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. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with[fn] every secret thing, whether good or evil.

 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. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with[fn] every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:11-14

I pause my study of Paul's prison epistles - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.  Today I focus on Ecclesiastes 11:7–12:14 - text to be discussed tomorrow morning with my Friday AM study group.  Solomon exhorts us to flee from pursuits of earthly knowledge and wisdom and instead to fear God, and to know, love, and serve Him. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?:  Vv11:7-10: God is Creator of all and He gives us the natural world to enjoy and the vitality of our youth to experience it with vigor.  Yet our pursuit to enjoy our youth is tempered by the fact that God is watching us, holding us to account, and the implication of v10 is that our youthful pursuits do nothing to fulfill our Godly purpose.  This is made more clear in Vv12:1-8 where Solomon (the author) urges us to "remember also your Creator in the days of your youth."  Ultimately, all of us will be called Home to Heaven in death (and resurrection) or Jesus will return and all of the created world will pass away and only the New Jerusalem will exist.    
• What do we learn from the text about people?: People pursue many things in life - yet believers are urged to focus on God first and foremost - Vv12:11-14.  For Solomon, he witnessed how many pursued knowledge and wisdom yet few recognized how all knowledge and wisdom is sourced from God - see also 12:11 and Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10.  Solomon instead urged everyone to "beware of anything beyond" God - we are called to "[f]ear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."  This is critical because - again - ultimately all of us will be held accountable to God for whether we repented of sin and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and if so, how we used our spiritual gifts for His glory.     
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are to avoid earthly pursuits above God - we should not be making such pursuits an idol. Claim the promise that God will both save and judge us.  We should follow the example of those who fear God as the beginning of wisdom.  Fear, know, love and serve God. 

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, thank You for giving me Your Word as means to know, love, and serve You.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor how You give me Your Word and pour out mercies and blessings daily 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. 

For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Mark 9:30-50

For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Mark 9:49-50

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 9:30-50.  Excerpts from the fourth (of four) division (vv42-50):

• For the fourth division, the title is: "Fear of Hell."
• "Our Lord had the strongest possible view of judgment and hell: it is real and it lasts forever. In this context it serves as a warning and a motivation to follow Jesus in devotion and discipleship."  
• "Jesus launches three powerful hyperboles to warn us of sin’s danger to others as well as to ourselves. We know they are hyperboles—not to be taken literally—because the Bible forbids bodily mutilation (Deuteronomy 14:1; 23:1; 1 Kings 18:28; Zechariah 13:6). However, in no way does this diminish or negate the importance of what Jesus is saying. “Things we value supremely, like eyes, hands, and feet—should not stand in the way of eternal life” (Edwards, Mark, 294). Eyes, hands, and feet are all inclusive of what we see, what we do, and where we go. As important as they are, better to lose them than to let them prevent you from entering eternal life and God’s kingdom."  
• Be mindful of sinful influences! "[w]hat our Lord was advocating, therefore, [to quote John Stott], was not a literal physical self-maiming, but a ruthless moral self-denial. Not mutilation but mortification is the path of holiness he taught” (Storms, “Be Killing Sin”)." 
• "Jesus said more about hell than anyone else in the Bible. “Hell” is the New Testament word used for the place of eschatological punishment (Matthew 5:29-30; 10:28; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5)."  
• "Picking up on the word “fire” in v. 48, Jesus affirms that “everyone will be salted with fire.” “Salt” is a preservative. Thus all will be “salted with fire” in a manner consistent with their relationship to Christ. For unbelievers it will be the perpetual fires of final judgment in hell. For the disciple it will be the preserving and refining fires of trials and suffering that mark the road to true greatness. This saying is found only in Mark’s Gospel. It must have held special significance for him and Peter." 
• "Salt is good as long as it can serve its purposes. But if it loses its purifying and preserving value then it is worthless."  
• "Be humble, and avoid stumbling or causing others to stumble. Don’t fuss and fight over positions and status. Be a reflection of the God-given peace you have received from Jesus (Romans 5:1). Pull for your brothers and sisters in Christ, not against them. After all, though we may play different positions, all who follow Jesus as Lord are on the same team."

John Piper refers to fear of God as a preservative against sin.  As long as we stay close to God, we experience His provision and protection.  John 15:1-11 is also instructive.

Comment and discuss this post.

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

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Matthew 6:9

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Matthew 6:9

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 24: The Reverence of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "No analysis of the character of Jesus would be complete which failed to recognize his reverence."
• "We know what reverence is, and yet we stumble in trying to define it. It is respect, regard, esteem, and honor; yes, and it is more than these....The basis of reverence is respect or honor, but it is respect or honor working with unwonted energy. It is a deep movement of the soul. It is respect or honor squared and cubed. And then again there is an elevation in the word "reverence" which respect and esteem do not have. Reverence is respect and esteem moving at high altitudes. It is one of the loftiest of all the emotions of the soul, and that is why it eludes us when we try to capture it in the meshes of a definition. What is it ? It is homage and obeisance and devotion, yes, and something more. It is awe and fear and adoration; yes, but even these do not tell the full-rounded story. The fact is, reverence is a complex emotion, made up of mingled feelings of the soul. There is in it respect and also affection and also fear, and along with these an abiding consciousness of dependence."
• "The wise men of Israel were convinced that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Their effort was to make men conscious of the existence of a God of infinite power and wisdom and goodness. He was the High and Holy One who inhabits eternity, and is therefore not to be approached carelessly or thought of lightly."
• "God is majestic and holy and can be approached only by a humble and prostrate heart."
• "This fear of the Lord was mighty in Jesus. God was continually before his eyes. His soul was pervaded with the sense of His presence, and all that he said and did was bathed in an atmosphere created by this consciousness of the fellowship and favor of the Eternal. To illustrate this is not easy. Jesus' entire life is an illustration of it."
• "No matter what Jesus is saying or doing, we feel we are in the presence of a reverential man. Would you see illustrations of his reverence, read the Gospels! The earnestness with which he was always pleading for reverence in others is proof that in him reverence was a divine and indispensable possession."
• "Probably no other words in the Lord's prayer have been so frequently slurred and overlooked as "hallowed be thy name."
• "Jesus is careful to place this petition at the very forefront of all our praying. Unless this desire is uppermost in our heart we are not in the mood of prayer. If our first thought is of ourselves and not of God, then we are not praying after the fashion of Jesus. When he tells us to put this petition first it is because he always put it first himself. Any low or unworthy thought of God was to Jesus' mind abhorrent and degrading. Living always with an eye single to the glory of God, he urged men everywhere so to speak and act and live that others seeing their good works might glorify their Father in heaven."
• "His respect for men was due not to what men were in themselves but to what they were in the eyes of God. They were God's children and therefore no matter how poor or degraded, they were worthy of respect and honor. Any cruelty in word or inhumanity in action toward a human being caused the heart of Jesus to flash fire, because such treatment of God's children was in his mind an insult to God Himself."
• "His reverence for his Father made the whole world holy, and because of his adoration for the Creator he could not turn his back upon any created being. "Honor all men" was one of the earliest exhortations of the apostles. It had its roots running down into Jesus' immeasurable reverence for God."
• "[The temple] was the house of God. It was erected for God's worship. It was a shrine for the adoring heart. It was intended to be a solace for men's woes and troubles, the very gate of Heaven....Jesus believed in the worship of God....So long as the spirit of reverence lives the worship is meaningful and beautiful; but when the spirit disappears, then the worship becomes demoralizing and corrupting. The worship of the Pharisees had lost out of it the spirit of adoration. It was cut and dried, dead, mechanical, without a heart and without a soul, and therefore odious to God and all right-thinking men."
• "Reverence is beautiful and renders beautiful whatever form it chooses in which to express itself; but when reverence dies, then the forms of reverence become corpse-like and contaminate all who handle them."
• "The soul of Jesus was reverent. He found it easy to bend the knee. It was natural for him to look up. He looked into his Father's face, saying at every step, "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God!" Here, then, we have a virtue upon whose beauty we should often fix our eyes. We do not have as much reverence as we ought to have. We are not by nature or by training a reverent people. There are those who say we become less reverent as the years go on."
• "One finds this lack of reverence even in the church. In every community there are those who treat the house of God as they treat a street-car, entering it and leaving it when they please. Even habitual church attendants often surprise and shock one by their irreverent behavior in the house of prayer. Those persons are not ignoramuses or barbarians; they are simply undeveloped in the virtue of reverence."
• "Fear is one of the elements in reverence, and there is a popular impression that all fear is degrading. Fear is of two kinds, — there is a godly fear and a fear which is ungodly. The latter has terror in it and throws a shadow and brings a chill. But there is a fear which all unspoiled spirits feel in the presence of the high and holy."
• "If mortal man, stained and marred by sin, is not awed by the thought of a Holy God, it is because he has lost the power of feeling. If there is a fear which degrades and paralyzes, there is also a fear which cleanses and exalts. The fear of the Lord is not only a virtue to be coveted by men, it is a grace lacking which angels and archangels would be incomplete."
• "Reverence is the atmosphere of heaven. Let us come often then to the reverent Man of Nazareth who by his awe-struck obeisance to his Heavenly Father shames us out of our irreverence and makes it easier for the heart to kneel."

Indeed, the more one takes the time to read and earnestly study the Bible - not for academic purposes - but to search for Him and to hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6), there is no doubt that reverence for Him is the result.  The weeping prophet Jeremiah - speaking to disillusioned Israel in exile - delivers God's message sharing in Jeremiah 29:13 that "[y]ou will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." When you find God, You will inevitably drop to Your knees in worship in awe of Your creator, provider, and Savior.  Seek God.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are King of Kings and You do not need me.  Yet You loved me while still sinning and an enemy of You and You pulled me out of the pit, saving me from eternal damnation.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any blessing You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...every day.  Please forgive me.  Help me turn from, overcome, 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 live in reverent fear and awe of who You are.  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 those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

 Malachi 3:16-18

Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.  “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Malachi 3:16-17

I return to my study of the last four books of the Old Testament, having already covered Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and most of Malachi.  My study leans on the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series volume which covers these books. This morning I start a focus on a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 3:13-18 - specifically this morning leaning on the commentary for the division covering the text 3:16-18 and for the conclusion for this chapter of the commentary that covers 3:13-18.  

After a rebuke from God (see vv6-13), those who truly loved and feared God spoke amongst themselves.  While it is not explicit what they discussed, God - of course being all knowing - heard them and of course saw how they feared the Lord.  Again, God does not want us to be afraid of Him, but He wants us to have reverent awe for who God is - the Creator and the King of Kings who is provident over all - holding all things together (see Colossians 1:15-19), including our lives.  We can approach Him with confidence (Hebrews 4:16), knowing that He wants us to lay our burdens on Him (1 Peter 5:7). God then adds those who fear Him to a book of remembrance.  All believers who love and fear God are in this book and sealed for eternity as God is saving a place in Heaven for them.  We are His and His treasured possession as in Malachi 3:17.  What awesome words from God!  Malachi 3:18 then turns to offer a warning for those who do not serve (or fear) God. Ultimately, those who do not fear or love God are thrown into Hell - see Revelation 20:15.  

Excerpts from the commentary:

• See also Proverbs 9:10 for text describing reverential fear of God
• "Malachi’s book of remembrance is quite different than those previously mentioned. Malachi’s book was not written before the foundation of the world and it isn’t a book that records the wicked acts of sinful individuals and God’s judgments against them. It is a book for the righteous acts, deeds, and motives of God’s chosen people. Scripture clearly speaks of the fact that God records everything. Kings during this time frequently recorded in books instances where people would perform favors for them with the hopes of returning the favor one day (e.g., Esther 2:21-23; 6:1-3). Malachi has this kind of book in mind."
• "Notice that all things, not just the good or the bad, are recorded for eternity. God is even recording every time you respond in righteousness. Every time a woman respects her body and rejects intimacy with another man before marriage, God sees and honors that decision. Every time a husband refuses to engage in immoral talk at work or to be seduced into looking at pornography, God recognizes it. Every time you avert gossip, every time you bear the burden of an injustice and refuse to lash out, God sees that. Every time a family opens their home to be a Christian witness to the world, God sees that. Every time you share the gospel with a lost family member or friend, God sees that, whether or not anyone else does. If we lived with this in mind, would it change the way that we act?"

Comment and discuss this post.

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

Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.

 Zechariah 1:1-6

Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 1:3

I resume my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zechariah 1:1-3, which the commentary outlines as the first of three divisions for the text vv1-6 (1:1-3, 1:4-6a, 6b).  The introduction to this chapter of the commentary shares "[t]he hope of the gospel is that lost people can be found and that distant and wandering believers can come back to the Lord....Jesus calls us to return when we wander far from Him."  The commentary then shares how believers are not immune to straying from God and it points out how believers still struggle with divorce, pornography, racism, lack of tithing, etc.  Zechariah and his family are described in v1 - Berechiah - his father, and Iddo - his grandfather.  These names in Hebrew are defined with Zechariah's name meaning "the Lord Remembers," Berechiah's as "the Lord blesses," and Iddo's as "in time" with the combination of these names describing how the Lord remembers and blesses as His set time.  God gave Zechariah a message to encourage His people who had returned from Babylonian captivity and exile to continue in their efforts to rebuild the temple - yet due to various factors work stopped.  Haggai delivered a similar message. The commentary describes God's people as being complacent and discouraged in their fellowship with God - and God became very angry.  Zechariah exhorts God's people to a "renewed closeness of the Lord," and the commentary outlines three divisions, each of which provide a motivation to return to the Lord.  The first division or motivation provided by the commentary is God’s Righteous Wrath Calls Us to Return to Him.  In v2 Zechariah share how angry God was the people's ancestors and their lack of faithfulness and resulting sin.  We are referred to Psalm 78:10-11 that describes God's people and their spiritual state prior to Babylonian captivity and exile. Zechariah implores God's people to see the God they are spurning - the Lord of hosts - He who reigns over all, creator of Heaven and Earth and all of its inhabitants.  We are reminded that yes God is love, compassion, mercy, etc. but he is just, we are commanded to love Him (most important commandment), and scripture is clear that the "wages of sin are death" (Romans 6:23).  As such, when we sin and especially when we spurn God we should be clear that God has every right to be angry.  He may be slow to anger (Nahum 1:3) but a righteous and just God does get angry with us when when we sin. The commentary shares: "[w]hen people deliberately take the path of sin and rebellion, when we determine to distance ourselves from Him, we experience God’s anger, His righteous wrath, just as the Jewish people did in their history. God is angry at sin in my life and in your life. And when we rebel against Him, we place ourselves into His anger zone."  We should be very careful straying from God and a reverent fear of God should drive us into His arms - John Piper refers to "fear as a preservative," helping us understand that God may love us but at the same time He is just and all powerful and can mete out His wrath and judgement just as easily as He can love. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord God You are an awesome God who loves and save - thank You Jesus for Your amazing grace.  I am not deserving of such incredible 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 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 Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.

 Haggai 1:12

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. Haggai 1:12

I resume 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 1:12 reviewing the commentary for the which is the second subdivision (of the first division) which the commentary entitles God’s Word Brings Forth Fear of the Lord.  From the commentary:

• V12 "conveys a couple of ideas about fear, neither of which convey terror, but instead they combine to provide a picture of affection and worship driven by an acute awareness of God’s character."
• It conveys "a sense of submission to the authority of God in response to God's character of God" - His holiness, His awesome power, etc. See also Isaiah 6:5.
• We are encouraged to look elsewhere in scripture where awareness of God drives us to our knees in awe and worship.  See Psalm 51:17 where Nathan confronts David about his infidelity with Bathsheba and David's response is a broken humble spirit seeking God forgiveness.
• V12 also conveys a sense of awe in God's power and might. See also Psalm 61:4.
• "The idea that God is majestic, powerful, and able to save is a key element to rightly understanding who God is and to rightly worshiping Him."
• "As we walk in disobedience, and as we find ourselves confronted with God’s Word, our response should be grounded in a fear of God. Not necessarily an abject terror, but instead affection, worship, and trust, rooted in the person and character of God."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion Jesus - thank You Jesus for my salvation, protection, instruction, guidance and direction, etc.  You are SO good!  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.

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

 Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9

I continue my study of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book. My focus today is an unassisted review of the the first 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 first division as 11:7-10 with this division entitled Enjoy Life as God Intended. V7 describes how God intends for us to enjoy His creation, including the sun, sunrise, sunset and the evening skies. V8 shares how God wants us to rejoice in all the years of our lives, but we are reminded that our lives will be full of darkness, challenges, and pain - this is the human experience since the Fall.  At the back end of this verse, Solomon (without the knowledge of everlasting life with Jesus) states that this is vanity - our lives are devoid meaning, so you might as well enjoy your life when you can (i.e. in your youth).  V9a and b shares how we should enjoy our youth when we are likely to have youthful looks, good health, etc.  V9c shares how ultimately God will judge your life so whatever we do, be mindful of pleasing Him, living in reverent fear of how He is in control and if we don't please Him, we are subject to His wrath.  V10 shares how we should not be vexed (or annoyed, irritated, or troubled) by the meaninglessness of youth and the effects of aging.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who gives life, now to the full and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus for saving a place for me in Heaven.  I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself and 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.   

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

Ecclesiastes 7-11

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.  Ecclesiastes 7:14-18

I continue my study of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book. My focus this morning is a commentary assisted review of Ecclesiastes chapters 7-11 and the commentary's third division for these chapters - The Gospel Is the Answer to Our Brokenness and Meaninglessness.   

 Excerpts and highlights from the commentary on this division: 

• "Solomon exposes us to the brokenness of the world—a brokenness that really hurts and brings emptiness—for the positive outcome of causing us not to build our lives on things or people other than God. Ecclesiastes is God’s goodness to us because He refuses to allow us to wallow in our broken futility.  Our frustration over the absurdity of life drives us to God and His gospel. That is the answer to brokenness and meaninglessness."
• The commentary shares how "Ecclesiastes encourages faith in God and His gospel in two ways in Ecclesiastes 7-11.  First God is in control and working things out according to His timing and plan.  Therefore Ecclesiastes 7:14-18 exhorts us to fear God."
• We are referred to Ecclesiastes 9:13-16 which tells the story of of poor man who saves a city from a siege but this poor man is soon forgotten - the story of course points to Jesus and how He, while many believer He is forsaken, He is not as He rises from the grave to Heaven to be seated at the right hand of God. Jesus is the answer to our worlds sin, brokenness, and resulting meaningless.
• The commentary for this division closes by describing how "Jesus is the Savior who rescues us from brokenness. Jesus is the wise man who makes us wise. Jesus is the poor man who makes us rich. And yet He was rejected too! Mark Dever points out that Isaiah 53 explains the wisdom and foolishness of Ecclesiastes 7–11. The righteous man got what the wicked deserved, so the wicked could get what the righteous deserve (Dever, “The Ungodly”). The poor, wise Savior who rescued the world is rejected and despised because the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world and the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). It pleased God to save through a cross that looked like foolishness. Turn to Jesus, and He can free you from your brokenness and meaninglessness. Let Him turn your foolishness into wisdom."  Amen!
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves us and is full of grace and compassion - taking on flesh and willingly laying down Your life so that I could have life now to the full and for eternity with You.  Thank You Jesus!  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.

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

Ecclesiastes 5

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. Ecclesiastes 5:7

I continue my study of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-review of Ecclesiastes 5:7, which covers the second division of the commentary chapter titled Religion Is Meaningless without Jesus - this second division specifically is referred to in the commentary as Through Christ, We Can Approach God with Confident Reverence.  The commentary shares how in American culture "[w]e have a hard time understanding the concept of the fear of the Lord because we live in a culture that has no reverence for authority. We no longer approach parents, teachers, or coaches with respect. Lack of respect and honor has bled over into a new casual Christianity where Jesus is our...copilot and not so much our absolute, formidable King and awe-inspiring, sovereign Master.  We should humbly submit to and stand in awe of God who knows all of our sins and empty promises. People may try to object to this idea and say, “Well, that is just the Old Testament,” but Jesus warns us to fear Him who can destroy soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). We are called to reverent awe of God."  We are encouraged by the commentary to approach God through Jesus as the only way - John 14:6.  The Old Testament is described as temporary as it only foreshadowed how the incarnate Jesus would serve as the perfect and final sacrifice for all of humanity's sin forevermore, tearing the curtain in the temple that separated worshipers from access to God.  The commentary refers us to Hebrews 10 where Jesus is described as a better mediator and we can approach Christ in confidence.  Specifically in reference to Ecclesiastes 5:7, the commentary shares: "[d]espite our careless words and empty religion, Jesus brings us back to God. He fully cleanses us and allows us to come boldly before God’s throne. We do this individually in prayer and private worship. Jesus makes this clear in John 4 with the woman at the well. You no longer have to go to a specific physical location to worship God. You can pray and worship Him anywhere. But while we can approach God in private worship, we approach Him in a special way in corporate worship. Now, according to Ephesians 2, we are the new temple where God dwells. Hebrews 12 says that when we gather for corporate worship, we gather at Mount Zion in the presence of God Almighty, innumerable angels, and the saints who have passed on. But we are still called to listen and fear!" We are also referred to Romans 12:1 where Paul shares how believers are to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship."

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 - going to the cross so that I can have not only salvation but also access to God whenever and where ever I am.  Thank You Jesus that I can approach You in confidence.  I am not deserving of such a loving and caring God.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

Ecclesiastes 5

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. Ecclesiastes 5:7

I resume (see last post on this) my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of Ecclesiastes 5:7, which covers the second division of the commentary chapter titled Religion Is Meaningless without Jesus - this second division specifically is referred to in the commentary as Through Christ, We Can Approach God with Confident Reverence.  My last post on Ecclesiastes 5:1-6 discussed how inappropriate worship of God is sinful and how the American church is probably guilty of this sin more so than perhaps most other churches elsewhere around the world. V7 starts once again reiterating the futility of inappropriate and sinful worship, but ends with a pointer to God and how worship on His terms is where believers should focus.  We must remember that we exist to glorify God, so of course it should follow that our worship should reflect this purpose.  Our worship is about Him, not about us!  We should fear God (Proverbs 1:7), remember that all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8), be humble (Psalm 46:10), praise God for His great mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23), and surrender ourselves fully to God, allowing Him to work together with and through us for good and for His glory (Romans 8:28).  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your great mercies that are new every morning and that never cease - thank You also for my salvation. 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 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, apply and be obedient to Your message for me today and every day.

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

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14

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

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Ecclesiastes 12:12-14, which covers the fourth division of the commentary chapter titled Politics and Justice Are Meaningless without Jesus - the fourth division specifically is referred to in the commentary as Ecclesiastes Cries Out for a Better King, a Resurrection, and a Final Judgment.  Here, the commentary offers several key takeaways:

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

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

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

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and mercies daily that never cease - You guide, care, protect, heal, etc. Thank You Jesus for saving me!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Hebrews 10

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:35-36

I continue my study of Hebrews, and this morning my focus is Hebrews 10:26-39, and my unaided observations of the text. With my last post on Hebrews 10:19-25, the text this morning picks up where I left off, where we are encouraged to "stir up one another to love and good works," particularly because we never know when Judgement Day will be here (v24-25).  The text picks up by warning us that in light of what the author just shared in v24-25, we should avoid going back to old ways of sin. We should fear God as the author warns (v27) and follow John Piper's guidance to stay near to God and to use fear of Him as a preservative - saving us from "going bad."  We should detest sin, like God does.  V34 offers a great encouragement as it reminds us that we should not fear others plundering our earthly property as we have a "better possession."  The text continues by encouraging believers to not "shrink back."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who preserves me from old ways of sin - thank You Jesus for saving me and for saving a place in Heaven for me.  I am not deserving of how You 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 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 Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6

 So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Daniel 6:23

I continue my pause of my study of Hebrews to study Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 6 and my unaided observations of this chapter.  Here, we see a powerful earthly sin at work - envy and jealousy.  In v1-9 we see Daniel growing in power and status within Babylonia under King Darius, so we see men in Darius' court working to undermine Daniel by getting Darius to unwittingly issue a new law that forces all within the kingdom to worship only Darius.  What is interesting here is how the high officials did not see Daniel do anything wrong, so they came up with a scheme they knew could trap him even though he was otherwise blameless (see v5). Of course, Daniel knew about the law but this did not stop him from openly pursuing worship of the One True God - regardless of how this may be against any earthly or secular law (see v10).  Darius liked Daniel but he felt trapped - he had to enforce the new law, regardless of how he unwittingly agreed to it.  He even prayed to God that Daniel be delivered from the punishment - the lions den (see v16).  Of course, God does rescue Daniel (see v21-23).  The text remarks how no harm was found on Daniel "because he had trusted in his God (v23)."  Darius Those who sought to take Daniel down - and their entire families - were harshly punished as they were thrown into the lions den and not rescued by God (see v24). V26-27 is important to note how Darius praises God for how he rescued God:

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” v25-27

Darius' words seem to be inspired by the Holy Spirit!  Indeed we SHOULD tremble and fear God as His kingdom lasts forever, and His works are incredible and miraculous - and of course He saves!  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a good and worthy of my praise and worship - always and regardless of the circumstances as I know that You will never leave or forsake me and You save! Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 4:1-13, and my initial unaided observations of this text.  Once again, just as it did in Hebrews 3, the text in Hebrews 4 starts with "therefore," connecting this chapter with the previous, and in Hebrews 4 the text starts with a warning to fear God and fear falling away so that we can "enter His rest." The text describes how the first generation Israelites did not enter His rest by saying in v2: "[f]or good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened."  The implication is that we should be, as Hebrews 3 emphasizes, and per my post yesterday, in fellowship and community with other believers - let us exhort and encourage one another daily. God's rest is defined in Hebrews 4 in v9-10 as the rest God had on the seventh day of creation, after laying the foundation of the earth: "[s] then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his."  The implication here is that believers can rest from a focus on faith based on works and instead receive rest through faith alone in Jesus Christ.  The word "today" is mentioned twice, implying urgency for us to follow the warnings of the author to not fall away.  The text wraps by sharing why believers should fear God - it is because He is all knowing - and all of us will have to account for our lives upon final judgement, either upon death or when Jesus returns a second (final) time.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God - You give me rest and peace of mind like no other - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a blessing, nor of any the blessings You pour out for me, including my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome 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 this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Isaiah 64-66

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:2

I resume my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 1 (of 5) of week 23, which will bring my study of Isaiah to a close as it covers Isaiah 64-66.  Day 1 focuses on initial observations from the entire text.  God's final judgement and end times are core themes for these chapters, so we of course see eternal damnation for the unrepentant - those whom God gave over to their sins.  We also see hope for the remnant - the elect and those whom God chose to not only hear the gospel, but also to receive the gospel and to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  God describes this remnant in Isaiah 65:8-9:

Thus says the Lord: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. Isaiah 65:8-9

This remnant has hope as described in 65:19

I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. Isaiah 65:19

God also describes how we are to respond to His Word - by humbly submitting to Him and living in fear of Him as He reigns and holds our life in His hands. See Isaiah 66:2.

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 - You saved me.  I am undeserving of my salvation - I know it is only by Your grace that I am saved and that my faith is a gift.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please 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.

Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

1 Samuel 15

Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 1 Samuel 15:24

I once again pause from my study of Isaiah and of Proverbs to listen to the Solid Joys daily devotion on DesiringGod.com. Similar (albeit by way of contrast) to a post a couple of days ago where the devotion from Solid Joys encouraged us to pray in a way that pleases God, today we see how God is not pleased when we fear man vs Him. Piper writes how this is a form of pride. Piper writes: "[i]n fact, Isaiah says it is a kind of pride to be afraid of what man can do while we disregard the promises of God. He quotes God with this piercing question: “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker?” (Isaiah 51:12–13). God is infinitely good and infinitely powerful.  Our lives are in His hands and we all know that (1) we all sin (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8), and (2) the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23) - so we have sufficient reason to fear God - He is God!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and I know You made me and You are saving a place for me in Heaven and 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 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 do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

 Leviticus 24

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 2 Peter 3:8-10

This afternoon, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter twenty-one - In God's Presence  - covering Leviticus 24:1-23, looking specifically at the third theme for the chapter - We Relate to God Reverently.  Here, we tackle a difficult question - to what extent should we fear and revere God?  The commentary theme for today looks specifically at Leviticus 24:10-16 and v23 - these verses describe how a man blasphemes God, and how God directs Moses to have the man stoned to death as his punishment, and how then the "people of Israel" carried out this punishment. The commentary discusses how theologians and Biblical scholars stress the need to "balance God's immanence and His transcendence" (see DesiringGod.com on this balance, as well as dictionary definitions of immanence and transcendence).  We must balance our view of God who desires an intimate relationship with us (see post yesterday as an example) with a view of God, as described by the commentary, as "not...a mere mortal man, but...the all-powerful Lord of Hosts, Creator of the Universe!  We must always observe that distinction...God tells us repeatedly in His Word to fear Him."  We are referred to Hebrews 10:31 as one of many scriptural examples that remind us to fear God.  The author of the commentary then writes: "[s]ome people are surprised by the severity of God's judgement of the man who blasphemed.  On the contrary, I am surprised by the extent of God's mercy.  We are surrounded by blasphemers.  At work, at school, and in the media we are regularly hear people scoff at the truth of God's Word, mock God's people, and publicly deny God's existence.  Yet God allows them to live another day, and another, and another.  He mercifully gives them many opportunities to turn to Him in faith.  The commentary then describes how Paul refers to God's "extraordinary patience" in 1 Timothy 1:16 and how Peter wrote about the same thing in 2 Peter 3:8-10. The commentary wraps by examining a question: "[w]ho knows how many opportunities [God] gave to the man described in Leviticus 24?....God's judgement of him was an act of mercy to everyone in the man's life, so that they would not learn to blaspheme from him and go into an eternity of suffering and separation from God.  In eternity God will be treated as holy; He will be worshiped as God.  We relate to God reverently."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is SO patient with me and full of mercy for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God!  My sin of harshness with others, etc. is great.  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 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.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Job 1-42

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

I continue with my study of - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook by Max Lucado (for purchase). This morning, I continue with the story of "Job: God's Presence in the Storm*".

*Title of lesson two from the Max Lucado study.

The commentary* of day three of my study of Job starts with Lucado pointing to Job 38-41 and wanting me to understand how God questions Job and Job's arrogance and pride in his righteousness. Lucado believes that Job lost sight of who God is, and through a study of Job we are encouraged to maintain a proper sense of awe of God in his life through worship prayer and other spiritual disciplines. Lucado then shares how he believes God's "torrent" of questions for Job is not intended to teach but to stun and to re-align Job to a more proper sense of God. We are encouraged as well to develop a strong foundation and relationship with God during the God times such that when the difficult times arrive (and they will), we are more prepared.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has helped me in all times - good and bad.  Thank You Jesus for never leaving or forsaking me.  I am not deserving for how much You love me. I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Please help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 21-22, and John 12

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. John 12:42-43

Day 315 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as I move further into the New Testament - this morning focusing Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday of Jesus final week of His ministry before His death on the cross. My commentary* devotes a decent amount of effort to posit that the Last Supper takes place on Weds evening, using the Jewish definition of sunset as the beginning of the day as a key element of the argument.  Regardless of where one falls with the timing of the Last Supper we see also Judas Iscariot's betrayal scheme fall into place as well with today's scripture reading.

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

My commentary* also notes once again how most do not fully grasp who Jesus is and what is about to unfold.  We also see how some believed and some did not (John 12) and how scripture (John 12) references Isaiah 6:10) prophecies such disbelief.  In this context it is unremarkable how of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus but failed to place their faith Him, fearing backlash.

Praise of others is a powerful and potentially intoxicating force - on its face it is not bad but it can be an idol as we see here how fear of man is greater than fear of God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and worth of not just my praise, but also my fear - and I know that fear of You serves to help preserve me and keep me from sinning.  I need this preservative.  I am grateful for how You protect me but I am both undeserving and sinful anyway.  Please forgive me for my worry and other sins.  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.

I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.

Nehemiah 7, 11-12

 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. Nehemiah 7:2

Day 282 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with the book of Nehemiah where Nehemiah devises a plan to populate, maintain, and defend Jerusalem following rebuilding of the temple walls by the exiles who returned. Today's reading focuses primarily on the names of families and tribes and where they settle, either in the city or in their ancestral property.  Yet we get another glimpse into Nehemiah's character as a man of God by looking at those who he surrounds himself.   

Hananiah placed in a position of trust due to his fear of God.  We need to surround ourselves by believers who fear God as fear of God drives obedience and a desire to please Him.  Our own faith is strengthened by the faith of those who surround us as "iron sharpens iron".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who has helped surround me with great men of faith who strengthen and encourage me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings - my sin continues.  I fail to see You first among my many sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve you, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.