Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

 1 John 2

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 1 John 2:9

This morning, I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  My study today focuses on an unassisted review of 1 John 2:3-11. 

V3: If we truly know him, we will follow Him and be obedient, not out of obligation but out of love for Him because as we more fully understand God and His attributes we know that He is Holy, good, true, just, loving, faithful, etc. It is also in response to what He has done for us and that we are all undeserving of the grace He pours out for us. See also 1 John 5:3.

V4: Similar to 1 John 1 where it is written how we cannot claim to be without sin and how if we do so, we make a liar out of Jesus, here it is written that if we truly know Him we cannot be seen to not follow Him or to be disobedient.  This would make us liars.  

V5: A healthy relationship with Jesus where we consistently (i.e. daily) study His word, pray, and seek Him, will result in sanctification where God's love is perfected in us and we become more like Him.  We will bear fruit.

V6: We are expected (ought) be obedient if we say we know Him; as we grow closer to Him more is expected of us as God makes us more like Him (see also Luke 12:48)

Vv7-11: We must not hate anyone - as this is murder.  We should instead love and seek to save all. If we hate we remain in darkness/sin.  See also 1 John 3:15.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good, true, perfect, just, loving, etc. and You pour out grace and blessings for me every day that are overwhelming...I desire to be obedient - help me be who You intend for me Jesus! I need You to help me battle sin daily because I know my sin is great and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus for laziness, etc.  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. 

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

 Romans 8

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Romans 8:33

I pause my study of 1,2,3 John this morning to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which today highlights Romans 8:33 and how believers experience no condemnation by God (see also Romans 8:1).  We are as the devotional is so aptly entitled "Finally and Totally Justified." John Piper emphasizes how God is the one who justifies and because there is no higher authority on earth or in the heavens, this justification is complete and final.  This justification gives believers security in their salvation, as Piper describes "[t]he point: unshakable security in the face of tremendous suffering. If God is for us, no one can successfully be against us. If God gave his Son for us, he will give us everything that is good for us. If God is the one who justifies us, no charge against us can stand."  This security enables us to live with a boldness in our faith because we know that no matter what the world can throw at us, God saves and this cannot be taken from us. We should not worry what the world does to us because God saves. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are so good...I am SO grateful that You not only cleanse me from my sins but I am justified in Your eyes and so my salvation is secure.  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.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 1:5-2:2

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 1:9, 2:1

This morning, I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  My study today focuses on a commentary-assisted review of 1 John 1:5-2:2. 

Per the commentary main idea for the text: "Jesus is our atonement and our advocate who reconciles us to God and sends us out to share the gospel message with the world."

Excerpts from the introduction to the commentary:

• Sin is humanity's most fundamental problem
• John seeks to underscore this fundamental reality and to avoid challenging God as a liar by claiming we have no sin
• Believers must think correctly about sin
• "When you see sin for what it is you will immediately see your need—the world’s need—for Jesus as your advocate (2:1) and your “atoning sacrifice” (2:2 NIV). You will also avoid the error of calling God a liar."
  

Divisions:

1. The World Must Know What God Says about Himself (1:5): "Having met this Savior in repentance and faith, we have a divine assignment that involves the proclamation of a specific gospel with a universal scope (2:2). This message is for the whole world."  All believers must play a role in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).  We are encouraged to both be a light so that others can see the True Light that is Jesus Christ.  The commentary points us back to scripture where there are numerous references to God as Light, including how the word light appears more than 275 times in scripture, including Psalm 27:1, 36:9, Isaiah 60:1, 3, 19-20, Micah 7:8, John 1:9, 8:12, 12:36, 46. For us to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, Christ we must understand the nature of Jesus and John seeks for us to understand how Jesus is the Light (Holy/Life) and how He is Truth.
2. The World Must Know What God Says about Sin (1:6-10): The world wants to define sin on its terms but John knows this is dangerous and instead encourages (warns) us to see sin as God sees it - as leading to eternal damnation. We are warned not to lie about our own sin. This includes lies to ourselves and to others. We are referred to Proverbs 28:13 and to confess our own sin...continually. "It should be noted that the apostle John does not deny our need to be seen as sinless. He simply notes that we cannot find it in ourselves. We need an advocate. We need an atonement. We need another."  We should be careful not to lie to ourselves and others because we will soon lie about God and this is dangerous indeed! 
   
3. The World Must Know What God Says about Jesus (2:1-2): "John has made it clear that in this life we cannot be sinless (but note again the future promise of 3:2!), but he does believe we can sin less because we are now in intimate fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (1:3)." Jesus is our Advocate because He is our Atonement.  See also Revelation 5:9.
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good...that You continually intercede and advocate for me on behalf of the Father to forgive my sins...and for so much more!  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 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.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness....But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 1:5-2:2

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 1:9, 2:1

This morning, I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  My study today focuses on an unassisted review of 1 John 1:5-2:2, which contrasts light from darkness, as one represents Jesus, those who believe in Him, and the truth which is His Word, while the other represents sin (vv5-6). When we believe in Him, are obedient to Him, repent from our sins, we have both fellowship with other believers that do the same, and God is faithful to cleanse us of our sins (v7).  We cannot deny that sin is part of all humanity and as such each one of us - as this has been true since the Fall in Genesis 3 (v8).  While we all have sin, John reiterates how God is faithful and just to cleanse us of our sins and all unrighteousness (v9).  John also reiterates how we make Jesus a liar when we say we have not sinned - we also lose the right to claim that the Word is in us (v10). John seeks for us to become more like Jesus, to be holy because he is holy - to not sin (v2:1a).  It is inevitable that we will sin, but once again "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (vv2:1b-2)." 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are so good...You advocate and intercede on my behalf...daily.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for how You save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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. 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:1-3

This morning, I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  My study today focuses on a commentary-assisted review of 1 John 1:1-4. 

Per the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Jesus Christ is the God-man who is the one basis of true Christian fellowship and eternal life."

Highlights from the introduction:

• The incarnation and resurrection Jesus Christ is core to Christianity, so John makes an effort to ensure we know He is real. John saw this as an essential question to put this to rest.
  
• John also wrote other letters including his gospel account and Revelation; "He wrote the Gospel of John to convert sinners. He wrote the epistles of John to confirm the saints. And he wrote the book of Revelation to coronate the Savior."
• "Three important themes are linked to the four purposes that open the doors to the wonderful truths we discover in this letter: (1) right belief in Jesus; (2) right obedience to God’s commands; and (3) right love for one another." 
  
• John seeks to refute false teachers about Jesus, and to confirm to believers the truth of Jesus and about their salvation. 
  

Divisions:

1. Have a Passion to Know This Life (1:1-2): Jesus is like no other, as He has always existed.  He was from the Father and with the Father. As the incarnate Son of God, Jesus became "real and genuine humanity." John emphasizes how he saw, heard, and touched Jesus.  In fact, many did. John was attempting to refute Gnosticism (including two camps - those following Cerinthus and the Docetists) in which all matter is evil and that "salvation is by a mystical, even secretive, knowledge."  The commentary seeks for us to avoid what John Piper is the stumbling block for many regarding faith: "This is the stumbling block of the incarnation—when God becomes a man, he strips away every pretense of man to be God. We can no longer do our own thing; we must do what this one Jewish man wants us to do. We can no longer pose as self-sufficient, because this one Jewish man says we are all sick with sin and must come to him for healing."   
   
2. Have a Passion to Share This Life (1:3): Believers are urged to share the joy that we have in our faith and to invite others into the fellowship of faith. "We Christians must never forget that we have more in common with a Chinese Christian, an African sister, and a brother in South America than a next-door neighbor who does not know Christ. And never forget that this eternal life that has transformed us is the eternal life we must proclaim to our neighbor here and among the nations in order that they might become family. We continually want to add more!"
   
3. Have a Passion to Enjoy This Life (1:4): We glorify God when we experience joy in Jesus Christ. We should strive to live a life like Jesus "not out of obligation, but gratitude," as "Jesus died the death we should have died (2:2) and He lived the life we should have lived (2:6). This life of holiness is marked particularly by joy, by keeping Christ’s commands (2:3), and by loving one another (2:10)....John does not want us to wonder if we are saved. He wants us to have assurance that we are saved."

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I KNOW You are real, that You have always existed and always will....and that You became flesh, died and rose again so that I can have life now to the full and forever...with You.  Thank You Jesus for these amazing blessings that my words can never fully describe.  I am not deserving of the rich blessings You pour out for me daily.  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. 

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

1 John 1

 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:4

This morning, I am embark on a study of 1,2,3 John with the assistance of the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  My study today focuses on 1 John 1:1-4.  John writes about the Word of Life, embodied in the Son Jesus Christ, who came as flesh in blood to save humanity from its sin and to give those who believe in Him eternal life.  As John describes the Good News of Jesus Christ, he ascribes attributes:

• from the beginning (v1); it was always the plan that Jesus who be the incarnate Son of God, to die on the cross for all of humanity's sin, and to rise again after 3 days
• it was real and evident (v1-2); heard and seen by many, including himself; John walked with Jesus and touched Him
• Jesus was from and with the Father (v2)
• it unites those who believe into a body of believers for fellowship, encouragement and strengthening (v3)

John writes to believers about the Good News so that his joy may be complete - echoing similar sentiments that he and Peter spoke to the Jewish elders, scribes, and rulers in Acts 4:20 that "[they] cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."  It is out of an outpouring of love of God to share the glory and Good News of Jesus Christ. Our joy is only complete when we share this joy with others - it cannot be contained.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has done much - paying the ultimate price - for me, completely out of grace and love for me.  Not because I am deserving because I am not - 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. 

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

1 Peter 4

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 1 Peter 4:14

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today examines the extent to which believers are ready for persecution.  There are believers in the United States facing persecution, but whatever persecution we may face here pales in the comparison of the persecution believers elsewhere experience - go to the Voice of the Martyrs ministry website to learn more about such persecution.  John Piper challenges us to avoid anger as a response to persecution and instead we are encouraged to see our time here as Peter did as he wrote in 1 Peter 2:11 that we should view ourselves as "sojourners and exiles," and not grow too comfortable with the world.  Our citizenship and home is in Heaven - see also Philippians 3:20.  In light of this, we should become more bold in proclaiming our faith and the gospel.  Then, if we are to experience fiery trials (see 1 Peter 4:12) either in the form of insults, injury, or death we can take comfort from what Peter describes as the "Spirit of glory and of God that rests upon [you]". 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace, and comfort - giving us peace and protection when we need it most.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not 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 from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

John 1

 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at John 1:16 and how John Piper wants us, as he is, to ponder and enjoy the fullness of Jesus Christ.  To help us experience what he experienced when he delved deeper into what comprises this fullness, Piper uses scripture from John 1 more broadly and provides several attributes of this fullness:

• as this fullness is from God, it is a divine fullness (vv1-2)
  
• as the "Word became flesh, and so was one of us, and was pursuing us with his fullness — it is an accessible fullness" (v14)
  
• it is a glorious fullness as when the Word appeared in human form, His glory was seen (v14)
  
• this fullness was from God's only Son as means to deliver God's fullness (v14)
  
• it is a fullness of grace and we are blessed in every way by this fullness (vv14, 16)
  
• it is a fullness of truth, rooted in rock solid reality (v14)
  

Experience the joy of Christ by understanding the fullness of Christ!

Comment and discuss this post.

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

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how Jesus "was and is and will ever be the servant of his people[.]" While non-believers may struggle to understand how the God of the Universe serves, those who know Jesus fully comprehend that Jesus as servant a core attribute of who Jesus is and one way in how His loves manifests itself for those who believe. Beyond Mark 10:45, John Piper provides several scripture examples of Jesus as servant to remind believers of this core attribute: 

• He not only came to serve during His ministry on earth, but He will serve again when He returns (Luke 12:37)
• He is serving those who believe now, actively, never leaving or forsaking us, and He is our Helper (Hebrews 13:5-6)
• We honor Him by humbly declaring daily that we need Him; He carries our burdens gladly and "loves to work" on our behalf (Isaiah 64:4)
• He "takes pleasure...in those who hope in His steadfast love." (Psalm 147:11)
  
• The Lord "give[s] strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him."  (2 Chronicles 16:9)

As we continue to move close to Easter, let us all be mindful of how much God loves us as He demonstrates how He serves!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know You love me and You demonstrate it daily by serving me, providing for me, never leaving or forsaking me, etc.  You are SO great and good to me.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  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 and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder[.]

2 Peter 3

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder[.] 2 Peter 3:1

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today serves as a Lent devotion with Easter approaching.  John Piper highlights 2 Peter 3 and aims to "stir up our thankfulness and joy and admiration and amazement at what the resurrection of Jesus means for us. The curse of our fallen nature is that what once thrilled us becomes ordinary. The reality hasn’t changed. We have changed." To stir us up, Piper gives us additional scriptures to remind us of what God has done:

• Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we are born again to a living hope. (see 1 Peter 1:3)
• Because of Jesus’s resurrection, he now has the glory for which we were made. Our ultimate destiny is to see him as he is. (see 1 Peter 1:21, John 17:5, 24)

Be excited about Your faith and for how Christ died but rose again so that we could be saved, have life to the full now, and for eternity in Heaven!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are awesome indeed and worthy of all glory, worship and honor for who You are, what You have done, and that You freely give salvation to those, including me, who accept You as their Lord and Savior.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of what You have done 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. 

He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.

Psalm 147

He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. Psalm 147:15

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at God's majesty in creation, specifically how God created extremes in the weather and how these extremes can kill.  John Piper describes creation in this manner to warn us not to toy with God - not to provoke Him through disobedience nor test Him.  As the Sovereign Lord of All, God can strike You down in an instant, and He has the power to grant You grace and salvation...or not.  All of our lives are in the palm of His hands.  We all sin and need a Savior.  We should run into His arms of grace.  John Piper shares God's mindset: "Whether hot or cold, high or deep, sharp or blunt, loud or quiet, bright or dark . . . don’t toy with me. I am God. I made all these things. They speak of me, just like the warm summer breezes do, and the gentle rains, and the soft moonlit nights, and the lapping of the lakeside, and lilies of the field and the birds of the air."  We are encouraged to seek God for His protection.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me.  Thank You for protecting and saving me.  Of course I am not deserving certainly no more deserving than anyone else.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus 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.

When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

Acts 23

When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Acts 23:12

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how nothing can stop God's plans, and that if challenging circumstances are overcome, even in an unbelievable manner, we must look to God as the divine orchestrator of something greater than the challenging circumstances.  John Piper once again, as he did yesterday, looks at the life of Paul and how he goes to Jerusalem and is arrested (see Acts 21). While in Jerusalem, the Jews made a plot to kill Paul (see Acts 23:12), yet God was not done with Paul as Piper points to the previous verse (v11) and how God planned for Paul to go to Rome on appeal to give his testimony to those in Rome. Piper breaks down how God thwarted the plans of the Jews by orchestrating the unraveling of the plan through the sequence of what Piper describes as a highly unlikely (although for God nothing is unlikely or impossible - see vv16-23) set of events:  

• A boy overheard the plot.
• The boy was the son of Paul’s sister.
• The boy had the courage to go to the Roman centurion guarding Paul.
• The centurion took him seriously and brought him to the tribune.
• The tribune believed him and prepared “two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen” to take Paul to safety. 

John Piper wants us as believers to see that "[n]o ambush can stand against the promise of Christ. Until he got to Rome, Paul was immortal. There was a final testimony to be given. And Christ would see to it that Paul would give it.  You too have final testimony to give. And you are immortal until you give it." God has a plan for each one of us and as long as we are alive we should continue to seek what it is that God wants us to do in service of His glory.

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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 - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your mercies that are new every morning and that never cease.  Help me respond in white hot worship - You are deserving and I know that is why I exist.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin of lethargy and other sins 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 even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.

Galatians 1

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Galatians 1:15a (NLT)

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today is entitled "The Sweet Designs of God."  The devotions looks at Paul's life as persecutor of Christians, then as a "God-chosen, soon-to-be-made-Christian missionary" (arguably the greatest of these in history).  John Piper starts by referring us to Galatians 1:15 and how God designed Paul's life from the very beginning (as He does with all life) and how Paul was "an already-chosen, but not-yet-called, instrument of God."  Of course, Piper also refers us to Paul's conversion in Acts 22, including key excerpts where he was called by God on the road to Damascus (vv6-7), and how God's direction for Paul's life as a missionary was a non-negotiable sovereign act of God (v10). Piper then highlights that God could have called Paul sooner but instead describes how God did not, and instead allowed, used, and redeemed Paul's sins as part of a broader plan.  Piper shares a rhetorical question which he immediately answers: "Do we have any idea what the plan for those sins might have been? Yes, we do. They were permitted for you and me — for all who fear that they might have sinned themselves out of grace."  Piper's answer refers us to 1 Timothy 1:13, 16.  Piper concludes by sharing how those who believe are too far from God's salvation due to their own hardness and sins, should have hope...hope that only comes from Jesus.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me, giving me hope and mercies that are new every morning and that never cease.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and 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.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac[.]

 Hebrews 11

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac[.] Hebrews 11:17a

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how sometimes, obedience to God feels impossible. John Piper uses the story of Abraham who was tested by God to sacrifice his son Issac (see Genesis 22). The backstory starts in Genesis 17, when God promised to Abraham (99 years old) and Sarah (90 years old) that He would give them a son and He would make a great nation from Abraham's line.  As hard as they found this to believe, Abraham and Sarah had faith that God would be faithful to this promise.  Of course, God was faithful - see Genesis 21. God then asked Abraham to sacrifice Issac - and just as he was about to do this, God called out to Abraham to stop (see Genesis 22, starting in v11).  John Piper uses this Bible story to illustrate how we may feel sometimes like nothing good can come of obedience to God.  Piper then shares how while few of us might ever be tested as Abraham was, we all face mini crises of faith where obedience may seem challenging: "[p]erhaps the command or call of God you hear just now is to stay married or stay single, to stay in that job or leave that job, to get baptized, to speak up at work about Christ, to refuse to compromise your standards of honesty, to confront a person in sin, to venture a new vocation, to be a missionary."  Of course, the answer is to lean into God...hard.  Study the Bible, get to know God intimately...pray...gather with brothers and sisters in Christ who can study with you and strengthen your faith.  

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and strengthens me during the challenges of life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You strengthen me, and bless 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.  Please provide Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

 1 John 3

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 1 John 3:16

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today aims for believers to see how - as the title of the devotional implies - "Every Calvary Step Was Love."  Indeed, John Piper seeks for us to slow down and imagine the suffering Jesus experienced as He not only willingly, but intentionally went to the cross.  His arrest in Gethsemane (see Matthew 26 starting in v47), His mocking and beating (see Mark 14:65, 15:17-19, and Luke 22:63), and ultimately His crucifixion should be well understood as something He knew HAD (and He was the one to do it) to be done to fulfill scriptures.  Piper refers us to John 13:1 and Matthew 26:52-54 to remind us of Jesus' intent to fulfill scripture. Piper shares: "[i]t is one thing to say that the details of Jesus’s death were predicted in the Old Testament. But it is much more to say that Jesus himself was making his choices precisely to see to it that the Scriptures would be fulfilled."  Piper wraps the devotion by sharing the likely mindset of Jesus at the time: "[i]n other words, I am not choosing to take the way out that I could take, because I know the Scriptures. I know what must take place for my people to be saved. It is my choice to fulfill all that is predicted of me in the word of God. It is my choice — every step of the way — to love my people to the uttermost. And I want them to feel this. And be utterly secure and free and radically different from the world."  Let us all slow down to soak in the love of Jesus, how it saves, and so much more!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are love - You willingly, intentionally, laid down Your life for me and all believers so that we could have life now to the full, and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a blessing - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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 have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 Galatians 2

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at whether God is the "end" or a "means to the end."  John Piper pointedly and rhetorically asks "[i]s Jesus Christ a means to this achievement or the end of the achievement?"  Piper then states, without hesitation, that because Jesus Christ is the "supreme revelation of God," He is the end and not a means.  Piper elaborates further on this claim by sharing that the "[t]he manifestation of the glory of God is the meaning of the universe[, and that t]his is what God is achieving. The heavens, and the history of the world, are 'telling the glory of God.'" Yet Piper does not settle this question here. As he delves deeper into the core question, Piper recognizes that Jesus Christ continues to be active in His saving work.  Piper writes that "Jesus Christ was sent to accomplish something that needed doing. He came to remedy the fall. He came to rescue sinners from inevitable destruction because of their sin....No one would see and savor and celebrate the glory of God apart from the saving work of Christ. The aim of the universe would abort. So, Christ is a means."  The crucifixion is described as "the apex of the revelation of the glory of God[:] in the very moment of his perfect act as the means of God’s purpose, Jesus became the end of that purpose. He became, in his dying in the place of sinners and his resurrection for their life, the central and supreme revelation of the glory of God."  Piper winds down the devotion by then sharing that "[w]ithout his work, that end — to reveal the fullness of the glory of God for the enjoyment of God’s people — would not have happened....Jesus is the end for which the universe was made, and the means that makes that end possible to enjoy by justified sinners." 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gave Himself to me so that I could life to the full now and for eternity in Heaven.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such gifts...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 has prepared for them a city.

 Hebrews 11

[H]e has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16c

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at the city, Heaven, God has prepared for those who believe and have been saved by Him.  There is certainly much in the present world to be sad about and John Piper describes some of this.  Yet, in the present, God is with those who believe and have been saved by Him. God provides the Holy Spirit, the Word, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, etc. to give me comfort and to help continue to run the race when God calls me home or Christ returns.  The city God prepares for us is indeed perfect and it is described in Revelation 21.  Piper describes this city: "[t]he city of God will be perfect, because God will be in it. He will walk in it and talk in it and manifest himself in every part of it. All that is good and beautiful and holy and peaceful and true and happy will be there, because God will be there.  Perfect justice will be there and recompense a thousandfold for every pain suffered in obedience to Christ in this world. And it will never deteriorate. In fact, it will shine brighter and brighter as eternity stretches out into unending ages of increasing joy." Piper seeks for believers to desire this city "above everything else on the earth." This brings glory to God who is also the builder of this new city.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion, saving a place for me in the New Jerusalem which will be awesome!  Thank You Jesus for securing my salvation.  I am not deserving of the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

 1 Corinthians 7

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today draws on history to describe how Abraham Lincoln leaned into God, despite likely earlier skepticism, during a time of both personal and professional anguish.  John Piper shares how after the passing of his 11-year old son Willie, "Lincoln turned to Phineas Gurley, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington."  Piper also highlights how the Civil War raged at the same time, and that Lincoln - as president, sought solace from from Willie's passing and the unimaginable death and destruction that accompanied the war, which in many instances was fought within earshot of the White House.  Other sources point to how Lincoln turned towards God during this time.  Piper records Lincoln's turn towards God by noting: [t]he horrors of the dead and wounded soldiers assaulted him daily. There were fifty hospitals for the wounded in Washington. The rotunda of the Capitol held two thousand cots for wounded soldiers. Typically, fifty soldiers a day died in these temporary hospitals. All of this drove Lincoln deeper into the providence of God. 'We cannot but believe, that He who made the world still governs it.'"  Piper points to one additional source where we see a more mature Lincoln faith - as demonstrated in his second inaugural address - as he notes that God is not "a simple supporter for the Union or Confederate cause. God has his own purposes and does not excuse sin on either side."  Piper concludes the devotion by praying for readers that for those of us "who suffer loss and injury and great sorrow that it will awaken for you, as it did for Lincoln, not an empty fatalism, but a deeper reliance on the infinite wisdom and love of God’s inscrutable providence."

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My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Your riches and wisdom and knowledge are great and Your justice is perfect - Your mercies are new every morning and they never cease....amazing that You love me, saved me and never leave or forsake me.  Thank You Jesus I am not deserving of such love and 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 he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.

 1 Corinthians 7

For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 1 Corinthians 7:22

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today explains the text's correlation of "slavery (rather than liberation) with Messiah, and liberation (rather than slavery) with Master[.]"  John Piper explains broadly by sharing that believers in Christ do have new freedom in Christ (no longer slaves to sin), but this freedom is limited in that while we are free from other lords (and hence "uncontested" and "secure"), Jesus remains our Master.  Similarly, while we gain new freedom, we are bound by and slaves to Christ, and this brings us "from the confines of captivity into the open spaces of peace." Piper goes on to share that by being His we experience the "sweetest of joy."  Piper refers us to Isaiah 9:7 and Psalm 81:16.

This morning's devotion calls to mind how Jesus' commands are not burdensome nor "restrictive" - our obedience is in response to how great God is, and how He is full of grace and compassion for us. 

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great, Your mercies are new every morning, and they never cease - and You give me freedom from the sting of sin and death.  You also give me the sweetest joy of being slave to Christ.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and grace.  My sins are great and they continue....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.

If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.

 Hebrews 11

If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Hebrews 11:15-16a

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at saving faith, and what this means.  John Piper uses Hebrews 11, which as much as any other chapter of the Bible gives us examples of this saving faith, including Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the Israelites that crossed the Red Sea, and Rahab.  Hebrews 11 shares attributes of those have this saving faith, including:

• "died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth" v13
• "seeking a homeland" promised and spoken of in prophecy but not seen v14

Common to all of these attributes is a desire to be with God - to be with Him.  John Piper shares of those seeking this saving faith:  "They had been so gripped by God that nothing short of being with God would satisfy.  So, this is true saving faith: seeing the promises of God from afar, and experiencing a change of values so that you desire and seek after and trust in the promises of God above what the world has to offer."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who lives, never changes, and is always there for me - I can call on You always and I know You listen, respond, and move.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worthy nor deserving of such a God with such mercy.  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 do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

 Hebrews 10

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. Hebrews 10:35

As I continue to ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning once again leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how God is "Better Than Money, Sex, and Power," which is the title of today's devotion. John Piper starts by highlighting Hebrews 10:35, which in a broader context examines the blessings of faith in Christ and in particular how we don't worry about plundering of our property because we have a "better possession" (Hebrews 10:34).  Piper expands on this by discussing the superiority of God over "all that the world has to offer," including money, sex, and power.  Piper shares: "[s]o, take the things that drive the world, and ponder how much better and more abiding God is. Take money or sex or power and think about them in relation to death. Death will take away every one of them. If that is what you live for, you won’t get much, and what you get, you lose. But God’s treasure is vastly superior, and it lasts. It goes beyond death." Piper continues by sharing that God's treasure is "better than sex. Jesus never had sexual relations, and he was the most full and complete human that ever will exist. Sex is a shadow — an image — of a greater reality, of a relationship and a pleasure that will make the most exquisite sex seem like a yawn."  On power, Piper shares: "[t]he reward of God is better than power. There is no greater human power than to be a child of the almighty God." Piper concludes by challenging those who continue to seduced by what the world has to offer to "wake up from the trance of this stupefying world and see and believe and rejoice in and love what is truly real, and infinitely valuable, and everlasting?"

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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 mercies that are new every morning and that never cease.  You are better than anything this world has to offer - and You freely give to those who are undeserving such as myself.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of what You give.  My sin is great and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!

 Psalm 96

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Psalm 96:7

As I wrapped my study of 1 Corinthians, and I ponder what to study next, my Bible study this morning leans on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks closely at one verse from David's response to the return of the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem (see also 1 Chronicles 16).  This is certainly a joyous occasion, and David marks the occasion by describing God's strength.  John Piper unpacks what this means by sharing that "[f]irst, by God’s grace, we give attention to God and see that he is strong. We give heed to his strength. Then we give our approval to the greatness of his strength. We give due regard to its worth."  Piper then goes on to describe that this celebration and wonder in God's strength is based in an acknowledgement that we are not God and we do not have his strength.  Piper shares: "[w]e feel a profound fitness in the fact that he is infinitely strong, and we are not. We love the fact that this is so. We do not envy God for his strength. We are not covetous of his power. We are full of joy that all strength is his."  Ultimately, Piper writes how we get to a place where we have this "supremely satisfying experience of not being God, but admiring the Godness of God — the strength of God. There settles over us a peaceful realization that admiration of the infinite is the final, all-satisfying end of all things."  At this point, of course, we avoid any attempt to usurp any of God's strength as our own.  Piper points us to 2 Corinthians 4:7 where Paul writes that any power within us is not from us but from God working in us. 

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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 an opportunity to see Your hand in the world and within me and those close to me.  You are amazing!  Thank You Jesus for the grace You pour out on me.  I am not deserving...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.  1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 16:5-24 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "If possible, parting words should always be encouraging and uplifting, particularly after having to speak tough truths in love."

Key excerpts from the introduction: "In what was probably the toughest, hardest letter (1 Corinthians) Paul ever had to write to a church, you can almost hear the relief in his voice once the need for tough love is over. This last section is written on a very upbeat note. Paul is anticipating anticipating a visit to these Corinthian Christians, exhorting them to be open and supportive to others who may want to come work alongside them as well as to stand firm in their faith." 

Divisions per the commentary:

1. A Word of Anticipation (16:5-12): "Paul left unstated that it is obvious that one of the main reasons he wants to spend a good deal of time with this church was that he hoped to rebuild bridges and help them to improve their witness for Christ and their unity in the body.  But Paul may have had an even more practical motive. He could find more gainful employment in Corinth than in almost any other city he visited. Tentmakers were in demand there because of the Isthmian Games, which had high attendance, and because of the two harbors there. Bailey points out that tentmakers would also manufacture sails, and small ships would naturally use “the winter” to get their vessels ready for their shipping season (Paul, 486)."
   
2. A Word of Exhortation (16:13-14): "Paul, within one verse in rapid fire, gives some exhortatory words all in the imperative that are in a sense a call to arms....The Corinthians were to always be on their guard and never go to sleep at their theological post, making sure that false teaching did not corrupt the church....We should never ever apologize for standing firm in the faith and standing for truth and being strong, but we must remember that our tone is extremely important. If truth is not offered in love, even the greatest defense of the faith in the world will fall on deaf ears."
3. A Word of Commendation (16:15-18): "Even though people like [Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus] serve mostly behind the scenes, Paul reminds the Corinthians, we should always give honor to whom honor is due."
   
4. A Word of Salutation (16:19-24): "Paul closes a tough letter with words of tenderness, affection, and greetings from the churches in Asia....If possible, even when conversations are tough by their nature, it is always good to end them on a positive note that includes encouragement and exhortation. Paul actually teaches us in this chapter how to end a low conversation on a high note. He thus reminds us of the importance of maintaining personal relationships and friendships." 
   

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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 - providing mercies that are new every morning and that never cease.  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.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.  1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 16:5-24. Here Paul, as he closes this letter to the church in Corinth, seeks to reassure the church there by sharing how he is coming as quickly as he can as are other leaders, including Timothy (v10).  The presence of well-regarded church leaders is a steadying influence on less mature believers - the church at Corinth certainly had its challenges but it was nonetheless a growing church with faithful believers.  In v13-14, Paul seeks for the church, in the face of sinful influences around them, to "stand firm in the faith" and to "[l]et all that [they did] be done in love." Paul also wants the church to care for one another - fellow believers (v15). Paul concludes the letter be sharing how other leaders in the church send their greetings and love to as they were most assuredly praying for the church in Corinth.  

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 My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God whose mercies are new every morning and never cease, and You provide for all of my needs, physical, emotional, and spiritual.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and 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.

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

1 Corinthians 16

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:2

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Giving will always be a part of the church’s worship, and it should follow some specific guidelines."

Key excerpts from the introduction: "[I]t is refreshing to note that with all the flaws and foibles of the Corinthian church, it was a generous church....We know from another letter that Paul wrote that this collection was for the poor and suffering among the Jewish Christian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26)....In several solid and practical ways, Paul gives us a model that shows how Christians should be financially faithful to the church and how the church should be forensically faithful in managing what is given."

Divisions per the commentary:

1. We Should Give with Sincere Dedication (16:1):"[T]he church in Jerusalem was in the middle of a great economic depression. They were having to minister to thousands of new converts who had come to Christ, and many of them were in desperate need of financial help. Well aware of this, Paul had sent out a communiqué to several Gentile churches he had founded, asking them to help their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Everyone knew what this offering was to be dedicated to; it had a specific purpose. These Corinthian Christians, then, were motivated by a love for and a brokenness over their Jerusalem brothers and sisters. They eagerly agreed to give to this offering because they realized Christianity is a team sport and everyone is on the same team."
2. We Should Give to a Specific Destination (16:2a): "When you worship, you give your voice in exaltation as you praise the character of God. You give your ear in concentration as you listen to the Word of God. You give your mind in meditation as you think about the things of God. You give your heart in adoration as you bask in the love of God. Surely we should also bring our offerings in commemoration as we remember the goodness of God. This is not to be understood as saying that all giving should only be given to any specific church, but I do believe this passage suggests the first financial gifts we give to God should be to the work of the church."
   
3. We Should Give with Steadfast Determination (16:2a): "Paul makes it plain that everybody should give something to this offering. There is no room for exemptions, exceptions, or excuses....The best way to give, though it may certainly be supplemented with spontaneous offerings, is systematically. We should give with a steadfast determination to give as often as our income is refreshed or we have an unexpected inflow of money."
   
4. We Should Give with Studied Deliberation (16:2b)."Therefore, our lives as those he has redeemed should be lived in gratitude for all that God has given to us and done for us."
5. We Should Give with Sober Discrimination (16:3-4): "place. In other words, the money was not only to be given in the church, to the church, and for the church, it was to be managed by the church. It is incumbent on those of us who give money to God’s work to do everything possible to make sure that dollars given toward his work are always used correctly, properly, and wisely."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who provides for all needs - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide.  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.

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

1 Corinthians 16

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.  On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.  1 Corinthians 16:1-2

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 16:1-4.  In light of v1, it's important to see what Paul spoke to Galatia.  There are at least two places in Galatians where Paul spoke of giving, including giving to the poor (Galatians 2:10) and to do good (implied to help) "especially to those who are of the household of faith" (the church) (Galatians 6:10).  This giving is to be done regularly (every week per v2). Giving is also discussed in 2 Corinthians 9 where Paul once again seeks to help the poor and give to the church. This giving is out of an overflowing of love for God and for the church - we are to be cheerful givers, not to give out of compulsion.  Attached to this giving is a promise where believers are "enriched in every way to be generous" (v11). 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who provides for all needs - physical needs, emotional needs and spiritual needs - thank You God for giving abundantly.  I am not deserving of such blessings, including how Your mercies are new every morning and never ceasing.  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. 

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51b-53

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Like the Savior, every saint will be physically raised in a supernatural body impervious to sin and death forever."

Key excerpts from the introduction: "Paul moves from the resurrection of the Savior to the resurrection of the saint, holding to the thesis that the former guarantees the latter."

Divisions per the commentary:

1. Paul Receives a Puzzled Interrogation concerning the Resurrection (15:35): "Some people in the church were questioning not just the possibility but the pattern of the resurrection....Paul launches into his brilliant apologetic for the bodily resurrection of believers."
   
2. Paul Gives Practical Illustrations of the Resurrection (15:36-41): "Since Paul is writing to an agrarian society, this metaphor would easily be understood. You sow a seed in the earth, and in a real sense it dies, decays, dissolves, and disintegrates; but over a period of time, out of the death of that seed comes life. The new life is different from the seed, but it comes from the seed. So our current bodies are like a seed. Just as a seed is buried, so is the body. Just as a seed comes back made better, so does the body....There is an implication here that we will recognize each other in heaven. In a sense, we will be the same in kind as we are here, but we will be different....Paul’s point is essentially this: there is simply no reason you have to check your mind at the door to believe that a corruptible, sinful, physical body can be raised into a supernatural, spiritual, perfect body. After all, there is nothing too difficult for God!"
   
3. Paul Provides Pertinent Information about the Resurrection (15:42-49): "Our aging, dying bodies will one day be transformed into ageless, everlasting bodies....There is going to be both a continuity and a discontinuity between our earthly bodies and our eternal bodies. We will maintain our identities and be the same people, but out bodies will be wonderfully different[.]  The idea of “sown in weakness, raised in power” (v. 43) means our current bodies are limited by time, space, sickness, and breakdown, but our new bodies will be freed from the shackles of fallen humanity....Adam was created in the image of God, but when Adam fell that image was scarred by sin, and every person from then until now has been born bearing that same flawed image.  One day, though, believers will truly bear the image of God....We are not only going to see what Jesus is like, but we are going to be what Jesus is like. Not divine, but perfected."
   
4. Paul Applies the Powerful Inspiration of the Resurrection (15:50-58): "Realizing that one day these decayed, deficient bodies are going to be raised glorious and victorious is a tremendous source of inspiration....We have the promise of the resurrection before us. We have the person of the resurrection above us. We have the power of the resurrection already at work within us. Until that day comes, when we are raised up or taken up, we each should use the body that we have now to do all the good we can for as long as we can, knowing we are getting ready for the body that is unlike any other body that has ever been born." 

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who died for my sins and rose again to give me victory over sin and death - thank You Jesus!  The greatest gift of all time.  I am not deserving of such a gift.  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, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. Today's text builds on Paul's focus on the resurrection providing further details on this important subject:

• vv38-41: God gives all life a body and sustains all in the universe
• vv42-43: All life is perishable but those in God are raised for eternity and made imperishable
• vv44-48: All life is born with a natural body but those in God have a spiritual body and it is Jesus - the last Adam - who gives those in Him this spiritual body
• vv49-53: those in Him have both the natural and spiritual body and upon death or the second coming of Jesus, we "shall be be changed" and "raised imperishable."
• vv54-57: Upon this glorification, believers will experience final victory over sin and death through Jesus who "gives us the victory"
• v58: In light of this victory we can look forward to, believers should press on and be encouraged!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me the certain promise of victory over sin and death.  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.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:20-34 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "The resurrection of Jesus was not a one-off event; it guarantees our resurrection as well, and much more!"

Key excerpts from the introduction: "There was obviously some misunderstanding and misconception in Corinth both about the necessity of a general resurrection and about the quality of any resurrected body. Up to this point in the chapter, Paul has corrected the faulty supposition that one can believe in the resurrection of the Savior but not the resurrection of the saints. He argued that if there is no general resurrection, then one can not possibly believe in a particular resurrection. He showed the devastating consequences of a non-resurrected Jesus. Thankfully, here Paul quickly pivots from the gloom and doom of a purely hypothetical situation to the joyful actuality that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. His resurrection is actually a guarantee of our resurrection."

Divisions per the commentary: 

1. Jesus’s Resurrection Guarantees the Certainty of Future Resurrection (15:20-22): "[S]ince there is an implication that none of these Corinthian believers deny the resurrection of Jesus, they must accept the corollary truth, which is that his resurrection guarantees their resurrection.  This is a great word of comfort to these Corinthian believers, who had seen many loved ones precede them in death. Jesus is the firstfruits of those who have died."
   
2. Jesus’s Resurrection Guarantees the Priority of Future Resurrection (15:23): "There is an interval between the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection of believers in part because the resurrection of believers takes place at the second coming of Jesus. The resurrected Lord will descend, and at that time those who belong to Christ will also be raised and given their new resurrection bodies."
   
3. Jesus’s Resurrection Guarantees the Finality of Future Resurrection (15:24-26): "Though scholars debate what the phrase “the end” refers to, one should not overthink it. Simply understand that this refers to the “end of this age or world-order to be followed by the age to come” (Bruce, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 146). This is “when [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all [other] rule and all authority and power” (v. 24). To that, Schreiner would add, “This almost certainly refers to demonic powers” (1 Corinthians, 314). Demonic powers will not merely be subjugated; they will be annihilated. Make no mistake."
   
4. Jesus’s Resurrection Guarantees the Totality of Future Resurrection (15:27-28): "Perhaps Bruce puts it best and most succinctly: “The kingdom of Christ comes to an end in its present phase, but only to merge in the eternal Kingdom of God, so there is no failure of the prophetic promise that the Messiah’s kingdom will know no end[.]"
   
5. Jesus’s Resurrection Guarantees the Reality of Future Resurrection (15:29-34): "There is no greater truth than the truth that, because Jesus was raised from the dead, so shall we be." 
   

Comment and discuss this text.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me salvation and eternal life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of all 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.