Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working....My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:12-20

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working....My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:16, 19-20

My preparation for teaching this upcoming Sunday 25AUG on James 5:12-20 continues and today I prepared the presentation I will use to guide our discussion.  The core of the discussion looks at prayer in suffering and how we should pray, and how a community of believers is important to support and encourage one another from wandering from the truth into sin.  

I look forward to our Sunday school's discussion!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me Your Word, the Holy Spirit, my church and so much more to help me understand Your Word and help me understand the message You have for me.  I am not deserving of my salvation 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 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.

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:12-20

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

My preparation for teaching this upcoming Sunday 25AUG on James 5:12-20 continues and this morning my focus today is a commentary-assisted review of the text, leaning on DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book videos (Part 1 and Part 2) for James 5:19-20.  

Excerpts from Part 1:

• use of my brothers uses quite frequently - emphasizing family of God
• use of you means we should not assume that a wanderer is not a believer; not following doctrine (obedience - see also Galatians 2:14) or not believing doctrine (see Romans 10:9 how belief in doctrine is key)  
• v20 let whoever is doing the rescuing or being rescued that there is benefit - encouragement, inspiration, etc. for the former, and salvation, compassion, mercy, etc. for the latter. 
• be reminded that while we are referred to largely as saints, we are also sinners (1 Timothy 1:15)!
  

Excerpts from Part 2:

• focus on doctrine of eternal security; human agency is critical in community
  
• human agents used by God save (and cover) sinners from wandering and death
• five truths about eternal security: (1) we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone apart from works (see Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:28); (2) those who are justified will be certainly be glorified (Romans 8:30), (3) but no one will be glorified/finally saved who does not continue in faith (1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Colossians 1:21-23, Matthew 10:22); (4) God Himself will keep His children from finally falling away (dynamic process) (Philippians 1:6, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9); (5) God keeps His children by means of His children (Hebrews 3:13-14).    
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome incredible God who has given me incredible, supportive and Christ-like community in my family and in my church-thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of how You saved me and give me such a community.  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.

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.

 3 John 1

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name. 3 John 1:15

I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my study consists of a commentary-assisted review of 3 John 1, focusing on the fourth and final division - vv13-15 and the associated commentary (John: A Man with a Pastor’s Heart). With this text, we see John revealing his heart for those whom he discipled and many of whom likely he helped lead to Christ.  He often in his letters refers to these as his children and greets them with my much warmth and affection.  As I posted this previously, the text highlights the importance of face-to-face interactions with other believers as God intends for us. John signs off by sharing that he desires his children to experience the peace of God (that Paul refers to as that which surpasses all understanding - see Philippians 4:7) and to know they are loved as he sends his greetings.  The commentary shares that John's reference to his fellow believers as "friends" reflects similar sentiments he expressed in John 15:13. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, provides new mercies every morning that never cease, and You provide brothers and sisters in Christ who support and encourage me in my journey with You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to 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.

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

1 Corinthians 10

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

After a long pause, I return to my study of 1 Corinthians, picking up with a review of 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Avoid idolatry and practices that bring you near idols, knowing that demonic activity promotes them."

Key excerpt from the introduction:

• "[The Corinthians] believed in demons, but they failed to understand how dangerous and seductive they are. When it came to eating food sacrificed to an idol in a pagan temple, for instance, they did not realize they were dining with demons there! Paul knew if one dances with the devil, he or she should not be surprised to get burned."
• "Paul knew if one dances with the devil, he or she should not be surprised to get burned. Just as we must “flee sexual immorality” (6:18), we must also “flee from idolatry” (10:14). These two sins are like twins. They often go around together. Therefore, we must always be on guard against both."
  

Major divisions:

1. Communion with the Lord Is Essential (10:14-17): "If you run from idolatry, it will be hard for it to catch you. Stay away from it, and the temptation to give in to it will not present itself. If you are not at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people, the wrong thing will not happen....Paul informs us that there is a table of communion to which we should draw near. There is a right place, a right time, and a right people with whom we should regularly fellowship. At the Lord’s Supper we draw close to Christ in participation with our spiritual family. This too is a way to flee idolatry and the worship of false gods....We are fed by one source, the Lord Jesus Christ. We share a common bond and unity as one body even though we have different cultural, economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds. In Christ we are one family, which is beautifully testified to by the meal of Communion shared at the Lord’s Table." 
   
2. Association with Demons Is Evil (10:18-22): "Paul provides three reasons why knowingly eating food sacrificed to idols is foolish and why we should heed his counsel to flee idolatry. (1) It Distorts Our Worship (10:18-20); (2) It Compromises Our Loyalty (10:21); (3) It Provokes God (10:22)." 
   

The commentary concludes with a powerful insight by A.W. Tozer who shares that "Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending upon her concept of God. And I insist upon this, and I have said it many times, that the basic trouble with the church today is her unworthy conception of God. . . . Our religion is little because our god is little (Attributes of God, 41)."  Tozer's words are then built upon by the commentary as it shares that "Tozer is right. Think little of God and you will think that dining with demons and dancing with idols is no big deal."

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! I am not deserving of such love.  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.

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 3

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. For this morning, I maintain my focus on Hebrews 3:7-19, moving to what the commentary describes as the second division "Exhorted to Endure," which looks at Hebrews 3:12-19.  The primary takeaway for this division, as the division title indicates, is for believers to encourage and admonish one another as a means to both keep and grow in faith - this is key for believers to avoid falling away from faith (as many of the first generation Jews did when they wandered through the wilderness in search of the Promised Land).  The commentary shares that "[i]mmersing oneself in the community of saints, in the care and watchfulness of the local church, in the preaching of God’s Word, and in the exhortation of fellow believers remedies an evil, unbelieving heart. These things protect us from falling away."  We are referred to Colossians 3:16, where Paul offers the same remedy to "combat evil and unbelieving hearts".  Fellow believers - encourage one another!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a good, good God who provides my church, and my brothers and sisters in Christ who are able to exhort, admonish, and encourage me - helping me keep and sharpen my faith.  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.

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I continue with Ephesians 4, focusing on v25-32. My study of Ephesians 4 over the past few days include posts on church unity, the importance of small group life as a part of our church experience, and how we are encouraged to lean into the sanctification process and our new creation lives (as believers).  The chapter closes in these verses where Paul urges believers (via the church in Ephesus) to avoid the sins that bring discord within the church and distract the church from its mission. In v25, Paul reminds believers that we are of one body - the church - returning to a theme expressed in v1-16.  Paul contrasts sin we should avoid with Godly behavior we should demonstrate, including "speaking truth with [our] neighbors...doing honest work with [our] hands...shar[ing] with anyone in need...building up...[and] giv[ing] grace to those who hear...be[ing] kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave [us]." Again, broadly these verses connect with themes previously expressed in other parts of Ephesians 4, including putting off the old self and putting on the new life we have in Christ.  John Piper's lab video here helps break this down and also helps us understand the motives (Christian ethics based not on the law but in Christ as expressed in v30 and 32) God is seeking in us to put on the new life in Christ.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You gave me Yourself and the Holy Spirit, and in so doing I have forgiveness, eternal life, and an abundant life now to endure and find joy through all of what a broken and sin-filled world brings.  I am not deserving of these blessings as I know I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.