Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

Psalm 115:3 

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Psalm 115:3

I have have yet to identify my next study, so this morning I continue to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today examines how God is sovereign, is never trapped or coerced, and that He does what He pleases.  

Colossians 1:15-17 shares how God is the firstborn of creation, how all things were created by Him, through Him, for Him, and how He holds all things together.  The devotion shares how, unlike humanity, God is not "constrained," "backed into a corner," or "coerced." No, as the Psalmist writes, God does whatever pleases Him.  Even at the one point where one may think God does something that He does not want to do, scripture says otherwise - we are directed to Romans 8:32, Ephesians 5:2, and John 10:18 where scripture describes willingly gave up His own Son, how Christ's crucifixion was seen as "a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God," and how Christ's life was not taken from Him but He freely offered it as He (per the devotion) had "legions of angels at his disposal." On the contrary, Jesus was not trapped, but He looked beyond the cross, was "totally in charge," and was focused on "the joy set before Him" (Hebrews 12:2).  We must acknowledge how Jesus is sovereign and reigns over all matters in Heaven and on earth, while at the same time, He is abounding in grace and love, saving those who confess their sin and surrender to Christ as Lord. This is who God is...and more!         

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who is sovereign over all matters in heaven and on earth, and You know everything about me (including my sin!) - yet You are full of grace and mercy as You loved me while still a sinner and saved me. Thank You for my salvation and for the blessings You pour out every day for me.  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Jonah 4 

And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:10-11

I continue my study in Jonah to supplement my church's current sermon series in this book.  In the text today, Jonah is angry about the grace God gives Nineveh and God scolds him. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V2: Jonah describes God is "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster."  God is sovereign over all creation as He appointed a plant to provide Jonah shade - v6; He appointed a worm to attack the plant - v7; and He appointed a scorching east wind - v8.  In v10-11, God scolds Jonah for using His grace, mercy, patience and love according to His plan.  God's designs and plans are perfect and for good - Romans 8:28
• What do we learn from the text about people?: While Jonah accurately describes God in v2, at the same time, he is angry with God about how his grace, mercy, patience, and love are used to relent from punishing Nineveh.  It is not for us to judge how others deserve or not deserve grace, mercy, love, patience, etc. God alone decides how He want to display these attributes - He alone is judge.  We certainly don't deserve mercy or grace - no one does because all sin and are deserving of death (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Romans 6:23).  We must understand that God is always at work, that His work is perfect and good, and that He seeks to save as many as He can. When God give us a mission our job is to do the mission, not to question it. 
• 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 questioning God's commands or the mission He gives us.  Claim the promise that God is gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love in ALL things!  Follow the example of those who do according to His Word - and not question Him.  Love God and love others - do as He says and see that obedience is not burdensome as we seek to please Him.   

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who alone is sovereign and judge over all creation and all matters.  You hold my life in Your hand and You are so full of grace and mercy, withholding the punishment I deserve but giving the salvation I don't deserve.  Thank You for my salvation and for the blessings You pour out every day for me.  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.

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Exodus 32-34

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

I have completed my study of Numbers, but before I move on to my next study (TBD), I pause for today to review text covered today in church - Exodus 32-34 - including for our small group time.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God is a jealous God as He is jealous for Himself when the people of Israel do not follow His commandments, particularly those commandments to love Him and not to put other gods before Him. God burns with anger (32:7-10) when Israel creates a golden calf (32:1-6) as they await Moses to come down from the top of Mount Sinai.  In Exodus 33, God shares (33:3) that He will not be with the people as they continue in their journey to the Promised Land and the people mourn.  God is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (34:6), and He renews the covenant He made with Israel (34:10-27) - an act of incredible grace and mercy as Israel does not get what they deserve and they do get what they don't deserve. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Moses intercedes (32:11-13, 32:31-32) on behalf of the people - and God relents (v14). In 32:15-35, Moses punishes the people and God follows with a plague. After God shares that He will not be with the people as they continue in their journey to the Promised Land, Moses once again intercedes on behalf of Israel - 33:12. Moses also asks the Lord to show Himself and His glory, and to see Him face to face but God will not allow Moses to see His face - 33:23.  Moses goes back up to the top of Mount Sinai in Exodus 34, recreates the tablets with the Ten Commandments and intercedes once more on behalf of the people - 34:9. After Moses came down from Mount Sinai it was clear that He spoke with God because his face was radiant and shone from His glory (34:29-35). 
• 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 taking matters into Your own hands when you believe that God is not hearing you or not responding - He is always at work.  Claim the promise that God is faithful, but that if you seek Him with all of your heart, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  Follow the example of Moses who served God faithfully and drew near to Him. Trust God that He is faithful (2 Corinthians 1:20).

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

So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Numbers 21:4-9

So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Numbers 21:9

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 21:4-9, the people once again grumble and complain against the LORD, yet God is abounding in love, relents from His punishment and provides a way out.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God sees grumbling and complaining as a sin, so Israel is punished - v6.  Yet God is merciful and He responds to prayer as the people confess and seek for Moses to intercede - v8.  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The people are not yet in the Promised Land, and of course one can imagine the people (as we would) seeking the quickest way possible to get to their destination.  Impatience can be seen as a childish behavior (are we there yet?), but it afflicts adults just as well.  The pattern of Israel's grumbling and complaining, and of God showing mercy, is staggering - God not only provides second chances, but third, fourth, etc.  Yes, many are harshly punished, but we have to acknowledge that we ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So we don't deserve God's mercy - yet He provides a way out.  Jesus is this way out - if we confess, like Israel does here in v7 and we have someone like Moses who intercedes on our behalf (we do in Jesus), we can be assured of forgiveness and of salvation (Romans 10:9-10).  Yet we cannot prevent punishment as this is for God alone to determine and we must see punishment as love from the Father for good.  Israel should have seen this in how they remained in the wilderness.   
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Do not grumble and complain.  Claim the promises that God disciplines those He loves, and God forgives and saves.  Follow the example of Israel who confessed - and the example of those acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Be thankful in all circumstances. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin 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 now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’

Numbers 14:13-19

And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ Numbers 14:17-18

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 14:13-19 - Moses intercedes on behalf of the people who continue to grumble, complain and fear that they will not be overtake those who inhabit the promised land.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: The Lord listens to Moses intercede on behalf of the people - He responds to prayer - reinforcing how prayer is a critical part of relationship with God. Moses' prayer also tells us that God "is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression" (v18). We see again that although God forgives, this by no means that there are no consequences.  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Moses prays to God and the most important prayer here is that he cares about God's name - Moses seeks for God's name to be great.  This is consistent with how Jesus seeks for all believers to pray - see Matthew 6:5-15 Jesus seeks for the Father's Name to be hallowed.  This is why we exist - to bring glory to Him in all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). 
• 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 but instead be thankful for what God has done and go to Him with your cares and concerns.  Claim the promise that He will not only hear your cries but He will respond and help you carry the burden of your cares (1 Peter 5:7).  Follow the example of Moses who sought God's glory. In all that we do, bring glory to God.   

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who is slow to anger and abounding in love, forgiving sin, saving, and giving life now to the full and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!  Incredible - the greatest gift of all time.  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor the blessings You pour out daily for me.  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 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.

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Mark 10:13-16

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. Mark 10:15-16

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 10:13-16.  Excerpts from the commentary's final section which explores the question of "what happens to those who die in infancy, die young, or never reach an age of moral discernment (often called the “age of accountability”)" - whether these children go to heaven:

• It is acknowledged that debate over this is not settled and often highly esteemed theologians differ including RC Sproul (negative), Charles Spurgeon (affirmative), and Billy Graham (affirmative).
• The author of my commentary - Danny Akin - offers seven points that guides him to his position which is also affirmative.  
•  "First, the grace, goodness, and mercy of God would support the position." See 1 John 4:8, 1 Timothy 2:4, and Matthew 18:14.
• "Second, when the baby boy who was born to David and Bathsheba died (2 Samuel 12:15-18), David did two significant things. He confessed his confidence that he would see the child again, and he comforted his wife Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:23-24). David must have been confident that his little son was with God." 
• "Third, in James 4:17, the Bible says, “So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.” The Bible is clear that we are all born with a sin nature as a result of being in Adam (Romans 5:12), called “original sin.” However, the Scriptures make a distinction between original sin and actual sins. Infants are incapable of actual sins because they are incapable of moral discernment. Original sin is why infants die physically. Actual sins committed with knowledge and understanding are why people die spiritually and eternally if they die without Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12-13)."  
• "Fourth, Jesus affirmed that the kingdom of God belonged to little children (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17)."  
• "Fifth, Scripture affirms that the number of saved souls is great (Revelation 7:9)."  
• "Sixth, some in Scripture are said to be chosen or sanctified from the womb (1 Samuel 1:8–2:21; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:15). This affirms the salvation of some infants and refutes the view that only baptized babies are assured of heaven. 
• "Seventh, Deuteronomy 1:35-39 is helpful. After the children of Israel rebelled against God in the wilderness, God sentenced that generation to die in the wilderness. But God specifically exempted young children and infants from this sentence and explained, '[y]our little children, whom you said would be plunder, your sons who don’t know good from evil, will enter there.' This passage bears directly on the issue of infant salvation and implies that the accomplished work of Christ has removed the stain of original sin from those who die in infancy. Knowing neither good nor evil, these children are incapable of committing sins in the body—are not yet moral agents—and die secure in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
• "Anyone who is saved is saved because of the grace of God, the saving work of Jesus Christ, and the undeserved and unmerited regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Like all who have ever lived, except for Jesus, infants need to be saved. Only Jesus can take away their sin, and if they are saved, it is because of His sovereign grace and abounding mercy....For those incapable of willful acts of sin, we can rest assured God will, indeed, do right. Precious little ones are the objects of His saving mercy and grace."

As a parent of a special needs child (17 yrs old), I am greatly comforted by the study this morning.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who saves.  Thank You for the comforting words spoken through my commentary this morning.  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. 

[H]e looked around at them with anger[.]

Mark 3:5 

[H]e looked around at them with anger[.] Mark 3:5a

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 23: The Indignation of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "It has not escaped us that when men and women are angry they usually make fools of themselves. This fact has made a deep impression on us. Most of the indignation which we have known has been so childish or so brutish, so full of fury and of bitterness, that we find it hard to give it place in the experience of a strong and holy man."
• "It was thus that the Stoics taught, contending that ever to be moved by anger is a sign of weakness and unworthy of a full-grown man. The philosophy of the Stoics is not consciously accepted by us, but the considerations which led them to their estimate of anger are still operative in us all."
• "It is not easy to free one's self from the feeling that anger has something sinful in it, or that if anger is not actually sinful, it is at any rate unlovely, a defect or flaw in conduct, a deformity in character from which the lovers of the beautiful and good may wisely pray to be delivered. It is because of this assumption that anger is in its essence sinful that many persons find it impossible to think of Jesus in an angry mood."
•  ..."[I]t was inhumanity and insincerity which always kindled [Jesus'] heart to furnace heat. When he saw men — ordained religious leaders of the people — more interested in their petty regulations than in the welfare of their fellow-men, his eyes burned with holy fire. Those who were present never forgot the flash of his eye 'as he slowly looked round upon the pedants whose hardness of heart he held in abhorrence."
• "He was angered by the desecration of the Temple. The sordid wretches who cared nothing for anthems and prayers and everything for money, kindled a fire in him which well-nigh consumed him. The miscreants who fled before him had never seen such a flame as darted from his eyes. That a building erected for the purpose of adorning the name of God should be converted into a market was so abhorrent to his great soul that he was swept onward into action which astounded his disciples and which has been to many a scandal ever since."
• "One of the purposes of the New Testament is to give us a new revelation of anger. Take away Jesus' capacity for indignation and you destroy the Jesus of the Gospels. His anger was one of the powers by which he did his work. His blazing wrath is one of the most glorious features of his character."
• "Had he been less emotional, he would not have stirred men as he did. Had his passion been less intense, the world would never have called him " Master." Here, then, we have in Jesus what seems to some a contradiction. He is a Lamb and at the same time he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He caresses like a mother and he also strikes like a thunderbolt. He is tender but he is also terrible; he is loving but he also smites with a blow which crushes."
• "How can we reconcile the indignation of Jesus with his love? Nothing is easier. His indignation is the creation of his love. His wrath proceeds from his holiness. His mercy would have no meaning were it not for his immeasurable capacity for anger. Take away his indignation and you destroy the basis of his holiness, his righteousness, his mercy, and his love. Love and indignation are not antagonists or rivals. They ever go together, each one unable to live without the other."
• "In Jesus, then, we see what a normal man is and feels. He is full-orbed, complete. He gives sweep to every passion of the soul. He will not admit that in the garden of the heart there are any plants which the Heavenly Father has planted which ought to be rooted up. All the impulses, desires, and passions with which the Almighty has endowed us have a mission to perform, and life's task is not to strangle them but to train them for their work."
• "Jesus was angry but he did not sin. Anger because of its heat readily passes beyond its appointed limits. Like all kinds of fire, it is dangerous and difficult to control. But Jesus controlled it."
• "Our anger is frequently a manifestation of our selfishness. We become indignant over trifles. The street-car does not stop, or somebody carelessly knocks off our hat, or a servant disappoints us, and we are all aflame. Our comfort has been molested, our rights have been entrenched upon, our dignity has been affronted, and we are downright mad."
• "Our indignation then is quite different from that of Jesus. His anger never had its roots in selfishness. When men abused him, he was unruffled. When they lied about him, his pulse beat was not quickened. When they nailed his hands to the cross, no trace of anger darkened his face. His calm lips kept on praying, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." It was when he saw his brother men abused that his great soul rose in wrath. The more helpless the person who was mistreated, the hotter was the fire of his indignation."
• "It was when he saw cruelty perpetrated on the defenseless that his indignation rose to the fury of a tempest. The thought of bad men leading innocent souls to sin, converted him into a furnace of fire." 
• "If hearts do not burn with holy fire against wicked men and their wicked deeds, it is because the heart is too undeveloped to feel what manly hearts were meant to feel, or because the core of the heart has been eaten out by the base practices of a godless life. It is one of the lamentable signs of our times — our incapacity for anger. Many of us are lukewarm in the presence of evils which are colossal. Some of us are indifferent. Indifference to wrong-doing is always a sign of moral deterioration."
• "Society would be cleansed of much of its pollution if we had more men and women capable of becoming genuinely angry. Let us pray then every day that a new indignation may sweep through the world."
• "The New Testament is a glorious book. Its lines are straight, its discrimination is fine, it rings true. It is absolutely free from sentimentalism. It has no sickly fondness for bad people. It does not deal in excuses and in extenuations. It has no abnormal tenderness. The world is full of sentimentalists, — men and women who gush of love, and who do not know what love is.  After listening to their flimsy talk it is refreshing to get into a book where every bad deed is held up to scorn and every bad man, if unrepentant, is overwhelmed with shame. Nowhere in the Gospels is there a soft or flabby thought, a doughy or mushy feeling. All is high and straight and fine and firm and true."
• "One feels sure that God is in His heaven, and that though wickedness may flourish for a season, God's heart bums with quenchless fire against it, and that at the end of the days every impure man, and every cruel man, and every man who loves and makes a lie, will find himself outside the city whose streets are gold and whose gates are pearl." 

Many who don't (and perhaps some who do) believe in God cannot fathom why anyone would worship a God who wiped out all of humanity except Noah and his family (see Genesis 6-9) or who condemns people to eternal damnation.  Such actions are indeed harsh.  But we must remember that all of humanity is God's creation and humanity exists for His glory and not for its own glory.  As such God's anger is righteous - not a selfish anger.  When people reject God, intentionally mock or blaspheme His name, or willfully continue in sin without repentance, God had cause for anger.  But God is just, as all will be held accountable for all of their deeds and those whose name is written in the Book of Life (believers) will be saved - while everyone else who has not repented of their sin and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will suffer eternal damnation.  At the same time, God is also merciful and patient as He seeks for all to repent and be saved.  For example, the thief next to Jesus upon the cross who is saved.  For us, in this life, We must remember that just because God has righteous anger, that we as believers do not have free license to be angry.  God calls us to be slow to anger and quick to listen - see James 1:19.  Our ability is be slow to anger is driven by the sanctification process as we become more like Him - see scripture for how God is slow to anger. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You an awesome God who is just, patient and merciful - full of love to see all people saved. You are slow to anger, abounding in love - and it is this love with animates anger towards those who are not loving like You are.  Thank You for the love, patience, and mercy You show for me - 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.  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 and be glad[.]

Matthew 5:12

Rejoice and be glad[.] Matthew 5:12

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 19: The Gladness of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "Jesus says that he is a bridegroom. He seized upon a word that is the symbol of human joy. If ever a man is happy in this world, it is on his wedding day. Jesus says that he lives in an atmosphere of wedding joy, and so also do his disciples."
• "He told the men who criticized him that his life was different from the life of John the Baptist and also from the life of the Pharisees. You cannot mix the two kinds of piety, the two forms of life will not mingle. Let me give you an illustration or two, he said: 'A man does not put a new patch on an old garment, because the new patch will tear out and the rent will be still worse. Neither can you put my form of life on to the old form of piety, the two will not hold together, the strength that is in my form of life will simply tear the old form of life to pieces. Or, to give you another illustration, men do not put new wine into old wine skins, for there is too much life and movement and sparkle in new wine for the old skins. If you attempt to put the new wine into the old skins, the old skins will burst and the wine will be lost. So do not think that you can put the new life which I live and which I want all my followers to live into old forms of pharisaic piety, for this cannot be done. I am living a new kind of life, and I want a new kind of man, a new spirit, a new form of religion.'"
• "It would seem, then, that Jesus was a man abounding in joy. Gladness was one of the notes of his character. Listen to him as he teaches, and again and again you catch the notes of happiness. He was all the time saying, "Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God" — and what was it in the little child that attracted him? One thing which attracted him was the child's sunny heart. What would we do in this world without the children laughing away the cares and sighs?"
• "Or listen again to what he says about worry. He defines it as one of the deadliest of all sins. We are not to worry about the present, about the necessities of existence, about to-morrow, about what we ought to do or say in the great crises which lie ahead of us. It is not right, he says; it is contrary to the law of God.  Listen to him again as he says to the great crowds, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." A glum-faced prophet could never speak so. He was glad even to the end. Even in the upper chamber, with death only a few hours away, he goes right on speaking of the joy that is bubbling up in his own heart and he prays that the same joy may abound in the hearts of those that love him. He tells his disciples that all of his teaching has been granted unto them because of his desire that his joy might remain in them and that their joy might be full. There was no shadow on his face that night in the upper chamber. The cross is near, but it casts no shadow."
• "The very finest apples, you know, in the earlier stages of their growth are sour and green. It is not until the sun has done his perfect work that they are golden and luscious. Just so it is with souls in the earlier stages of development — they are often green and sour, crabbed, and full of acid. But if they will only subject themselves to the shining of the sun, the great joyous, exuberant, laughing sun, all the juices of their nature will grow sweet and mellow, and they will find themselves at last in the kingdom of peace and joy."
• "It is the tragedy of this world that there are so many people in it who find it impossible to rejoice. What is the matter with you that you are not happier than you are ? Certainly there is something wrong! What a pity it is to live in a world like this and not enjoy living! It is amazing that any one should live in a universe so glorious, and not feel like shouting! If you are lachrymose and drooping it is because there is something wrong. You are not well in body or in mind, or it may be you are sick in both. You have not yet learned the high art of living, you have not yet come to Jesus. Why not come and sit at his feet? Why not take his yoke upon you and learn of him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light."

For believers, salvation alone is worthy of living joyfully every day.  Yet for many believers this may not be enough.  If this is you, I would encourage you to press on in your faith and lean into Jesus.  One of the great promises in scripture is Matthew 5:6 where early in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus shares: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."  Another word for satisfaction is contentment - and when one becomes content there is joy.  Joy in God. As believers mature and come to know God more intimately, it becomes abundantly clear that God is treasure enough - above anything else the world can offer.  John Piper refers to this as Christian Hedonism - "God is most glorified in us, or Christ is most magnified in us, when we are most satisfied him."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are so great that You provide Your Son and so much more so that we can enjoy all the rich blessings of faith.  Thank You for my salvation, for the mercies that You provide every morning that never cease, for Your Word, the Holy Spirit, the church, etc. I am not deserving - my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness[.]

Exodus 34:6

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness[.] Exodus 34:6

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 10: The Breadth of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• While the last chapter discussed The Narrowness of Jesus, "there was a purpose in this narrowness, and a reason for it. His narrowness was a product of his breadth. He walked the narrow path because he carried in his heart the dream of an empire which was vast."
• "By persistently treading a single path, he made that path so luminous that every eye can see it; by dis- carding false ideas and by opposing wicked men, he has made it easier for truth seekers and the soldiers of God in each succeeding generation to fight a good fight and to win the crown. By being faithful in a few things, he won the place of Lordship over many cities; and by limiting himself, and by making himself of no reputation, he founded a kingdom broad as humanity and of which there shall be no end. If you study the New Testament, you will see that this man from the beginning carried the world in his eye and the race on his heart. What strange paradoxes one finds in the realm of the soul. If you would be broad, then be narrow. Jesus was narrow because his breadth was immeasurable."
• "The amplitude of Jesus' ideas is evidenced by their perennial freshness and applicability to all kinds of men and conditions. How wonderful it is that Jesus' ideas are broad enough to cover all the nations and all the centuries. Many ideas shrivel and dry up with the lapse of time...the ideas of Jesus have such breadth that they can cover the world and the ages, and although nineteen centuries have swept away almost everything which was believed and taught in Jesus' day, his ideas are still alive and the very words in which they are expressed seem destined to outlive the stars."
• "And his heart was as far-reaching as his brain. The social sympathies of Jesus were to his country- men a surprise and a scandal. He felt with everybody. He seemed to be ignorant of the proprieties and the etiquette of well-bred people. His heart went out to all sorts and conditions of men in a way which was reckless and shocking."
• "The land was crossed in all directions by dividing walls and estranging barriers, constructed by narrow-hearted teachers, and after Jesus had walked through the land, lo, the barriers and walls were a mass of ruins. His great, loving heart burst asunder all the regulations and restrictions. There was room in his soul for everybody. It is in the width of his love that men have found most to wonder at. His love was unbounded."
• "He was not willing that his followers should set boundaries to their love, because all such barriers were contrary to his habit and foreign to his spirit. When Peter asked him how often a man ought to forgive another who has trespassed against him, and suggested seven as a number almost grotesquely large, being more than twice the number suggested by the most liberal of the rabbis, Jesus said: 'Do not set any limits at all. There are no boundaries in the realm of love. You cannot calculate in the empire of the heart. Mathematics is foreign to affection.'"
• "It is this abounding love which accounts for the immeasurable reaches of his hope. He was the most hopeful of all teachers. No matter how dull the pupil, he still believed that he would learn. Men had grown cynical and pessimistic in Palestine nineteen centuries ago. They had lost confidence in humanity, and had settled down in the conviction that for many mortals we can expect nothing but perdition. To the religious teachers of Palestine certain classes were beyond redemption. They were lost and were labeled "Lost." It was known throughout the city that to certain sinners no exhortation could be directed, no promise could be offered. The Jewish church turned its back upon all such, and confined itself to men who could be saved. But Jesus, because he loved, also hoped. His hope was as immeasurable as his love. He did not reject the refuse of society."
• "You cannot tell what is in a man by what he says or even by what he does. There is more in him than comes out in his words and his deeds. And so Jesus proceeded to show that the so-called lost men were not lost, and that even in blasted Samaria the fields were white to the harvest. He did not hesitate to direct his most earnest exhortations to men who were supposed to have no heart, and even when the world's cruelty was cutting into him like steel, he said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." So boundless was his confidence in man, that he set no limits to his expectations. He could not accomplish the redemption of the world in the few years of his earthly career, but he would form a society, baptize it with his spirit, and through this society God from His throne in heaven would redeem the race. The formation of this Christian society is one of the great events of the New Testament. The character of the men built into it has a wealth of suggestion."
• "Mark the method of Jesus. He chooses men of all grades and from all classes. No man in the group is like any of his comrades, and no one of them is like Jesus."
• "In doing a wide work you must have a broad instrument, and the Christian church as it left the hands of Jesus embraced in its membership the types of men which would be able to open all the doors. Never does the breadth of the mind of Jesus come out with more startling clearness than in the manner of his choices in the formation of the society which was to bear his name and carry on his work. It was a great work, the vastest which has ever entered into the heart of man."
• "In Jesus of Nazareth we get a revelation of the breadth of the heart of the Eternal. How did it happen that Jesus was so spacious in his ideas and so broad in his sympathies and so far-reaching in his plannings? It was because God was in him revealing Himself to men. That is what God always is — broad in His sympathies, wonderful in His expectations, boundless in His love."
• "No matter who you are, you have a sure place in the mind and heart of God. No matter how you have sinned, you are inside the boundaries of His sympathy. No matter what you have said or felt or thought or done, you are still the object of His love. No matter how often you have disappointed Him, He is still expecting of you better things. Whoever you are, and wherever you are, and whatever you are, you are included in His plans. When He laid down the lines of His vast scheme for humanity, you were not overlooked or forgotten. When He framed His church, a place inside of it was assigned to you. That place will remain vacant until you fill it. You cannot escape Him. His arms are all-embracing. The width of His heart is infinite." 
  

Herein lies one of the great paradoxes of Jesus - that He is both narrow and broad.  His narrowness of purpose was so singular and focused - to "seek and save the lost" - while at the same time carried out by a Savior with limitless power, resulted in broad and timeless implications for all of humanity throughout all of redemptive history, including past, present, and future. He cannot be fully comprehended nor contained by any human faculty, nor by creation itself as He is the Creator.  While AI may be all of the current rage, it does not and cannot compare to God as AI is sourced from God - see this message from DesiringGod.com.  See also Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-18 where Paul prays for the Holy Spirit to help believers to understand the "fullness" of God. Believe and experience God as His love knows no bounds!

Comment and discuss this post. 

My Prayer: Father God, Your love knows no bounds and You give me power through the Holy Spirit to grasp - as much as I can on this side of Heaven - to experience Your love and fullness.  Thank You for saving me and for these blessings - which of course are not the only blessings You pour out for me!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. Today's text builds on Paul's focus on the resurrection providing further details on this important subject:

• vv38-41: God gives all life a body and sustains all in the universe
• vv42-43: All life is perishable but those in God are raised for eternity and made imperishable
• vv44-48: All life is born with a natural body but those in God have a spiritual body and it is Jesus - the last Adam - who gives those in Him this spiritual body
• vv49-53: those in Him have both the natural and spiritual body and upon death or the second coming of Jesus, we "shall be be changed" and "raised imperishable."
• vv54-57: Upon this glorification, believers will experience final victory over sin and death through Jesus who "gives us the victory"
• v58: In light of this victory we can look forward to, believers should press on and be encouraged!

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

[D]o not grow weary in doing good.

2 Thessalonians 3

[D]o not grow weary in doing good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13

I continue my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  Today, I begin week 3 and my focus is an unassisted review of 2 Thessalonians 3. Here, Paul turns from the topic of end times in chapter 2 to primarily a warning against idleness in chapter 3. Before Paul discusses idleness, he asks for prayer as he continues to press on sharing the gospel.  He asks for prayer first and foremost that "the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored" (v1). He then asks for prayer about protection from "wicked and evil men" (v2).  Paul then pivots from asking for prayer to encouragement for the Thessalonians - the church is thriving but still under attack.  Paul shares how God protects against evil (v3).  His encouragement continues as he shares that he has confidence in the Thessalonian church, that "[they were] doing...the things that [God] command[s]" (v4). In v5, Paul reminds the church to reflect on the abounding love of God and "the steadfastness of Christ," as knowing that God never changes, is faithful (see also v3), and He will never leave or forsake believers allows believers to endure difficulties and attacks from the wicked and evil.  Starting in v6, Paul describes his warning against idleness amongst believers, with commands to:

• "keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us" v6
• imitate Paul and the other disciples in how they "did [not] eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor...worked night and day, that [they] might not be a burden" vv7-8
• "do their work quietly and to earn their own living" v12 
• "do not grow weary in doing good" v13 
• "do not regard [an idle believer] as an enemy, but warn him as a brother" v15

Paul concludes with a benediction.

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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 - You are faithful and never leave or forsaking me, protecting me from harm by arming me in my daily battle against sin and the dark forces of this world.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message to me today and every day.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

 Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1

For my daily study, I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which today looks at the mystery of mercy, first by looking at David's cry for mercy in Psalm 51:1, which John shares that David reaches back to recall Exodus 34:6-7 as he writes Psalm 51. The text in Exodus emphasizes God's mercy and Piper describes how David did not understand the mystery of God's mercy in how some received it and some did not: 

“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty[.] Exodus 34:6-7

Piper shares: "David knew that there were guilty who would not be forgiven. And there were guilty who by some mysterious work of redemption would not be counted as guilty, but would be forgiven. Psalm 51 is his way of laying hold on that mystery of mercy."  Piper wraps the devotion by sharing that believers better understand the mystery of mercy because faith in Christ unlocks this mercy.  Believers hold onto this mercy and be thankful!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good and Your mercies are new every morning - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your mercy - 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.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13

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 five - Unshakable Contentment Whether Abased or Abounding.  Here, John Piper describes how Paul endures and perseveres through immense sufferings, remaining content with his circumstances and refusing to grumble and complain. Piper first starts with how Paul was at one point almost brought to death, but recognized that his suffering had purpose and it was God's purpose.  We are referred to 1 Corinthians 1:8-10 for the text where this is described.  Piper then makes this statement about the "truth Paul believed about his suffering— no   matter how severe— was that it came ultimately with God’s purpose, and the purpose was that Paul would trust himself less and trust God more, every moment of his life, especially as death approached.*"  Piper continues on this topic by moving to the key to how Paul avoided grumbling and complaining about his suffering - we are referred to Romans 5:3-5 where Paul sees how God is - according to Piper - "producing endurance and God-saturated hope.*" Even when Paul sensed his suffering could lead to death Piper describes how Paul shared how this did not move him to grumble or complain - we are referred to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 where Paul tells us that he focused on what was awaiting him in Heaven...an "eternal weight of glory." As Piper wraps up the chapter, he sums up - by pointing to Philippians 4:11-13 - how Paul had found the secret to contentment.  Additional scripture references are provided, including Philippians 3:8 (all satisfying presence and worth of Christ) and Philippians 1:12 and Romans 8:28 (God works all things for his good).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and there are times when I have experienced suffering and You saw me through it and I know there will be more suffering before my life ends and I know You will never leave or forsake me and work in me to produce hope....thank You Jesus for how You bless me.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

2 Corinthians 5

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 2 Corinthians 5:9

I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how we please God.  John Piper's starting point for this question is an examination of the "character of God revealed in scripture."  Luke 16:14-15 is provided as an example of what does not please God as Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their love of money, status and position - love of the world. At the end of the devotion, Piper provides Psalm 147:11 as the psalmist (likely David) writes the "Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love."  To help us better understand God's character - Piper gives us two contrasting analogies - one a watering trough and the other a mountain spring - as he shares "[i]f you want to glorify the worth of a watering trough, you work hard to keep it full and useful. But if you want to glorify the worth of a spring, you do it by getting down on your hands and knees and drinking to your heart’s satisfaction, until you have the refreshment and strength to go back down in the valley and tell the people what you’ve found." Piper extends the analogy of the mountain spring as he ends the devotion by sharing "God is the kind of God who will be pleased with the one thing I have to offer: my thirst. That’s why the sovereign freedom and self-sufficiency of God are so precious to me: they are the foundation of my hope that God is delighted not by the resourcefulness of bucket brigades, but by the bending down of broken sinners to drink at the fountain of grace."  The devotion ends with Piper exhorting us to seek to please God based on a right view of Him as revealed in scripture - seek Him daily!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion, and abounding in love...for those who seek Him.  Thank You Jesus for Your grace, compassion and love for me.  I am not deserving of such blessings and gifts.  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 the Lord will again take delight in prospering you[.]

Deuteronomy 30

For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you[.] Deuteronomy 30:9b

I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at the extent to which God delights in blessing us.  John Piper starts the devotion with a bold word of encouragement: "God does not bless us begrudgingly. There is a kind of eagerness about the beneficence of God. He does not wait for us to come to him. He seeks us out, because it is his pleasure to do us good. God is not waiting for us; he is pursuing us."  Piper points us to Psalm 23:6 where the text (NLT) describes God pursuing us. Additional scripture from Exodus 34:6 is offered to show the contrast between God's anger and His mercy. God describes Himself as "a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness[.]"  Piper continues to press on his point by sharing that "God loves to show mercy. Let me say it again. God loves to show mercy. He is not hesitant or indecisive or tentative in his desires to do good to his people. His anger must be released by a stiff safety lock, but his mercy has a hair trigger." Jeremiah 9:24 is yet another example from scripture that highlights how God ceaselessly seeks to bless us. As he moves to close the devotion, Piper wants us to understand that God is unlike people - whose "emotions go up and down," and who let us down.  God is constant and He never lets us down - His goodness is described as akin to Niagara Falls which flows at a rate of 186,000 tons of water every minute - God continues to bless us!  What an uplifting word this morning!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who I know pursues me without fail and never stops seeking to bless me - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of how You pursue and bless 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 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 I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 13

 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

I continue my study of Hebrews, and today my focus is Hebrews 13:1-6, and and I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews. The commentary outlines five divisions for this text:

I. Love toward Saints: Enduring in Brotherly Affection (13:1): Here the commentary emphasizes how the text seeks to have believers see other believers as family - brothers and sisters...in Christ.  Thus, in v1 we are encouraged to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

II. Love toward Strangers: Showing Hospitality (13:2)

III. Love toward Prisoners: Remembering the Imprisoned and Mistreated (13:3)

IV. Hold Marriage in Honor (13:4) 

V. Hold Money Loosely (13:5-6): The commentary writes here how is "a call to live out the tenth commandment. Of the Ten Commandments, the tenth—do not covet—is perhaps the most difficult for us to fully comprehend, even though it tells us specifically what we should avoid coveting: our neighbor’s wife, our neighbor’s animals, or our neighbor’s belongings."  The text wraps with why we can be content with what we have - "[t]he source of our contentment is not the security and comfort we get from owning enough things; it’s that we serve a God who takes care of us. We serve a God who will never leave or forsake us. God himself has promised....[Hebrews 13:6] reflects the same confidence in God’s abiding character that the apostle Paul displays in Romans 8:31-39."

Broadly speaking, the commentary shares how chapter 13 addresses "personal and practical concerns in order to encourage people in the faith and exhort them to grow in holiness."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace, compassion and abounding love - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of Your grace, compassion, and love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my 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 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.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

Hebrews 12

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. Hebrews 12:25

I continue my study of Hebrews, and today my focus is Hebrews 12:25-29, and and I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews. The commentary outlines three divisions for this text. 

I. He Who Speaks and Warns (12:25): The commentary describes, and it is important for believers to constantly remind themselves of this, how the gospel is not just an offer but a command: "[i]t is presented as an ultimatum, as something to be either received or rejected." For those that reject the gospel, they face eternal condemnation - Jesus will return as He promises and His wrath against those who reject Him will be terrifying!

II. All That Remains (12:26-27): The commentary shares how the author of Hebrews in this text refers back to Exodus 19:18, Judges 5:5, and Haggai 2:2-9 as these passages describe how the earth shook on Mount Sinai and how God will once again shake the earth but also the heavens and all of creation - and only God's elect will remain in New Jerusalem.

III. An Unshakable Kingdom and Its Holy King (12:28-29): The commentary focuses on how the author of Hebrews ends the text to encourage believers to be grateful for the amazing grace and abounding love of God and for believers to remain serious about their faith and reverent towards God - not flippant nor haphazard. We are also referred to Romans 12:1 where Paul appeals to believers to offer themselves as a "living sacrifice."

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

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Hebrews 10

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Hebrews 10:15-17

I resume my study of Hebrews, picking up with chapter 10. This morning my focus is Daniel 10:1-18 and my unaided observations of the text. Hebrews is written to Jewish believers in the church that still clung to the Old Testament, which of course they knew well as it contains Israel's journey as a chosen people, including its sinfulness, God's abounding grace and faithfulness to His covenant promise to Israel, and prophecies that pointed to Jesus.  The author of Hebrews seeks to encourage readers to see Jesus as supremely better than anything presented in the Old Testament, as the Great High Priest, as mediator for us on behalf of God, etc. In chapter 10, the author makes the case that Jesus is supremely better because He did away for the need for annual sacrifices to atone for sin.  The text right away makes the case in v4 where it says "[f]or it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."  The author then focuses readers on how God desires not ritual animal sacrifices but our heart as the Old Testament (multiple references) is quoted in v5-7. Jesus's sacrifice on the cross ended the need for such sacrifices. The Old Testament is quoted once again (Ezekiel and Jeremiah) in v16 where God gives His people a heart of flesh and writes His Word on our hearts.  For sure, Jesus is better!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great as You are faithful and You reign supreme.  You died once for me and for all of humanity as a spotless perfect sacrifice - so that those who believe in You have forgiveness of sin and eternal life - what an awesome gift!  Thank You! I am completely undeserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

Daniel 12

But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” Daniel 12:13

I resume my study of Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 12 and my unaided observations of the text.  Here, Daniel's vision from the previous chapter continues, yet pivots to describe prophecy of what is almost certain to be the end of times - although the description here in Daniel 12 focuses on end times for Israel.  "Your people" is referred to twice in v1 as the angel describes the prophecy to Daniel - reinforcing this position.  There is a reference to "the book" which is also referred to in Revelation. The faithful of Israel who have died will awaken to Heaven, while others will awaken to eternal damnation.  We see a vision of the One True God in v8-13 and in his vision, God speaks to Daniel. Once again, we can comfort in knowing that if we persevere to the end, enduring in our faith and trust in God, we can rest assured in our salvation knowing He is saving a place for us in Heaven.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God as You are abounding in love and mercy and You offer salvation for those who repent and acknowledge You as their Lord and Savior.  Thank You for this amazing gift that You offer.  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.

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.

Isaiah 54-57

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him. Isaiah 57:18-19

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 5 (of 5) of week 20, which looks at Isaiah 54-57.  Day 5 focuses on Isaiah 57, which contrasts the futility of idolatry with God's compassion that is as described a couple of days ago from Exodus 34:6 where it states "God [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness[.]"  See also commentary from Charles Spurgeon. What an incredible God we have that as Spurgeon describes "God has two temples. The one is the high and holy place: the other is the lowly and the humble place. May we have him in our hearts, and then shall we be in his heaven ere long." Amen!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who offers salvation to those who repent and believe in Him.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  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.  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.