Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

 John 20:1-10

Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. John 20:8-9

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 20:1-10, where we see the initial details of Jesus' resurrection.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus rose from the tomb (later starting in v14) - just as prophecy described and Jesus shared He would (see John 2:18-22). Jesus fulfills the law and is faithful to His promises. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Mary Magdalene, Peter and the other disciple seek Jesus, and we see the other disciple believe after entering the tomb and not seeing Jesus but only the burial clothes.  The other disciple had not yet "underst[ood] the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead, but he did now.  Also part of the text is how both Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb (v4) with the other disciple outrunning Peter to the tomb.  God wants us to run after Him - to seek Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind.  This is the most important commandment.  Here we see that the other disciple ran after and sought Jesus and Jesus' promise came true as do all of His promises - that if we seek Him with all of our heart, soul and mind we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid lack of trust in God.  Claim the promises that if we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him, and that all of the promises of God find their yes in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). Follow the example of Peter and the other example who ran after God.  Trust in Him as He is faithful.  

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

But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.

Malachi 3:6-10a

But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Malachi 3:8-10a

I return to my study of the last four books of the Old Testament, having already covered Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and most of Malachi.  My study leans on the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series volume which covers these books.  Given a long pause of my study in Malachi, I first review the commentary's introduction for this book and then read Malachi 3:6-10a which cover the first two divisions per the commentary for the text 3:6-12. Here are a few key excerpts from the commentary's introduction for Malachi:

• "Throughout Malachi we will see how God, as a loving Father, confronts, corrects, and challenges the people of Israel about straying from Him. No one is excluded."
• "Malachi is a call for Israel to return to God before the Messiah comes to earth, for it was written to a people who lived in expectation of Him, but who had not yet seen Him."
• To understand the audience for this book, "we can assume that the nation of Israel has returned from the Babylonian captivity by the time of this book’s writing. By addressing the book “to Israel” rather than “to Israel and Judah,” he is stating that there are no longer two separate kingdoms and that they have returned to their unified state."
• "As will be demonstrated, moral degradation was at an all-time high, with adultery, divorce, falsehood, fraud, and sorcery running rampant throughout the city; the source of much of the corruption was the priests themselves."
• "Malachi, like the prophets before him, looks forward to the Messiah’s coming. He prophesies about the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist, who will prepare the way for Jesus. In the same passage, he also predicts the coming of the Lord Christ Himself[.]
• "The prophecies and warnings that will be exposited in this book bear a special weight also because Malachi is the final canonical work of the OT before the coming of Christ. A 400-year silence from God will be broken by Gabriel’s prediction of John’s and Jesus’ birth in Luke[.]" 

Vv3:6-10a contains both an encouragement and a rebuke from God.  V6 shares an attribute of God and how He does not change - He is our Rock - and how this will save Israel from destruction despite their disobedience and sin.  The verse shares how the children of Jacob are not consumed - this is of course good news for Israel because God made promises to make Israel a great nation through Abraham, Jacob, David, and others (including Jeremiah) and when God makes promises He does not change His mind.  Incredible promises by God are made throughout scripture and believers can take comfort in knowing that all of God's promises find their "Yes" in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 1:20).  The text continues in v7 with God going back and forth with Israel in dialogue exploring how Israel can "get right" with God.  God shares how Israel can "return to [God]" which will in turn result in God returning to Israel.  This same reconciliation applies to everyone (since the Fall, all of humanity is broken and sinful - see Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8) and it requires confession of sin, request of forgiveness and belief and faith in Jesus as Savior (see Romans 10:10).  In v8, God then shares a response with Israel how they can return to Him by refraining from the sin of which they are guilty (one sin of many - God using His discretion to emphasize what He feels needs calling out).  Israel was not giving to God their tithes and God refers to this as "robbing" Him.  This of course is not just a sin of Israel, but of believers today who do not appropriately tithe.  This is a sensitive topic for most but an important one - see also Matthew 6:21.  Important words from God today!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are a God that makes promises that always come to pass!  Thank You for the incredible promises You make and how I can have peace that they always come to pass.  I am not deserving of the promises of salvation and blessing You make to me as well as other promises.  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.     

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Romans 8

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

I resume 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 thirty - The Pursuit of Pure Doctrine and Passion for the Poor - wrapping use this book.  Here, John Piper points to Romans 8:32 as "the most important promise of his life.*"  Piper first starts by describing how Romans 8:32a and 8:32b construct an a fortiori argument. Thus, God gives us all things (the easier part) because He already gave up His One and Only Son Jesus (the harder part).  Piper then describes how God gave up His Son, sharing that this was the greatest obstacle between us and eternal happiness.  This was clearly the hardest for God to do vs "giving us all things" as Piper describes God's precious love for His Son.  Piper writes: "[n]othing greater or harder has ever happened. Or ever will.*" Piper then emphasizes how giving us all things does not guarantee a trouble free life - au contraire!  We are referred to Romans 8:36 and we can also refer to John 16:33. Piper shares how when God gives us all things He is giving us "all things we need to do his will. All things we need to glorify him. All things we need to move from predestined to called to justified to glorified— that is, to everlasting happiness (Romans 8: 30).*"  Piper then provides us examples from Romans 8 of what God gives us:

•  all things will work together for our good (v28)
• we will be conformed to the image of his Son (v29)
  
• we will be glorified (v30)
  
• no one can successfully be against us (v31)
  
• no charge shall stick against us (v33)
  
• nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (v35)
• in tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword, we are more than conquerors (vv35–37)
  
• neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (vv38– 39)

 Piper wraps the chapter by pointing us to 2 Corinthians 1:20a where Paul share that "all the promises of God find their Yes in him." Amen!  Praise God! 

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

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good - providing the hardest thing so You can give us everything!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of these blessings.  My sin is great and it continue...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouse to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14

As I focus on my church's men's disciple/small group study of Daniel - which lays out a plan to study Daniel five days a week, I maintain a pause of my study of Hebrews, filling in this two-day a week gap by using DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which this morning looks at Jesus's promise made in Matthew 24:14 regarding how the Good News will be proclaimed before the end of the ages with certainty.  In a broader prophecy of end times, Jesus shares with His disciples how the temple in Jerusalem will be destroyed and how there will be other signs indicating the end of the ages is near (Matthew 24:5-12).  Jesus then reassures (v13) the faithful with a promise that "the one who endures to the end will be saved." Jesus's promise of how the Good News will (not should) be proclaimed is a precursor to Matthew 28, where He shares the Great Commission.  In today's Solid Joys devotion, John Piper wraps by sharing: "[t]he cause of world missions is absolutely assured of success. It cannot fail. Is it not reasonable, then, that we pray with great faith, that we invest with great confidence, and that we go with a sense of sure triumph?"

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My Prayer: God, You are good and all of Your promises come true - You are faithful.  As such, I can pray with great faith, invest with great confidence, and go with a sense of sure triumph - thank You Jesus!  What peace!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus. 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.

...so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Hebrews 6

...so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:18

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. This morning, I maintain my focus on Hebrews 6:9-20, as I lean on my commentary, and how it unpacks the second division "The Oath-Giving, Promise-Keeping God," which refers to Hebrews 6:13-18. The commentary describes how the author looks at the Abrahamic Covenant, where God, when He promised Abraham to bless him and to make his descendants into a great nation, God did so by swearing an oath by Himself (see Genesis 22:16-17). It then describes how Abraham faithfully believed in God's promise and He persevered and waited patiently for the fulfillment of the promise.  The commentary then examines how the text for today includes "two unchangeable things" from v18 and the commentary defines these as "the irrevocable nature of God’s purpose and word, and the oath that he declared publicly." The commentary then wraps for the text by highlighting how believers should stand on these unchangeable things as an encouragement to "hold firmly" to faith.  It shares: "The church is the refugee who must flee to God for rescue and who needs strong encouragement to seize the hope set before her. Because God’s Word is true and it is impossible for him to lie, we have all the confidence in the world to take heart and trust God’s promises just as Abraham did. The faithfulness of God and the certainty of his promises are not theoretical propositions. They are unchangeable realities. Like Abraham, we can stake our lives on God’s promises because God is the One who has promised them. Our God is a promise-keeping God." 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for providing refuge and hope for me and my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Thank You also for all of Your promises and the faithfulness of these promises.  I am not deserving of how You bless me in these ways.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

Luke 2

 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! Luke 2:12-14

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 6 of Advent, and today Piper examines Luke 2:12-14 where an angel praises God and offers what Piper refers to as a "somber note" of warning - peace is only offered and promised "among those with whom [God] is pleased."  Piper reminds us (see Hebrews 11:6) that "without faith it is impossible to please God," underscoring his warning with this: "[s]o, Christmas does not bring peace to all."  Piper then describes how scripture includes many references (John 3:19, Luke 2:34-35) with how, even though Jesus offers "light," many continue to prefer "darkness" - of course precluding them from the peace offered during Christmas in the text in Luke 2:12-14.  On the flip side, for those of us who DO have faith and believe, God adopts us as one of His children (John 1:11-12), and we are promised the peace just as Jesus only offered peace to His disciples in John 14:27.  As Piper moves close the devotion he points to Romans 15:13 stating: "[t]he key that unlocks the treasure chest of God’s peace is faith in the promises of God." Believe and unlock the promises of God that offer peace and so much more!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blesses me with peace and so much more!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how faithful You are to Your promises, etc.  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.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies.

Luke 1

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of  old, that we should be saved from our enemies. Luke 1:68-71

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 3 of Advent, and today John Piper wants us to see "two remarkable things" from the words of Zechariah - Elizabeth's husband - from Luke 1:68-71.  

First, earlier in Luke, when an angel of the Lord (Gabriel) appeared to Zechariah in v8-17 and foretold that Elizabeth (barren as noted in v7) would give birth to John the Baptist, Zechariah's response was one of disbelief - v18-19: Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” In contrast, when Elizabeth does give birth (v57), Piper wants us to fully appreciate Zechariah's response as noted in v68-71. Piper notes that Zechariah is now filled with the Holy Spirit, and instead of questioning the word of the God, "he is so confident of God’s redeeming work in the coming Messiah that he puts it in the past tense: “he has visited and redeemed his people.” For the mind of faith, a promised act of God is as good as done. Zechariah has learned to take God at his word[.]" We should respond in kind, knowing that ALL of God's promises will come true as He is faithful!

Next, Piper wants us to see how "the coming of Jesus the Messiah is a visitation of God to our world."  Despite the many prophecies of Jesus from Isaiah and others, "for centuries" the Jewish people saw God as "withdrawn" as they "languished" in waiting for the promised Messiah. Piper refers us to Luke 2 where we see Godly examples of Simeon and Anna who were "waiting for the consolation and redemption Israel." In this season of Advent, we should all be awaiting with excitement for the coming of Jesus!

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

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

Hebrews 6

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

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

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

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.

Isaiah 44-46

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. Isaiah 45:1-3

I resumed my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I continue with Lesson 17, which examines Isaiah chapters 44-46.  My focus for today is Day 2(a), which looks at Isaiah 44:24-45 and the role of King Cyrus of Persia.  My study looked at the following scriptures to provide a more complete view of Cyrus:

• 2 Chronicles 36:11-23: "Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus"
  
• Jeremiah 25:12, 29:10-11: Prophecy that after 25 years, the Lord will punish the king of Babylon; God promising freedom of Jewish exiles in Babylon and return to Jerusalem
  
• Ezra 1:1-11, 5:11-6:15: Description of Cyrus' decree to free exiles for them to rebuild Jerusalem; leadership by tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levites, freewill offerings and return of temple treasures taken by Nebuchadnezzar; Darius reinforcing Cyrus' words to rebuild Jerusalem
  
• Daniel 1:21, 6:28: Daniel prospers during both reigns of Cyrus and Darius

The study also encouraged use of extra-Biblical sources to better understand Cyrus and this source describes Cyrus as conciliatory towards conquered peoples, allowing local customs, including worship.

Upon review of all sources, of course primarily from other OT sources, we see a fulfillment of Isaiah's (Isaiah 45) prophecy of Cyrus' conquest of Babylon and a return of the exiles to rebuild the sacked city of Jerusalem and the temple. God is faithful - we can trust in His promises. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great and You are faithful - I can trust in You and You keep Your promises.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the blessings that You pour out from Your faithfulness.  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.

I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Isaiah 42-44

I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:6-7

I returned to my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I continue with Lesson 16, Day 3b, where the focus remains on Isaiah 42, particularly v5-17. As the primary focus of the latter chapters (40-66) of Isaiah shifts to messianic prophecies and hope for the remnant of Israel, we see Isaiah 42 an example of such prophecies.  God is talking about Jesus and refers to Jesus as "as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."  My study refers us to Matthew 26:26-28, John 1:1-9, 8:12, and 1:14.  In Matthew 26, we see Jesus instituting the Lord's Supper - representing the New Covenant based on Jesus' broken body and shed blood. In John 1 and 8 we see Jesus as light and as the Word dwelling among us - consistent with Isaiah 42 - so we have fulfillment of prophecy.  Once again, God keeps His promises. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who always keeps His promises - You are faithful and You never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.

2 Corinthians 1

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. 2 Corinthians 1:20

I paused both of my studies of Isaiah and of Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional.  Here, John Piper urges us to see how we should trust in all of God's promises. Trust in these promises can be "based on all the glorious grace of the past, especially the grace that God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all (Romans 8:32)."  If our faith reflects trust in God's promises, we position ourselves to fully "embrace the power for radical service in the strength that God (in every future moment) will supply (1 Peter 4:11)."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and whose promises I can trust as You are faithful - faithful like no other. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings that flow from Your promises.  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 myesle 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.

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Isaiah 33-36:10

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I move to Lesson 13, Day 4, which focuses on Isaiah 34:5-17.  These verses look at God's judgement of Edom, including how this judgement is the subject of prophecies in other books of the Bible, including Genesis 25, Obadiah 1, Jeremiah 49, and Psalms 137. Edom is of course, a nation from Esau's descendants.  Isaiah's prophecies of Edom's destruction and punishment are consistent with how God said to Rebekah in Genesis 25 that Esau (the older) shall serve Jacob (the younger).  God's words do come to pass - He is faithful.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father - what an awesome God You are - You never leave or forsake me and Your promises are my anchor - I can trust in You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You are faithful, and how You love me.  My sin is great and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and otehrs. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Revelation 3

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:21

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on what another of Piper's posts refers to as "perhaps the most staggering promise in the Bible."  This promise is made to believers, who, "in spite of every threatening pain and luring, sinful pleasure", overcome as described in 1 John 5:4. Ephesians 1:22-23 is key here, as described by Piper, as "Jesus fills the universe with his own glorious rule through us."  Piper wants us to "feel...this as we should" and encourages us to seek the Holy Spirit's assistance so that "the eyes of [our] hearts [are] enlightened."  We are urged to seek such assistance so we can begin to see that "[t]he strange and radical commands of the New Testament [are] not...as strange as they once seemed."

Staggering promise indeed!

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

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I continued with chapter twelve God is for Us, which covers Romans 8:31-39.  My focus today is Romans 8:35-39, which my commentary refers to under the heading Who Can Separate Us.  In Romans 8, we see momentum building with regards to Paul's assurances for believers - we are not condemned, there are no charges that can be brought against us, we are assured salvation, we are adopted into God's family and are heirs to His inheritance, we are released from the law, we have the Holy Spirit, etc. - and now as we get to the end of chapter 8, Paul asks rhetorically whether we can be separated from God's love (v35).  He quotes Psalm 44:22, where the Psalmist seeks comfort from God during a period of exile (v36), and answers resoundingly "no" in v37-39. We should never doubt that God loves us - and during a period of trial this helps us see what God is doing in our lives - where the blessing is - as there is always a blessing.  We may not see it unfold in the trial but we can now it is there - and of course we know that our Heavenly bodies await us.  This is a great promise indeed!

My commentary sums it up nicely: "He does not promise us that life will be easy, but he promises to be with us. He promises that nothing will unfasten us from his love.  He promises to take us to glory." We are pointed to Psalms 23:6, which my commentary refers to as "[t]he Romans 8:31-39 of the Old Testament."

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Comment and discuss this post here.

 My Prayer: Lord Jesus - what an amazing promise and what an amazing God - Your promises are great and we can count on them all - as You are faithful!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God or of how You bless me with Your promises.  My sin of worry, anger, etc. 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.

“Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord....“In that day, “I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,” declares the Lord, who will do these things.

Amos 5-9 

“Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord....“In that day, “I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,” declares the Lord, who will do these things. Amos 9:8, 11-12

  

Day 171 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 my study of Amos, as he continues to deliver God's message urging Israel to repent from their sins of hypocrisy, complacency, pride, etc.  He shares visions of locusts, fire, plumb line, and of ripe fruit - all to describe God's anger and planned harsh punishment.  Yet even as we see an angry God, we also see a faithful God as His message through Amos includes hope and restoration and a reference to David to whom God promised an eternal throne and kingdom for Israel.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is faithful - You will never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  I sin...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 energy and wisdom.  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.

“Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses."

1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 5-7

“Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses." 1 Kings 8:56

Day 132 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 Solomon's dedication of the temple in Jerusalem - including praise, burnt offerings, and prayer.  Solomon prays for God to forgive Israel and to hear their cries of forgiveness through defeat, drought, famine and plague, for strangers to know God reigns, in battle, and in captivity. 

Solomon recognizes that we all sin and his prayer for God to maintain a soft heart for a repentant Israel is a particularly poignant prayer.

"When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace."

“May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.” 1 Kings 8:46-53

Not only does Solomon praise God for what He has done, but he exhorts all of Israel to walk in obedience. His words are consistent with those of Paul who wants us to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

As we dedicate our lives to Jesus, let us remember what God has done for us and to remember that God is faithful, can be trusted above all, and God keeps all of His promises.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are my God, You are faithful, can be trusted above all, and I can rest in the certainty that all of Your promises come true.  I am not deserving of such a God.  I sin...daily...please forgive me Jesus. You know my sin.  It often weighs on me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.   Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Numbers 26

Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. Numbers 26:64-65

Day 43 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 God's command to take a another census as a means to allot portions of the promised land according to each tribe's numbers.  We also see a promise kept by God (see Numbers 14:21-24) as He does not allow any of those who grumbled, complained, and rebelled against Moses to enter the promised land as all of these save Caleb and Joshua did not enter the land.

Here we have yet another reminder of how God keeps His promises - both positive and negative.  He is faithful and we can rely on what He says. Another reminder as well that we are not to grumble and complain as God wants us to view our circumstances through His eyes as He is in control and we are to be thankful.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, who is faithful and will never leave or forsake me, and always provides - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  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 the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

1 Peter 3

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. v12

Peter continues to instruct us to pursue righteousness, including for spouses to do so (1 Peter 3:1-7).  As part of his efforts to encourage us to pursue good and peace (v11), he quotes OT (v12) and leaves us with a great promise of how God watches over us and hears our prayers.

Another of God's great promises.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who makes amazing promises that ALWAYS come true - You are faithful and You never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love and attention.  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 no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.

2 Corinthians 1

 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. v20

I have previously posted on God's faithfulness with regards to His promises and here in Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth we have yet another example of scripture demonstrating such faithfulness.  I also like Luke 1:37:

 For no word from God will ever fail.

John Piper has a great short post on God's faithfulness as well.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus - You are faithful indeed - every promise You make - You keep and You have never let me down and always provided for me and been there for me - thank You Jesus!  I am grateful.  Yet I also know that I am undeserving of such faithfulness - 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.

“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy you completely.

Jeremiah 5

“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy you completely. v18

God is angry with the Israelites and He describes how He will punish them.  Yet He has also made promises to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, David, etc. regarding the Jewish nation, His chosen people, that a Messiah will rise from among them.  We know that God is faithful and that He keeps His promises.

This is of course highly encouraging because God's word is full of promises and that while the world makes many, many promises, only God is faithful.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that You are faithful, that You ALWAYS keep Your promises.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  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 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.