To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

 Proverbs 21:3

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3

I pause my study of Numbers, to review Proverbs 21:3 - text discussed during my Friday morning men's Bible study.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: The most important commandment (per Matthew 22:37-40) is to love God.  However, many church going folk go through the motions with attendance at worship, etc. - at one point in this was me.  I was worshiping a God I did not earnestly know because I was not actively reading the Bible.  For sure there is more work for God to do in me, but I know there is fruit. The text today emphasizes how God wants all of our heart - in everything we do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).  A key litmus test is that we find obedience to God is not burdensome (1 John 5:3) - ask yourself this: is obedience to God (think deeply on this and ask for tougher sins like envy, hate in heart, anger, lust in heart, etc.).  Ultimately, God wants all of our heart and life to reflect Him - if we renew our minds through spiritual formation (Bible reading, prayer, etc.), our thoughts and ways are more aligned with His and THEN our offering of our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) is more acceptable and pleasing to God.  
• What do we learn from the text about people: We are all guilty of the sin of obedience out of obligation instead of as a natural response to how He loves us and we seek to please Him.  Turn to Him with all of your heart and not only will you find him but he will do a work in and through you to make you more like Him. 
• 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 forced obedience to God. Claim the promise that if you seek Him with all of your heart, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  Follow the example of David who was a man after God's heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Seek and love Him with all of your heart.

Comment and discuss this post

 My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loved me while still hostile and an enemy to You.  You reached down into the pit pulled me out by Your hand and saved me.  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 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 loved me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom, energy, 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 the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD...

Numbers 6:1-21

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD... Numbers 6:1-2

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today, 6:1-21, we see the Lord give Moses instructions for how to administer the Nazirite Vow.  With assistance from the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary for Numbers, here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God calls all of us to put our relationship with Jesus as our highest priority (even above earthly family per Luke 14:26) and to serve Him and others. The Nazirite vow is described as "a vow of separation and self-imposed discipline for the purpose of some special service, and the fact of the vow was indicated by special signs of abstinence."  While the Nazirite Vow primarily applied temporarily to those called to serve, others in the Old Testament took the vow for their entire life.  In the New Testament, God calls all believers to serve and we should not ignore this call - see Ephesians 4:16 where the text refers to "each part [of the body] is working properly."         
• What do we learn from the text about people?: God seeks for those in the church to be set apart - consecrated to God to serve.  There should be noticeable difference in how this appears to others both inside and outside the church.  We are to be examples and an encouragement in this service and a light to others.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid not obeying God's call to serve - all believers must serve. Claim the promise that those who are last shall be first - how our service to Him and others pleases and brings glory to Him.  Follow the example of so many from scripture and elsewhere who consecrated themselves to God in service to Him - follow Jesus' example and how He consecrated Himself to the Father. Love and serve Him as the most important relationship in your life. 

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God,You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  Thank You!  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And 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 continue my short side trip from my study of John to look at Exodus 20:1-3 to prepare for leading small group time this morning at church.   I've pulled off and parked again to dig deeper in the text where 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?: In chapter 19, we God setting limits on how Israel should approach Him.  In chapter 20, God expands on how Israel should live - giving Israel 10 commandments.  In the chapters following chapter 20, God gives more details on rules for worship, including how the worship space should look and be equipped.  But before we even get to these rules, God gave us the 10 commandments and the first of which is that we should not have any God's before Him.  Before He gave us this commandment, God wanted to set our hearts right by exhorting us to see what He has done for us - He delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and He delivered all believers from bondage to sin (spiritual death).    
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Unfortunately, we know that the Jewish leadership ultimately worshiped their own abilities to understand the law and their claim to obedience to the law as an idol.  Yet they failed to grasp how God alone grants understanding and God seeks humility.   
• 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 your own understanding of scripture or Jesus as an idol.  Claim the promise that Jesus delivers us from spiritual death.  Follow the example of Jesus who humbled Himself in obedience to the Father.  Know that all comes from God.  Love God as He who saves and provides all things.     

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  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 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.

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

 John 12:37-43

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12:42-43

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 12:37-43, where Jesus has just spoken and performed many signs, the people still don't believe.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Here we see that Jesus moves on by hiding from the crowd (v36) to whom He has spoken as they still did not believe (v37).  Their unbelief fulfills prophecy from Isaiah 53:1 and 6:10 - reinforcing how God alone saves, He chooses whose heart is hardened and whose is softened such that they believe, and how all of scripture points to Jesus.  God revealed Himself to Isaiah and in turn shared God's message to Israel (one of both judgement and hope) - v41.  Pharaoh's heart from Exodus was also hardened by God to fulfill the words God spoke.
• What do we learn from the text about people?:  Hardened hearts manifest not just in disbelief, but also in a failure to trust the Lord to protect and save.  V42 shares how some of the authorities believed in Jesus but only partially gave their hearts to the Lord and held back some of their heart as they feared persecution from the Pharisees (v43).      
• 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 partial faith such as the authorities in the text today and the rich young ruler who loved His wealth more than Jesus.  Follow the example of how Jesus laid down His life for the Father....and for all who believe. Claim the promise that the victory over sin and death is already won - particularly on this day (Easter) - so we can trust in Jesus as He gives us the same power that raised Him (Romans 8:11).  Trust Jesus and fully surrender to God and give Him all of Your heart and life.  Treasure Jesus as Your Lord and Savior.  Love God as the most important commandment. 

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for saving me and giving me the same power that raised You from the grave.  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.

Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

 John 12:1-8

Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” John 12:7-8

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 12:1-8, Mary anoints Jesus' feet with expensive oil as Judas protests this act of love.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus celebrates God's work - how Lazarus was raised from the dead (v1).  We should have hearts of gratitude towards God as He is always at work and as we grow more aware of God's hand, so will our hearts be increasingly filled with gratitude with what He has done.  Jesus responds in vv7-8 to Judas' protest of Mary's act of love by telling Judas to leave her be.  His response shares a glimpse of His pending death on the cross, and how love of God is the most important commandment (vs love others). 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: In v3, Mary anoints Jesus' feet with an inordinate amount (one pound) of expensive ointment (nard) - clearly she is not concerned with the money she spent on the nard, but instead she is filled with love for her Lord and Savior as she takes it a step further and serves Jesus by wiping His feet with her hair.  In contrast (vv5-6), Judas does not see this as an act of love and selflessness to bring glory to God as He is consumed with self and greed as we learn that "he was a thief" and will betray Jesus.       
• 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 selfishness and greed.  Claim the promise that we can never be separated from God's love and that we should follow the example to love God and treasure Him as Mary did.    

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loves and saves me - You are worthy of all praise, honor and glory and I treasure You.  Thank You for the gift of my salvation and how You bless.  I am not deserving of such a gift 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.

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.

I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.

Mark 14:53-72

I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:62

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is per the commentary, the first division of the text from Mark 14:53-72 - vv53-65.  

• Using the Sword Bible Study Method focusing just on the text for today - vv53-65: (1) God in the text: Jesus is led to the high priest after His arrest (v53); Jesus is subjected to trial before the temple chief priests, elders, and scribes where they sought evidence to convict Jesus of blasphemy (vv53, 55); despite this questioning and false witness (v56-59), etc. there was no evidence that Jesus committed blasphemy (or any other sin) (v55); Jesus was silent in the face of all questioning except the questioning from the chief priest who sought to confirm Jesus identity as Christ the Son of the Blessed (v61) - to this Jesus said yes and pointed to His second coming (v62); Jesus was mocked, covered and spat upon (v65); (2) people in the text: Peter followed Jesus "at a distance - warming himself" focusing on his comfort vs the persecution of Jesus (v54); Peter denies Jesus just as prophesied during the Last Supper (vv26-31); the chief priests, elders, and scribes falsely accused Jesus of blasphemy against God yet ironically it was them who were blasphemous as Jesus confirms His identity to them and yet they still seek to condemn based on false charges they made up; (3) Sins to avoid, promises to claim, examples to follow, and commands to obey: we should love God first (most important commandment) and not blaspheme Him; we should claim the promise that Jesus is the Son of God and He is worthy of all worship; and also rest in the promise that He will return; we should stand firm in our faith during trials and trust in Him; we should follow Jesus example to seek God's will for our lives and follow His will.  

Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of two) division: 

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "The Beginning of the End for the Great King," and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv53-72) is "[e]ven amid the falling away of all His followers, Jesus remained faithful to His calling."
• The title of the first division is "Jesus Makes the Faithful Witness as to Who He Is."  
• "[Jesus'] final hours were unjust and illegal. Jesus endured six hearings in a matter of hours—three ecclesiastical trials before the Jewish In the case of our Savior, not only was life unfair; His final hours were unjust and illegal. Jesus endured six hearings in a matter of hours—three ecclesiastical trials before the Jewish religious authorities and three civil trials before the Roman political authorities (Matthew 26–27; Mark 14–15; Luke 22–23; John 18–19). It is difficult to count up all the violations of Jewish law."
• Fulfilling scripture just as written (Isaiah 53:7) Jesus remains silent as He is questioned - the only time Jesus speaks is to reveal the "messianic secret" that Jesus sought to keep under wraps during His time in ministry. He is the Son of God.   

Comment and discuss this post. 

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

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. 

"I came to cast fire on the earth[.]"

Luke 12:49

"I came to cast fire on the earth[.]" Luke 12:49

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 18: The Enthusiasm of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "In the speech of to-day, enthusiasm is a noble word. It is fervor of mind, ardency of spirit, exaltation of soul. It is passion, heat, fire. Though the word is absent, the thing itself is present. Jesus bums with fervent heat. His very words are sparks which kindle conflagrations."
• "When a boy he visited Jerusalem with his parents, and slipping one day into the Temple to hear the 229 scholars discussing the great problems of religion, he lost himself. He forgot what day of the week it was, and what hour of the day it was. His father and mother and brothers and sisters and friends all passed completely from his mind. He plunged headlong into the discussion of the doctors, gave himself up completely to the subject of the hour, allowed himself to be swept along on the tide of thought and discussion, until all at once his mother's face appeared at the door and he was reminded of the place he had left vacant in the caravan which had started toward Galilee. In this temple experience we see a nature sensitive and impressionable, capable of being heated to high temperatures."
• "Jesus is so full of feeling after the experience which came to him in his baptism that he cannot linger near the homes of men, but must at once rush away into infrequent and dessert places where he can meditate upon the strange thing that has happened to him, and ponder the steps which he must next take. From this time on we have a man before us who is being driven. Even when a boy he used a word which expressed the intensity of his feeling, " Do you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" He never ceased to use that word 'must.'"
• "He felt that his life would be short and so he kept saying, "I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work." How intense his life was we can see in what is told us of his habit of praying. He was always praying. He arose early in the morning in order to find more time to pray, he stayed up late at night in order to increase the hours in which he might speak to God."
• "Men were astounded by the magnitude of his labors. Sometimes he did not take time to eat. Even when he went away for a season of relaxation he gave himself up to the crowds which pursued him. His words have in them an energy which burns. Again and again we catch expressions in which we can feel his great heart beating:"I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel," "O woman, great is thy faith!" "I thank thee, O Father!" "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often!" All these are out of the throat of an enthusiast, a man surcharged with feeling. At the distance of nineteen hundred years from the day on which they were spoken our heart leaps when we listen to them. The rains of the centuries have not put out their fire."
• "He stirred men up wherever he went. They crowded him off the land upon the water. They pushed him off the plain up the hillside. They crowded the houses in which he tarried, they pressed round him as he walked through the streets. Again and again the excitement rose to fever heat, and Jesus slipped away and hid himself. Near the close of his career the crowds went wild in their tumultuous joy, shouting, singing, casting their clothing in the dust that the animal which Jesus rode might have a carpet for its hoofs like unto that furnished for triumphal processions of kings. No man can set a crowd blazing unless his own soul is ablaze."
• "A still finer evidence of this is found in the character of the men whom Jesus attracted to him as his intimate friends. The apostles were all men of fire. Do not believe the pictures when they paint the twelve as limp and pallid men. They were full-blooded, virile, mighty men, full of fire and passion, drawn to Jesus because in him they saw a man who satisfied them.  Peter had a seething soul, his words roll out of him like molten lava. John and James were called Sons of Thunder. The disciple whom Jesus loved was so passionate that he wanted to burn up a whole town which had insulted his Master....They loved Jesus with such an intensity of devotion, such a passionate self-abandon, that they were ready at any moment to lay down their lives for him. No man can win and hold the ardent devotion of strong men unless he has a soul which is hot. Jesus from first to last was surrounded by enthusiasts because he himself was enthusiastic."
•  "If you ask for the cause of this enthusiasm, you will find that it has three roots.  Put these three things together — a sensitive and inflammable nature, a clear and glorious vision, and a fiery and indomitable purpose —and you have the ingredients which go to produce the divine flame which is known as enthusiasm."
• "Higher than all enthusiasms is the fire that burns in souls in love with God. To know Him, to serve Him, to glorify Him, this is the highest ambition of which the soul is capable, and the soul when possessed with this ambition burns with a fire that cannot be quenched. This was the enthusiasm of Jesus." 

Believers of course are called to share in and demonstrate this enthusiasm.  In response to those seeking to trap Him with the question what is the most important commandment (see Matthew 22:34-40), Jesus answers: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment."  For believers who have earnestly taken the time to get to know God, this is the natural response to who Jesus is and what He has done for us.  Peter's response on his arrest after Pentecost (Acts 4:20) demonstrates such enthusiasm when in his defense he states: "we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."  It is this enthusiasm that should motivate us to do what He seeks for us to do - with one example being the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and whose enthusiasm I now have inside inside of me via the Holy Spirit.  Thank You God for giving me an intense desire to love, please and find joy and satisfaction in You above all else.  I am not deserving of how You do this.  My desire for You is sometimes weak and this of course breaks the most important commandment.  So I know there is more work for You to do in me and through me.  Please forgive me for my sin and help me overcome and turn from 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.  

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).

Comment and discuss this post.

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.

Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

 Haggai 1:13-15

Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. Haggai 1:13-15

I resume my study of Haggai - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is an unassisted review of Haggai 1:13-15. What encouragement! In vv1-12, we see God speaking to Israel, urging them to consider their ways and to prioritize Him above their own desires and comfort - this is the greatest commandment!  The people obeyed and feared the Lord - repentance.  Then, in v13, God, through Haggai, declares that He is with the people. God then moved in the hearts of Zerubbabel (governor of Judah), Joshua (high priest), and the remnant of the people (those who repented) and led them to continue rebuilding the temple. This is a fantastic text of how God moves in the hearts of His people.  First, He is compassionate.  Surely He is disappointed in Israel, but He offers forgiveness if they repent and prioritize Him above all else.  He is then with us - walking with us.  What more can we want!?

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You grace is amazing indeed - You saved me while still an enemy and hostile to You.  I am no different than Israel in any point in her history.  My is grave and 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.

Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

Haggai 1:3-4

Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?  Haggai 1:3-4

I continue with my study of Haggai - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Haggai 1:3-4, the second sub-division.  The commentary entitles this subdivision as Choosing Comfort over Obedience Is a Sign of Misplaced Priority. V2 (see yesterday's post) shares God's disappointment in Israel as they share how they no longer seek to rebuild God's temple - rather they are more focused on attending to their daily lives, ignoring the most important commandment which is to love God with all of Your heart, soul and mind. V2 describes God disappointment in an implied manner while God becomes more explicit in his words towards Israel.  God's question here should not be lost on believers (myself included) who do not focus on cultivating and growing in their relationship with Jesus. Once we become one of God's elect, God does not want us to stay "infants" in our faith but instead wants us to grow into who He intends for us - spiritual maturity.

Excerpts from the commentary:

• "Haggai specifically uses a word for paneled that implies “well appointed” or “comfortable.” In other words, they were not only settled in their homes, they had been to their equivalent of Pier One, had acquired all sorts of beautiful accoutrements for their homes, and were living comfortably. While Haggai is not condemning their comfortable living, he is condemning this living at the expense of obedience to God’s commands." We are referred to Malachi 1:6-7 where Israel once again is called out by God for putting themselves above God....skimping on costs regarding sacrifice offered at the altar. 
  
• Believers should go to Luke 9:23 where Jesus challenges them to see how following Him would be costly...at times with our physical bodies (see Voice of the Martyrs).  This is heart condition issue. 
• The commentary quotes David Foster Wallace who shares how all of humanity worships and how worship can consume you and leave you empty.  For believers worship of the One True God Jesus Christ SHOULD consume us but it animates and leaves us fulfilled and satisfied as NOTHING else can - He is the Living Water!
• We are reminded to draw near to God and worship 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 compassion - thank You for Your patience and love as I grow - I often put myself first, my comforts, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and 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.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Haggai 1:2 - the first sub-division.  The commentary entitles this subdivision as Postponed Obedience Is a Consistent Condition of the Sinful Human Heart. Excerpts from the commentary:

• The Israelite people returned from exile as written in Ezra 1-3 and made quick work of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, and Ezra 3:10-13 describes how the Jewish people celebrated after quickly laying down the foundation. 
• This exuberance from the Jewish people was short lived as they grew comfortable with a return to post-exile life and as the Samaritans "feared a renaissance" of the Jewish state and its accompanying power, they pressured the controlling government to cease work on the temple.  Yet work elsewhere in the city continued, including work on homes and businesses.  "It is no stretch to imagine that the city was a hive of activity, as business and pleasure intersected on its streets once more. However, in the midst of life being lived, the most important thing was being forgotten—namely the worship of God." We are referred to Luke 10:38-42 where Martha is too busy preparing the house and a meal for Jesus' visit while her sister Mary focuses on Jesus. 
• The commentary describes how the text emphasizes the need to prioritize Jesus above all other matters - love and obedience to God is the most important commandment. We are referred to Genesis 3:6 where Adam and Eve fall prey to disobedience and pride at the urging of Satan, and how since the Fall we are all prone to disobedience and pride (worship of self). 

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves us and who is full of grace and compassion for us - You loved me while still hostile and an enemy of You.  This includes while I was focused on my own flesh and often still do.  Thank You for Your amazing grace for my salvation and the many blessings You pour out for me 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.

Comment and discuss this post.

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).

Comment and discuss this post.

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.

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!

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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 - 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. 

And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Jude

And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Jude 22-23

I proceed with my study of Jude using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my study consists of a review of Jude 17-23, with a focus on an unassisted review of the third division per the commentary - vv22-23.  In light of Jude's previous words that warn us of false teachers, and how in v20-21 (see post here and here) where we are encouraged to grow in the scriptures, pray in the spirit, and wait for the Savior, Jude turns to believers to show mercy, first to those who doubt and even to others, such as those who sin and reject God.  I have people in my life that doubt and indeed and I pray for their faith and salvation and I seek to demonstrate mercy for them such that my example of mercy plus my witness to them can play a role in Jesus making them one of His elect.  For those "others" that include those who reject Jesus, God wants us to show mercy to these people as well. Love of God is the most important commandment followed by love of others and no where in the Bible are there qualifiers to say don't love when a person does this or that.  We should always love...even when someone persecutes you.  This is difficult indeed.  We should hate and abhor sin generally and how it enslaves and for some condemns them (when they reject God)...but most of all we should love and it is through this love that mercy appears. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good...and You are SO good to me....demonstrating both mercy and grace to me...and I am clearly undeserving...my own 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.   

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

1 Corinthians 10

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

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 10:1-13.  Here Paul pivots from the gospel being "of first importance" (see posts from previous two days) and how we are to exercise self-control and self-discipline in our race towards glorification, to warnings against idolatry, an acute problem in Corinth at the time.  According to John MacArthur, "some of the Corinthian Christians, in the name of Christian liberty, in the name of their so-called freedom in Christ, we’re attending idolatrous activities. They had decided that an idol is nothing, and they were right; an idol isn’t anything. The idol certainly isn’t the god they think it is, and that God really isn’t too concerned about those forms of ritual that people carry on, and that isn’t really what it appears to be.  And so, consequently, it’s kind of insignificant, and it wouldn’t hurt if the Christians kind of got involved." In today's text, Paul of course seeks to admonish those who wrongly think that just because idols - and do not compare to the One True God - are not real that it's not a big deal to pursue idol worship.  Paul first starts by reminding them how God was with the Israelites as they escaped Egypt and crossed the Red Sea on dry land.  All of this, including how Moses repeatedly served as intercessory for Israel, was provided as a foretaste of how Jesus would intercede on behalf of all humanity across all of redemptive history.  Believers share in the same (albeit Israel's experience was a shadow of things to come) experience of Israel that we have One who intercedes and serves as our Savior (vv1-4).  Paul then reminds us that despite God being One who abounds in love, He is a jealous God that commands us to love Him more than any others - thus His anger burned on many occasions in the Old Testament when Israel pursued idol worship and we are warned to avoid the fate Israel suffered when God's anger burned (vv5-12).  Paul then concludes the text for today by sharing the hope that only Jesus provides as He knows the temptations we face and if we remain in Him God is faithful to give us what we need to battle sin.

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.  Thank You Jesus!  Thank You for being faithful to me and giving me all I need to defend against temptation and sin.  I am not deserving of such blessings!  My sin is great and it often feels overwhelming...and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and 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 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 shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 26-27

You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. Leviticus 26:1-2

 

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter twenty-three (the final chapter) - Either-Or - covering Leviticus 26-27, looking specifically at the introduction and first theme for the chapter - God Calls Us to Right Worship. Here, the commentary's introduction for the chapter describes a black and white set of commands God gives us to live in obedience or disobedience to Him.  The commentary theme for today then starts with Leviticus 26:1-2 where it commands us to not worship idols or other gods above the one true God (see also Exodus 20) and to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and to experience corporate worship with other believers at church. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

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