Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Hebrews 3:1-6

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:5-6

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 3:1-6 - to help Jewish believers who well understood the Old Testament and its biblical heroes such as Moses, the author (key theme of entire book) helps readers better understand Jesus and emphasizes the supremacy of Jesus.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus is faithful (v2) and appointed by the Father (v2).  He is worthy of more glory than Moses (v3).  God built all things (v4). He is God's Son (v6).  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Believers have a heavenly calling (v1) that we share with Jesus - to whom we can confess sin (v1).  Moses was faithful (vv2, 5), but less so as Jesus is perfectly faithful - we know Moses sinned (including murder, lied).  Moses testified to things that were to come - to the promised land and beyond. Believers are God's house (v6)- the temple - as the Holy Spirit resides inside our hearts.
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should avoid seeing anything greater than Jesus - He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. We should claim the promise of Jesus' faithfulness - all of the promises of God find their yes in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).  We should follow the example of Moses who served faithfully, and of course Jesus!  Trust in Jesus and rest in His promises! 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who created all things and is faithful!  I can rest in Your promises.  Thank You Jesus for saving me and for giving me a peace that surpasses understanding.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from such 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. 

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:25-36

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:29-30

I continue my study of John, and today, I unpack John 3:25-36 using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: John praises God and describes Jesus as being sent from Heaven, the promised Messiah (the Christ), as being the bridegroom (with the church being the bride), as being of more importance than himself (John), and above all (providence over all things); because He was sent by God, Jesus utters the words of God; God gives the Spirit without measure (never ending); Jesus was sent by God but also equal to God as God gave all things into Jesus' hand; God saves those who believe in Him.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: John remains humble in how he talks about his role as coming before Jesus and he recognizes that Jesus is important than him and that Jesus should increase while John decreases; John expresses humility in a way that the Jewish leaders did not - He gladly completes the task for which He came - to point to the coming Messiah and now that Jesus arrived as the coming Messiah. John assigned mission is complete and he does not struggle to hold onto power and status as the Jewish leaders did.          
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Believe in Jesus or risk eternal condemnation as Jesus only saves those who believe; follow John's example that Jesus should be the highest priority in our lives - as we decrease, Jesus increases as the Spirit grows in our heart, we become more like Him and others see Jesus in us as we reflect the love of Christ and draw others to Him.      

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, saves and reigns over all.  You do not need me yet You saved me...while still an enemy and hostile to God.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and 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 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.

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

John 3:1-21

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? John 3:11-12

I continue my study of John, and today, I start to unpack John 3:1-21 using the Sword Bible Study Method, looking at vv1-15, and tomorrow I will look at vv16-21.   

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: As Nicodemus questions Him, Jesus prefaces His response with "truly, truly" (3x - vv3,5,11).  He does this to emphasize that what He is saying is absolutely true because He is the King of Kings and source of God's Word (see John 1:1).  Jesus then focuses on the important doctrine of regeneration - that believers must be born again to have faith.  See also Ezekiel 36:26 where God alone gives His people a new heart, replacing the heart of stone with a heart of flesh.  There should be no mystery about how one comes to faith - although it works like the wind (v8) in the sense that the timing or circumstances are not known, faith comes from God alone via the Spirit living in our hearts (Ephesians 2:8).  God wants us to have faith - even when we cannot see or comprehend everything.  It is true that many aspects of faith are hard to understand (more accurately not fully understood on this side of Heaven) but there are aspects of faith that should be absolutely clear from both the OT and NT - we all sin, need a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior (see also Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Romans 3:10, Psalms 14:2-3, 53:2-3).           
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People want answers for everything yet people will find it futile because we cannot understand all there is to understand - see Ecclesiastes 1:1-10. Israel (and any other non believer) did not believe even with both earthly and heavenly signs - see also Romans 1:20. 
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid leaning on own understanding (Proverbs 3:5); but instead acknowledge, trust and follow God; belief in Jesus will give new/transformed life and eternal life; we should follow Nicodemus' example and earnestly seek Him and Truth because God promises that if seek Him with all of our heart we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).    

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus!  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.

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. 

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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.

And when the centurion, who stood facing [Jesus], saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Mark 15:33-41

And when the centurion, who stood facing [Jesus], saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39

I continue my study of Mark, focusing on Mark 15:33-41.  

Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: In the midst of darkness that covered the whole land, Jesus cries out to the Father, asking why has He forsaken the Son -vv33-34. This feeling of being forsaken is understandable, yet we would expect this to be a temporary state of mind of course because we know that Jesus will rise and ascend to Heaven (see also Acts 1:9-11 and Luke 24:51). Jesus continues to be mocked right up until He dies - v36 - He does not save Himself although He has the power to do so, He faithfully submits to the Father's will - v37. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: There will always be those who mock Jesus as done in v36.  Based upon the darkness that befell the whole land and the tearing of the temple curtain vv33, 38, and what we know from the other gospels (Matthew 27:51-54) - earthquake, raising of dead, etc., the centurion accurately states that Jesus is the Son of God - v39. It is implied this centurion becomes a believer. Mary Magdelene, Mary mother of Jesus, and other women - those who loved and ministered to Jesus during His time in ministry observe the crucifixion - v40-41.  These women were certainly devastated by Jesus' death on the cross.  They followed and served (and were at His feet literally as He hung from the cross) Jesus through what they thought was the end, yet we know that this was not the end.
• 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 question who Jesus is nor mock Him.  Today, many question and mock Jesus and even threaten harm (sometimes physical) - yet we must remain steadfast in our faith and continue to share the gospel.  We should follow Jesus without fear of reprisal - run the race until the end (our physical death) (Hebrews 12:1-2).  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  You loved and saved me while I was still an enemy and hostile to You...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and 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 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.

So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself."

Mark 15:21-32

So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself." Mark 15:31

I continue my study of Mark, focusing on Mark 15:21-32.  

Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: v21 - it appears that Jesus was beaten so severely and scourged so harshly that Simon of Cyrene must help carry the cross where Jesus will be crucified; v21 - Jesus is offered wine with myrrh (one of its uses is as as an analgesic) but He refuses - suggesting that He did not want to "dull" the pain or otherwise not completely accept the will of the Father which was for Him to be the final sacrifice for all sin; vv23, 25 - the soldiers crucified Jesus and fulfilled prophecy from Psalm 22:18 (of David) which describes David's agony as Saul hunts him down - this Psalm more broadly mirrors many aspects of the gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion; v24, 26, 29-32 - Jesus is mocked, taunted, derided, and reviled by those crucifying Him, including the soldiers and the chief priests with the scribes, even by those who passed by; v32 - the two robbers crucified with Jesus also reviled Jesus.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: v31 - the chief priests with the scribes all but admit that Jesus has saving power and that He "saved others," yet their envy drives them to murder Him.    
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Envy is a destructive sin that we should avoid - do not covet is one of the Ten Commandments. We should see that Jesus IS King but that His Kingdom is eternal.  He is King of Kings. We should endure suffering as Jesus did and allow others to see how God works through our suffering to give us strength to endure. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves - thank You for saving me while still hostile and an enemy to You.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor of the mercies You pour out for me daily that never cease.  My sin is great and it continues...please forgive me Jesus - for impatience, anger, etc.  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 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 those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

Mark 11:1-11

And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:9-10

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 11:1-11.  Excerpts from the commentary's fourth (of five) division (vv9-10):

• The title of the third division per the commentary is "Worship the One Who Alone Can Save."   
• The author of my commentary, Danny Akin, marvels at the shouts of those seeing Jesus enter Jerusalem.  He writes in the commentary: "I am fascinated by the shouts of the crowd. Their words could not be truer, but they could not have been more misunderstood by those who were shouting them. Only Jesus knew the full significance of what they were saying. “Hosanna” means literally, “Save, I pray.” It draws from Psalm 118:25-26 (from the Egyptian Hallels; Psalms 113–118) which says, “Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success! He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed. From the house of the Lord we bless you.” Passover celebrated the Hebrew people’s deliverance out of Egypt. Now the nation of Israel anticipates a messianic liberation and deliverance from Rome." 
• "'Blessed' draws from Numbers 6:24-27 which says, “May Yahweh bless you and protect you; may Yahweh make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may Yahweh look with favor on you and give you peace. In this way they will pronounce My name over the Israelites, and I will bless them.” The One who is blessed, or better, who will be the blesser, is (1) He who comes in the name of the Lord, and (2) He who is 'bringing the coming kingdom of David!'"  
• The commentary emphasizes the following text and how Jesus' fulfills prophecy: 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 9:1-7, Isaiah 11:1-10, Jeremiah 23:5-8, Ezekiel 34:23-24, Micah 5:2-4.  At the same time, the commentary notes how "prophecy was not being fulfilled in the way they thought, hoped, and believed it would be. They are right. He is their King. But He is not here to purge Israel of foreign domination. No, He is here to purge His people of their sin! They are looking and longing for a temporal, political, and military Savior. He, however, is bringing what only He can bring: a complete and eternal salvation of body and soul! They want and expect a Savior only for Jews, but He is a Savior for the whole world, for any and all who will believe on His Name." 
• We are referred to John 1:12, 3:16, 14:6, Acts 4:12, and 1 Timothy 2:5.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You alone save!  And You saved me while I was still an enemy and hostile to You - I am saved not through anything I have done....thank You Jesus for my salvation.  The greatest gift of all time.  I am not deserving of such a gift.  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 they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ...And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

 Mark 1:21-22, and 27

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ...And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." Mark 1:21-22, and 27

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 1:21-22, and 27, which is the text for the first division of the text Mark 1:21-28. Excerpts from the commentary:

• The commentary urges all of us, believers or not, to see Jesus as absolute authority in our lives.
• "All of us have a source of authority in our lives that will determine how we think and live. For some it is reason—I live the way I live because I think. For others it is experience—I live the way I live because I feel. Still others rely on tradition—I live the way I live because we have always done it this way. Finally, someone might look to revelation for their authority—I live the way I live because God says so."
• For those who do see Jesus as their absolute authority, "we understand it to take the form of a proposition and a person—a written Word and a living Word. The written Word we call the Bible. The living Word we know as Jesus. One we love. The other we love and worship. The written Word points us to the living Word, and that One has the right to demand complete and absolute lordship in our lives. Why should Jesus have absolute lordship in your life? Mark 1:21-28 provides two of many reasons."
•  The first of these reasons - because of his teachings - is found in this first division vv21-22 and v27. 
•  "The people immediately saw a contrast between the teachings of Jesus and those of “the scribes.” The scribes, also called “teachers of the law,” were skilled in the exposition of the Torah, the law of Moses. This much-respected and celebrated group of scholars traced their origin back to Ezra (Ezra 7:6,11)."  The scribes were "greatly respected, "however, they stood in opposition to Jesus and His ministry. Jesus will not challenge the legitimacy of their office, but He will call out their legalism, hypocrisy, and pride."
• "Mark is careful to contrast the authority of Jesus with the scribes’ lack thereof (vv. 22,27). The scribes derived their authority from the “tradition of men” (see 7:8-13). By quoting the fathers of Judaism, they rested on the famous and respected teachers who had preceded them. Not so with Jesus. Like the prophets His authority came directly from God, His Father (1:11)."      

Jesus is the Son of God and He is the King of Kings.  He reigns over all of creation and over all matters - see Colossians 1:15-20.  He has complete providence over all the details of my life, and He knows everything about me, including my sin.  Despite knowing everything about me from before I was born, He came for me, dying on the cross to save me, loving me while I was an enemy and hostile to Him - as I was a slave to my sin.  He saved me from eternal damnation and gave me life to the full now and for eternity.  Amazing grace indeed!  I follow Jesus because He is the One True God and because His teachings - the Word of God, the Bible - is His Word for me to know Him and to know how to please Him. I seek to please Him because that is why we all exist - to bring Him glory.    

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves us and who is full of grace and compassion for us.  Thank You for my salvation and for Your Word that You provide for me to know You and to please You.  Thank You for the Holy Spirit that is with me and guides me.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of these 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.  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. 

Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ...And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

 Mark 1:17-18 and 20

Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ...And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. Mark 1:17-18, 20

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 1:17-18 and 20, which is the text for the third of three divisions per the commentary.  Excerpts from the commentary:

• "There is only one right Master to follow in life and into eternity. His name is Jesus. Jesus called and they left everything to follow Him. The authority of the call and the immediacy of their responses raise the question as to who this Man is that demands such obedience. Actually, Mark has given us a pretty clear picture of who this Teacher is, even in the opening verses of the book."
• For this clear picture, we are referred to v1, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 15 where Jesus is described as "the Christ, Son of God, the Lord, the mighty One, the worthy One, the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit-anointed One, the beloved Son, the One who pleases God, and the One who brings the kingdom of God."
• Mark 1 provides additional details on Jesus as He is described as "the astonishing Teacher (1:22), the One with authority (1:22), the Holy One of God (1:24), who is able to cast out demons (1:26,32-34,39), heal the sick (1:31-34), and even cleanse lepers (1:42)" - all of this just in chapter one of Mark.  
• "Jesus calls us to believe the gospel. One way we do this is to preach the gospel continually, not only to others, but also to ourselves. The result will be that you will see yourself as a much bigger sinner than you thought, but you will also then see Jesus as a much greater Savior than you ever imagined. How do you preach the gospel to yourself?"  
• We do so by (a) "seeing and owning our sin: Examine yourself in the mirror of God’s Word. Pray that God would bring to light your negative emotions and attitudes as well as blatant rebellion against God’s holiness. As you do this, guard yourself against sin’s deceitfulness. You will likely feel the tendency to water down God’s standard, compare yourself to others, shift blame, or commit to trying harder. These are reflective of man-centered moralism; (b) seeing the sin beneath the sin; (c) expose the idols of your heart. Idols always disappoint. They are weak. They can’t deliver when you succeed; they can only raise the bar. They can’t forgive you when you fail; they can only lower the boom. They are harmful. They hurt you spiritually, emotionally, and physically. They hurt others by undermining your ability to love; (d) view repentance as a gift; (e) see Jesus as the only true Savior; and (f) embrace the gospel as your motivation for living: embrace it and know that the gospel changes you, the gospel empowers you to serve, and through the gospel you meet God."
• "The King has come, and He calls all of us to repent and believe the gospel, to walk away from the idols of our life, our former allegiances, and to come follow Him. Leave your nets, leave your occupation, leave your friends, leave even your family, and come follow Him. The demands are great, but then Jesus is a great King, and the blessings of knowing Him are far greater!"  

The world is full of idols: money, sex, fame, social acceptance, etc. Yet nothing fulfills and gives joy like Jesus Christ.  Please come and know Jesus and if You seek Him with all of your heart you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  Once you find Him, You will fall in love with Him and desire Him more and more and You will see that all of God's promises find their yes in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20).  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are the King of Kings and worthy of my worship, my love, and complete devotion to You above all else.  I also know I exist to bring You glory. Thank You for saving me, and for blessing me WELL beyond what I deserve - I am not deserving of any the blessings You pour out for 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.  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. 

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

 Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Ecclesiastes 12:11-12

I continue my study of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book. My focus today is a commentary-assisted review of the the third division of the text Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14, which is explored in the commentary chapter entitled Aging Is Meaningless without Jesus.  The commentary describes the third division as 12:8-14 with this division entitled Trust in Jesus as Your Savior and Sage.  

Excerpts from the commentary:

• "God imposed a curse on the world to show us the meaninglessness of following our own devices and to drive us to Him.  Thus, the point of Ecclesiastes, like every book of the Old Testament, is ultimately to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:15)." 
• "Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes to shepherd the reader with words that are pleasing, true, convicting, and wise (12:9-10). His words are like goads, spiked sticks that prod cattle down the right path. That has been his intention all along. He gives messianic wisdom to convict us of the meaninglessness of life without God and to drive us to remember our Creator. After all, the image of the “one Shepherd” is only used in reference to the Messiah (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:24)."
• "Solomon knows the temptation to try anything and everything other than God to find satisfaction, so he has talked about his pursuit of wealth, education, women, pleasure, success, and other things. When all is said and done, God is the only One who can satisfy the human heart."
• "Ecclesiastes ends by saying even the secret things we think are hidden will see the light of day in judgment when we are completely laid bare and exposed before the holy God (v. 14). That’s frightening."
• "We are under condemnation; that’s the bad news. But the good news is that there is one who is greater than Solomon who has come on the scene. He is the Wisdom of God. He does not just teach us messianic wisdom and fail to live up to it; He perfectly lives out the wisdom of God.  And yet the One who perfectly lived out the wisdom of God took the judgment for our folly on the cross. He experienced everything we should experience for falling short of God’s glory. The enemy—the curse of sin and death—will steal our hearing, steal our motor skills, steal our sight, and steal our youthful vigor, but Jesus redeems us by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13)."
• "Life is meaningful because Christ reconciles us to the Creator of life and gives us the ability to be wise. Now, in Christ, we can be satisfied in God alone, rather than loving His gifts more than we love Him."

Love, surrender to, and worship the One True God!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me Your Word as a means for You to speak to me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this, nor any of the blessings You pour out for 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 other 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. 

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:12-14

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 12:12-14, which covers the fourth division of the commentary chapter titled Politics and Justice Are Meaningless without Jesus - the fourth division specifically is referred to in the commentary as Ecclesiastes Cries Out for a Better King, a Resurrection, and a Final Judgment.  Here, the commentary offers several key takeaways:

• "Our longing for righteous political leaders who set things right is a longing for King Jesus. In His kingdom there is no oppression. There is no inequality. We see this now in seed form in the church—the outpost of the kingdom. Rich and poor, slave and free, sit down together at the table."
• We can defer death with a healthy lifestyle but we cannot escape it and judgement awaits us all - the only option we have is believe in the One who died on the cross - bearing all sin for all of humanity, taking the punishment we all deserve, and giving us the free gift of His grace.  All we need to do is confess and repent our sin, believe, have faith, and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ! He alone will ultimately end oppression and injustice.
  
• "Building a nation on God’s laws will not change America any more than it changed ancient Israel because laws do not change the human heart. Only Jesus can do that."
  

 An earthly life is full of many pursuits (that are meaningless and futile), but for those who believe and trust in God we must remember that our "whole duty" is to "fear God and keep His commandments."

Jesus is the King of Kings - and He saves! Repent, confess, believe, and trust in Him!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and mercies daily that never cease - You guide, care, protect, heal, etc. Thank You Jesus for saving me!  I am not deserving of such love and 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.

My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14

 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:12-14

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of Ecclesiastes 12:12-14, which covers the fourth division of the commentary chapter titled Politics and Justice Are Meaningless without Jesus - the fourth division specifically is referred to in the commentary as Ecclesiastes Cries Out for a Better King, a Resurrection, and a Final Judgment.  Here, Solomon concludes the book of Ecclesiastes by lovingly looking to pass on final words on the meaning and purpose of life to his son Rehoboam.  The commentary combines Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3 and 5:8-9 with these final verses of the book to reinforce how scripture should be read in its entirety and be seen as perfect and "...breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Therefore, Ecclesiastes should not be interpreted on its own but as part of a broader redemption story as part of God's plan - which again is perfect.  Also, we should see Jesus in all books of the Bible as He is the Alpha and the Omega, and part of the Holy Trinity - as He is God and present with God since the beginning (John 1:1-2).  Solomon's parting words - this fourth division - of course reinforce how all things are meaningless without God, that we exist solely to serve and glorify Him, and today we are encouraged to see Jesus as part of message that earthly authorities do serve a purpose and were created by God, but they are not God and should not become idols for us to do what only God can do - God truly saves! Jesus is the King of Kings!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - providing earthly authorities in my life that serve me and most importantly You give me Yourself, the Holy Spirit, my salvation, and Your Word.  Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and without I would be lost.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet I am undeserving of all of these 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.  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.

The Lord says, “I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you. So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand.

Chapter 22: Pages 296-316, Daniel 4:28:-37

The Lord says, “I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you. So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand. Psalm 32:8-9

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 4 "Providence Over Kings and Nations" - moving to chapter twenty-two "To Know and Rejoice That the Most High Rules". 

Here, Piper continues from chapter twenty-one with the nine aspects of providence over kings and nations - focusing on the remaining five:

1. The most high gives the kingdom to whom he will, even to the lowest (Daniel 4:17)
2. Those who walk in pride he is able to humble (Daniel 4:37)
3. All his works are right, and his ways are just (Daniel 4:37)
4. God aims that the world know and rejoice that he rules in all these ways (Daniel 4:17)
5. God aims for us to know that when we fail to submit to and rejoice in Gods kingship, we are acting like animals, not humans (Daniel 4:32-33, 5:21)  

Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation and restoration (Daniel 4:28-37) are core to Piper in this chapter as he points out that "the point of [Nebuchadnezzar's] humiliation is to help us not follow the same course. God is warning us not to become beast-like in failing to use our distinctively human powers to know God-particularly, in this case, to know the true meaning of the providence of God.  This story is not just about providence and pride but also about providence and dehumanization." 

Earlier in the chapter, Piper states that "pride is the height of treason and the end of human happiness.  It is opposition to the ultimate purpose of providence."  He points to a "suicidal irony" where "God aims to expose, namely, that self-exaltation is, in fact, dehumanization....The irony is that human autonomy feels like we have gained significance, when in fact we have lost sanity.  Freedom from God feels exhilarating. But it's the exhilaration of skydiving without a parachute.  Apart from the Holy Spirit, all humans fall for this lie....In the end beastly men do not treat other humans well.  I do not claim that those who have right ideas about providence always treat others the way they should.  But I do claim that those who are not humbled by the providence of God, and who do not embrace their true God-exalting humanity, will never be able to pursue anyone's eternal good-their greatest good."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I see Your providence and I know my purpose is to praise the glory of it all - and it is amazing.  I am not deserving of how You reign and how You are so full of compassion and mercy to save me and love me as You do.  Thank You Jesus.  But again I am not deserving - I worry and I have other sins.  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 they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’-for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Chapter 21: Pages 279-295, Acts 4

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’-for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Acts 4:24-28 (ESV)

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 4 "Providence Over Kings and Nations" - moving to chapter twenty-one "Human Kingship and the King of Kings". 

Here, Piper builds on Chapter 20 and his use of Daniel 4-5 to provide a wealth of scriptural examples that demonstrate God's providence through human kingship. He details four truths how this occurs:

1. The Most High Rules the Kingdom of Men (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32)
2. All Earth's Inhabitants Are Accounted as Nothing (Daniel 4:35)
3. He Does According to His Will in Heaven and On Earth, and None Can Stay His Hand (Daniel 4:35)
4. The Breath and Ways of the King Are in the the Hand of God (Daniel 5:23)

The greatest takeaway of course is that "[w]ithout God's providence over wicked authorities, there would be no gospel. The murder of the Son of God is pivotal in providing our salvation.  Christ did not die randomly.  It was planned. His death was a God-orchestrated travesty of justice that his enemies hoped would get rid of his influence."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who sent His Son to die IN MY PLACE!  The greatest gift of all time.  Thank You!  Yet, I am completely undeserving of such love and such a sacrifice. I worry and I have other sins.  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 the community.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

Chapter 20: Pages 271-279, Daniel 4-5

Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. Daniel 4:25

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 4 "Providence Over Kings and Nations" - moving to chapter twenty "Israel's Divine King is King of the Nations". 

Here, Piper introduces the topic of God's providence in kingships and nations.  He describes the Old Testament as using Abraham and Israel to demonstrate providence through a single man and nation - Israel - yet God's intent even then was for Abraham to be "father of many nations (Romans 4:13-17)" implying that eventually, through the line of Abraham, all nations (Jews and Gentiles) would compose the church and this church would no longer focus on a single ethnic, political, or geographic nation. Therefore we are to see God's providence as connecting the Old and New Testaments. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is so full of love, compassion, mercy for me - I am undeserving.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet my sin, worry, 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.

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 5

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. v39-40

After Jesus heals a man at the pool (John 5:1-15), the Jewish leaders challenge Jesus and seek to kill Him (v16-18).  Jesus confronts the Jewish leaders and a key aspect of His challenge to them is their hardened hearts and their refusal to believe that Jesus is the Messiah spoken about in the Old Testament.  

Jesus is more than a man or a prophet - He is the Father, Son, Holy Spirit - God, King of Kings, Lord of all Creation, etc. 

Every knee must bow.

My Prayer: Jesus, You ARE the God of Gods - the highest of highest and my God and personal savior - thank You Jesus for adopting me into Your family!  I am grateful.  Yet I am undeserving.  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 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.

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Mark 8

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. v25

Roughly a week ago, I posted a link to DesiringGod.com about seeing Jesus properly, and today it is relevant once more to reference this post as the blind man healed here by Jesus is only healed according to the folks at Desiring God because he saw Jesus clearly.  The healing occurs in two stages to reinforce that the life that Jesus promises us only comes to us once we acknowledge who Jesus is in both an absolute sense and who He is for us personally.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died for me both for all and for me personally - thank You Jesus - the greatest gift of all time!  I am not worth such a gift of grace.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and energy.  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.

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

Zechariah 14

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. v9

Zechariah speaks of a day of the Lord that is coming.  Of course this is a prophecy of Jesus, and we must also remember that Jesus will come once again (Luke 17:22) after He dies on the cross, rises from the grave, and then rises into Heaven.  We must be ready and recognize when Jesus arrives in our lives - for He is here for us now - in this life.  Yet many ignore the invitation to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

We must be ready.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You died on the cross and rose again for me - thank You Jesus for doing this and for giving me freedom from the sting of sin and death - the greatest gift of all time!  I am not worth such love.  I daily miss the mark.  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 Him.  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.

“Therefore I will teach them—this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the Lord.

Jeremiah 16

“Therefore I will teach them—this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the Lord. v21

Jeremiah passes on a difficult message to the Israelites that God will punish them.  However, once again God keeps His promises that a savior will rise from among Judah. All of us, whether at our day of judgement or at the end of times, will know Jesus as the King of Kings.

[T]that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

Yet we must also recognize of course that not all will recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior and many will come to Jesus at different times in their life - God knows all of this.   Just as Jesus demonstrates grace to Israelites time and time again, I must demonstrate grace.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is SO forgiving of me.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love as I fail to be who You intend for me as I SO often miss the mark.  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.

The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it—one from the house of David—one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

Isaiah 16

The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land.  In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it—one from the house of David—one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness. v4-5

We all seek something of the world - that is our sinful nature.  The Israelites sought a king (1 Samuel 8) because God alone was not sufficient.  God ultimately gave us His Son Jesus Christ as the King of Kings...and He did so just as Isaiah 16:4-5 indicates.  He did so out of love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

We don't need to ask for anything of this world, certainly not for a king.  God loves us and He will provide what we need and what we ask for given we ask in the name of God. 

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:14

Jesus, give me a heart not after this world, but after You.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me - this I know.  You gave me Your Son Jesus Christ!  Thank You!  I am not worth such love.  I worry and I am lazy.  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.  Please 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.