We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

1 John 5

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19

I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of 1 John 5:13-21, focusing specifically on a review of the main idea for the entirety of the text, the commentary's introduction/overview for this text, and the second division - which is "We Can Know That We Belong to God (1 John 5:19)." This verse compares the assurance of believers knowing that we are from God (and all of the blessings that flow from this - see also Romans 8:1), with the concern that should befall those who are not in Christ as they are slaves to their sin and without hope.  This assurance for believers is more fully described in v19 where John describes how "the evil one" (Satan) is not able to "touch" believers or snatch away their salvation (see also post yesterday).  The commentary further elaborates on the influence of Satan on unbelievers, sharing "those caught up in the lies and futility of this world-system are controlled and captivated by the power and authority of Satan himself[.]"  We are referred to 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Matthew 13:4,9, Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, and 1 John 2:15-17. The commentary continues by sharing that "[w]e are in a global conflict with an enemy that influences and in many instances controls cultures, societies, finances, and even governments. This “evil empire” under “the sway of the evil one” opposes with vehemence the advancement of the gospel, ministries of mercy, and care for the weak and helpless. He hates who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. This requires on our part a wartime mentality and commitment. Sacrifices must be made, and strategies bathed in spiritual wisdom must be created and implemented." If we abide in Him, He will protect us!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who protects from the evil one - giving me the full armor of God!  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of my salvation nor Your protection.  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 Your 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 know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

1 John 5

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18

I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of 1 John 5:13-21, focusing specifically on a review of the main idea for the entirety of the text, the commentary's introduction/overview for this text, and the second division - which is "We Can Know Victory over Sin (5:18)." Broadly, in this letter, John seeks to reassure us of our new birth, that we are a new creation and the commentary lists "no less than 13 evidences of the new birth in this letter."  Specifically in this verse - v18 - John provides "affirmations" or our victory over sin.  If we are a new creation, (1) we are no longer slaves to sin - it is not a "pattern" of our lives, (2) Jesus protects us in our daily battle with sin - see also John 17:12, 1 Peter 1:5, and Jude 24; and (3) Satan is not able to "seize" our souls. "Satan may grab at us and tempt us through doubt, friends who fall away, idols, fleshly enticements, and worldly allurements, but because of the power of Christ he cannot get us." We are reminded of earlier text in 1 John 3:8 where John shares how Jesus came to "destroy the works of the devil."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God because You give me victory over sin - sin is no longer a pattern in my life, and You protect me and prevent Satan from seizing my soul.  My salvation is sealed and cannot be taken from me.  Thank You Jesus!  What incredible blessings!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Romans 7

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7:19

I pause my study of 1,2,3 John (using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books) to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which focuses on the apostle Paul's struggle with sin and his Godly posture and response to this struggle.  Romans 7 captures this struggle, Paul's posture and his response, starting with v14 and running through v25. Paul shares the daily struggle all believers face with sin - regardless of where we are in the sanctification spectrum.  I DESIRE to do good and please God, but I often falter and sin anyway.  We all sin and need a Savior.  Until we meet Jesus face-to-face in Heaven, all believers continue to sin, despite our desires to please God and how God is in us (Holy Spirit). Paul shares how just as God is in Him, so is sin (v20).  Paul's personal battle and struggle with sin is shared in more detail in v19, and vv21-23.  In the Solid Joys daily devotion for today, John Piper uses Paul's model as he lays out the antidote for when we falter: "[w]e should say": 

• "I love the law of God. (verse 22)
• I hate what I just did. (verse 15)
• Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? (verse 24) 
• Thanks be to God! The victory will come through Jesus Christ my Lord. (verse 25)"

We are encouraged to follow Paul's model and avoid "hypocrisy, posing, boasted perfectionism, [and] churchy pasted smiles or chipper superficiality."  We must also be self aware enough to avoid "blindness to our own failures" and avoid judging others.  We must focus on our own faults vs those of others.  We are urged to embrace "honesty, candor, and humility" as Paul did.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is so full of grace and compassion and I know I can run back into Your arms when I sin and You will never stop loving me and offering the same mercies that are new every morning and never cease.....thank You Jesus for Your amazing grace!  Of course 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.  

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8b

I maintain a pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I continue using DesiringGod.com's Advent devotions where I pick up on Day 20.  Here, John Piper encourages believers to unite with unbelievers in what he refers to in the devotion title: Christmas Solidarity. The devotion starts with Piper describing how Satan goes about his business cranking out sin via an "assembly line" and then by distributing them via "huge cargo planes."  As this sin is "spread out before God...[Satan] laughs and laughs and laughs."  The devotion then shares that Satan's objective is to make God the laughingstock of Satan and to draw people away from "the light and beauty and purity and glory of God."  For Satan, "[n]othing pleases him more than when creatures distrust and disobey their Maker."  The devotion then pivots to its connection to Christmas and how the birth of the incarnate Son of God - Jesus Christ - offers hope and good news for sinners - believers and non-believers alike.  We are referred to 1 Timothy 1:15 and 1 John 3:8 where Paul and John share that Christ came to save sinners and to defeat sin.  The devotion concludes with John Piper encouraging believers and non-believers to unite in solidarity, and to go "on strike" against Satan's "business" of sin.  Piper writes: "Christmas Solidarity will not give up until a complete shutdown has been achieved.  When sin has been destroyed, God’s name will be wholly exonerated. No one will be laughing anymore.  If you want to give a gift to God this Christmas, walk off the assembly line of sin and don’t go back. Take up your place in the picket line of love. Join Christmas Solidarity until the majestic name of God is cleared, and he stands glorious amid the accolades of the righteous." 

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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 - giving me the full armor of God to protect me in my daily battle with sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving as my sin 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.      

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ[.]

Titus 2

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ[.] Titus 2:11-13 (ESV)

I maintain my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  This morning, on week 4-day 5, the focus is Titus 2:11-13 and scripture memorization for this text.

• For the grace of God has appeared: God is real and His presence manifests through God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Word...and in all things (Colossians 1:16-17).  This is of course true for believers but it is also true for non-believers as Romans 1:20 states that even for those who deny God, they clearly perceive Him "[and] his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature...ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."
• God brings salvation for all people: Believers must profess and share God's Word with everyone per the command in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20).  John Piper shares that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was perfect except it lacked a public presentation of the gospel to all nations - this is the role of believers - to go into the all corners of the world and to share.  God brings salvation through His people - the saints. 
  
• This grace also trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives as we battle the dark forces of sin in this world and seek to bring the Good News into this world.
• While believers seek to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, we are waiting for our blessed hope - the second coming of Jesus Christ as He promises to return at the end of times. This blessed hope helps us endure through whatever is thrown at us - we know that this life is temporary and God is saving a place for us in Heaven.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and You give me my salvation that trains me and You give me a blessed hope - thank You!  I am not deserving of these 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.   

Jesus Christ[,]...gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2

Jesus Christ[,]...gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:13-14

I continue my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  Today, my focus is once again Titus 2:11-12 - the memory verse for the 1st two weeks of our study - unlike yesterday I lean on DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book (Lab) for Titus 2:11-14. First, John Piper shares how the grace of God (v11) trains (v12) us negatively to "renounce ungodliness and worldly passions," and positively to "live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives." He then unpacks how the grace of God also gives us an ability to wait for the "blessed hope" (v13) believers have as we trust in the promise that Jesus will return. He then unpacks how God not only gave us grace, but also himself (v14) - Jesus Christ - "to redeem us from all lawlessness [negative] and to purify [positive] for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."  He wraps the lab by describing how God's grace or Christ's self-giving trains us "by producing in us a joyful, confident, hope of 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 - training me to become more like You and to equip me for Your will for my life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace, compassion, training, and equipping - 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.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. The main idea from the commentary*: "avoid sin by remembering God’s work in the past among the Hebrews and by depending on God’s faithfulness."  The introduction* describes this main idea by emphasizing v11 where Paul shares that Israel's failings to remain obedient to God - primarily (but not limited to) to love God above all others - described in the Old Testament are given to believers "for our instruction" to be prepared for when Jesus returns. The following divisions* are provided to unpack the text for today:   

1. Spiritual Blessings Do Not Guarantee Us God’s Pleasure (10:1-5): Paul seeks to "draw parallels between Israel (our ancestors) and the church." Similar (a foretaste compared to the new covenant with Christ) to how Israel and Moses experienced rescue and blessings during the exodus, believers in Christ share salvation, "blessings and privileges from our God." One such blessing shared by both Israel and believer is how God was with Israel as the cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:20-21). To describe how God delivered Israel - another blessing - "Paul draws an analogy between Moses (a type of Christ) leading the people to pass through the waters of the Red Sea and Christian baptism (Romans 6:1-14)." Paul then describes how Israel and believers in the church both ate "the same spiritual food" - all coming from God. Paul then moves from blessings to warning as just as God was not pleased with most of Israel in the wilderness (as many were either struck down or otherwise perished in the wilderness), God is not pleased with believers such as those practicing sexual immorality in Corinth.  Be on guard for sin creeping into your life. "This gets to the heart of Paul’s concern for the Corinthians and Paul’s concern for us. To begin well is no guarantee one will finish well."     
   
2. Spiritual Blessings Do Not Insulate Us from Divine Judgment (10:6-10): The commentary describes another "history lesson" from Paul as the text points us to Numbers 11:18-34 where Israel got "too cozy" with sin.  Paul specifically warns us of idolatry (v7) and sexual immorality (v8) problems for both Israel (Numbers 25:1-9) and Corinth.  Paul continues as he compares how both Israel and Corinth tested God (v9) and how both grumbled against God (v10). God's anger burned against Israel and if believers are not on guard His anger will burn against us.  
   
3. Spiritual Blessings Do Not Protect Us from Personal Temptations (10:11-13): Paul concludes the text for today by warning us against temptation while at the same time reminding us that Christ is the "way of escape" as He provides all we need to battle against sin.
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who equips me with everything that I need to battle sin - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me.  My sin 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.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

1 Corinthians 10

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.  Here Paul pivots from the gospel being "of first importance" (see posts from previous two days) and how we are to exercise self-control and self-discipline in our race towards glorification, to warnings against idolatry, an acute problem in Corinth at the time.  According to John MacArthur, "some of the Corinthian Christians, in the name of Christian liberty, in the name of their so-called freedom in Christ, we’re attending idolatrous activities. They had decided that an idol is nothing, and they were right; an idol isn’t anything. The idol certainly isn’t the god they think it is, and that God really isn’t too concerned about those forms of ritual that people carry on, and that isn’t really what it appears to be.  And so, consequently, it’s kind of insignificant, and it wouldn’t hurt if the Christians kind of got involved." In today's text, Paul of course seeks to admonish those who wrongly think that just because idols - and do not compare to the One True God - are not real that it's not a big deal to pursue idol worship.  Paul first starts by reminding them how God was with the Israelites as they escaped Egypt and crossed the Red Sea on dry land.  All of this, including how Moses repeatedly served as intercessory for Israel, was provided as a foretaste of how Jesus would intercede on behalf of all humanity across all of redemptive history.  Believers share in the same (albeit Israel's experience was a shadow of things to come) experience of Israel that we have One who intercedes and serves as our Savior (vv1-4).  Paul then reminds us that despite God being One who abounds in love, He is a jealous God that commands us to love Him more than any others - thus His anger burned on many occasions in the Old Testament when Israel pursued idol worship and we are warned to avoid the fate Israel suffered when God's anger burned (vv5-12).  Paul then concludes the text for today by sharing the hope that only Jesus provides as He knows the temptations we face and if we remain in Him God is faithful to give us what we need to battle sin.

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 Jesus!  Thank You for being faithful to me and giving me all I need to defend against temptation and sin.  I am not deserving of such blessings!  My sin is great and it often feels overwhelming...and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1 Peter 5

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

I pause my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which looks at sin and Satan.  Piper starts by bluntly stating that "[t]he two great enemies of our souls are sin and Satan. And sin is the worst enemy, because the only way that Satan can destroy us is by getting us to sin, and keeping us from repenting."  Satan and Sin entered the world at the Fall (Genesis 3) and will remain with us until they are both ultimately defeated at the end of age (Revelation).  Until the end of the age, God keeps Satan on a leash (see also God's providence over Satan and sin) and Piper shares that the "only way he can do us ultimate harm is by influencing us to sin, and keep us from repentance."  Piper quotes scripture that describes how Satan tries to do just this, including Ephesians 2:1-2, 4:27.  Peter does warn us of how sin and Satan are on the prowl, and at the same time Peter tells us to resist Satan by being firm in the faith. Piper wraps the devotion by pointing us to Ephesians 6:10-18.

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My Prayer: Jesus, thank You for washing away my sin and for giving me the whole armor of God to protect me against the battle against Satan and sin.  I am blessed for how You do this and 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.

...I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief[.] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

1 Timothy 1

...I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief[.]  The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 13, 15-16

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter twenty-seven - Admitting Imperfections and Turning Them for Love.  Here, John Piper loves and admires Paul for how he is "open about his imperfections, [and how] he actually turns them for the comfort and encouragement of others....Paul’s vulnerability here is for our hope, as we imperfectly pursue holiness*."  Piper starts by pointing out Paul is in elite company as an apostle, yet he freely admits that he is far from perfect and shares his weaknesses and battle against sin as a message of hope for others doing the same (all of us!).  Piper provides a number of scripture examples of how Paul does this:

• God brings people out of spiritual darkness (2 Corinthians 4:4-6)
• grants them to repent and believe (2 Timothy 2:25, Philippians 1:29)
• unites them to Jesus Christ (Romans 6:5)
• counts them as having the very righteousness and perfect obedience of Christ (Romans 5:19)
• gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of eternal life (Romans 8:9, 6:23)
• begins the process of making them like Jesus, from one degree of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Piper notes how Paul shares the details of his battle with sin by referring us to 1 Timothy 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12, and also in Romans 7:15,18,22-25.  Piper closes the chapter by pointing to Paul's own admission of his heinous sins of persecuting Christians in 1 Timothy 1:13, 15-16 where we see how Paul "believed that God saved him the way he did and when he did so that people who despaired that they were too sinful to be saved might have hope.*"

*John Piper. 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are so good and so full of mercy, providing Paul rich mercy and using him as a beacon of hope for believers everywhere - thank You Jesus for Your mercy for me...and for helping me in my daily battle with sin.  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.

[B]ut I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Romans 7

[B]ut I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Romans 7:23

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter ten - Learning Late in Life to Know and Kill My Most Besetting Sins.  Here, John Piper shares details of how Paul helped him see how he could kill his most challenging sins - primarily selfishness, which he describes how it then leads to anger, self-pity, quickness to blame, and sullenness.  He points to what is referred to by Paul in Romans 7:23 as indwelling sin where there is no premeditation to sin, it is simply a reflex based on our fallen nature.  He then shares how that we can only defeat sin that is forgiven - namely if we don't accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask for His forgiveness of sins - we will not be able to defeat the sting of sin and death in our lives - see also Colossians 2:14. Christ's death on the cross, according to Piper, becomes the "decisive impulse" in any sin-killing effort.  Piper continues by outlining how defeat of sin requires conscious and active effort - we cannot be passive. He points to Philippians 2:12-13 and unpacks this text defining (via Peter O'Brien in his Philippians commentary) this "work out" as "continuous, sustained, and strenuous effort."  This action may be self-driven, but is often done (and recommended as such) with the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Daily reading and study of God's Word is a prerequisite as Hebrews 4:12 accurately and pointedly shares that the Word reveals our sin.

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God and You first of all forgive sins and give me the Word, the Holy Spirit, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ to arm me to defeat sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You 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 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.

 

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning...My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, 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.

1 John 3 and John 2

 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning...My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, 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. 1 John 3:7-8, John 2:1-2

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 25 of Advent, and today John Piper marks Christmas day by describing three gifts all believers have in Jesus Christ:

1. A clear purpose for living.  Using 1 John 3:23 where it says (Piper highlights how John does so as a single commandment) "believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us."  Piper shares how this commandment - expressed by Jesus as two (and the greatest) commandments in Matthew 22:34-40 - as the "sum of the Christian life". 
2. Hope that our failures will be forgiven.  Piper describes how our hope that our failures will be forgiven is HOW we overcome sin - we continue to fight because we know and have faith that our battle is not for naught.
3. Christ will help us.  Piper uses 1 John 4:4 where it says "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Jesus has already defeated sin and death and He gives us the Holy Spirit, His Word, etc. as the full armor of God to defeat sin. He will also never leave or forsake us.

Merry Christmas indeed!  Embrace these truths!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great indeed and the presents You provide are incredible as You alone are worthy of worship like no other!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such gifts.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

1 John 3

 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. 1 John 3:7-8

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 24 of Advent, and today John Piper highlights two purposes for Christmas - that is why Jesus came into the world (incarnation). Jesus came into the world to defeat sin and to enable believers to battle sin - fearlessly. The second purpose is to forgive and take away sins.  Piper refers us to not just 1 John 3:7-8, but also 1 John 3:5, and 1 John 2:1-2.  Piper shares how these two purposes work together and that "[f]orgiveness is not for the purpose of permitting sin."  Indeed - we should battle sin with an aim to defeat sin. Pursue Christ!

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

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

Hebrews 4

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

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

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

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.

Isaiah 58-60

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. Isaiah 59:14-16

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 3 (of 5) of week 21, which looks at Isaiah 58-60.  Day 3 builds on yesterday's post and focuses again on Isaiah 59, and how God promises a redeemer for Israel and a new covenant based on this redeemer - who is of course is Jesus. Of particular note is how this redeemer gives believers supernatural abilities, through the Holy Spirit, to battle against the forces of the present age and Satan. Isaiah 59:17 echoes Ephesians 6:10-17 and how Christ, the Word, the Holy Spirit, and prayer ready us for battle.

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My Prayer: Lords Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace for me.  You provide Your Word, the Holy Spirit, prayer, the church, etc. for me so that I am armed and ready to fight Satan.  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.

...[W]hat is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church[.]

 Ephesians 1

...[W]hat is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church[.] Ephesians 1:19-22

Given I am complete with my study of Proverbs, I will return to my study of Isaiah, but for today, I pause to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which today focuses on God's omnipotence and how this helps us in our daily battle with sin. The devotion's core message is that we live confidently in light of knowing God's omnipotence. Paul is actually praying for this (v16).  Piper writes: '[t]he omnipotence of God means refuge for the people of God. And when you really believe that your refuge is the omnipotence of God Almighty, there is a joy and a freedom and a power that spills over in a life of radical obedience to Jesus Christ." In this sermon, Piper further explores these verses and shares how these verses enable us to live confidently in our daily battles with sin. I yearn to - with the help of the Holy Spirit - as fully as possible, appreciate God's omnipotence, such that I can live confidently in my battle with sin, and be radically obedient. 

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father - Jesus - You are an awesome God and You provide believers with power through the Holy Spirit - for radical obedience, and to defeat sin - thank You Jesus for this gift and how You never leave or forsake us.  I am not deserving of such blessings, including my faith and 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 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.

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

1 Corinthians 15

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 1 Corinthians 15:24-25

I pause on both my studies of Isaiah and Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which today focuses on the extent to which God reigns, including a discussion of boundaries or limits, and a discussion of timing.  This devotion of course draws on John Piper's extensive thinking and writing on God's reign, particularly his book Providence. The reason Piper addresses these questions is to provide encouragement for believers in the daily battle against temptation and sin - Piper writes: "[t]here is no disease, no addiction, no demon, no bad habit, no fault, no vice, no weakness, no temper, no moodiness, no pride, no self-pity, no strife, no jealousy, no perversion, no greed, no laziness that Christ will not overcome as the enemy of his honor. And the encouragement in that promise is that when you set yourself to do battle with the enemies of your faith and your holiness, you will not fight alone."  Bottom line: God's reign of course does not start at the end - it is has been, is, and will be forever and ever.  Piper writes: "Jesus Christ is now, in this age, putting all his enemies under his feet."  Believers should be encouraged not just that God reigns, but also because we are never alone.  We have the Holy Spirit, God's Word, the church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, etc. 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:10-18

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are more powerful than any force of darkness that exists - thank You for giving me the strength of Your might to defeat sin and darkness and my life.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and I often fall down in my faith.  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.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

1 Peter 2

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11

I paused my studies of both Isaiah and Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which focuses on lust. Here, Piper provides a stern warning to believers to make war with lust as it deserves such a posture as we can lose our salvation over such sin.  More so, Piper provides Colossians 3:5-6 as another text to support this view - here Paul describes that God's wrath is coming "on account" of "sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."  We are to take these sins seriously and as an example of the seriousness, Piper provides Matthew 5:29, where in the context of lust (Matthew 5:27-28) Jesus urges us to gouge out one of our eyes over such "wandering."  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - You have helped me with my battle over sin, including lust - thank You Jesus!  Thank You for sanctifying me and for never leaving or forsaking me.  I am not deserving of such love, compassion and grace.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me.  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.

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Hebrews 11

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. Hebrews 11:24-26

I paused again on my studies of both Isaiah and Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which focuses on "How to Defy Sinful Desire."  Piper first starts by contrasting sinful desire as offering only "fleeting pleasure" vs the lasting and permanent joy of Jesus Christ.  He then offers several scripture examples that arm us to defy sin and point us to this more lasting and permanent joy:

• It is better to gouge out my eye than to lust (Matthew 5:29).
• If I think about things that are pure and lovely and excellent, the peace of God will be with me (Philippians 4:8–9).
• Setting the mind on the flesh brings death, but setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace (Romans 8:6).
• Lust wages war against my soul (1 Peter 2:11), and that the pleasures of this life choke out the life of the Spirit (Luke 8:14).
• God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11), and that the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). 

I also understand how the sanctification process works and reflect on Romans 12:2 where Paul describes how God transforms us by renewing our mind - this renewing of the mind occurs as we grow closer to God and our thoughts turn to pleasing Him vs self. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming into my life and my heart and for the sanctification process as You help me defy sin.  I am not deserving of how You love me in this way or any other way - my sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus of my sin today and help me overcome and turn from it 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 sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Leviticus 4

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:8-10

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter four - How God Deals with Sin - covering Leviticus 4:1-35, looking specifically at the theme Sin Forms Everywhere.  Here, God provides instructions to Moses for the "sin offering", and addresses how the sin offering is to be presented based on several scenarios of unintentional sin, including whether an individual Israelite, an anointed priest, the whole congregation of Israel, an Israelite leader (, or a "common" person commits such an unintentional sin.  While the ESV, NKJV, and NIV versions all refer to the offering in Leviticus 4 as a "sin" offering, my commentary writes that "possibly it's best to refer to this sacrifice as the purification offering," as other places in the Bible refer to this offering where there is nothing to do with sin (i.e. childbirth, healing of skin disease, etc.). My commentary emphasizes how God "singles" out leaders in His treatment of sin as God sees these people of influence as key to helping the congregation as a whole avoid sin.  We are also urged not to take sin lightly as it is a devastating, not just eternally, but also now. The commentary writes how only four chapters of the Bible have no sin - the first two chapters of Genesis (before sin existed) and the last two chapters of Revelation (when sin is defeated finally).  Otherwise, the story of sin is the story of all humanity's history - not just in the Bible but as long as humankind exists on earth.  We are urged to see sin as active - always at work and always as something we must battle. Sin also not just separates us from God it impacts our relationships with other people - it is indeed devastating. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me the ability to battle sin in my life - thank You Jesus!  I know the victory is Yours!  Yet I know I am not deserving of how You bless me as my sin does continue - worry, stress, anger, etc. - please forgive me Jesus!  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.