And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.

Numbers 18:8-24

And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. Numbers 18:20

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 18:8-24 - God continues to speak to Aaron, sharing with Aaron how the Levites will have charge over contributions given to Him by the people, and how God will care for the Levites in their role in the priesthood.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God entrusts the Levites to guard the sanctuary lest anyone come near or in and die (see also post yesterday and previous posts).  This is a great responsibility...and with it comes great accountability.  In all of this, God blesses and cares for those who serve God and His mission.  Yes, there is a sacrifice of time and talent but God provides and blesses those who serve. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: So many serve the church tirelessly, most in ways that are less visible.  God wants those who serve the church to know that not only is this noticed but it is desired and acknowledged by God as good, and it will be rewarded now and for eternity.  We should serve and claim the promise that God is our portion, and that He will provide and bless us. 
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid grumbling and complaining about serving and following God.  Claim the promise that He will provide and bless us and others through our service.  Follow the example of Moses and Aaron to lead and serve the church.  Live life knowing that with great responsibility comes great accountability.  

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

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

 John 13:12-20

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:14-16

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 13:12-20, where Jesus has just washed the disciples' feet and He then shares why He did.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?:  Jesus understood that the disciples did not know why He washed their feet (see v7), so being a patient and caring God, He teaches and guides them - telling Him why he performed this act of service.  He first identifies Himself as Lord (first) and Teacher (second) - v13.  In vv14-15, Jesus then shares how He gave the disciples an example to follow - believers should serve as He served.  This ties back to the two greatest commandments from Matthew 22:34-40 - to first love God, then to love others.  We don't exist to glorify ourselves but instead to glorify God.  This requires us to surrender to Him and allow others to see God in us as we bear and demonstrate fruit - the love of God manifesting itself in the love of (and service to) others.  V16 emphasizes a truth (spoken by Jesus with emphasis in His authority) that we are to serve Him as He is our Master and sent by God the Father.  V17 shares a promise that we will be blessed if we love, serve and glorify Jesus.  In v18, Jesus refers to whom He has chosen to love, serve and glorify Him - leaving out Judas as Jesus refers to Psalm 41:9 in His description of Judas as He shares the betrayal will fulfill prophecy.  In vv19-20 Jesus shares that He tells the disciples these things so that when they do occur, they will have a more complete understanding of who Jesus is and how came to fulfill prophecy and all of His Words are Truth - we can have faith and believe in Him.       
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The twelve are described by Jesus - both in the present and in the future - as serving Him - with exception to Judas who loves Himself more than God and betrays Jesus. 
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should avoid sin as all sin is a betrayal of God.  Claim the promise that we will be blessed if love, serve, and glorify God.  Follow the example - and commandment - of Jesus to love and serve others (see also Mark 10:45).  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God who loves and saves - You laid down Your life in the ultimate act of serve - so that I could have forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  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.

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Mark 12:35-40

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:35-40, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy - vv35-37 - He is both the Son of God and the promised messiah from David's line.  See also 2 Samuel 7:9-17.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People are sinful and broken and without God they seek glory for themselves - vv38-40.  They also fail to obey God's Word (see yesterday's post as an example) to love others and as a result the poor and widows suffer (see v40).  The scribes' hearts are hardened towards God and ultimately will be eternally condemned. 
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should not seek glory for ourselves but instead for God - we exist to bring Him glory. See 1 Corinthians 10:31.  This means we are assume a posture of humility, to pick up our cross daily, and to deny ourselves - loving God first then others. Of course Christ is our example.  

The text emphasizes humility.  Yes we are encouraged to understand God's Word.  But the scribes and Jewish elders used God's word to "puff" themselves up as described in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3.  Our understanding and knowledge of God's word should be used to renew our minds as described in Romans 12:2 such that His desires and will become our desires and will. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for loving me first and saving me.  I am not deserving of my salvation. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me 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 in Your 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. 

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.

Mark 9:30-50

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Mark 9:38-40

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 third (of four) division (vv38-41):

• For the third division, the title is: "Allegiance to Others."
• "At this point the disciples just aren’t there. Oh, they are zealous, but it is a misplaced zeal, myopic and self-centered. In fact it is downright sinful." 
• "The disciples are about to learn that God’s kingdom is bigger than their experience of it. It is so large that anyone who is for Christ is with us."  
• In response to the disciples trying to stop someone (though not a disciple) from casting out demons in Jesus' name, Jesus "responds with a strong command, “Don’t stop him.” On the contrary, stop what you are doing! Why? First, anyone doing these things in My name does so by the power of God. It is an evidence of My call on his life (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3). No, do not try to hinder him. Help him. Don’t try to restrain him. Rejoice in and with him."  
• We are also referred to Philippians 1:15-18 that aligns with Jesus words from v40.
• V41 exhorts us to serve others as the commentary shares: "[s]ervice to others frees us. It gets our eyes off of us and onto others who need the same Christ we need. An anonymous author said, “World Missions is God’s major therapy for our sin of selfishness that eats the heart out of the local church” (source unknown)."

Believers know that the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:34-40) are to love God then love others.  This life is not about us...it's about Him and for Him to get all praise, honor and glory.  He is worthy and we exist solely for His purpose. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: You are an awesome God that loves me and who saves!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  I often focus on myself.  Please forgive me 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. 

And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Mark 9:30-50

And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 9:30-50, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus was not seeking attention for Himself (v30) but for His Father who sent Him. Jesus sought humility so that we could see God's power to raise His Son from the dead.  God also wants humility for His followers (v35).  Humility implies serving others much in the same way that a parent must provide for and serve a child (v37).  God wants believers to support and care for believers in the same way parents care for their children - we are all part of God's family and we are to care for one another.  We must also help other believers avoid sin (vv42, 50)and to avoid conflicts with other believers.    
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People, even believers, often seek glory for themselves like the disciples did in their argument about who was the greatest among them (v34).  We must remember that as believers it is not about us - it's about Him as we exist to bring glory to the one who saved us - Jesus!  When we seek glory for ourselves, we become jealous of others that might be doing good in Jesus' name (vv38-40).  Such jealousy can lead to conflicts (v50). 
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We must remain humble and seek to glorify Him not ourselves.  This means we must serve as Jesus did.  Avoid pride.  Be aware of what drives our prideful behavior and seek ways to eliminate influences that drive us towards this behavior (vv43-48).

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who saves...You came to seek and save the lost and You willingly laid down Your life...for me and for the sin of all of humanity for all of redemptive history.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings that You pour out for me.  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.

But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”

Mark 6:30-44

But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” Mark 6:37

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 6:30-44.  Excerpts from the commentary for the second (of three) division (vv33-37):

• The title of the second division per the commentary: "Like Jesus We Should Have Compassion for Others."
• The commentary emphasizes how Jesus sought to minister to all of a person's needs: physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  Jesus does this as the Shepherd Savior.  We are referred to text in Psalm 23, Luke 15:4-6, John 10:11, 1 Peter 5:4, Hebrews 13:30 and Revelation 7:17 where Jesus is described as the Great or Chief Shepherd.
• "We desperately need a shepherd, One who is compassionate and able to provide for us and protect us. We need a Shepherd Savior."  
• The text describes how Jesus (1) had compassion on the crowd (2) saw them as "sheep without a shepherd;" and (3) in need of direction and guidance (1 Peter 5:2).  
• We too are lost without Jesus - all are lost without Jesus - we are referred to John 10:12-13, Ezekiel 34:1-24, Numbers 27:17 where Israel is depicted as "lost, helpless, without guidance, malnourished, and lacking protection - their leaders were mere 'hirelings.'"  
• Numbers 27:17 is emphasized for how "God raised up Joshua in anticipation of the greater Joshua named Jesus" and how Ezekiel describes how Jesus is the greater David.    
• Jesus meets all our needs: physical needs, emotional, and spiritual. 
• Ultimately, we are to care for others as Jesus cares.  See Matthew 25:31-46. 
• "God wants us to have compassion on those in need, and He wants us involved in their lives meeting both spiritual and physical needs. We indeed minister to the whole person. That’s what Jesus did."

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, guides, provides, etc. You are the Great Shepherd who saves.....thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me 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 you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1 Corinthians 14

For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:17-19

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter fourteen - Turning High Thoughts to the Help of the Lowly.  Here, John Piper emphasizes his love for Paul due to Paul's ability to be both profound and practical.  There are no doubts that Paul had "soaring spiritual insight and wisdom,*" but he did not allow himself to be puffed up to the extent that he could not relate to ordinary people and serve their needs.  Piper shares 1 Corinthians 14:17-19 and uses this text to describe how Paul sought to encourage Believers in their faith - so that all grow in devotion and love of Christ.  Love God and love others - with the latter being done in such a way that all are served in their journey with Christ.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a gracious God who humbled himself on a cross and died so that others can be saved have life - both to the full on this earth and for eternity.  Instead of pursuing Your own needs and emphasizing Your own status, You pursued others and saved them.  Thank You Jesus for Your love me and desire for others.  I am not deserving of Your love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  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.   

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace[.]

1 Peter 4

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace[.] 1 Peter 4:10

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter eleven - Rigorous in Reasoning, Transparent in Feeling.  Here, John Pipers shares his love for Paul based on Paul's combination of strengths to both reason (and articulate his reason both in written and spoken mediums), and to be in firm grasp of his own emotions which he is able to harness to empathize with others and win their hearts. Piper first starts by describing how others viewed Paul's intellect, first by pointing to Roman Governor Festus (Acts 26:24), then to Peter (2 Peter 3:16). Piper then shares scripture where Paul encourages all believers to think for themselves (1 Corinthians 10:15, 14:20, 2 Timothy 2:7).  He continues by moving to Paul's emotional maturity, describing both his own emotions and challenges as well as his profound sense of care for others (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Philippians 1:8, 4:1, Philemon 1:12, 2 Corinthians 6:11-13).  While this is a rare combination of strengths for anyone to possess, we are encouraged to develop these capabilities as God gives them to us, and use them in His service.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You have blessed me through others - through Paul's writings, and the love and care of others working in Your service.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love, care, and 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.

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:11-14

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 5:11-14, and my initial unaided observations of this text. Here, the author of Hebrews pivots from a discussion of how Jesus is a great High Priest to a clear  admonishment and warning to the readers (who at the time were Jewish believers well versed in the Old Testament), to, with urgency, grow their faith into maturity. The desired end state is to - as v14 says - "have [our] powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."  Key spiritual disciplines include daily time with God in study and prayer, fellowship with other believers who can support and encourage us in our faith journey, corporate worship, service, etc.  Hebrews 3:12-14 reinforces how fellowship is key.  Today's text is also reinforced by Romans 12:2 where it is expected that our spiritual disciplines (with daily time in study in prayer being key) enable transformation of the mind to "discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  Today, I am also reminded of Paul's exhortation from 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 that we think of ourselves as running a race or as a boxer training with focus and an aim.  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who provides Your Word for me to know You, become more like You, etc. as Your Word feeds me and sustains me...and it moves me to maturity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You speak to me through Your Word.  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.

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory[.]

John 17

 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory[.] John 17:24a

I pause my study of Proverbs and Isaiah to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today focuses on the goal of Christ's love.  John Piper urges us to see the the goal of Christ's love is not for believers to experience the joy of "being loved", which is not a bad thing of course.  Instead God wants us to, in Piper's words, to see that "the goal of love that makes [redemption, propitiation, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation] loving is that we be with him, and see his jaw-dropping glory, and be astounded. In those moments we forget ourselves as we see and savor all that God is for us in him." We must remember that we exist to glorify God!  To do this, we must deny ourselves and serve Christ as He commands us, sharing the gospel, serving and loving others, etc. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion and grace for me!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of who You love and save me, and how You pour out so many rich blessings for me, including how You never leave or forsake me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus. Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy....And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.

Titus 1-3

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy....And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. Titus 3:4-5, 8

Day 351 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 I read the Paul's first letter to Titus. My commentary* indicates: "Titus is apparently facing some of the same challenges as Timothy in his efforts to preserve doctrinal purity and to establish effective local congregations. Therefore, Paul’s letter to Titus bears a resemblance to his letter to Timothy in its emphasis on false teaching, church organization, and instruction in Christian living."

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

The latter words of scripture from Titus remind me of a book I recently read by Tony Merida, Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down. The book discusses that God's love should be understood as so "deep and wide" that we are both overwhelmed and compelled to love Him and others in return.  We so deeply care to serve Him and others that our lives become "living sacrifices" through daily acts of justice, love, hospitality, care, advocacy, and humility. It is through these daily acts that the world see in us something that is supernatural and people are drawn to Him. 

My hope and prayer is that I am and can demonstrate what Pastor Merida discusses in his book and what is clear from scripture.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loved me while I was still sinning, and loved me even before I even existed, knowing everything about me, including how I am broken.  Yet You love me and You died for me...thank You Jesus!  The greatest gift of all time...and completely undeserved.  My sin is great - worry, gossip, etc.  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.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Philippians 1-4

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

Day 349 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 afternoon I read the last of Paul's prison epistles - Philippians. My commentary* notes in this letter: "While still imprisoned, Paul also reaches out to the Christians in Philippi, with whom he has maintained close ties since his three visits to their city. Paul clearly feels a special relationship to the Philippians, not only because of his close association with them in past years but also because they have often generously contributed to his support....In this letter Paul is writing to a small-town congregation in which two women, Euodia and Syntyche, have had a falling out. As is so often the case when personality conflicts develop, their personal animosity is splitting the whole church. Therefore Paul pleads with the two women—and indeed all Christians—to learn to love each other more. Paul bases his appeal on the bedrock example of Christ’s own humility in putting others’ interests first, even at great personal cost. The apostle urges them to sacrifice their selfish feelings and to commit themselves to working out their problems, particularly in light of the fact that their pagan neighbors are watching their behavior. He points out that his appeal is not based upon any credentials that he himself might have, but upon the compelling love of Christ which was demonstrated in his life and sacrificial death. This love, says Paul, is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy—and the only basis upon which fractured groups or interpersonal relations may be healed."

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

Although, as noted by both my commentary* as well as commentary from the MacArthur Bible Study Commentary (for purchase) which both indicate several themes (including Paul's thankfulness for the Philippians' financial support, and for warnings about false teachers), this afternoon I am most struck by how Paul focuses on an exhortation to Euodia and Syntyche to put aside their disagreements and focus on service and love of one another as a gesture of unity within the local church. John MacArthur indicates that "apparently, the disunity in the Philippian church was about to destroy the integrity of its testimony". 

I often struggle with pride and arrogance and these sins cause me to lash out to others in various settings and of course this causes problems of disunity and fracture.  Paul stresses humility and service to others once again as a means to drive unity.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has blessed me with other believers in the church - these people have supported and encouraged me through difficult times and I am grateful.  Thank You Jesus! Yet I often put my own interests above others and this causes great harm.  Please forgive me Jesus for these sins and help me overcome and turn from my sins 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 go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21, and Acts 1

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Day 321 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 on the resurrection and Jesus appearances during the resurrection period. This morning's scripture reading extends into Acts where Jesus, after the resurrection ascends into Heaven and Matthias is chosen to replace Judas as one of "The Twelve".  My commentary* captures in John how, together, all of the gospel accounts serve so "you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31).

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

Jesus also gives the disciples a mission - "The Great Commission" (Matthew 28) and He tells them that they will have power in this mission. 

Many have perspectives on what the Great Commission means to believers, including who goes into the missionary field.  Tony Merida has what I believe a very useful perspective for all believers in that we don't have to be "super-Christians" to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our own local community and at home.  We demonstrate the power of Christ by consistently doing the things Jesus asks us to do, and these are ordinary acts of justice, love, hospitality, care, advocacy, and humility.  Check out his book and this video.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have sent others to bring me the gospel and I am grateful!  There were many in my path who brought Jesus to me and without these others I would not have You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You brought the Good News into my life.  My sin continues...worry, etc.  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.

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him....Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you....“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Luke 22, Matthew 26, Mark 14, John 13-14

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him....Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you....“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:5, 14-15, 34-35

Day 316 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 on the Last Supper.  Scripture for this final meal is rich with teaching but a few things stick out, including the institution of Communion.  Jesus' washing of the feet more than anything demonstrates His role to serve, instead of to be served, and how we as believers are to love and serve others.

Once again, humility stands out as a key element of faith.

He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an incredible God, all knowing and all powerful, yet You came to earth, willingly suffered and laid down Your life for me, knowing everything about my sin, so that I could be saved from eternal damnation.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift...not by a long shot.  My sin, including worry and other sins, continue.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 19-20, 26, Mark 10, 14, Luke 18-19, and John 11-12

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28, Mark 10:42-45

Day 311 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 on what my commentary* describes as a count down to "the final days of Jesus' life and ministry, probably between January and the end of March" before Jesus' crucifixion. The scripture this morning includes teachings, miracles, and the growing threat of Jesus' imprisonment and death. Core to the teaching this morning focuses on humility as nearly all of Jesus' followers at this point do not understand what is going to occur and why it is going to occur, and this morning James and John both seek to gain glory and Jesus admonishes them.

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

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who came to earth, endured scorn, and surrendered Your life willingly...for me.  Thank You Jesus.  Unbelievable...I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  However, my sin continues...worry, etc. 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. 

And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

Zechariah 7-8 and Ezra 6

 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ Zechariah 7:8-10

Day 271 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 my commentary* describes in both Zechariah and Ezra how, upon return from exile, God works to encourage completion of the temple and a strengthening of spiritual life.  My commentary describes the roles of both Haggai and Zechariah: "Haggai’s mission was to construct the temple of God in Jerusalem, Zechariah’s mission is to establish the spiritual house of Israel. It is Zechariah’s role to interpret the significance of their work and to give them reason to persevere. The temple is still not completed. The city walls have not even begun to be rebuilt. The outlying towns and lands are still in rubble and disarray. And, worst of all, the religious life of the people is slow in developing after the years in exile, during which religious exercise had naturally waned. Therefore God presents Zechariah with an opportunity to bring encouragement to his people, to explain the essence of true religion and thus to breathe meaning into the noble enterprise in which they are engaged. The opportunity comes two years after Zechariah’s eight visions, when the people of Bethel ask Zechariah about observing certain religious days. God’s message through Zechariah is like that brought by the prophet Amos: true religion finds its expression in moral lives and social justice."

With Ezra 6, my commentary also describes the completion of the temple: "[w]ith the encouragement of Haggai and Zechariah, the work on the temple goes forward to completion in the year 516 B.C. Just as 70 years elapsed from the first deportation to the return of the first settlers, it has been 70 years since the temple of Solomon was destroyed, in 586 B.C. The precision with which God works in the affairs of nations stands as a wonderful witness to his power in the lives of individuals as well. This exact fulfillment of God’s promise ought to encourage people everywhere to know that he truly is God—the faithful God who keeps his promises."

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

God is certainly faithful. 

He also implores us to be His hands and feet - to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to serve as He did.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed faithful as all of Your promises are true - we can count and rely on You as our firm foundation.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving for how faithful You are to me and to all believers. My sin continues...daily...worry, gossip, harsh words and actions, lack of patience.  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.

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah 1-3:5

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:6-10

Day 205 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 my commentary* shifts to the prophecies of Jeremiah, who is called by God into ministry in 626 B.C. Jeremiah is described as responding to God's calling with "great reluctance": "In fairness to Jeremiah, he may have good reason to be reluctant: At the time of his call he is still a youth, though his exact age is not known. And had he known exactly how much opposition, persecution, and personal rejection he would face over the next 50 years, he would probably have tried to escape his calling, just as Jonah did."

Jeremiah's "mission is to be one of rebuke and judgment [of Judah] on one hand and encouragement on the other. Finally, God promises to be with Jeremiah through the many personal trials he will face....When he begins his ministry, warning against impending national peril, Judah is resting complacently in an unusual period of peace and is soon to experience a brief period of spiritual revival. While Jeremiah is predicting the fall of Jerusalem, the popular message of the priests and false prophets is “peace, peace.” During a period of shifting alliances and great turbulence in the region, "Judah will stand in constant peril, and Jeremiah’s thankless job will be to bring the message of judgment and national vulnerability to a people who do not want to hear it. What an awesome responsibility for this young man from the little town of Anathoth, a few miles northeast of Jerusalem! How amazed he must be to learn that he was chosen for this special mission before he was ever born!"

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

Just as we have seen with other great prophets (Moses, Jonah), God addresses reluctance as He does not allow anything to stand in His way to accomplish His plan including who He plans to use to carry out such plans.  God equips those He calls to serve.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has equipped me in the various roles You have given me as a husband, father, worker, etc.  I know there is more work to do but I have seen the work of Your hands - thank You Jesus!  Yet I am undeserving of Your love and the many blessings You pour out on me.  I worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Chronicles 23-26:11 

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

Day 105 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on David's passing of the kingship to Solomon, and David's initial efforts to organize the Israelites - starting with the Levites - for duties in the temple of the Lord yet to be built.

I am reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 12 regarding how all believers have a role to play in the church.  Urging us to be mindful of how the end is near, Peter echoes Paul's words:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

My Prayer: Heavenly Father - Jesus - You are an awesome God who has blessed me and given me gifts and I am prayerful that I have been and am a good steward of these gifts.  I've been blessed by others through the exercise of their gifts.  Thank You Jesus for the church and the role it's played to build up and strengthen my faith.  I am not deserving of how You bless me.  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.

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

Judges 4-5

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” Judges 4:8

Day 75 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on the story of Deborah the prophet as she urges Barak to attack Canaanite forces in the north central region of the promised land.  Another woman Jael also gains mention of her bravery killing Sisera, commander of Jabin's (local Canaanite king) army.

Barak is cautious and is not fully convinced that the Lord will give Israel's enemies into his hands as Deborah indicates in Judges 4:7.  Barak is not unlike Moses who in Exodus 3-4 expresses doubt to God about how God will help us through challenges.  Moses even asked the Lord to send someone else to confront Pharaoh and rescue the Israelites (Exodus 4:13).

Most of us have expressed doubt when we've felt led by God to serve - should I really do this? What about this concern or that concern?

John Piper tackles this concern head-on in this great post "How Do I Take Risks Without Being Unwise?".  Piper believes that "the burden of the New Testament is to infuse the faith and love that leans toward self-risk rather than toward self-protection."  His post provides six tests to help sort through this when the question arises.  Helpful counsel for sure.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has blessed me beyond what words can describe - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings - I am broken and my sin 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.

The Lord also said to Moses, “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”

Numbers 3-8:4

The Lord also said to Moses, “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.” Numbers 3:11-13

Day 34 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on God's call to the Levites to serve in the priesthood and tabernacle service - offerings are then made to consecrate the tabernacle and then by each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

God calls each of us to roles in His service.  We all have skills and abilities and a role in God's plan.
 
See also 1 Corinthians 12 and previous posts on spiritual gifts.

We must also understand that all of our skills and abilities come from God and they belong to Him - see also post from a few days ago.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has blessed me well beyond what I deserve.  I am grateful Jesus.  Yet I am undeserving.  I sin...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 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 to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  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.