For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Today, I pause once again my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, where today, John Piper shares how "Paul links prayer with God's Yes" in 1 Corinthians 1:20.  Piper explains by looking at the Hebrew translation of amen as "a strong affirmation,", or "I agree," or "I affirm what was just said," or "this is true," or simply "an earnest Yes." Piper points us to Numbers 5:22, Nehemiah 5:13, and 8:6 for scriptural references that illustrate the use of amen.  Piper then urges us to reread the highlighted scripture in 2 Corinthians 1:20 to realize that "[i]n Jesus Christ God says his Yes to us through his promises; and in Christ we say our Yes to God through prayer." God is faithful to us as He says yes to all of His promises and we respond in prayer with agreement that God is worth all of the glory!  Piper paraphrases Paul's words as: "'Therefore, because of Christ, we say Amen to God in our prayers to show that God gets the glory for the future grace we are asking for and counting on when we pray.'"

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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 - demonstrating faithfulness as all of Your promises come true.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of such blessing.  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.

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Acts 17

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. Acts 17:24-25

This morning I continue a pause in my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional.  Today, in this devotional, John Piper provides believers with a warning that is likely to be counterintuitive - that we must beware of serving God. Piper first starts by sharing that "we do not glorify God by providing his needs, but by praying that he would provide ours — and trusting him to answer, and living in the joy of that all-providing care as we lay down our lives in love for other people." He then refers us to Psalm 50:12-15 where the text is clear - prayer expresses our utter dependence on God and as such it glorifies God. Piper then shares that we are then forced to acknowledge "the startling fact that we must beware of thinking he needs us. We must beware of serving God, and we must take special care to let him serve us, lest we rob him of his glory....Most of us think serving God is a totally positive thing. We have not considered that serving God may be an insult to him. But meditation on the very meaning of prayer makes this plain...[T]here is a way to serve God that would belittle him as needy of our service. Oh, how careful we must be not to preempt the mighty grace of God in Christ." 

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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 - providing for all of my needs - physical, emotional, and spiritual - 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, energy 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 am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

This morning I continue a pause in my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional.  Here John Piper highlights how Jesus seeks for believers to glorify Him.  Using the end of John 15:5 (and Romans 7:8), Piper starts by sharing how "without Christ, we are capable of no Christ-exalting good." That is how we should see ourselves - as helpless and utterly dependent on Him to bear Christ-glorifying good.  Of course, as believers, we should all seek to glorify Him - because that is why we exist. In the verse for today, Jesus guides us for how we are to glorify Him.  First, we must abide in Him, He then abides in us, and it is then we bear fruit.  Piper then points to vv7-8, where Jesus seeks for us to pray, and Piper shares that God is then glorified.  Piper writes: "[w]e pray!  We ask God to do for us through Christ what we can’t do for ourselves — bear fruit....Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that he will provide the help we need."

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My Prayer: Jesus, You are SO good as You provide all of my needs - thank You!  Of course 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 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.