Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

 John 21:15-19

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” John 21:18-19

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 21:15-19, where we see Jesus restore Peter from the sin of his denial.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves Him - in contrast to Peter's denial of Jesus three times before the rooster crows (see Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 18) as Peter responds yes three times - text recognized as Jesus restoring Peter. Jesus offers second (and third, etc.) chances as He forgives.  Jesus is also reinforcing His role of Good Shepherd (see John 10:1-18) and charging Peter with taking on this same role, to feed young (lamb) and old (sheep) believers. Jesus then shares - emphasizing His authority to make such statements prophecy of how Peter will die, encouraging Peter to follow Him.    
• What do we learn from the text about people?:  Jesus offers Peter a second opportunity to follow Him and most scholars recognize that Peter did indeed die on the cross - but he insisted that he hang on the cross by his feet as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus (see this Bible dictionary post).  There is a cost to following Jesus.  He wants us to proclaim the Gospel, and Truth - to all corners of the world, and in many of these places this will be costly, even to the point of physical harm or death.  
• 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 not following Jesus in the mission He gives you.  Claim the promise that He is with is - always.  Follow Jesus (and Peter's) example to do the will of the Father.  Follow Jesus.  

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  I am not deserving of how You save, forgive, restore. Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of how You love me.  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 first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).

 John 1:35-42

He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). John 1:41

I continue my study of John, and today, I outline and unpack John 1:35-42 using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

Main point: Jesus is the Messiah, He takes away sin, and for those who follow Him, He offers eternal fellowship and Truth.   

1. Jesus takes away sin - v35
2. Jesus is Truth - v38
3. Jesus offers eternal fellowship - v39
4. Jesus is the Messiah - v41 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus is once again called by John - accurately - the Lamb of God.  Jesus is the perfect spotless lamb - the final sacrifice who will atone for (take away) the sins of the world - v36 (see also v29); Jesus gains His first disciples - two who followers of Jesus now followed Him - v37; Jesus is interested in what people seek - He wants people to seek Truth (Him) - v38; the two new disciples refer to Jesus as Rabbi (Teacher) - v38; Jesus invites the two new disciples to stay with Him for the day as Jesus seeks fellowship with us - v39; Jesus is referred to as the Messiah (Christ) by Andrew - v41; Jesus calls Simon Peter (Andrew's brother) Peter - v42.
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Two of Jesus' first disciples are former disciples of John the Baptist but now follow Jesus - vv35-37 - reinforcing that Jesus is more important (ranking before) than John (see also v30); the two new disciples of Jesus seek teaching from Jesus - v38; they stay with Jesus at His invitation, they seek fellowship with Him - v39; one of the new disciples was Andrew - who was Simon Peter's brother - v40; Andrew correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah (Christ) - v41; Andrew brings Simon Peter to Jesus and Jesus tells him that going forward he will be called Peter - v42. 
• 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 correctly identify Jesus as the Messiah - Christ; He is also our Teacher as He is the Word (John 1:1) and Truth. We should follow Jesus and seek fellowship with Him.  

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are the Promised Messiah who loves, saves, teaches, and stays with me until the end of the age.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving.  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.

And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Mark 14:53-72

And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. Mark 14:72

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is per the commentary, the second division of the text from Mark 14:53-72 - vv66-72.  

• Using the Sword Bible Study Method focusing just on the text for today - vv66-72: (1) God in the text: Jesus is secondary in this text; (2) people in the text: Peter denies Jesus three times just as Jesus said would happen in vv26-30; Peter invokes a curse upon himself in v71 in an apparent reference to breaking a command found in Leviticus 5:4-6; as Peter remembers Jesus' words prophesying this, Peter weeps (v72); the servant girl of the high priest and others correctly identify Peter as "with the Nazerene (v67), of them (v69), and of them...a Galilean (v70); (3) Sins to avoid, promises to claim, examples to follow, and commands to obey: believers should not deny Jesus nor swear an oath or bear false witness as Peter did - we should stand firm in our faith and belief in Jesus and trust that He is with us and will strengthen us and protect us (either physically or spiritually in the case of death).  

Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division: 

• The title of the first division is "Peter Models the Unfaithful Witness as to Who He Is for."
• "Peter failed the Lord three times in the garden of Gethsemane (vv37-42). Now he fails Him three times in the courtyard of the high priest. Initially, he failed Him by sleeping when he should have been praying. Now he fails Him by denying Him when he should have confessed Him. The rock named Peter crumbles and is pulverized under the pressure."
• "At the very moment he was voicing his third denial, Jesus “turned and looked at Peter” (Luke 22:61)."
• Peter's repentance is not specifically mentioned in text but this commentary and John Piper imply a repentance and restoration via Peter's tears (see also Luke 22:62), and Jesus' interactions with Peter after Jesus' resurrection (John 21:15-19); see John Piper's post on this at DesiringGod.com.  
• "Peter would repent, turn to Christ for forgiveness, and receive a full pardon. By contrast Judas would only feel regret, run to the religious leaders to try to make amends, and go out and hang himself (Matthew 27:5). If only he had turned again to the Lord Jesus like Peter. Though his sin was great, he would have discovered that God’s grace was even greater."

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who saves!  I am not deserving of how You love and 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.

And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Mark 6:45-56

And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. Mark 6:56

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 6:45-56.  Excerpts from the commentary for the second (of two) division (vv53-56):

• The title for the second division is "Jesus Is the One to Whom We Should Come When We Hurt."  
• "Once more the compassionate shepherd will care for His sheep without hesitation or discrimination. They hurt, and He heals. What a wonderful Savior He is!'  
• "Jesus most certainly can be sought anywhere, anytime, and by anyone in need. There is not one whom He will turn away."  
• "Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. He loves you more than you love yourself (which is a great deal). He is more compassionate than you could ever hope. He is more powerful than you could ever imagine. And He knows your needs more perfectly than you or I could ever comprehend. This “Bread of Life” allowed His body to be broken that your soul might receive the spiritual nourishment it needed. He walked the stormy waters through the dark night that led to the cross, so that He might rescue us and that we might never again be terrified or afraid.  Through the wonderful touch of His bloody, redemptive hands, we can forever be healed of sin’s diseases and made well forever. He walked across the stormy waters of judgment in our place, and He took on our sicknesses in His own body. “Take heart,” He says. Understand, 'I AM!'"

We all have needs - most importantly spiritual needs to have forgiveness of sins and salvation from the wages of sin (Romans 6:23).  We can approach Jesus in confidence knowing "that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)."  Jesus forgives and saves.  Praise God that He sent His Son to save us!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, what an amazing gift You provide through salvation to those who confess and believe!  The greatest gift of all time - thank You!  I am not deserving of such a gift.  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. 

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning...My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 3 and John 2

 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning...My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 3:7-8, John 2:1-2

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 25 of Advent, and today John Piper marks Christmas day by describing three gifts all believers have in Jesus Christ:

1. A clear purpose for living.  Using 1 John 3:23 where it says (Piper highlights how John does so as a single commandment) "believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us."  Piper shares how this commandment - expressed by Jesus as two (and the greatest) commandments in Matthew 22:34-40 - as the "sum of the Christian life". 
2. Hope that our failures will be forgiven.  Piper describes how our hope that our failures will be forgiven is HOW we overcome sin - we continue to fight because we know and have faith that our battle is not for naught.
3. Christ will help us.  Piper uses 1 John 4:4 where it says "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Jesus has already defeated sin and death and He gives us the Holy Spirit, His Word, etc. as the full armor of God to defeat sin. He will also never leave or forsake us.

Merry Christmas indeed!  Embrace these truths!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great indeed and the presents You provide are incredible as You alone are worthy of worship like no other!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such gifts.  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.

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

1 John 3

 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. 1 John 3:7-8

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 24 of Advent, and today John Piper highlights two purposes for Christmas - that is why Jesus came into the world (incarnation). Jesus came into the world to defeat sin and to enable believers to battle sin - fearlessly. The second purpose is to forgive and take away sins.  Piper refers us to not just 1 John 3:7-8, but also 1 John 3:5, and 1 John 2:1-2.  Piper shares how these two purposes work together and that "[f]orgiveness is not for the purpose of permitting sin."  Indeed - we should battle sin with an aim to defeat sin. Pursue Christ!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion and grace for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your grace and compassion.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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 your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Psalm 25

For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Psalm 25:11

I pause on both my studies of Isaiah and Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which today focuses on how Jesus allows us to pray David's prayer from Psalm 25:11 with new confidence. John Piper starts the devotion by describing God's "righteousness...[and]...the infinite zeal and joy and pleasure that he has in what is supremely valuable, namely, his own perfection and worth. And if he were ever to act contrary to this eternal passion for his own perfections, he would be unrighteous — he would be an idolater." He then asks what all of us as believers should frequently ponder: "How shall such a righteous God ever set his affection on sinners like us who have scorned his perfections? But the wonder of the gospel is that in his divine righteousness lies also the very foundation of our salvation. The infinite regard that the Father has for the Son makes it possible for me, a wicked sinner, to be loved and accepted in the Son, because in his death he vindicated the worth and glory of his Father."  Piper then wraps the devotion by summarizing: "God is righteous. He does not sweep sin under the rug. If a sinner goes free, someone dies to vindicate the infinite worth of God’s glory that the sinner defamed. That is what Christ did."  Amen...of course!

In between the lines, for us to more fully appreciate what God did for us, we must also acknowledge that we all sin, and we all need a Savior - Jesus Christ is that Savior.  From time to time, it is important that we reflect on this and God's amazing grace for us.  It is also important for us to be confident and assured that God forgives:

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of amazing grace, compassion, and love me.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know that I am undeserving - 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 are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.

Revelation 22

 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Revelation 22:14

This week marks (meeting Monday nights) the final week of my D-Group's study of Revelation - using Stephen Witmer's commentary and study guide. For this week's study, we are collapsing the Epilogue (week 11) and the Summary/Conclusion (week 12) into a single week.  Of particular note this morning is how only those who wash their robes are allowed into Heaven.  Of course this refers to the cleansing of sin that only Jesus provides - God alone forgives and cleanses us of our sin.  This is not of our own doing - no works can do this for us. We all sin, and we all need a Savior (lest we suffer eternal torment). For those who have experienced this cleansing, it is an overwhelming experience where a natural response is praise God - what amazing grace!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who saves me and cleanses my sin - thank You Jesus!  Amazing grace indeed!  I am not deserving as 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 when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

Leviticus 16

“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. Leviticus 16:20-22

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter fourteen - God Forgives and Removes Sin - covering Leviticus 16:1-34, looking specifically at the fourth theme for the chapter - God Offers Removal of Sin.  Here, the commentary zeroes in on v20-22 and the offering of the live goat, which is described as a sacrifice unique to the Day of Atonement as "[i]t appears only here in Leviticus 16."  The commentary starts with a brief examination of "azazel" (which appears four times in Leviticus 16), and while we cannot walk away with anything definitive regarding the definition of azazel, we are encouraged to see how the live goat sacrifice served as a scapegoat - a term first used by 16th century Bible translator William Tyndale.  The goat, according to the commentary in its discussion of v20-22, "would bear the sins of others....all of [the Israelites sin] was placed on the scapegoat when the priest laid his hands on his head."  Of course, for believers Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The commentary wraps today by referring us to Psalm 103:12 as one of many scriptural examples of how Christ removes sin:

...[A]s far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

Comment and discuss this post here.

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