[He] who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father[.]

Galatians 1:4

[He] who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father[.] Galatians 1:4

I agree with this post on DesiringGod.com that states that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history. As such, I continue with one of the recommendations from the post to prepare for Holy Week, which is to read John Piper's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Today I read reason #20: To Deliver Us from the Present Evil Age.  Here, John Piper describes how believers, "[u]ntil we die, or until Christ returns to establish his kingdom, we live in 'the present evil age.'"  Ensuring a right understanding of what is meant by "deliver us from the present evil age," Piper points us to John 17:15, sharing that believers are not taken from the world but instead protected and preserved from the power and influences of the evil one.  Expanding on this present evil age, "Satan is given freedom to deceive and destroy" - see also 1 John 5:19 and 2 Corinthians 4:4. Those who are not believers in this present evil age, "live in sync" with Satan - see also Ephesians 2:2.  While many may view this description of non-believers as harsh - we should understand how God views all of humanity as sinful and falling short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and lacking self-awareness if there is no acknowledgement of this gap between humanity and God (1 John 1:8).  The Good News of the Gospel is shared in 1 John 1:9 where it shares that "[i]f we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Piper clarifies how easily it is to be blinded by Satan by idolizing money, sex, hobbies, or any other addictive power that is worshiped over the One True God. The devotion then refers us to 2 Peter 2:19 where scripture describes how these sinful influences enslave a person. Believers recognize these sinful influences as offering only folly while the Truth of the Gospel offers wisdom - see also 1 Corinthians 3:8-19, 1:18.  There is hope in Jesus Christ for those who feel enslaved by Satan - repent and believe!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are Truth and You give me the power power to protect myself during this present evil age.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You arm me to protect myself.  My sin is great and it continues - daily.   Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from 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 of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool!

Ecclesiastes 2

For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! Ecclesiastes 2:16

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 2:12-17, which is the second division of Ecclesiastes 2 per the commentary.  While there is some speculation to whom Solomon is addressing when he refers to his son in this text, a strong candidate is Rehoboam (see also starting 1 Kings 11, and 2 Chronicles 9). The commentary first describes how Solomon seeks to help his son avoid the mistakes and sin he made over the course of his life.  It then describes vv13-14 and the value of wisdom: "[w]isdom helps you navigate this world without stumbling because it allows you to see clearly the pitfalls, and it allows you to discern the right decision in each situation."  The commentary then shares how although wisdom has value, again apart from God there is no lasting value: "wisdom is better than foolishness, but the value is only relative, and it does not last. Why? Wisdom’s gain over folly is fleeting because both the wise and the fool share the same fate. Death is the great equalizer. That is Solomon’s point. What is the use in exerting all of this energy to be wise if this world is all there is and we all end up as worm food in the end? Why deny myself the seeming fun of the foolish life and work hard to be wise when we all end up the same? Death makes meaningless even trying to live the right kind of life in this world."  Additionally, much of humanity toils for value by striving for a "righteous" or "good" life but again Solomon shares how in the end in our fallen world it is futile - bad things happen to "righteous" and "good" people and vice-versa for less than righteous and good people.  We seek justice and judgement but Solomon once again points out how this, apart from God, is futile.   

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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 - freely giving me salvation and blessing me every day (without ceasing) new mercies.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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 word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. Here the emphasis is the contrast in how God's wisdom (the Word) saves and has power - even as God uses ordinary and weak people as vessels through which He delivers the Word - in contrast to worldly wisdom and power which God manifests in kingdoms that are brought low and humbled at His will.  The text starts today by describing how God's Word is "folly" to those who spurn its teachings but the Word is God Himself and it is power for believers (John 1:1). The text then rhetorically challenges us to look elsewhere in the text where we may identify wisdom in the world, but are challenged us to see how God is the source of wisdom and how God both raises up those in power and also tears them down - all at His whim.  The text continues to state how God is not known through worldly wisdom, but instead through humans to whom God reveals Himself - ordinary and weak people such as Peter - and how God uses ordinary and weak people to save.  The world often seeks "signs" and "wisdom" just as the Jews and Greeks did (v22), but Christ - who died and rose again - and His Word is all that is need by those who are called and believed through faith.  This is of course very hard to understand by those who don't believe and that is the point - belief and faith is through God alone who chooses to reveal Himself to whom He chooses - not through any wisdom that is gained through human effort - it is divine!  We should be thankful that God chose us not through our own effort but through grace and election at God's will alone.  I am drawn to Isaiah 55:8 where it is written how God's ways and thoughts are not easily understood by the weak human mind - however sharp it may be by earthly standards. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who IS wisdom, gives wisdom, and who saves - all by grace.  Thank You for my salvation and for the wisdom You provide to guide me as a lamp for my feet and life. I am not deserving of my salvation and for the wisdom You alone provide.  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.  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 reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

Proverbs 9

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. Proverbs 9:8-9

On the back half of my vacation in Maine, I resume my study of Proverbs picking up in chapter 9, which my study describes as "the final poem of the first major section of [Proverbs]." This chapter contrasts the two paths we have in life - wisdom and folly.  While the English dictionary for reprove has some variation, it core definition is one that describes criticism, feedback, or instruction - the variation can often be wide from harsh to gentle. Regardless of the variation - my study points out how the Jewish elders during Jesus' ministry (and shortly thereafter as the early church formed) on earth rejected Him as scoffers.  Here in Proverbs 9 we see the same message as scripture describes and contrasts scoffers versus a wise/righteous man. For me this is a hard message to swallow as I've recently acted like a scoffer.  Please God forgive me and help me fear in You first then seek wisdom.

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - despite my sin.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet I am not deserving of Your grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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 is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.

Proverbs 8

Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. Proverbs 8:34

Today, I resumed my study of Proverbs, looking closely at chapter 8. The first five questions of my study focus on how God makes wisdom easy to access, understand, and follow - as long as we seek wisdom.  The questions also focus on how wisdom instills a hatred of evil and on how it provides practical benefits in our day-to-day lives. Yet core to obtaining wisdom is found in a desire to seek it and to value it.  Wisdom, in Proverbs 8 (per my study) is described as an attribute of God's character.  We must go to God daily, watching at His gates and waiting beside His doors. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are more valuable than silver and gold and worthy of my life as a living sacrifice - I know I exist to glorify You and You are worthy.  You are the Creator and my personal Lord and Savior.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me daily.  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.