And the LORD said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’"

 Numbers 25:1-18

And the LORD said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’" Numbers 25:10-13

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 25:1-18 - we see Israel yoke itself to Baal, God's response of rage and punishment, and God's recognition of Phineas for his zeal in the name of the LORD. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God is a jealous God - jealous for His name and His glory alone.  Yet we see Israel worshiping Baal and God responds with righteous anger and jealousy to restore His Name and punish those who break the commandments to love Him and to not have any other gods before Him.  The LORD instructs Moses to kill those who yoke themselves to Baal (vv4-5). God's anger burns and 24,000 of the people are killed.  God also recognizes Phineas for his efforts to restore God's name and punish those who followed Baal (vv7-8, 10-13).  God seeks for believers to confront sin within the church (see also Matthew 18:15-17). God gives Phineas His "covenant of peace" (v12).  God offers believers this same covenant of peace (see also John 14:27 and Colossians 3:15).  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Israel has yet to arrive in the Promised Land and on their journey through the wilderness, they yoke themselves to pagan gods.  God's people are called to go to all nations to proclaim the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20), yet we are not to become of the world in that we allow earthly sinful influences that drive a wedge between us and God - see also John 15:19, 17:14-16, and Romans 12:2).
• 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 being overcome by the influences of this world such that you become yoked to other gods.  Claim the promise that Jesus Christ alone offers salvation and a peace that surpasses understanding.  Follow the example of Phineas who had zeal and jealousy for God's name and glory.  Love God with all of Your heart, soul, and mind - seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13). 

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who saves and who gives peace - a peace that surpasses understanding. 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 energy.  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.

[Pilate] said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

 John 19:12-16

[Pilate] said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. John 19:14-16

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 19:12-16, where we see Pilate's efforts to release Jesus, yet the Jews presented Pilate with a conundrum that he could not avoid, and ultimately he caved to their desire to crucify Jesus.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Nothing stops God's plan.  Pilate, the leading earthly authority in Jerusalem - could not find fault or guilt in Jesus - yet Jesus proceeded with the Father's plan to send His Son to be the final (and perfect) sacrifice and atonement for all of humanity's sin. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Pilate's heart is softened to the extent that He sees Jesus as not guilty and he wants to learn more about Jesus, but the Jews present Pilate with a conundrum.  The Jews claim that Pilate should be concerned about a threat to Caesar's rule and they make an incredible claim that they see Caesar as their king - vv12, 14-16.  Unfortunately, they did not see Jesus for who He really is - their Promised Messiah.  Pilate must have felt he had no choice to agree with the Jews and put Jesus to death because he feared an uprising or disturbance from the Jews that might have reached Caesar back in Rome.  
• 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 seeing Jesus as anything but King of Kings and as the One True God who saves.  Claim the promise that Jesus is who He says He is - sent from God to seek and save the lost and that all are lost without Jesus. Follow the example of Jesus who willingly lost His life in service to the Father and to all who follow Him.  Love and worship God above all others.   

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves...You willingly laid down Your life so that I could have victory over sin and death.  Thank You Jesus for my salvation.  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 for 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 God spoke all these words, saying,“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.“You shall have no other gods before me.

 Exodus 20:1-3

And God spoke all these words, saying,“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.“You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:1-3

This morning I am taking a short side trip from my study of John to look at Exodus 20:1-3 to prepare for leading small group time tomorrow morning at church.   Here we see God giving Israel the 10 Commandments starting with most important commandment - to love God and to not have any other gods before Him.  Here are my observations of the text using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God speaks.  He speaks to us through His Word, the Holy Spirit, through appointed church leaders, etc. We should know God's voice - see also John 10:3-5 where we see Jesus describing Himself as the Good Shepherd and the church as His sheep who know His voice and follow Him.  We get to know God primarily through His Word but also through other spiritual disciplines such as corporate church worship, prayer, and small group time. God is not nameless - He is our God and for believers of Jesus, He is our personal Lord and Savior.  He delivers us from bondage and sin - we are no longer slave to sin but instead slave to God (see Romans 6:18-22).  As a slave to God, we serve Him in all that we do (even though He sets other people in our lives where we serve them by serving and glorifying God in what we do).      
• What do we learn from the text about people?: There are other people that God places in our lives but they are not to change how God is the priority - if there is ever any question about who comes first, it is always God.  
• 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 other gods or placing someone or something above our relationship with God.  Claim the promise that God delivers us from bondage and brings us to Himself and we can never be separated from His love.  Follow the example of Jesus who loved the Father and humanity (the world) so much that He suffered and died for us.  Follow God's will for your life.  Love God as your priority - your #1 relationship.

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God the delivered me from bondage to sin and reconciled me to You and I can never be separated from Your love.  Thank You Jesus for my salvation!  I am not deserving of such a gift - 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.

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

John 2:13-22

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. John 2:18-21

I continue my study of John, and today, I take another pass at unpacking John 2:13-22 using the Sword Bible Study Method, and I summarize my thoughts from both yesterday and today by providing an outline and main point for the text.  

Main point: God wants us to be consumed by zeal for Jesus and both each believer and the church exist to glorify God through zeal for Him. 

1. God wants us to have zeal for Jesus - He is the temple of God.
2. Jesus lives in believers' hearts and bodies - we are also the temple of God.
3. The church (as a collection of believers both via the local and global organization) is also the body of Christ and therefore also the temple of God.  

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God seeks for us to be consumed by zeal for Himself.  V17 shares how the disciples remembered David's words from Psalm 69:9, yet later in the text (v21) Jesus refers to Himself as the temple.  God is not seeking zeal for a building.  Instead He is seeking zeal for God through His Son Jesus and through people who are created in His image and in whom the Holy Spirit lives in hearts and bodies - animating us to live for His glory.     
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Jesus' reference to Himself as the temple is further amplified by text elsewhere - see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and 3:16 where believers are described as the temple given that the Holy Spirit and God reside in our hearts (and therefore our bodies).  We can extend this thought by looking at how scripture shares how the church is the body of Christ - see 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Romans 12:4-5, Ephesians 1:23.     
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): God wants us to be consumed by zeal for Jesus and both each believer and the church exist to glorify God through zeal for Him. 

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God that lives in me to bring You glory.  You are worthy of all glory, honor and praise as You save and bless beyond comprehension.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and bless.  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 his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Mark 3:31-35

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Mark 3:31-33

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 3:31-33, which is the text for the first division for 3:31-35. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction to 3:31-35 and the first division: 

• "Jesus makes clear in verse 35, that (1) no physical family connection is ultimately necessary to be in God’s family; (2) no particular racial or cultural background is ultimately essential; (3) when you are a member of the family of God, you are part of the only family that really matters; (4) the family of God is a spiritual reality and not a physical one, joining together Zealots, tax collectors, thieves, murderers, liars, cheats, legalists, self-righteous religionists, and all kinds of others sinners just like you and me."  

The commentary also highlights how the text, even though this is not Jesus' intent, flatly rejects "universalism" which "is the belief that everyone will be saved."  This is of course not true as many people who some might refer to as "good" are condemned for eternity because they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ.  It is a mystery why God softens some hearts but not others.  Regardless, God calls all believers to share the Good News with the intent that He is the Savior - we are simply messengers of the Good News.  God wants us to show "mercy on those who doubt" as we seek to "snatch others from the fire" (Jude 22-23).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God - as You loved me first, while still sinning and an enemy of You.  You never leave or forsake me, and Your mercies are new every morning and never cease - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save nor any of the blessings or mercies 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 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 answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:31-35

He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-35

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 3:31-35, 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 seeks to create a family of believers whose bond is stronger than that of bloodlines.  Our love of God is more important than our love of others, including family.  Describing to the apostles the coming persecution they will face, Jesus shares how we can count on Him but be aware that even family will let you down and may indeed also be part of this coming persecution (Matthew 10:21). Bonds between those who share a love of Jesus and seek to do the will of God are stronger than than any other including with family.  God seeks for us to surround ourselves with other believers that can encourage, pray, and support one another in their journey with Christ, particularly during times of hardship and persecution.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People will let us down.  It's not that we can't love them and form relationships with them, it's just that we should be aware that all sin, even in the church. First and foremost we should trust in Him.  We should be aware and remain humble that even in the church we are all broken and sinful and this should drive us into the arms of Jesus seeking to know and love Him more.    
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey)?: Family is important, but we should place Christ first, above all, including in marriages. We can also claim the promise that Jesus unlike any other, including family, Jesus will always be faithful and never let us down or disappoint us in any way and He will never leave or forsake us.  We should be mindful of the corollary which is that we should avoid placing our trust in family or others  above Christ.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion, pouring out mercies ceaselessly and every morning. I know You will never leave or forsake me and You have saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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 accept 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. 

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. 

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And 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 going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

 Mark 1:16-20

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And 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 going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. Mark 1:16-20

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 1:16-20, which is the text for the second of three divisions per the commentary.  Excerpts from the commentary:

• "This is a call to discipleship and a unique one at that. In the rabbinic schools of the day, the aspiring student sought out the respected rabbi. Further, the student’s allegiance was to the Law, not to the teacher. Jesus’ form of discipleship is fundamentally different! Jesus seeks them out, and their allegiance will be to Him."
• "Jesus looks for men and women who will commit to Him, who will learn from Him, who will deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him[.]"
• "There is no prerequisite to following Him. This is a grace call. He does not tell them to improve their moral character or their social acceptability. Jesus finds them where they are, and He simply calls, in effect, 'Come! Come as you are, but come, you must and come right now.'" 
• "The summons to be fishers of men is a call to the eschatological task of gathering men in view of the forthcoming judgment of God. It extends the demand for repentance in Jesus’ preaching [quoting Lane]."
• "Like Simon and Andrew, James and John did not hesitate: they left their father and the hired servants in the boat! This is striking and captures what it truly means to follow Jesus. To follow Jesus, we are called to forsake everyone and everything else. We must not rationalize or explain away Jesus’ call as mere hyperbole!"
• The commentary refers us to Matthew 10:34-37, Mark 3:33-35, and Luke 14:26 as text that emphasizes how Jesus is the most important relationship in believers' lives. 

The Ten Commandments outline commands that focus on love of God and love of others.  In Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus shares that these are the two most important commandments (with love of God coming first) and that all other commandments hang on those two.  When we love God, we seek to please Him and avoid sinful temptations that draw us away from Him, including activities that absorb our time that we might otherwise use to draw close to Him in a study of His Word and in prayer. We must deny our earthly desires (see Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23), seek Him, and allow Him to work through us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) such that our desires become more like His desires - sanctification.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion - thank You for my salvation, and for the mercies You continue to pour out for me daily.  Thank You also for giving me Your Word, the Holy Spirit, and the church so that I can know and love You more.  I am not deserving of any 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.  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 from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:6-14

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:11

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.  Today, I complete a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 1:6-14. The commentary offers both an introduction, two divisions for this text, and a conclusion that summarizes the text and offers application.   

Excerpts from the introduction:

• Given God's judgement on the priesthood in the text for their failure to lead worship with all of their heart, soul and mind - to offer their best - the text offers us an opportunity to examine our own worship to test whether we are truly offering God our best.  Worship is described as "an attitude of one's heart" towards God.  
• Based on what God has done and continues to do for us we should be loving, fearing and worshipping God!

Highlights from the commentary for the two divisions:

• God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Depraved Actions of Worship (1:6-12) 
• God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Apathetic Attitudes toward Worship (1:13-14)

The priesthood in Malachi's time had grown cold in their worship.  As an example, they offered not perfect, spotless sacrifices, but blemished and imperfect sacrifices.  They did not offer their best.  This of course was reflective of their heart towards God - despite who God is, what He had already done, and continues to do for them (and us). God not only expects our best but He deserves it!  He is worthy! For believers of today, there are many distractions that we allow to separate us from a worship of Him.  We should throw ourselves at the mercy of God to forgive us when we do this - He will welcome us back if we truly return to Him with a repentant heart and if we recommit to loving Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind.  The commentary shares how we cannot hide from God - He knows our heart.   

Excerpts from the conclusion:

• Text to consider for appropriate responses: Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5. 
• Recommended applications: (1) offer your body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), (2) offer finances to God as spiritual sacrifice (Philippians 4:14-18), (3) offer praise to the Lord (Hebrews 13:15), (4) offer up good works (Hebrews 13:16), (5) offer up those who have accepted the gospel as a result of your sharing (Romans 15:16).

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who is worthy of my praise and worship!  Thank You for my salvation and for the mercies You pour out for me every day and that never cease.  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.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”

Haggai 1:2

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Haggai 1:2

I continue with my study of Haggai -  using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  The next chapter of the commentary is entitled Disregarding God Leads to a Lack of Human Flourishing. This commentary chapter outlines 2 divisions with 2 sub-divisions each exploring Haggai 1:2-11. For this morning, my focus is an unassisted review of Haggai 1:2 - the first sub-division.  Here God refers to what the people say with regard to efforts to rebuild the temple.  Of course, we know what is coming next as God is not pleased with the people's lack of effort to rebuild His house.  The temple represents a place of worship, where God's people gather to draw near to Him corporately and to bring glory to His name in prayer, song, fellowship with God's people, and study of His Word.  All of this in service and obedience to God who calls us to love Him with all of our our heart, soul and mind.  God's people choose not to be obedient to the most important commandment - one can't expect things to go well from there.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good - thank You Jesus for giving me a place where I can worship corporately - with fellow believers - as we can support and encourage one another in our love of You.  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.

In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Zephaniah 1:18

In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. Zephaniah 1:18b

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is an unassisted review of the seventh division per my commentary: v18.  In v18a, the Lord shares how material wealth not save anyone from the wrath of the Lord - we are therefore warned not to grow too comfortable with anything in this world to the point where it becomes an idol.  Those in Judah did grow too comfortable with not just wealth, but with the foreign gods of their neighbors and they allowed this comfort to grow into idol worship and as previously posted turned away from God and did not inquire of Him (v6).  

John gives us a similar warning in 1 John 2:15-17:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

This is why our number one commandment is to love God first and with all of your heart, soul, and mind (Exodus 20, Matthew 22:37-40).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is enough for all that we need - for all of our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  You are my all in all.  Thank You Jesus for how You provide, including my salvation - of which 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 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.

I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

1 Corinthians 10

I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1 Corinthians 10:20b-22

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 10:14-22.  Here, Paul uses a series of rhetorical questions to admonish the Corinthian Christians for their participation in idolatry (see also posts 07-OCT and 08-OCT where I left off before my pause).  In v14, he gets right to the heart of the matter (idol worship) - don't do it! He then, starting in v16, constructs his argument against idol worship by comparing communion, or the Lord's Supper, to idol worship.  In v16, Paul asks rhetorically whether partaking in the Lord's Supper is participation in the blood and body of Christ.  In v17, he answers his own question in the affirmative.  In v18, Paul then includes Old Testament sacrifice and worship of God in his argument, sharing how with OT testament (see Leviticus 1-7) worship and sacrifice, the priests participate "in the altar" as believers do with the Lord's Supper.  In vv19-20, Paul then pivots to idol worship and foods sacrificed to idols - writing that the Corinthians' attitudes towards idol worship is NOT something that is meaningless to God and their Christian freedom is not intended to allow them to worship idols.  Idol worship is sinful and it breaks the first two of the ten commandments.  Paul then concludes the text for today by sharing how you cannot worship both demons/idols and God - we do not want to provoke a jealous God because we are not stronger than He is and we invite His wrath (that led to the death of so many Israelites as depicted in scripture). 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - despite my sin.  Thank You Jesus.  Please help me overcome and turn from my 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 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.