And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Mark 6:7-13

And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. Mark 6:11-13

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 6:7-13, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God both calls and sends (v7), implying that God gives us something to do and a place where we are to go.  The sending is a mission function in that we are called to serve a specific community often first by traveling to this community. God also equips in that He gives us power (v7) and we should trust that He provides as we serve (vv8-9). We are reminded that it is God alone that softens hearts and saves - we share the gospel, and He saves (v11).    
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: There are those who have not and will not receive the gospel and repent - we should continue to share, but move on from those who do not repent (v11).    
• 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 are to listen for God's call and to go where He wants us to go.  God gives us power as He works through us and in the same way, He provides.  As we serve, we can trust in Him to work in and through us and to provide.    

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God that loves and saves.  You saved me, of course while still sinning and an enemy and hostile to You.  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. 

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises....Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

Hebrews 8, 13

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises....Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Hebrews 8:6, 13:2-21

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 14 of Advent, and today John Piper describes how Jesus is not just the Great High Priest whose death and sacrifice on the cross supersedes and replaces the role of the Old Testament priests and sacrifices made by these priests (see post couple of days here and here), but He is also the Great High Priests who "makes [this final reality] real for His people."  Piper states that by Christ serving as a better mediator of a better covenant (secured by His blood), "[i]t means that God, according to the new covenant promises, brings about our inner transformation by the Spirit of Christ. And it means that God works this transformation in us through faith — faith in all that God is for us in Christ. The new covenant is purchased by the blood of Christ, effected by the Spirit of Christ, and appropriated by faith in Christ.  It means that God, according to the new covenant promises, brings about our inner transformation by the Spirit of Christ.  And it means that God works this transformation in us through faith — faith in all that God is for us in Christ."  God makes it real for us by working in us.  Piper wraps up the devotion sharing how we connect this to Christmas: "...the meaning of Christmas is not only that God replaces shadows with Reality, but also that he takes the Reality and makes it real to his people. He writes it on our hearts. He does not lay his Christmas gift of salvation and transformation under the tree, so to speak, for you to pick up in your own strength. He picks it up and puts it in your heart and in your mind and gives you the seal of assurance that you are a child of God."  Jesus is the greatest gift of all time!

Comment and discuss this post.

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

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:10-11

I pause today from my studies of both Isaiah and of Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion.  Here, John Piper refers to how our spiritual gifts, as varied as they are, are poured out as "future grace" in that "[a]s you serve, serve in the power of the ongoing supply of God’s grace to do what you need to do....God goes on, day-by-day, moment-by-moment, supplying the “strength” in which we minister. He does this because the ongoing, inexhaustible supplier of power gets the glory." Let us not just acknowledge our spiritual gifts, but also be encouraged to use them and leverage the supplies of strength God gives us for His glory. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I have seen the miracle of Your grace poured out in my life and in the lives of others through the use of spiritual gifts.  You are amazing and I am grateful that even though You don't need me, You love me, saved me, and You continue to work in and through me for both my good and Your glory. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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

2 Thessalonians 1

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

This morning, I focus on John Piper's Solid Joys devotional, where Piper seeks for us to understand both our role and God's role in our resolve or will power to do good works and please God.  While we may believe in the ultimate providence and sovereignty of God in all aspects of our lives, Piper warns us that we should not use this as an excuse to do nothing, thinking that God will do the work and we don't need to do anything.  Piper calls this disobedience. He writes: "[t]he engagement of God’s power never takes the place of the engagement of our will! The power of God in sanctification never makes us passive! The power of God engages itself beneath or behind and within our will, not in place of our will."  He continues by stating "[p]art of the whole process of walking worthy of God’s call is the active engagement of our will in resolving to do righteousness." The bottom line is that we are INVOLVED in resolving...Piper expands on this in a post here.  Key to being involved is a willingness to be used by God - once again building on our "will."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God that accomplished many great things in and through me - I have seen Your hand - thank You God for using me and within, behind and beneath my will!  I am not deserving for how You work in my life and the many blessings that result.  My sins continue - please forgive me for my worry and other sins.  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.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

Hebrews 13

 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Hebrews 13:20-21

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on key implications of the New (Eternal) Covenant and the redemption/resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to Piper these implications are two-fold:

1. "he equips us with everything good that we may do his will, and
2. he works in us that which is pleasing in his sight."

Piper warns us that we must still use our earthly powers to "use the equipment he gives" to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12-13).  

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God  who loves me and who blesses me daily, and blesses me most importantly with my salvation - 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.

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. Matthew 1:17

Day 290 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 as my commentary* moves further into the New Testament - focusing this morning on genealogies of Jesus found in the books of Matthew and Luke.

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

Matthew provides an account of the line from Abraham, while Luke provides an account from the line all the way back to Adam. My commentary* makes note of how sinful people are used in the line of Jesus, including both Rahab and Manasseh, reinforcing how

To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

Exodus 24

To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. v17

God IS a consuming fire - these words "consuming fire" appear ten times in the Bible, including this reference in Hebrews:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire".  Hebrews 12:28-29

The question is, do we submit to God to the extent that we allow God to be at the center of our lives - for this is what God desires for us.  See Matthew 22:37 where Jesus says the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind". 

We must recognize this and submit to Him...

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17

...so that we can allow Him to work through us.

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE a consuming fire and I know You are work in me working for Your glory and my good - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such an effort - I am selfish.  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.