view, Piper encourages us to see God's design and intent for men and women, including how "the deeper differences of manhood and womanhood are not superior or inferior competencies. There are rather deep dispositions or inclinations written on the heart, albeit often very distorted." He then goes on to look specifically at Ephesians 5:22-33 and has four observations from the text which he summarizes by saying: "[s]o a complementarian concludes that biblical headship for the husband is the divine calling to take primary responsibility for Christlike servant-leadership, protection and provision in the home. And biblical submission for the wife is the divine calling to honor and affirm her husband’s leadership and help carry it through according to her gifts. “A helper suitable for him,” as Genesis 2:18 says."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who gave me an incredible wife and family - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a great God who loves and blesses me in such ways.  My sin is great and it 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.

[Give] thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5

[Give] thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I stay in Ephesians 5, examining v15-21 in more detail. In relation to v14, v15 pivots from an exhortation to make full use of how we are (vs just doing) light (vs darkness), to - in light of being a light and the responsibility it is - be on on guard for Satan and how evil influences pervade our world (v16b). We are to be wise and careful (v15), to make the best use of our time, (v16a), to not be foolish (v17a), and to understand what the will of the Lord is (v17b).  We are urged to be filled with the Spirit (v18b), and to address one another (within the church) as members of the church all worshiping/revering God, submitting to one another (serving), and praising and giving thanks to God what who He is and what He has done.  This DesiringGod.com video describes pairs of negatives/positives in v15-18, and what the implications are for being filled with the Holy Spirit (v19, 21).  It zooms in on v20, which, if read and more fully understood, says give thanks "for everything," and in the video John Piper points out how this means the good and the bad, enabling (if filled with the Holy Spirit) us to not just understand the will of the Lord is but also to follow/submit to it.  Piper then ends the video by emphasizing how such gratitude becomes the "root" (see also Ephesians 5:4) of obedience to Christ. 

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My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome incredible God who helps me see good in all times, in all circumstances - thank You Jesus!  You are worthy of my praise and worship and I know that is why I exist.  I know I am not deserving of my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please 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.  Please provide energy and wisdom to Lisa and myself. 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.

 

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Ephesians 5

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14, Isaiah 52:1-2

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I stay in Ephesians 5, examining v1-14 in more detail. Leaning on DesiringGod.com videos on Ephesians 5:8-14 (which also covers to a certain extent v3-7) Part I and II, which also calls out Ephesians 2:1-6, I see how God changes our (believers) nature from being (not just doing) darkness to being light (Ephesians 5:8).  In other words, we were dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1) and God raised us up from the dead (Ephesians 2:6).  Of course, because we are in the light we are able to not just better able to battle and defeat sin (by not becoming partners with the sons of disobedience (v7), but we are able to help others do the same - and this is the claim made in v14 where we can be a light to others and draw them out of the darkness as well (submitting to an all sovereign God and Holy Spirit that is doing all of this). 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who is light, who creates light in me and who is able to do this for all You choose to become one of Your elect - thank You for the gift of light!  I am not deserving of such a blessing. 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.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I stay in Ephesians 5, examining v22-33 because its message focuses on marriage - a distinct topic from yesterday which was directed more broadly to the church. This text is often controversial as it describes the role of husbands and wives inside the context of a Godly marriage. I subscribe to John's Piper's complementarian view of men and women that each are uniquely different by God's design and scripture provides clarity on roles for men and women both in the context of the church and marriage.  The linked post does a great job delving into this question so I am not going to call out anything specific in the post but simply to refer to it as an encouragement to read it for a complete view on the subject. Go to the section where he lays out four observations from Ephesians 5:22-33. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gave me Lisa - my wife - and Zach and Dustin.  Thank You Jesus!  Incredible blessings.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Ephesians 5

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:13-14

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I move on to Ephesians 5, focusing on initial observations for the chapter as a whole. At the start of this chapter, we see how Paul continues the theme of unity within the church by saying "therefore" (v1).  V1-2 states that our unity should then cause us to be "imitators of God, as beloved children....[a]nd [we should] walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."  We are then warned of sin spreading within the church and encouraged to be thankful (v4). We are to avoid partnerships with "the sons of disobedience" (v7) and instead to not just walk in love but also to walk in light as we are a light (Holy Spirit within us) (v8-9).  If we walk in love and light we stand in contrast to the sin of the world and therefore expose sin and draw others to the light as light leads us where we should go and helps us avoid darkness (v8-14).  V15-20 focus on Paul urging us to make best use of our time (v16), avoid sinful traps, and to fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit - and Paul gives us more details of how we do this.  The remainder of the chapter - v22-33 - focuses on Godly instructions for wives and husbands.

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My Prayer: What an awesome God You are that You are light and that You guide my path and help me avoid darkness - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a blessing.  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.