And the LORD heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.

Numbers 21:1-3

And the LORD heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah. Numbers 21:1-3

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 21:1-3 - Israel encounters a challenge in the king of Arad who sought to fight against Israel, Israel reaches out to God, and God responds.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Believers must understand the tension between how God is sovereign over all matters (Colossians 1:15-17, see also John Piper book Providence), yet we also have free will.  John Piper argues that Christians are not then robots and our free will then causes God to respond - here in the text today, God responds to a vow (form of prayer with an obligation - see also Hannah's vow to God) from Israel by "heed[ing] the voice of Israel," and giving the Canaanites over to them.  When we encounter challenges, God seeks for us to go to Him and ask for help to overcome.  We don't know how God will respond but we can be assured that He will respond, either by helping us endure or by removing the obstacle or challenge. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Israel is likely frustrated that they encounter challenges such as when the king of Edom refuses to let them pass through or today in the text.  They were given the Promised Land, yet why is getting there so hard?  We must understand how God is at work in His plan and His timing.  With Israel, we have to see how God punished Israel for its rebelliousness and how God sought to refine and purify Israel of such sin.  When we make such a vow, we cannot assume that God will always respond the way we seek - here God did, but again this very often will not be the case.  Regardless, God wants us to see Him at work always, that He reigns, and that we must depend on Him to endure and overcome challenges and obstacles.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Do not try and overcome or endure challenges under your own strength and power.  Claim the promise that He will help us overcome (John 16:33). Follow the example of Israel to go to God when You encounter challenges or obstacles.  Trust that God is always at work for good. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that is in control, always at work for good and You save!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love, 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 the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14

Today, I continue a pause of my study of Zechariah as I prepare for leading worship at The Gardens and The Lodge this upcoming Sunday as part of a ministry outreach of my church Bay Leaf Baptist. Since the start of the new year, worship for this ministry is based on Tony Evans' booklet The Grace of God, and for this Sunday's worship specifically, we are using chapter 4 Set Free by Grace. Like yesterday, today I sought views on Christian freedom from R.C. Sproul in this short video, and also from John Piper in this video.

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

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

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

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who softened my heart to see Your glory and You grew in my heart over time such that my desire and love for You deepened and I am eternally thankful for this.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor the sanctification process.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven[.]

Ecclesiastes 3

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven[.] Ecclesiastes 3:1

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, which is the first division of Ecclesiastes 3 per the commentary.  The commentary broadly describes the futility of time in the sense that there is a cycle of life that we cannot predict, control, or step.  We are born, we die, there are good things that happen to us, and there are bad things that happen to us - we live in a fallen world so there will be pain and anguish.  Referencing vv5-6 the commentary discusses how this describes how relationships in our lives ebb and flow and people, outside of marriage and perhaps your most immediate family, come and go in our lives.  All of the activities described in vv2-9 have a role in our fallen world - this is the human experience. The commentary shares: "[t]he point of the poem is the inevitable sameness and monotony of life under the sun. We all go through these actions of birth, life, work, love, and then death. Nothing really changes for humanity. Meaninglessness in life and death in the end pervade our experience in this cursed world. Here today and gone tomorrow. This is just the way it is....The poem reveals the great absurdity of life because each activity cancels the other out. There are 14 pluses and 14 minuses, and that adds up to zero (Begg, “Eternity on My Mind”)! Every birth ends in death, every planted crop is pulled up, every building is eventually condemned, every celebration gives way to a funeral, and every peace gives way to another war. Nothing is gained."  The commentary for this division ends with the same conclusion we all should draw - that apart from a daily, personal and lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ we will suffer a frustrating and meaningless existence. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love, 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 continue 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.

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power[.]

 2 Thessalonians 1

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power[.] 2 Thessalonians 1:11

I pause my study of 1,2,3 John this morning to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which today highlights how God works through our will and resolve to demonstrate His power.  John Piper warns believers that we should not be passive in our battle against sin and to obediently do good works. Piper shares: "The engagement of God’s power never takes the place of the engagement of our will! The power of God in sanctification never makes us passive! The power of God engages itself beneath or behind and within our will, not in place of our will....When you sit back to do nothing, you are not doing nothing. You are actively engaging your will in a decision to sit back."  Piper refers us to scripture as a means for us to more fully comprehend his message, including 1 Timothy 1:18, James 4:7, Hebrews 12:14, Romans 8:13.  We are encouraged to actively engage our will and our resolve and is only then that we see God working to give us what we need.  Piper goes on to share that "God will never appear with power in your will in any other way than through your exercise of that will; that is, through your good resolves — your good intentions and plans and purposes."  Piper concludes by referring us to Luke 13:24 where Jesus tells us to strive, and Philippians 2:13 yet another way of using our own will and resolve and how God then works through us in those efforts.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who gives me what I need - in all things.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide, guide, etc. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from 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.  

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13

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 sixteen - Reveling in God’s Power in and through Ours.  Here, John Piper highlights how Paul encourages us to see how God's sovereignty and believers' wills do not conflict and work against each other but instead in concert.  Piper first starts by presupposing God's sovereignty over all matters in earth and heaven, pointing to Ephesians 1:11 and Romans 8:28.  He then provides the following texts as examples that describe God's will and our will working together:

• 1 Corinthians 15:10
• Philippians 2:12-13
• 2 Corinthians 8:16-17 

Piper writes about these passages: "What is so striking about this way of seeing reality is that God’s decisive, sovereign rule in the world and in our lives is not a hindrance but a help in doing what he calls us to do. God’s sovereignty does not make us fatalists. It does not paralyze us and make us say, “What will be will be.” It does not disillusion us with the meaninglessness of an impersonal cosmos. Instead, it empowers us to exert all our will and all our energy because we know this is how God works in the world— through people. God’s pervasive rule in the world gives us hope that nothing is meaningless.*"

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

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are so good and I have seen Your hand and will in my life and how Your will and my will together work for Your glory - amazing!  I am not deserving of how You do all of this and bless me.  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 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.

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end....Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.

Various Proverbs 

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end....Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. Proverbs 29:11, 16:32

Day 138 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of the Proverbs - primarily of Solomon, but including the Proverbs of other authors as well. This morning my focus includes proverbs that discuss control of self (self-control, rashness, temper and patience, drunkenness and gluttony, adultery, and prostitution).

Like my post yesterday where there were multiple important topics worthy of greater consideration, today as well I zero in on one of the many topics covered by today's proverbs.  From a biblical perspective, self-control is a bit of an oxymoron given we are (generally speaking) either slave to sin or a slave to God and that none of us truly experience free will. Against this backdrop, I am proof of the harm done due to rashness (Proverbs 29:11), and the joy of God-control.  I say God-control because I don't want self-control - I am a sinful person and left to my own devices and self-control of course I will sin.  Who would want this?  Instead I seek to draw closer and closer to the one true God who can transform my heart and life into more of His image.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who HAS transformed my heart and life into more of Your image and I am grateful...very grateful.  Of course there is more work to do but I am very grateful for Your mercy and compassion.  I am also undeserving of Your mercy and compassion.  I continue to sin...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.

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Judges 17-18

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. Judges 17:6

Day 81 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on a man named Micah, whose idol worship and sin spreads from his household into the lives of an entire tribe (Dan).

My commentary* emphasizes how "[t]he power of individual influence shouts aloud in this seemingly well-motivated and innocent deviation from God’s directed pattern".

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

As I have remarked before:
- freedom and free will to do what we choose is not freedom at all, as we are all born as slaves to sin, and believers should instead seek to become slaves to God
- who and what we place in our lives serve to influence our heart, thoughts and actions and we should be aware of we have (and isolate ourselves from these or remove them if we can), and replace them with

The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

Numbers 10-11

   The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp. Numbers 10:34

Day 37 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on the Israelites setting out from camp after the tabernacle was constructed and all tabernacle duties were assigned.  God directs the patch of the Israelites via a cloud that appears over them and the tabernacle.  A recurring them of grumbling reoccurs and Moses pleads with the Lord to help him as his task of leading the Israelites has become emotionally draining.

My focus this morning is on how God directs our steps.

My commentary* indicates the following: "[t]he people have been numbered and their duties have been assigned, so God now gives the Israelites their marching orders. Moses asks a relative named Hobab to be a guide for the Israelites, and Hobab apparently agrees to do so. But the real guide is God himself, manifested in the movement of the cloud of his presence over the ark and tabernacle".

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

John Piper, in response to a question whether God directs all the details or our lives, posits that God is in control of all aspects of our lives, Piper also weighs in on free will - see my posts on these topics.

We have a God that is always with this, directing our steps - and we know He loves us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, is always with me, and provides for all of my needs - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  I sin...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.

Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

Exodus 9-11

Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country. Exodus 11:10

Day 24 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on the stalemate negotiations between Moses/Aaron and Pharaoh - whose heart is hardened and will not let the Israelites go into the wilderness to worship God.

Signs and wonders are mentioned 32 times in the Bible - Pharaoh saw the signs and wonders of God yet this was insufficient for Him and it is for others.   In this light we must recall that it was God Himself that hardened Pharaoh's heart - see Exodus 4:21.  Key to this discussion is free will vs God's will.  As a component of this discussion, we must understand that it is God alone working in us to give us faith - see also this John Piper post.

Piper uses the following scripture as the basis for his post:
- left to our own devices we as humans (all of us) would choose darkness over Light; Romans 8:6-7
- the mind without the Spirit cannot accept God; 1 Corinthians 2:14
- God alone grants repentance; 2 Timothy 24-25
- Faith is a gift from God alone; Philippians 1:29, Romans 9:16, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Philippians 2:12

There is also Ephesians 2:8-9:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Finally, although not by any means am I attempting to exhaust all key factors in this discussion, it is important to consider what is happening in our hearts and minds as believers should be able to point to the "signs and wonders" that result from our heart and mind transformation - this is our testimony.  I know I can - I am grateful for the gift of faith and for what God has done in my heart and mind.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus You are an awesome God who loves me and who has worked many signs and wonders in my heart and mind - I am grateful that You have made more into Your image and You continue to do so - I am for sure a work in progress!  Yet I am undeserving of Your love and grace.  I sin...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.

They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

2 Peter 2

They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” v19

There are many who have heard the Good News but hesitate to submit to Jesus because they fear lack of freedom under Jesus.  Yet Peter blows a hole in this claim as he rightly says that we are all either slaves to sin or slaves to Jesus.  

Only Jesus provides true freedom - all else is a lie.

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

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. v16-17

In his words of encouragement to believers in modern day Turkey, in v11-25, Peter "urge[s]" us to live Godly lives in a pagan society.

First, Peter points out that we are "foreigners and exiles" (v11) - implying that we are citizens of Heaven, and our allegiance lies with Christ and as such we should glorify Him (v12).  We must submit ourselves to "every human authority" (v13-14, 17-18) and in the face of persecution, we should follow Christ's example (v21-25).   

Believers ARE free - free from the bondage of sin and free to live FOR Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have given me freedom indeed!  Thank You Jesus for freeing from the bondage of sin!  What a great God You are!  I am not deserving of adoption into Your family because me sin continues!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

James 1

For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. v13-14

MacArthur Bible Study Commentary (for purchase) indicates that that the Book of James has a "practical emphasis" and includes "direct pungent statements on wise living".  First we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  We do have free will and this is governed by our thoughts and desires, and the extent to which we have been transformed by the renewing of our mind. 

My Prayers: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has transformed my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I have seen what You have done and I am blessed.  Thank You for helping me with my patience, anger, etc.  I am not deserving of such love.  I sin...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 in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. v16-17

Much like Galatians, Paul's letter to the church in Colossae serves to warn the believers there of .  In his attempt to do, per OverviewBible.com and the MacArthur Bible Study Commentary (for purchase), Paul seeks to (1) remind believers of who God is and their identity in Christ, and (2) provide practical advice on Christian living.

Colossians is also a prison epistle. 

I have many times referenced Colossians 1:16-17 to remind myself of how God is in control and on the subject of free will.  Both are weighty topics and underscore the importance of renewal of the mind.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You ARE in control and thank You for it!  My life would be a mess otherwise!  Being in control otherwise would mean less of You and more of me - again leading to destruction!  Thank You Jesus for what You have done to transform my heart and life to make me more like You.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  Thank You.  Yet...again...I am undeserving.  I am selfish, etc. Please forgive me Jesus as my sin is great and daily.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

Romans 9

Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. v18

In Romans 9, Paul tackles the subject of God's sovereignty (see also Paul's words on this in Colossians 1:16-17). John Piper tackles this subject as well - here and Piper, I think boils it down for us: 

"Now, the way he controls all things may differ. Whether it’s more or less direct or more or less indirect, more or less by active intrusion or more or less by tactical permissions — however it is, God controls it, and the control is complete and pervasive. Nothing in the universe is random or without divine design and purpose."

Key here is that we don't know HOW he may be in control - for example, He could allow or direct something or someone.  This means free will exists, although being either God directed or sin directed.  Key also is that NOTHING can stop God's purpose or plans. 

God does love us.  He wants us to have abundant lives.  He forgives us.  And He gives us the fruits of the Spirit.  God is great!  We should desire to serve and glorify Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blesses me far beyond what I can imagine - I am undeserving of all the ways You bless me.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 6

Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. v13-14

Paul describes how prior to Christ entering our life we are slaves to sin but with Christ we are given new life and we are now under grace.

Although I am perhaps jumping ahead, this calls to mind Romans 12:2 where we are encouraged to be transformed by the renewing of the mind so that we can better discern God's will for our lives.  When God enters and transforms our hearts and minds HIS will becomes OUR will.

See also recent post on free will.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and who has both transformed my heart and life - thank You Jesus for Your amazing grace.  I am not deserving.  I worry...far too much.  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.

So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium.

Acts 13

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. v48

In Acts 13, we see Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus (with John Mark), proclaiming the word of God in the Jewish synagogues (v4).  They encounter a sorcerer and false prophet, confront him, and this interaction triggers belief in those who witnessed it (v6-12).  They then travel on to Pisidian Antioch where they were invited to stay for at least two Sabbaths and Paul and Barnabas encounter both a warm reception and hostility; they respond boldly to this hostility (v46) and we see v48 which raises the question of "unconditional election" and John Piper gives us five reasons to embrace unconditional election. 

I recently posted on how faith is a gift from God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that You gave me faith - thank You Jesus!  Thank You for transforming my heart and life and for giving me a new heart!  I am undeserving.  I worry and I have other sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

John 12

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. v9-11

As a follow up post to yesterday where Judas Iscariot objects to using expensive perfume to anoint Jesus, this morning we are reminded of how desperate Satan is to get a hold of us.  MacArthur suggests that, in v11 we see "a conscious, deliberate move away from the religion of the authorities and a move toward genuine faith in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God".  The chief priests would have none of this - hence their plot to kill BOTH Jesus and Lazarus!

According to John Piper, "Satan hates evangelism and discipleship", so it is no surprise that we see the plot to kill Lazarus.  "[M]any of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in [H]im"..."on account of [Lazarus]", and earlier in John 8:44, Jesus accuses those plotting to kill Him of "belonging" to the devil.  Satan was desperate to stop growth of the early church.

Satan is equally desperate to prevent believers from growing in our relationship with Jesus - he plants our minds with lies - go here to learn more from John Piper on Satan's Ten Strategies Against You.  

To protect ourselves, we have the Armor of God, and our belief that true freedom and joy is found in Christ alone. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me true freedom and joy.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  I worry.  Please forgive me and help me turn from my sins 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 said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

John 7

Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” v33-34

In v25-52, as Jesus continues to teach during the Festival of the Tabernacles (one week), there is division over who Jesus is and attempts are made by some of the crowd (implied the Jewish leaders, elders, chief priests, etc.) to seize Jesus.  What everyone in the story cannot understand is that Jesus is following God's plan for His life and there appointed times for everything that is to unfold, including Jesus' ultimate arrest and crucifixion.  Jesus is telling everyone that He will be going to Heaven to sit at the right hand of God but the time for this to occur has not arrived (v30, v44).  There was ample opportunity for Jesus to be arrested as Jesus was not armed (see also v45-52) but it was not the right time.

God is in control.

John Piper does an excellent job explaining the role of free will (a very difficult topic in the context of the Bible) and he encourages us to focus not on the mystery of free will but on our relationship with Him and what we can understand with greater certainty - God loves us, He is always with us, God's promises, etc.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are - I KNOW You love me, You are always with me, and Your promises always come true!  Thank You Jesus for being my God and for adopting me into Your family.  I love You.  I am undeserving of such love and grace.  I sin far too often.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

Luke 23

He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. v25

While all of the gospels (Matthew 27, Mark 15, John 19) include the account of Jesus before Pilate, only Luke includes this language that Pilate "surrendered Jesus to their will" and my focus is on use of the word "will" because typically this word is used to describe God's will for our lives and how we can determine and follow God's will for our lives.  

I started this morning by looking for the Greek words of the text - found here which indicates the Greek word used here for "will" is θέλημα (pronounced thay-lay-ma-ti).

When "will" is used in the context of people following their "own" vs God's will for their lives - it implies either a weak personal or no personal relationship with Jesus as the definition for will includes following a human "desire" or "pleasure" vs finding joy and fulfillment through Christ.

There is NOTHING in this world that can fill the holes in our heart that ONLY Jesus can fill.

I have previously posted on God's will for our lives and used Romans 12:2 to illustrate how daily study of God's Word serves to renew our minds and direct our thoughts towards God.

John Piper has an OUTSTANDING post on this topic.

Dallas Willard should also be considered.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has transformed my heart, mind and life - thank You Jesus for doing a work in my life!  I know You are not done and I need more of You in my life - my sin of course persists!  I worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does? declares the Lord. Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

Jeremiah 18

Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does? declares the Lord. Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. v5

Regardless of how we come down on the question of free will, we can agree that we are unable to blunt God's designs and plans - God is in control.  

We must look at our circumstances as a glimpse into His plans. 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is always with me - thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I miss the mark and am often harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive 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 do. 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.