This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many....I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.

Mark 14:24 and Jeremiah 32:40

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many....I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. Mark 14:24, Jeremiah 32:40

I agree with this post on DesiringGod.com that states that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history. As such, I continue with one of the recommendations from the post to prepare for Holy Week, which is to read John Piper's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Today I read reason #14: To Bring Us to Faith and Keep Us Faithful.  Here, John Piper provides very insightful commentary on the difference between the Old Covenant (made between God and Israel in the Old Testament and based on the law of Moses in the Pentateuch) and the New Covenant (made for believers in Jesus and secured by the shedding of His blood).  Piper first defines covenant as "a formal, solemn, and binding agreement" between two parties.  He then shares how the Old Covenant was not effective because "it was not accompanied by spiritual transformation."  The New Covenant of course is because it is based on the Spirit and this covenant should be seen as "supremely effective" (of course more so than than the Old) - see also 2 Corinthians 3:6.  OT prophecies pointed to the New Covenant - see Jeremiah 31:31-34.  The New Covenant based on the Spirit is supremely effective because the Spirit is life giving and it brings about heart and life change based on knowledge of and a relationship with Him through study, prayer and other spiritual disciplines.  See also Ephesians 2:5 where Paul talks about how we are made "alive together with Christ."  God not only gives us faith but He also brings about our obedience such that obedience is not seen as a burden - see also Ephesians 2:8, Romans 1:5, and 1 John 5:3.  Piper wraps the devotion by sharing: "When Christ died, he secured for his people not only new hearts but new security. He will not let them turn from him. He will keep them. They will persevere. The blood of the covenant guarantees it."  Isn't it amazing how God works?  Rejoice!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are amazing indeed!  Thank You for not only securing my faithfulness, but also bring about my obedience, and also making it such that I don't see it as a burden....thank You Jesus!  I know there is more work to do as 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed....It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

Galatians 5:11 and 6:12

But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed....It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Galatians 5:11, 6:12

My preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge today is complete.  Yet because my preparation convicted me that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history I am going to continue reading DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Today I read reason #13: To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation.  I grew up Jewish and never felt a personal connection to God.  For me, being Jewish meant following rituals that had no meaning.  While it is true I never took the time to know God, what I did see of God did not draw me to Him.  Yet I am grateful that God did not give up on me so here I am today as a believer - thank You Father God that You saved me! The devotion entry for today strikes a chord for me because of Jewish upbringing.  It starts by sharing how "circumcision was a huge controversy in the early church. It had a long, respected, biblical place ever since God commanded it in Genesis 17:10. Christ was a Jew. All his twelve apostles were Jews. Almost all the first converts to Christianity were Jews. The Jewish Scriptures were (and are) part of the Bible of the Christian church. It is not surprising that Jewish rituals would come over into the Christian church."  The question over whether circumcision was required to believe came to a head as Paul preached the Gospel to the Gentiles as described in Acts 10:43 and 13:38-39.   The Jerusalem Council settled the matter as described in Acts 15:1 and 5-12. "The answer was clear. If Paul preached circumcision, “the offense of the cross has been removed” (Galatians 5:11). The cross means freedom from the enslavement of ritual. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1)."  Ultimately, circumcision was not only not required to be saved, but none of the other ritual practices described as the ceremonial law (vs the moral law which remains intact) from the Old Testament were required to be saved.  Faith alone saves (Romans 10:10). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, thank You for removing the yoke of works so that I can be saved by faith alone!  I am not deserving of how You softened my heart and saved 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Romans 8:34

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Romans 8:34

Today is the final day of my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge tomorrow.  My preparation continues to leverage DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Today I read reason #12: To Take Away Our Condemnation.  Here, the devotion opens by sharing how Christ's death offers a great conclusion summarized in Romans 8:1 that there is "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  The devotion then describes how "faith in Christ unites us to Christ so that his death becomes our death and his perfection becomes our perfection. Christ becomes our punishment (which we don’t have to bear) and our perfection (which we cannot perform)."  The question is then asked who is to condemn and the devotion answers no one because Christ has already died once and for all of humanity (Romans 6:10).  The devotion concludes by exploring the question of whether believers are condemned by the world and it shares that yes (as evidenced by the many martyrs in scripture and beyond), but not successfully.  "Not successfully" is defined and clarified by pointing to scripture in Romans 8:33, 8:35, 8:37, and 31 where it states that God has justified believers, that even in death we cannot be separated from God's love because as Christ conquered sin and death we will also, and that because God is for us, no condemnation from the world will stop us from joining Christ in Heaven.  How encouraging!  As a final word of encouragement and application, the devotion points us to Proverbs 28:1 where in light of how we have no condemnation we are to be bold as a lion!

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

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross....For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous....For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God....and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--

Philippians 2:8, Romans 5:19, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Philippians 3:9

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross....For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous....For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God....and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--Philippians 2:8, Romans 5:19, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Philippians 3:9

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge this Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Today I read reason #11: To Complete the Obedience That Becomes Our Righteousness.  Building on reason #10 from yesterday, today's devotion explores how God deems believers in Him righteous and that "[j]ustification is not merely the cancellation of my unrighteousness. It is also the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to me."  Believers are encouraged to understand the implications of Christ's death and how through Christ's death our sin was imputed to Him, and His righteousness was imputed to us. God not only pardoned us through justification, but he also declared us righteous.  The devotion shares: "[t]he demands of God for entrance into eternal life are not merely that our unrighteousness be canceled [justification], but that our perfect righteousness be established [sanctification]."  The more one ponders this, it is hard to fathom how a person is not driven to their knees in worship and submission to Jesus Christ as his or her Savior.  Of course, God is the One who saves and there will continue to be mystery in how some are saved and others are not.  For me, I am grateful that God softened my heart and saved me - I am certainly not deserving.

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me, declaring me not only innocent of my sin, but also perfect in my obedience - I am both justified and sanctified!  Thank You!  I am of course 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.   

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God....and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ...For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Romans 5:9, 3:24, and 3:28

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God....and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ...For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 5:9, 3:24, and 3:28

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Today I read reason #10: To Provide the Basis for Our Justification.  The devotion explores how Christ's death vindicates us as not being guilty of our sin - we are justified in God eyes and this of course makes eligible to escape the punishment for our crime of sin.  We still are broken and sinful but in God's eyes we are justified and He declares us to be just or not guilty of our sin. We are referred to Romans 4:5 where is says that God "justifies the ungodly who trust in his grace.  Romans 3:26 and 5:9 describe how God is the justifier of one who has faith in Jesus, and how the shedding of Christ's blood canceled the guilt of our crime of sin. The devotion wraps by sharing how the cancellation of our sins is "essential to justification."  For more on the doctrine of justification - check out this video series from RC Sproul.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that has declared my sins to be cancelled - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You died on the cross for me and continue to intercede on my behalf.  Please once again this morning forgive me for sins of commission and omission that I've done - I know I have sin in my life.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from this 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 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.   

 

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace[.]...for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians 1:7 and Matthew 26:28

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace[.]...for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1:7, Matthew 26:28

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Today I read reason #9: For the Forgiveness of Our Sins.  The devotion explores how Christ's sacrifice addressed two problems with sin: 

1. The cycle of sin, shame, and death (Romans 6:23) for sinners had to be broken and the Old Testament sacrificial system could not do what had to be done. As such, Christ shed his blood (once and for all) to forgive believers of sin - all one must do is repent, believe in and follow Christ in a life of obedience to Him (Romans 10:10).  Other than faith and trust in God, no other consideration must be made to God.  The debt we have with Him is settled.  The devotion shares how this provides grace - we get a gift we don't deserve (grace) and we don't get the gift we do deserve (death). See also Acts 10:43, Isaiah 43:25, and Psalm 103:12.
2. The devotion describes all sin as serious - no degree of sin is unserious.  As such while all of humanity is offered grace, a price had to be paid. The devotion shares: "all sin is serious, because it is against God (see chapter 1). He is the one whose glory is injured when we ignore or disobey or blaspheme him. His justice will no more allow him simply to set us free than a human judge can cancel all the debts that criminals owe to society. The injury done to God’s glory by our sin must be repaired so that in justice his glory shines more brightly....That is why Christ suffered and died."

Rejoice in the gift of grace available for you, repent and believe!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an incredible God that died an excruciating death so that I could have forgiveness of sin.  You willingly did what had to be done for not just my salvation but for all of humanity.  You freely offer to those who believe forgiveness of sins and eternal life - what a gift of grace!  Thank You Father God.  I am not deserving of such as 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For 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

 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 my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  This morning I read reason #8: To Become a Ransom for Many.  The devotion first explores Satan's role in the ransom Jesus paid on the cross, and it shares how Satan did not receive this ransom as there was not victory for Satan - only defeat. God was the one who received this ransom.  We are referred to text in Ephesians 5:2 and Hebrews 9:14 as just two examples where it is described how Jesus gave Himself up and offered Himself to God. The devotion then moves to implications for believers and how once Jesus made this offering of Himself, there is no condemnation for believers in Christ (Romans 8:1). The devotion highlights how scripture refers to Christ as the Son of Man over 65 times - suggesting a "ring of mortality" for the incarnate Son of God. This ransom and price was not coerced - it was offered willingly (John 10:18) and we should recognize that the offer for all (1 Timothy 2:5-6) even though not everyone will be ransomed.  Rejoice in the amazing grace Jesus is and pours out for You as He paid the price for yours and everyone else's sin!

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

And you, who were dead in your trespasses...God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14

And you, who were dead in your trespasses...God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  This morning I read reason #7: To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us.  While scripture does not specifically mention the number of commands in the Old Testament law, it is estimated this number to be 613, contained in the Pentateuch.  As someone who was raised Jewish, I never felt a personal relationship to God, something I definitely feel with Jesus Christ.  For me, being Jewish represented more of a cold and distant reality, which the Old Testament law amounts to when you consider the sheer volume of commands.  As a Christian, I am keenly aware of how no amount self-driven obedience will bring about my salvation - this is purely a gift and an undeserved one. The devotion starts by sharing how it is "a folly it is to think that our good deeds may one day outweigh our bad deeds."  John Piper provides two reasons: (1) it's not true (see also Romans 14:23, 3:19); (2) God does not save by considering the balance of our good vs bad works - He saves by grace alone. Piper shares: "[t]here is no salvation by balancing the records. There is only salvation by canceling records. The record of our bad deeds (including our defective good deeds), along with the just penalties that each deserves, must be blotted out—not balanced. This is what Christ suffered and died to accomplish."  We are urged to consider Jesus as our ONLY hope and the ONLY way to Jesus is through faith (see John 14:6). 

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

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ...Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her[.] 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.

Romans 5:7-8, John 3:16, Ephesians 1:7

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ...Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her[.]...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. Ephesians 5:2, 25, Galatians 2:20

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. This morning, I read reason #6: To Show His Own Love for Us. We are encouraged to see God's death on the cross personally, because He died for all past, current, and future humanity.  He plans and knows each one of us personally (see Psalm 139:13-16) - that is how we know He died for us personally. Also, Christ died for me while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8).  The devotion refers us to scripture where it shares how Christ loved the church and died for her and how there is no greater love than when one lays down His life for His friends (see Ephesians 5:25, John 15:13). We are also encouraged to see how Christ gave His life as a ransom for many and we can be assured to be among this many (see also Matthew 20:28, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:13, Acts 10:43, John 1:12, and John 3:16).  As the devotion winds down it shares: "[H]e paid the highest price possible to give me the greatest gift possible."

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My Prayer: Father God, You are truly an incredible God - the One True God who gave Himself up for me personally so that I could have life now in abundance, and for eternity in Heaven. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and 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.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please 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 one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us...."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life....In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace[.]

Romans 5:7-8, John 3:16, Ephesians 1:7

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us...."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life....In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace[.] Romans 5:7-8, John 3:16, Ephesians 1:7

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Today in an effort to catch up and read as much as possible as part of my 30MAR preparation, I am going to "triple-down" by reading three entries of the devotional.  These three entries look at the following three reasons why Jesus came to die:

3. To learn obedience and be perfected: The devotion shares that although Christ was divine He was also the incarnate Son of God and took on human form.  Yet even as a man, He was sinless and perfectly obedient, despite how he shared all of the "temptations and appetites and physical weaknesses" experienced by all of humanity. We are then referred to Hebrews 5:8 and 2:10 where the devotion describes how Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered."  The trials and suffering Jesus experienced did not make Him more perfect or obedient, yet it did "gradually fulfill...the perfect righteousness that he had to have in order to save us....If the Son of God had gone from incarnation to the cross without a life of temptation and pain to test his righteousness and his love, he would not be a suitable Savior for fallen man. His suffering not only absorbed the wrath of God. It also fulfilled his true humanity and made him able to call us brothers and sisters (Hebrews 2:17)."

4. To achieve His own resurrection from the dead: The commentary shares that "the Bible says he was raised not just after the blood-shedding, but by it." We are referred to Hebrews 13:20.  The devotion continues: Through Christ's death "the righteousness of God was completely vindicated. All that was left to accomplish was the public declaration of God’s endorsement [emphasis added]. This he gave by raising Jesus from the dead....If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then his death was a failure, God did not vindicate his sin-bearing achievement, and we are still in our sins."  See also 1 Corinthians 15:17.

5. To show the wealth of God's love and grace for sinners: The devotion describes how believers should view the measure of God's love: first by "the degree of his sacrifice," and second by "the degree of [our] unworthiness." Christ is described as not just our Savior but also as the One who "conquered the Romans, and brought peace and security to Israel....indeed [He is] king of the world (Isaiah 9:6-7)."  This context is important because it further emphasizes the great sacrifice Christ made on the cross: "it becomes clear that the sacrifice the Father and the Son made was indescribably great—even infinite, when you consider the distance between the divine and the human. But God chose to make this sacrifice to save us."  The devotion then shares how God's love increases all the more when we "consider our unworthiness."  We are undeserving of salvation due to our sin and condemned to death (Romans 6:23). God's grace and love is so great for us!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible and awesome God who knows everything that I experience and can not only empathize with my circumstances, but equip me to overcome anything about my circumstances.  You also died and rose so that I am no longer dead in my sins.  Thank You Jesus.  You also died (and rose) as proof of Your love and grace for me.  Thank You Father God and Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand....And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Isaiah 53:10, Ephesians 5:2

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand....And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Isaiah 53:10, Ephesians 5:2

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die, which I started reading today.  My hope with this devotional is that I can of course primarily prepare my heart for Holy Week and Easter, but also prepare for worship at the The Gardens and The Lodge on 30MAR. Yesterday's devotional/post shared the first reason why Jesus came to die as He came to absorb the wrath of God - we all sin, and the OT sacrificial system and the obedience to the law as a path to God proved insufficient to ensure God's people remained obedient to Him and free from the sting of sin and the associated consequences. God had to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross.  From the devotional, my reading for today is the second reason why Jesus came to die: to please His Heavenly Father.  The devotion highlights how it was God's idea and plan to send His Son to die on the cross and we are referred to 2 Timothy 1:9, and Isaiah 53:4-6.  This plan was set in motion before the ages began and is well documented to be unfolding in the Old Testament, with Isaiah's Messianic prophecies serving as just one example of many from the Jewish scriptures. God's idea to send His Son - is supported in scripture with many examples, including Isaiah 53:10.  We are then connected to the notion that Jesus willingly died on the cross to please the Father and we are referred to Ephesians 5:2.  We must let this sink in! God loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to save us (John 3:16), and Jesus loved the Father (and us) so much that He was willing to die on the cross to please Him AND save us! Rejoice in the love of the Father and the love of the Son!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible awesome God that You gave us Your Son and Jesus that You loved the Father and me to please Him and save me...incredible!  I am not worthy of such acts of love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 
 

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"...God put forward [Christ] as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.... In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Galatians 3:13, Romans 3:25, and 1 John 4:10

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"...God put forward [Christ] as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.... In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Galatians 3:13, Romans 3:25, and 1 John 4:10

As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), this morning I reflect on two posts on DesiringGod.com.  The first entitled Join the 40 Day Feast, How to Prepare Ahead for Easter, which explores how believers can truly claim the Lent tradition.  The second is a post on Advent entitled Christmas Is Too Big for One Day, Why We Celebrate Advent.  This second post explores, as the title suggests, why we celebrate Advent.  It shares that "the entire storyline of the Bible builds to the climax of the Messiah’s birth in that stable over two thousand years ago...Christmas rightly marks the occasion of the long-awaited birth of the Messiah, but there is so much more to Jesus than the day he was born. This is where Advent comes in. While various ecclesiastical traditions have developed distinctive ways of anticipating Jesus’s birth, the underlying premise of the many Advent traditions is sound: Jesus’s birth did not come in a vacuum. His coming was the culmination of centuries, even millennia, of mounting expectation of the coming Messiah and Savior of humankind. This is no ordinary child. And this is no ordinary birth. This is the coming of God himself in human flesh. This is the most important arrival in the history of the world. This marks the earthly beginnings of the gospel of God’s in-person rescue of his people from sin, suffering, destruction, and death. And this is far too glorious to contain to only one day’s celebration."  I agree with the sentiments of this post and based on my reflections thus far (see initial reflection yesterday) on Easter, a similar argument can be made regarding Easter and I would also agree with the sentiments of the post referenced yesterday how Holy Week is "the important week in the history of the world."  As such, I believe it is appropriate to celebrate Lent as a practice for Holy Week and Easter, which leads me to the second post Join the 40 Day Feast....  Here, you can find a link to a 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die, which I started reading today.  My hope with this devotional is that I can of course primarily prepare my heart for Holy Week and Easter, but also prepare for worship at the The Gardens and The Lodge on 30MAR. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who sent His Son to die on the cross...for me and my sin. Thank You Father God and Thank You Jesus for willingly laying down Your life for me.  An incredible and unimaginable gift that I will never truly comprehend until I meet Jesus face to face.  I am of course not deserving of such a gift as my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. 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 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us....that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Romans 5:8 and Ephesians 3:16-19

...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us....that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Romans 5:8, Ephesians 3:16-19

In support of preparing to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR, I pause on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume.  The theme for worship on this occasion is to prepare hearts for Holy Week (starting Palm Sunday 13APR and culminating on Easter 20APR) - which DesiringGod.com refers to as "the most important week in the history of the world."  For those of us who are students of history (my undergraduate degree and an ongoing interest), and more importantly, for those of us who are believers, such a statement should move us to more closely examine if this is true, and if so, to both understand what implications this might have for us, and how we should respond.  As a starting point, my focus this morning is an initial review and reflection on the post that makes this statement.  In support of the statement that Holy Week is the most important week in the history of the world, the post shares how all four of the gospel accounts dedicate much of its writings to Holy Week, including Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-16, Luke 19-24 and John 12-21.  The post then shares:  "it could even be said that all the Old Testament anticipates this week, and the rest of the New Testament reflects it in theology and practical living."  Indeed, as snapshots of Holy Week, Christ's death and resurrection alone comprise the very essence of the gospel and as believers we should do more than simply celebrate Easter as a single day but reflect on the implications of Easter on our faith.  Two such implications are recorded by Paul: (1) Romans 5:8, and (2) Ephesians 3:16-19.  Romans 5:8 shares that Christ died for us while still sinners, of course emphasizing how we as believers are not deserving of the salvation He freely gives us and how this salvation is only attained first through Christ's gruesome death on the cross, which He submits to willingly.  Ephesians 3:16-19 is jam packed with doctrine but what jumps out at me initially is how Paul seeks for us to have strength to comprehend the dimensions (which cannot be measured) of God love and to be filled with the fullness of God.  I believe that both of these texts (1) and (2) work together as a starting point to further prepare for Holy Week and Easter.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, what an incredible God You are in how You sent Your Son Jesus to die for me and then You raised Him from the dead so that He could be seated next to You in Heaven.  You defeated sin and death and You are saving a place for me in Heaven.  Thank You! I am not deserving of such blessings and 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.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.          

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

Malachi 2:17-3:5

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Malachi 3:1-3

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 2:17-3:5. The commentary emphasizes the main idea is one where God's people question Him whether He is a God of justice as they perceive His delight in wickedness (3:17).  God of course, in the same verse, shares how He is annoyed and frustrated by such a perception.  The commentary then shares how he will send His messenger (Christ) to "purify the priesthood and judge Israel."  Here are excerpts from the following divisions provided for the text:

• Israel Accuses God of Injustice for Allowing the Wicked to Prosper (2:17): "Basically, the people are becoming impatient with the rampant immorality and the political corruption in Israel. They say, in essence, “God, why are you making the wicked prosper? Do you find joy in their transgressions? Where is your justice?"  Of course, believers should understand that God alone is judge and His justice both perfect and in His time (see also Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35). Believers should also be careful in accusing God of lacking justice because we all sin and the wages of sin are death so Israel would have been justifiably wiped out if God was not a God of grace and love and patience with Israel's questioning.    
  
• God Defends His Justice, Promising Vindication through His Appointed Messenger (3:1): Christ is described as God's Messenger: "So, who is the approaching “Messenger of the covenant?” He is the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, God incarnate. Jesus’ entry into the temple precincts during the week of His passion is the fulfillment of this prophecy. John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord by summoning the people of Israel to repentance. With the scene set, God, in the form of man, enters His temple and evaluates His people."  The text alludes to Christ's judgement of how in the temple He judged the money-changers in the temple (see also Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-47, John 2:14-16).  
  
• God’s Promised Vindication Begins with the Purification of Israel’s Priestly Leadership (3:2-3): God's people are molded into His image, often through trials and suffering - see also Hebrews 12:5-6, 11, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  Although Malachi's messages was intended primarily for the priesthood, we as believers are also urged to examine our own lives for sin and to assess our spiritual condition. The commentary shares: "praise God for purging us through suffering. The goal of God is to conform us into the image of His Son. It is not to make us happy. It is not to keep us healthy. It is not to make us wealthy. It is to conform us into the image of His Son (see also Romans 8:29)."  
  
• God’s Promised Vindication Culminates with the Judgment of His People Israel (3:4-5):  God makes explicit how He will judge all, not just the priesthood.  The commentary shares: "the fear of the Lord preserves us for the Day of Judgment. It teaches us to live in light of God’s grace and mercy. Without this proper fear, we are prone to forget the radical nature of the good news of the gospel and to wander from our covenant God. If we lack fear, we may be judged through fire to be lacking worth, showing that we had never truly surrendered to God in the first place." 
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, thank You for providing scripture to help reveal sin in my life.  I want to please honor and glorify You.  You are worthy!  I, on the other than, remain broken and sinful, and undeserving of my salvation and grace - which You pour out daily.  Thank You Jesus for my salvation and for the grace You pour out daily that never ceases.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

Malachi 2:17-3:5

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Malachi 3:1-3

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is an unassisted review of Malachi 2:17-3:5.  Here God continues to deliver words of admonishment to His people who have offered imperfect sacrifices (priesthood), who treat each other poorly and who is faithless in marriages. Now in 2:1-2 God speaks rhetorically to His people who are questioning why He is angry with them - as Israel demonstrates a remarkable lack of self-awareness of their sin, which for any reasonable observer would be clear about such sin.  Then God in vv1-5 shares how He is returning, including a reference to how God will send His Son Jesus as a messenger, and how ultimately Jesus will be coming again in the final days and this will be a difficult time for those who do not believe to endure His wrath.  God refers to how He is a refiner's fire and how He molds us into His image, often through trials and suffering.  As we become more like Him, our lives will be pleasing to Him. Believers lives should reflect love and reverent fear of God and also reflect Jesus in our love of others - otherwise we will be tossed aside and into the fire of judgement during the final days.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who molds me into more of Your image, demonstrating incredible grace and patience.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your grace and certainly not 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 an 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message to me today and every day.

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring.

Malachi 2:10-16

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring. Malachi 2:14-15

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 2:10-16.  Commentary outlines this text with the following divisions:

1. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to One Another (2:10): God first admonishes Israel for its poor treatment of one another - disobedience to the 2nd greatest commandment to love others (as God has loved us - John 13:34).
   
2. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to the Precepts of God (2:11-12): Next, God calls us Israel for their specific sins relating to their relationship with Him, including how "they have profaned the Lord through theft, murder, adultery, and deceit. Worst of all, they have chased after false gods—the ultimate betrayal of their covenantal relationship with Him.... They apparently ignored the precepts of God for personal profit and intermarried with pagan women after divorcing the wives of their youth. God strictly forbade these actions in the OT, but not because He discriminated against ethnic groups. The issue is not racial exclusivity. It is an issue of inclusivity and protection of His covenant people from idolatry (see also Deuteronomy 7:3)....The problem with marrying someone who is an unbeliever isn’t merely that they belong to a different religious organization. The problem with marrying an unbeliever is the different worldview through which they view all things. They perceive the world differently than a believer does. Christians have a certain system, a lens through which they view the world. An unbeliever does not look through that same lens."  We are reminded that God does not seek watered down obedience - or partial obedience.
   
3. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to Their Marriage Partners (2:13-14): We are referred to multiple texts on God's design for marriage, including Mark 10:6-9 (where Jesus refers to Genesis 2).  God clearly was disappointed in Israel towards the husbands who divorced their wives and married pagan women. We are reminded that the marriage covenant is reflection of the covenant between God and His children.  God hates divorce.
   
4. Covenant Renewal Begins with Faithfulness to the Covenant of Marriage (2:15-16): We are exhorted to follow the precepts of God - to make God the most important relationship then to love others as God loved us.  Through our vertical relationship to the Father we can maintain healthy horizontal relationships with others. See also this post from John Piper on DesiringGod.com.
   

Comment and discuss this post.

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

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring.

Malachi 2:10-16

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring. Malachi 2:14-15

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is an unassisted review of Malachi 2:10-16.  Here, God's message delivered through Malachi is directed towards God's people who have aligned themselves with those who worship foreign gods, and in particular the husbands who have been unfaithful to their wives, of course leading to offspring who are not trained in the ways of the Lord.  Vv10-12 describe Judah's faithlessness towards one another by marrying those who worship foreign gods.  Of course such deeds are prone to lead to adopting the worship of foreign gods, which then leads to faithlessness within the marriage and faithless children in such marriages.  VV14-15 share how God sought His people to be faithful to the marriage covenant He created (see also this post from DesiringGod.com).  V16a then describes how these marriages play out, more likely than not in divorce which the text describes as "cover[ing] garment[s] with violence."  V16b offers an antidote: "guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."  We can of course guard ourselves in our spirit through practices of spiritual disciplines such as study of God's Word, prayer, worship, etc. Ephesians 6:10-20 also shares the "whole armor of God."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who guards my heart and Spirit - thank You Father God for providing Your Son, the Holy Spirit, Your Word, and so much more that offers not just salvation, but protection, refuge, direction, provision, etc.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome such 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 2:1-9

True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. Malachi 2:6-7

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 2:1-9.  With the focus being God's judgement upon the priesthood, the commentary outlines the following divisions:

1. God’s Curse against Israel’s Priests for Their Depraved and Apathetic Worship (2:1-3)
2. God Reminds Israel’s Priests of Their Covenantal Role Model, Levi (2:4-7)
3. Four Ways Israel’s Priests Failed to Follow the Covenant Role Model of Levi (2:8-9)
   

In particular, commentary for the 2nd division offers useful insights for us to see re: how Levi modeled attributes any leader (church, parent, etc.) should seek, including:

• Godly commitment towards the role God places people in
• Godly character, most prominently demonstrated through a reverent fear of God, including a "mixture of reverence, fear, pleasure, joy, and awe that should fill a worshiper’s heart when giving reverence to God."
• Godly communication; someone "who stands on the infallible, inerrant Word of God, preaches the entire counsel of God, and leaves the results to God."  This attribute is also demonstrates how you guard the Word by "giving it away" to others. 
  

It is sad to note how the priesthood in Malachi's time failed God and ultimately failed God's people and this led to separation from God and silence for 400 years until God sent Jesus as the incarnate Son of God to do away with the fallible nature of the Old Testament Levitical priesthood.  The good news is that Jesus is our great High Priest - see also Hebrews 4:14-16.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, thank You for being the Great High Priest who continues to intercede for me and my sin - and for my salvation.  I am not deserving for my salvation and for how You continue to interceded 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 2:1-9

True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. Malachi 2:6-7

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is a review of Malachi 2:1-9, which continues from the past couple of days where God admonished the priesthood for its failure to point God's people to Himself with proper worship for the One True God.  God's message to the priesthood is pointed and it includes a promise (God does not make empty threats) to the priesthood should they not listen or take His message and command to heart (vv1-2a).  V2b shares how God has already cursed them because of their sin so far.  V3 describes God's very graphic punishment seems to imply that God sought to bring shame and guilt to the priesthood by spreading dung in their faces - the very dung from their imperfect offerings (see posts from past couple of days).  God's wrath will also reach down to the offspring of the priesthood - a very clear message that God does not trust the leadership to rise up and disciple Godly children to be the next generation of priests.  God's wrath also shares how the priesthood will be taken away - implying at the very least that they will be removed from their role, but likely much more harsh, perhaps exiled in some form.  V4, it appears, summarizes how God sought to deliver this message to the priesthood with an eye towards maintaining His covenant with the tribe of Levi - the traditional priesthood. God then shares this covenant with the tribe of Levi in vv5-6 and how the priesthood of Levi kept is promise to fear God and to be in awe of Him.  His instruction and speech was true...he lived peacefully and righteously and "turned many from" sin. V7 reminds us of the awesome responsibility of the priesthood to guard knowledge (from being polluted by false teaching), such that it can be used for the benefit of others who seek God's Word.  V8 then returns to God's view of the priesthood that they failed to do what He sought and "caused many to stumble by [their] instruction" and "corrupted the covenant of Levi."  The text for today concludes with v9 which shares how God makes the Levitical priesthood "despised and abased before all the people."  Such a punishment foreshadows how Jesus will ultimately become our great High Priest although he is from the tribe of Judah.  For believers this is certainly a wake up call and reminder for those in positions of responsibility, not just pastors, but also parents who are called to train and disciple their children in the Word and ways of God.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You for my salvation and the blessings You continue to pour out every morning and that never cease.  Thank You for putting Godly leadership in my path to point me to You.  I am not deserving of how You save and 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:6-14

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:11

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.  Today, I complete a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 1:6-14. The commentary offers both an introduction, two divisions for this text, and a conclusion that summarizes the text and offers application.   

Excerpts from the introduction:

• Given God's judgement on the priesthood in the text for their failure to lead worship with all of their heart, soul and mind - to offer their best - the text offers us an opportunity to examine our own worship to test whether we are truly offering God our best.  Worship is described as "an attitude of one's heart" towards God.  
• Based on what God has done and continues to do for us we should be loving, fearing and worshipping God!

Highlights from the commentary for the two divisions:

• God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Depraved Actions of Worship (1:6-12) 
• God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Apathetic Attitudes toward Worship (1:13-14)

The priesthood in Malachi's time had grown cold in their worship.  As an example, they offered not perfect, spotless sacrifices, but blemished and imperfect sacrifices.  They did not offer their best.  This of course was reflective of their heart towards God - despite who God is, what He had already done, and continues to do for them (and us). God not only expects our best but He deserves it!  He is worthy! For believers of today, there are many distractions that we allow to separate us from a worship of Him.  We should throw ourselves at the mercy of God to forgive us when we do this - He will welcome us back if we truly return to Him with a repentant heart and if we recommit to loving Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind.  The commentary shares how we cannot hide from God - He knows our heart.   

Excerpts from the conclusion:

• Text to consider for appropriate responses: Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5. 
• Recommended applications: (1) offer your body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), (2) offer finances to God as spiritual sacrifice (Philippians 4:14-18), (3) offer praise to the Lord (Hebrews 13:15), (4) offer up good works (Hebrews 13:16), (5) offer up those who have accepted the gospel as a result of your sharing (Romans 15:16).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who is worthy of my praise and worship!  Thank You for my salvation and for the mercies You pour out for me every day and that never cease.  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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:6-14

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:11

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.  Today, I complete an unassisted review of Malachi 1:6-14.  Here, God specifically calls out the priesthood - right away calling them by name in v6. They don't believe they are despised or polluted God's name - God responds rhetorically in vv-7-8 by offering not spotless, perfect or unblemished sacrifice, but instead blind animals or animals that lame or sick.  God shares how He will not accept offerings from the priesthood, implying there is sin that must be repented before approaching God. V11 shares God declaration that His name will be great among the nations and that offerings to Him will be pure or holy. Vv12-13 describes once again God's judgement of the priesthood for not just their imperfect offerings but also their lack of awareness of their sin. The text closes with God sharing once again how He is great and His name will be feared among the nations.  We should be careful with how we approach God - certainly not arrogantly thinking we are without sin - all of us sin...daily, and should ask God to reveal our sin, either through scripture, the Holy Spirit, or through others that point this out to us.  Often times it takes someone to do this as God appoints someone to do this for us.  Nathan stands out as an example of someone appointed by God to point out David's sin (see 2 Samuel 12).  We should be encouraged to have brothers and sisters in our lives to do this for us - God intends for us to live in fellowship not just with Him but also with fellow believers who can support and encourage us in our walk with Christ. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God full of grace and love and Your mercies are both new every morning and they never cease!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor of any of the mercies You continue to pour out for me.  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 my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”

Malachi 1:2-5

Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!” Malachi 1:5

I return to my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book, moving on to Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.  Today, I complete a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 1:2-5 by reading the text accompanied by the commentary's introduction to this book, as well as commentary specifically for 1:2-5 - which has three divisions.  

In the introduction, the commentary shares the following excerpts:

• "Throughout Malachi we will see how God, as a loving Father, confronts, corrects, and challenges the people of Israel about straying from Him. No one is excluded."
• "Malachi is a call for Israel to return to God before the Messiah comes to earth, for it was written to a people who lived in expectation of Him, but who had not yet seen Him."
• "Fortunately, the message of Malachi is not only for those who hadn’t yet encountered the Messiah, for its message is not merely, “shape up, because the Messiah is coming”; it is, “evaluate yourself, for you are not measuring up to what is required of you.” Just as the people in Malachi’s day were to introspectively evaluate their walks with God, we must take an inventory of our lives as well."
• Malachi in the text is referred to as "My Messenger" or "My Angel," and this reference has multiple meanings including word of the Lord to Israel, word of the Lord to the priesthood, the forerunner to the Messiah, and the Messiah Himself.
• Malachi was a contemporary of Nehemiah - see also this overview of the book of Nehemiah.
• The audience of the book is a unified Israel and written during 450 and 430 BC after Cyrus of Persia's decree that all Jews return to the land of their forefathers. 
• The temple has been rebuilt and the priesthood reestablished.
• Moral degradation is at all-time high.
• Malachi looks forward to the Messiah.
  

Looking at the text 1:2-5, the commentary outlines the following divisions:

• 1:2a God substantiates His love for His people through His declaration: Although throughout the OT Israel often misses it, God repeatedly asserts His love for His people by protection of Israel and punishment of its enemies.  One such example is how God rescued Israel out of bondage from Egypt while Pharaoh and his armies drowned in the Red Sea.  Of course, there are MANY others! For believers, we should be reminded that God loved us first and while we were still sinners, hostile and an enemy to Him!
• 1:2b God substantiates His love for His people through His election: Our actions do not determine our faith - instead our faith is a gift from God delivered as a result of God's purpose alone.  The commentary points to how the text uses the example of Esau and how Paul describes God's love for Jacob (vs Esau) in Romans 9:10-12 and shares: "God’s election, then, is not influenced by human interaction or cooperation. He chose Abraham out of all the people of the world. He chose Abraham’s son, Isaac, instead of his half-brother, Ishmael. He chose Jacob over his older brother, Esau. He chose the Israelites over all other nations. But He did not choose them based on their merit....The point is not that God loved Jacob more than Esau, but that He desired to make a covenant with Jacob instead of Esau. Consequently, the reason why election is referred to in Malachi 1 is not to create a sense of exclusion. Instead, election is deployed by the prophet to comfort and reassure the people of God."  
  
• 1:3-5 God substantiates His love for His people through His rejection: "God’s rejection of Edom is a response to their wickedness. There is a contrast in the text between wicked Edom and blessed Israel....God’s love for Israel should not be left to speculation. He pointed the people to a historical event to prove His love: the people of God had been brought back from Babylonian captivity while the land of Edom remained in perpetual ruin."
  

The doctrine of election is intended to humble us, reminding us that God's love for believers is not the result of anything we did or do.  We should not respond with a sense of entitlement nor arrogance and we should not be self-reliant as God alone provides - John 15:5 reminds us that apart from God we can do nothing.  We should also see how God loves us even in our punishment, and that He welcomes back those who repent as the commentary closes with a reference to the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and love me - not because of anything I do or did, but simply because You are full of grace.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any 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 continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family,  my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”

Malachi 1:2-5

Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!” Malachi 1:5

I return to my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book, moving on to Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.  The commentary provides an introduction to this book, as well providing the first chapter of the commentary by dividing up 1:2-5 into three divisions.  Today, however, I review 1:2-5 unassisted by the commentary.  Here, the prophet Malachi speaks to Israel and responds to Israel's doubt over God's love of His people.  The primary message here is how God loves His people by protecting them from their enemies.  One of these such enemies is Edom, the land and people that descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, first discussed in Genesis 25.  Jacob stole Esau's birthright and Esau was greatly angered, and married an Ishmaelite.  While Jacob and Esau reached somewhat of a truce later, the Edomites and Israel frequently warred and hated each other.  God loved Jacob (later renamed Israel as he would become father of the Israelite nation) but hated Esau (Edom) (v3).  God remained angry with Edom forever (v4). God challenged Israel to see His love for His people using this example of how His name is feared by Israel's enemies (v5).  God protects His people.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and protects - thank You Father!  I am not deserving of how You preserve and protect me, from both the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus.  With You I know I will overcome the world!  I am not deserving my salvation nor such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dsutin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.     

Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Acts 13:1-12

 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Acts 13:12

While I have completed my study of Zechariah and it's time to transition to Malachi (as part of my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book), I continue a pause before moving to Malachi to study Acts 13-14 as preparation for my Sunday school discussion this upcoming Sunday.  For today, I lean on sermon delivered by John Piper covering Acts 13:1-12.

• Acts is narrative of how the book of Acts is a transition from how God sent His Son Jesus into the world to how Christ sent the church into the world. Churches out to be not in maintenance mode but in mission mode.
  
• Acts 13 is a great example of mission mode. 
• God's mission heart started at Advent to send His Son that extends to His church to save cannot be stopped.  God softened the heart of leaders such as Sergius Paulus who pave the way to lead others to Him (v7, 12). He also removes obstacles such as Bar Jesus/Elymas that seek to stop God's mission (vv6-11).
• The straight paths of the Lord vv8,10 represent God's mission to bring Good News to the world and to bring many to Himself in faith.  God has straight paths - He gives wisdom and He removes obstacles. We pray, we fast, we seek and God provides straight paths. 
  
• The proconsul believed - this is the straight path in this text.  God used Elymas as a means to demonstrate His might to Sergius Paulus.  God uses these obstacles for His purpose to bring about His plan. 
• Grow, press on in mission mode. Don't slip into maintenance mode.
• Don't let the Elymas characters of the world stop you - there are these characters in our lives; trust in God, pray, seek Him and God will make straight a path to His purpose. 
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God and my Savior!  I have seen how You have made straight the paths in my life to bring about Your purpose in my life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and 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.