Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

 John 1:43-51

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” John 1:46-47

I continue my study of John, and today, I unpack John 1:43-51 using the Sword Bible Study Method. Tomorrow, I will follow up and outline the text and provide a main point. 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Although Nathanael insults Him, Jesus shows compassion and mercy to Nathanael - praising Him instead of being revengeful - v47; Jesus is all knowing as He sees and knows everything about us - vv46-48; Jesus offers more than just miracles - He offers salvation and a relationship with the Triune God - vv50-51.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Philip is "found" by Jesus and he becomes a follower/disciple of Jesus; Philip is from the same town as Andrew and Peter (Bethsaida) - vv43-44; Philip correctly identifies Jesus as the Promised Messiah - v45; Nathanael is initially a naysayer and does not believe Philip that Jesus is the Promised Messiah and Philip seeks to change his mind - v46; upon meeting Jesus and seeing that Jesus knows him without meeting him, Nathanael also correctly identifies who Jesus is - but with another attribute of the Triune God - the Son - vv48-49.   
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should not doubt who Jesus is - He is the Promised Messiah, King of Kings, Son of God, and sent by God; we should know with God, while He offers life to the full now to those who believe Him, He also offers "greater things" - eternal life in Heaven with Him - v51. We should follow Jesus as Philip and Nathanael did. 

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for life to the full now and for eternity in Heaven with You and all the other saints.  I am not deserving of my salvation - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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.

Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him.

Mark 5:21-43

Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. Mark  5:22-24

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 5:21-43, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction for this chapter and for the first (of three) division (vv21-24): 

• The main idea for the text vv21-43 is "[w]e can come to Jesus with our requests, and He will honor even imperfect faith when the object of that faith is Him"
• The commentary's title for the first division is "Jesus Hears the Cries of the Distressed."
• "This text has what we call a “sandwich structure,” beginning with the story of Jairus (5:21-24), interrupted by the story of a suffering woman (5:24-34), and ending with Jairus again (5:35-43). The purpose is to make comparisons." 
• We are urged to see how "Jesus cares for those in trouble," and how Mark 4 and 5 present text for how Jesus has providence over creation, demons, disease, and even death. He has performed signs and wonders and is now drawing great crowds at this point in His ministry.  
• Jairus is presented as a ruler of the synagogue (v22) and the commentary emphasizes how this is a man of distinction and respect but he comes to Jesus with great humility as v22 continues describes him falling at Jesus's feet "implor[ing] him earnestly."  This is "in spite of [Jesus's] growing opposition of the religious establishment, he bucks the trend and comes to Jesus."    
• This humility is what Jesus seeks for us and the commentary reminds us that must not only have humility but also utter dependency and faith that we should come to Jesus with urgency that He is the one who holds our lives in His hands and we must rest on Him for all of our needs.  

While prayer is not explicit in the text today, I am drawn to how we must cast our cares and concerns on Him (1 Peter 5:7), and acknowledge how "apart from [Jesus], [we] can do nothing" (John 15:5).  Just as Jairus did, we must fall on our feet and go to God and for believers this is prayer. God hears and responds to our prayers!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:  Father God You are an awesome God that is able to do it all - all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful.  I can do nothing without You.  In spite of my sin, You saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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.

Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?

 Zechariah 1:1-6

Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? Zechariah 1:4-6a

I resume my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a unassisted review of Zechariah 1:4-6a, which the commentary outlines as the second of three divisions for the text vv1-6 (1:1-3, 1:4-6a, 6b).  Here, the Lord seeks for us to remember - and in this case for negative reasons.  Don't do what God's people have repeatedly done.  Throughout redemptive history as portrayed in the Old Testament, God's people repeatedly turned away from God, sinned and were wicked in God's eyes.  God hates sin.  One of the many broad themes of the OT is the cycle of sin and God's wrath, and we see this very early on in Genesis 3 where among other means of punishment after the Fall, Adam and Eve are sent out from the garden of Eden.  Consistent with yesterday's message, God continues to emphasize here that He reigns, is all powerful and all knowing, hates sin, and seeks obedience.  He also loves His people and does not want to punish them but will if He needs to get our attention. Once again, fear should serve as a preservative to keep us close to God.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, once again, I am reminded of Your amazing grace in that while I was still hostile and an enemy to You, You saved me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving - not by a long shot.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”[d] But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. v16

Building on chapter 1 (see post yesterday), Paul continues to remind us of the source and purpose of wisdom.  He tells us that he has no wisdom apart from the Holy Spirit in him (v2-5) and that God reveals to believers this wisdom (v9-10, 12, 13).  This is of course very humbling and exciting at the same time - that we don't possess wisdom from and for ourselves but from and for God.  If we consider that God is all knowing isn't it amazing that God would even disclose a sliver of this wisdom to us?

See also posts here. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has shown my great wisdom and this has helped me through great difficulties and helped me grow closer to You - thank You Jesus!  I am grateful!  Yet I am humbled and undeserving.  I worry and my sin is great.  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.

However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.

Exodus 32

However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin. v34

When we sin - we should understand that God will forgive us if we ask, but we will never escape punishment for we are held accountable at the end of our lives for what we have done and we may even face justice in this life as scripture in verse 34 indicates.

For those who believe they can escape punishment - think again - nothing is hidden from our God who is all knowing.

God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. Romans 2:6-7

We should support and speak truth into one another's lives - see post yesterday.

And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Genesis 9:5

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love and compassion, beyond what my words can describe.  I know You love me and You are SO patient with me.  Thank You Jesus!  Please forgive me for my lack of grace for others.  Help me turn from my sin towards You and love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength 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.  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.

See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.

Exodus 23

See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. v20-23

God is with us, but He is also ever present and all knowing and in control.  He knows what is ahead us because it is His plan for us and He will light our path and steady our feet.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God - I love You!  I know You love me and all of Your children. I am not worth such love - my 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 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.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?

Genesis 37

When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now? v29-30

Reuben, perhaps because he was the oldest of Jacob's sons and possessed a level of maturity his other sons did not have, sought to avoid harsh treatment of Joseph.  Yet he was not able to stop what his other brothers wanted to do - to get rid of Joseph.  For sure this was sinful and even though he was not present when it happened, Reuben had a hand in Joseph being sold into slavery.

As well, the Macarthur Bible Commentary suggests that Jacob may have been punished now for sins committed earlier in his life - such as his trickery of his father and brother.

Regardless if this is indeed that case - there is no doubt that we are to live in reverent fear of God.  

He knows all - that nothing is hidden from Him.  We may believe that we can "get away" with sins but we pay a price one way or another.  Our belief that we can get away with sin is playing with fire.  Avoid sin...period!

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 1 Peter 1:17

See also posts here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who knows and sees all....including all of my sin.  You are full of grace, compassion, and patience.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I am not You intend me to be.  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 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.  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 Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Jonah 1

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. v3

Running away from the Lord is never a good idea - it's not like You can hide from God.

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you. Psalm 69:5

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

 

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17

 

Yet what Jonah does is far from uncommon.  We all have something we want to hide (at least from others) and there are times when we feel led to do something but at the same time resist God because we may feel that the task assigned to us by God is not something we want to do for whatever reason.

 

We may not feel equipped.  We may also feel that those to whom we are being sent do not deserve our time.  We may feel overqualified.  There are other reasons I am sure.  But we must obey God if for nothing else because He is sovereign and again it's not like He won't know we are disobeying Him and it's not like we're going to be able to stop Him from achieving His plan.

 

God will equip us...He loves us, He knows what is good for us and He has a plan.

 

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 

 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are!  I know You love me, You equip me, encourage me...and so much more.  You rescued me and continue to save me from the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worth such love and blessings.  I continue to worry...too much.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal her of her cancer and from the side effects from chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name.

Amos 4

He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name. v13

We often need to remind ourselves that there is a God, He is in everything, He has created everything in Him and for Him, and He holds everything together (Colossians 1:16-17).  He is all powerful, and all knowing.  He does not need us yet He loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to suffer and die for us (John 3:16).  Our God is a great God and He is Almighty!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I see and feel Your presence every day.  I am so thankful for the many blessings You pour out for me.  I am not worth such love and blessings.  I am weak, selfish, lazy, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn 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.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

Psalm 139

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. v1

God knows me far beyond how I know myself.  In this Psalm, David as well admits as much:

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. v6

We must be in awe and respect such knowledge and not be foolhardy to think that we know better than God what is good for us in our life. I have posted various times on the futile nature of human plans and the futility of our own plans.

Scripture that talks to this futility includes:

"For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39

 

Those who trust in themselves are fools Proverbs 28:26

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

 

My Prayer: Lord, You are an awesome God and You have directed my life and blessed me far beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessings. I am harsh with my words and actions, and I fail to be the man You intend for me in the house, the workplace, and elsewhere.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.

Psalm 69

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you. v5

God knows everything - He is omniscient.  Knowledge and wisdom comes from the Lord and we are to lean on Him (not ourselves) for our understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  He reveals deep and hidden things he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:21-22

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:6

 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17

My Prayer: Lord, You are an awesome God - all truth, knowledge, wisdom and understanding comes from and flows through You.  I know apart from You I can do no good thing.  I know that when I stay near to You and abide in You that You will bless and You have - I am rich as You have blessed me beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus for the many blessings in my life.  Yet I continue to sin as we all do and I am desperate need of cleansing...today and every day.  Forgive me for my lack of grace, impatience, etc. for others.  Forgive me for my pride and arrogance.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.

Psalms 14

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. v5

God is ever present and omniscient.  See also verse 2:

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

See also Hebrews 4:13:

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.

That God is ever present and all-knowing is comforting because of exactly the circumstances David describes - there are times when we are hemmed in on all sides with dread and we are overwhelmed with fear, worry, etc.  Key can be found in Exodus 14:14 when the Israelites are hemmed in against the Red Sea.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

I need to be still. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are - You are ever present and all-knowing and You only desire what is good for me and for Your glory.  Thank You for the many the blessings I experience in my life.  I am rich.  Yet I often desire status, power, etc. and this is sinful.  Forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.